Rob Klingberg

So many great choices, and much more difficult to choose than I expected. Well done, all! 6. srdnet - 2 17. TooMuchCaffeine - 1 18. Priovit70 - 1 37. Etzel - 1

Brilliant! I can't wait to see a video of the whole thing in action. Your linear actuator decoupler idea is the most original I've seen yet. Well done!

Thanks for fixing the photos! Absolutely spectacular job-- I really love your work.

This is a great topic, and I'd really like to be able to see the lights and pictures, but I'm getting a broken link when clicking on the photos above. Is anyone else getting this?

Hello all-- I'm wondering if anyone has designed and installed a Lego train layout that runs around a room, i.e. with the tracks attached to a wall in a loop, etc.? I've seen some layouts that run along bookshelves and along the edge of tables, but I'm wondering if anyone has set up anything like this (shown here in G Scale) for Lego trains: http://www.ee.ryerson.ca/~jkoch/my_page/Trains/layouts/Bedroom.html I have room in my office and my ideal would be to set up a double-track loop (one 9V track loop and one 12V track loop). Thanks for any help you can provide! --Rob

Excellent job! You've really created something beautiful. My favorite by far is the use of the phone parts on the lamp posts! --Rob

1. George G.- 1 2. lisqr - 2 12. moctown - 2

1. castor-troy - 1 9. alois - 1 27. Myko - 3 Best of luck to all the amazing creators! --Rob

Does anyone plan to purchase one of these (or has anyone already)? I'd be interested to see how it actually performs, quality of construction, battery life, etc. Also very interested to see how they implemented the PF connectors-- doesn't Lego have a lock on design for those elements (plugs, connectors, etc.)? I thought the PF intellectual property was licensed for non-commercial use only. Overall, it does look like a promising new accessory. --Rob

I absolutely love the way you've used space in this build. Others have commented on the terrace, and I'll echo their praise here! There is just so much going on, so many areas of interest. A superb job-- best of luck! --Rob

Hello all-- In case you hadn't seen this, I thought this setup was pretty cool. Using an Arduino microcontroller board and an Organic LED (OLED) display screen, along with some custom code (readily available for download), Dan at the online maker shop Adafruit put together a railroad station timetable screen using a frame made out of Lego bricks. It's not hard to imagine this being updated in real-time with all kinds of cool information (actual time, train status from NXT sensors or homemade components, etc.). You could even modify this to be a TV, a control panel in a railroad control yard or a panel in a corporate datacenter, nuclear reactor, etc. Here's a link to the write-up and instructions for making your own: http://bit.ly/oledlego Enjoy! --Rob

Thanks DLuders, those were very helpful articles. And sqiddster, to answer your question, ideally I'm aiming to have a setup that will be portable and enclosed (one that will not require plugging in). So it looks like the battery pack needs some "keepalive" signal from its load. If I don't have the battery plugged in and charging, and I also don't have it connected to an IR receiver (to send speed commands, etc.), what's the easiest way to simulate these keepalive signals on the bus? I'm assuming this would need to be some sort of signal sent on either the C1 or C2 lines (per http://philohome.com/pf/pf.htm). Could I just keep C1 or C2 connected to Vcc full time? Would this be enough to continually "reset" the 2-hour counter, or would this damage the unit? Again, the goal is to use the battery pack to power LED lights alone, without any additional PF motors or IR controllers, for as long as the battery pack will last (certainly more than 2 hours). Thanks! --Rob

Hello all-- I searched online for details on this, so apologies if I missed it somewhere. I'm using the 8878 Rechargeable Battery Box in a lighting circuit intended to run for a long time (e.g., stay on until the LiPo battery is depleted). In my testing, it seems the battery box is auto powering off after about two hours. Does anyone know if this is a function of the circuit inside the battery box, or should it be staying on permanently? Any insight anyone could provide into how the 8878 circuit works would be much appreciated. Thank you! --Rob

I love it, nicely done! I especially like your treatment of the lamppost, and I love the snow sculpture! --Rob

Easy: CAFFEINE! Seriously, I find it really helps to have the kids share my interest and passion, have them help me build, and most importantly, let them play with the extremely expensive and fragile creations we build! I have young kids (youngest is 4) so this is something that still makes me nervous. Letting my 4-year-old tinker with (and occasionally, destroy) the train and City models we build is hair-raising at times, but I find it also lets them build their own relationship with the models: they make up entire story lines, songs, etc. while playing. This makes them more excited to play with me again in the future, and the models can always be rebuilt. It is a balacing act, no doubt, but (usually) I think I manage to strike a fair balance. And yes, there is also plenty of coffee involved. --Rob

Just checked back this morning and there is a BOGO 50% off on most Lego (was the sale last weekend BOGO free or BOGO 50% off?): http://www.toysrus.com/searchHandler/index.jsp?type=trigger&promoId=12408050&view=all Sadly most of the "good" stuff (my opinion) is still showing as being out of stock. Will keep checking.... --Rob

Sweet, thanks! Will need to keep an eye on the website.... --Rob

Eliminator, this is a great deal! I went onto the TRU website this morning but didn't see the BOGO deal-- was it a short-term offering, or am I missing something...? Thanks! --Rob

Hi Paul, it's actually both. --Rob

I've had my Maersk set up and running for several months now, and overall I think it's a great set (I especially like the large engine). I've had some problems with the bricks binding, though, and am just wondering if others have seen the same. The worst offenders are the magnetic coupling assemblies on both ends of the engine-- these seem to come off with the slightest touch. I've even thought about (gasp!) gluing them just to keep them in place. I've also had issues with the entire middle section of the engine-- lifting one of the fans to turn on the battery box is likely to loosen entire sections of the engine. I've also noticed that one of the magnets had almost zero holding power for other rolling stock-- it's just the one magnet on the engine, but it's noticeably weak. This is the first time I've noticed any of these issues with a Lego train, so again just wondering if others are seeing the same. --Rob

Many thanks Calabar, starting in Safe Mode and gradually adjusting the compatibility setting in LDD4 allowed me to open the models! --Rob

Hello everyone, I'm new to LDD so have patience with me and/or redirect me to other posts if this info exists there. I love that people have taken the time to create versions of official sets for the community's use! I'm sure this post has collectively thousands of hours of hard work! My questions: I see only a subset of the models have been updated to LDD4 (and not many of the modular buildings, which is what I'm primarily interested in). LDD4 crashes when I try loading these. Short of re-doing the files, are there any options to get these up and editable on my PC? Can I download an older LDD version (link?), and if so, can two LDD versions exist side-by-side on the same O/S? Thanks for any help you can provide! --Rob

Just got my copy today-- great work! I love this magazine. --Rob

I just checked out the latest issue of Railbricks (www.railbricks.com) this morning and on page 13 there is a reverse engineering challenge to build an all-Lego simple, compact switch motor that does not require modifying the switch. There are tantalizing photos of an already-built model. Just thought I'd pass along the info to this group as I'm sure many will be interested (and may even want to take a crack at the reverse engineering challenge)! --Rob

Thanks skaako, one question on the motors you have used: are they strong enough to throw switches that have not been modified (i.e., have had their friction reduced)? If so I would be very interested in more info on those specific motors. In my testing I have not been able to throw a non-modified switch without using a servo. Thanks! --Rob