retrotecchie

The app doesn't work on the wife's i-Phone (we tried) and I don't know anyone else round here with a smartphone. A bit pointless when we don't even get 2G and our wired broadband is 100kb/s at best. Sucks to live in a rural community, eh?!

Connect them to the 'app' with what? I contacted LEGO and they say there are no plans to bring out a version of the app for Windows PC :(- I just took a set of batteries out of my 7939 Cargo Train that have been sat untouched and uncharged for three months (I moved home recently). When I powered up the 7939, the green light came on the IR receiver and the train ran right away. After a couple of minutes I took the batteries out and put them in a Smart Hub for my new Cargo Train. The LED flashed red once when I tried the hub (low battery) and then gave up completely. I then took the batteries out of the hub and put them back in the 7939 and off it went....for another 20 minutes until the motor began to slow down. PF is still responding to commands, but there just isn't enough power left for the motor. Having hacked the wires on an IR receiver and used it to control an old 4.5v motor in my 171 train set, with three 1.2v NiMh C cells in the battery box, I know the Power Functions gear works down to as little as 3v without a problem. I think the problem with this new Bluetooth gubbins is that the 'battery low' threshold is considerably higher than the old PF stuff.

Plenty of space to do so. I'm just finishing building the Cargo Train now (typing this in a quick coffee break) and I'm going to rob the NiMh batteries from my old 7939 Cargo Train. As I have the 7939 loco partly disassembled anyway, I'll transplant the PF gear and see how it works. I took the innards from my 60051 Passenger train and put it in the new 60197 so that is now running under IR power functions quite happily. The fact that the old PF has compatible LED lights whereas the new PU ones haven't been released yet means my Passenger train now has headlights. I am assuming the new PU lights (when they are released - a set number has been identified) will have a similar form factor, with just a different plug to suit the new Smart Hub. Perhaps the ID pins may 'identify' lights as a simple binary on-off device so we can simply switch the lights on and off rather than have to dim them up and down as we currently do with Power Functions? Now I have a 'spare' set of PU motor, remote and Smarthub for the moment, I want to play with the ID pins and see if the hub sees the functionality of a train motor differently if it reports a different ID.

I have been doing some more testing with the new Passenger Train. I took the set of NiMh 1000mAh batteries that only lasted 30 or so minutes in the Smart Hub and gave them a 14 hour charge overnight. This afternoon, I managed around 40 minutes with the train just circling the supplied track at speed 3 (of the 10). An identical set of batteries from the same batch in a Power Functions train last a good four hours on the equivalent speed setting. The Bluetooth kit constantly illuminates the RGB led on both the transmitter and the Smart Hub, and there must be some constant two way communication going on to maintain pairing and handshaking. With switched addresses on Power Functions and the controller only transmitting when sending a command, clearly the PF IR kit is going to be far more battery efficient. When the PU controller is paired with the Smart Hub, a quick press on the Smart Hub power button causes the channel to change. The LED colour cycles to show the channel (Red, Green, Blue, Yellow or Purple). The LED on the controller tracks the Smart hub pretty instantly, which I guess is good...it shows a very low latency or lag on the Bluetooth, but it clearly shows that the communications between the controller and the Smart Hub are bidirectional. Now....I have a Cargo Train to build this afternoon, and it will be interesting to see how the pairing works between two controllers and two hubs. Incidentally, my tests with the controller used alkaline batteries. I have just taken a set of NiMh cells from another PF train and will now see if the lower voltage (4.8v rather than 6v) has an effect on both range and longevity of the controller itself. Another observation. When you change channel on the Smart Hub, the controller channel changes to track it. When you power off the controller, the Smart Hub loses the controller signal and tries to pair again for another ten seconds or so, gives up and then goes into shutdown. The plus side of this is you don't need to switch off your loco. Once the controller is off, the train follows suit. The downside of this is that the only way to switch the system back on again is to press the power button on both the train and the controller. The pairing takes place and the last selected channel is remembered. If you were on Red, it comes back up as Red. A great way to shut down the loco remotely, but not so great if it is on the other side of your layout or inside a tunnel! I still need to 'play' with two controllers and two trains to see how the interaction happens. I fear this could be rather confusing!

I have been doing some more testing with the new Passenger Train. I took the set of NiMh 1000mAh batteries that only lasted 30 or so minutes in the Smart Hub and gave them a 14 hour charge overnight. This afternoon, I managed around 40 minutes with the train just circling the supplied track at speed 3 (of the 10). An identical set of batteries from the same batch in a Power Functions train last a good four hours on the equivalent speed setting. The Bluetooth kit constantly illuminates the RGB led on both the transmitter and the Smart Hub, and there must be some constant two way communication going on to maintain pairing and handshaking. With switched addresses on Power Functions and the controller only transmitting when sending a command, clearly the PF IR kit is going to be far more battery efficient. When the PU controller is paired with the Smart Hub, a quick press on the Smart Hub power button causes the channel to change. The LED colour cycles to show the channel (Red, Green, Blue, Yellow or Purple). The LED on the controller tracks the Smart hub pretty instantly, which I guess is good...it shows a very low latency or lag on the Bluetooth, but it clearly shows that the communications between the controller and the Smart Hub are bidirectional. Now....I have a Cargo Train to build this afternoon, and it will be interesting to see how the pairing works between two controllers and two hubs. Incidentally, my tests with the controller used alkaline batteries. I have just taken a set of NiMh cells from another PF train and will now see if the lower voltage (4.8v rather than 6v) has an effect on both range and longevity of the controller itself.

I just got the new Cargo and Passenger trains. Very disappointing. Both are 50% more expensive than the 7938 and 7939 sets they essentially 'update', but I fail to see where the extra money went. The Bluetooth is utterly dire and I have just ordered a pair of PF kits to retrofit these back to a 'proper' control system that is compatible with all my existing trains. The controller is way too small for my sausage fingers, and the buttons are all way too small and fiddly. The rotary wheels on PF were perfect for controlling trains easily with one hand....this new PU controller is awful. And don't say 'use the app'...I don't own a tablet or smart phone and don't intend to. What I do have is a Windows 10 laptop with Bluetooth 4 (LE) and I did email TLG to enquire about a Windows version of the software, but they say 'no', and no plans to bring one out. A shame really as the real-estate on a 19" (or bigger) screen would give you some amazing possibilities. Fairly 'standard' trains, somewhat overpriced compared to earlier releases, and I fail to see any benefit at all with the Bluetooth versus tried-and-tested PF. The battery life is about half an hour with the same NiMh batteries that power the PF trains for a whole afternoon. I can't see the PU train motor needing any more power than the PF version....must be the Bluetooth that sucks them dry. I would need a second mortgage to run these on alkalines. LEGO...what were you thinking?!

Folks....I kind of get the feeling that the whole SE 'Swap and Meet' thing sort of petered out? I did message Pinky, but no reply. If any of the 'crowd' are still up for a meet-up in future over a coffee near a handy LEGO Store....I'm still about!

I have a lot of modern LEGO, including the newer 4x6 doors, but my collection goes right back to the late 1960's so I have lots of the old 2x3 doors and every size in between. What does work, is building 1/2 scale versions of newer style buildings, using the 2x3 door and the older 2x2 windows (instead of the newer 4x4 ones)and then putting them in the 'background'. Use intermediate sized doors and windows in between background and foreground buildings to infill the 'mid-ground'. Use older road plates like the 9 stud plates in the background and the road scales blend into the distance too. Trains are a bit of a problem. The 4 studs between rails hasn't changed since 1965! Vehicles though work with the scaling to give the impression of distance. The 1970's LEGOLand vehicles had proper minifigs, but the vehicle scales were way too small, but they work in the background. Of course, what I really want is a lot of wallpaper printed up like the backgrounds shown on some set boxes so I can put a 'false horizon' on the room walls. I'd love to wallpaper my play-room with something like the backdrop from the 4511 train set box

Moment of the day...Pinky sticking a red-brick 'willy' on the giant LEGO Policeman Minifig in Westfield and roaring with laughter as all the passers-by took photos!! Good to meet you all again....and for the latecomers - sorry that Amps and I had to shoot off early. Hope to catch up with you all again at the next Swap and Meet. Silentmode....cheers for the 1x1 window. Star!

I'll try and turn up around 10-10.30 on the Sunday Not going away overseas and her indoors has signed off my 'allowed to be let out for a few hours' pass!

I have loads. I bought a 'Basic Set' about two years ago for some stupid reason I can't recall, plus the limited edition building set (with the gold brick) and literally only sorted through it yesterday...Plenty of 1x2 and 1x4 in both light and dark green. Will bag them up for you and bring them along as it appears I'm not out of country now till early March.....YAY!!!!! Seeya at Westfields, peeps

Maplin Electronics in the UK.....12 pack of AAA 1000mAh NiMH batteries.....£9.99. They usually have Buy One Get One Free on batteries, so I just picked up 24 AAA rechargeables for £9.99! Or around US$ 13. OK, you get 7.2v out of the battery box, rather than the full 9v for alkaline, but Power Functions is perfectly happy with that voltage and even on top speed, your trains don't come off the track!

I'm in, assuming of course I'm in-country. About 5kg of wheels, tyres, axle blocks and vehicle accessories if anyone is interested? Desperately seeking 1 x 1 Classic Windows, in red, white or yellow And slope 3 x 3 double convex (grey or preferably yellow) But other than that.....always up for a nosey at anything anyone has to trade.....'cept flexi-track!! Mike

LiPo batteries have not been around for so long so the technology isn't as 'proven' as Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) or Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries. They have a far higher energy density, that is to say you can cram more watt-hours of charge in a given size, but the lifespan is far less than NiCd/NiMH....perhaps 100-150 cycles compared to almost 500 for 'looked after' NiMH. Decent NiMH batteries like Sanyo Eneloop AAA pack 1000mAh of punch into the standard AAA package....which is about twice as much run-time as you get from Alkaline (disposable) batteries, but you need to remember. Alkalines give 1.5v which drops off slowly. A 6 AAA alkiline pack therefore gives 9v, dropping off pretty linearly. Rechargeables give off 1.2v but that stays pretty constant until they are almost exhausted, and then the voltage drops off rapidly. The LiPo battery pack develops 11.2v (3.7 ish Volts per cell, 3 cells) so will run any train proportionally faster (11.2/9 =124%) and as the 9v trains are already too fast on the highest speed with a good 9v pack, there is some benefit to running on rechargeable 1.2v NiMH cells. In actual fact, a pack of 4 AAA batteries in a 4.8v pack seems to be optimum for trains. A 4 x AAA holder fits nicely in a slightly smaller dimension than the LEGO battery box, of either flavour so you will have no trouble getting it in the space. If you hack the feed wire off your PF receiver and fit a PP3 battery snap, then something like the Maplin 4xAAA battery holder is the perfect substitute for the LEGO pack. Without a switch, I can leave an IR receiver on 'standby' for almost two weeks without worrying about switching it off. Otherwise, pop the PP3 snap off or fit an in-line switch.

Folks....was great meeting up with you all yesterday. Thanks to AmperZand for the black roof tiles....can make a dent in my parts list needed for my MOC of Farncombe Station! See you all at the next one! Mike

Okies.....didn't get sent away anywhere funky, so will be there...and will bring some stuff along - mostly Minifigs and tiny elements, some flexy track and other odds and ends. Any train fans interested in my PF modifications for 4.5v trains can take a look at my tender conversion which I'll bring along.

I have sooooooo much blue track...most of it from my original purchases back in the 70's plus inheriting various cousin's LEGO collections over the years, but there is still loads of blue track and accessories on ebay most weeks. I have finally managed to manufacture some 'interfaces' between the older style track (blue and grey 4.5v) and the new City Track, so I can now splice my new City layouts onto my existing huge blue and grey layouts. By cutting the 1 stud connector piece off both ends of a curved section, and supergluing onto a 1x8 plate, then shortening a pair of blue or grey straights by one stud length (with a hacksaw!) and gluing to the manufactured connector, I now have some sections of retro straight track that connect to the new stuff (or 9v....the connector is the same, I think?). With the 4x AAA NiMh pack and a PF reciever, I can also run all my retro trains (171, 182, 7710, 7745) with 4.5v motors using PF control. See my other posts for ideas on how to modify 4.5v to work with Power Functions.

had a look, thanks! Actually, I noted in another thread that lxf files are actually a zip file that comprise a small png thumbnail image and an lxfml file that has the actual data stored. By looking at the lxfml extracted from a single brick added to LDD, then two identical bricks, then two identical bricks in two different colours, I think I cracked the system! A simple import of the lxfml file into a small app I'm writing in Visual Studio, extracting the element data and then tabulating elements by element design and colour code should end up producing what I want, hopefully. If it works half reasonably, I'll make it available to anyone else who may be interested

Silly question. LDD allows me to get the price of a creation from the LEGO shop, so the data for a creation (how many of which element) is clearly submitted to LEGO, priced up, and returned to the user. But.....you pay a service charge for them to box it up and print off a picture and send it to you. Just take a single 4x2 brick, place it In LDD and get a price. Compare that price against buying the single element from PAB! I recently build a replica 7710 passenger carriage in LDD, minus things like doors and windows which I already had, and the price was over 20 Euro (GPB 18). I then went to PAB at the LEGO shop and got what I needed for less than half. I can print my own picture and I really don't need the box. So....I design it in LDD, then work out the elements I need, get them from PAB at a fraction of the cost and I'm happy. This is a bit of a work-up, and if it's a really complicated model, takes ages to produce my on-line order. Is there, or has anyone found a way of exporting the parts list from an LDD model (.lxf file?) into a simple table or text file? I'd still have to enter the list manually on line, but could at least just bang it in off a printout of the exported data. I notice now that new LEGO instructions have a breakdown of all elements and quantities in a set...is there some utility or 'bolt on' for LDD or lxf files that allows export of a parts list?

Right.....as promised. Again, apologies for the crap camera, but I hope you get the gist! Take a standard 6x12 carriage base from the 70's Build up as shown, leaving the front open...the IR receiver sticks out by one stud. You need to pack the base with two 4x1 plates and two 4x2 plates, building it up to the required height and allowing a one plate gap for the cable to emerge. Fit the reciever, and the battery pack sits nicely behind it. Make up the lid using blue plates, and finally, tuck in the switch wiring and fit the switch plate. Shown here, my 120 Loco (1970) with the whole assembly fitted.

Will upload a few shots tomorrow for you. Actually, a 2x4 technic plate (in blue) would have been perfect. I think the holes in Technic are 4.9mm and the hole I drilled to take my switch was 5mm. As I have to take the top off the tender to swap out the 4 AAA pack, I could have just dropped the switch inside and not bothered about mounting it. The top mounted switch was a 'nice to have' rather than a necessity.

Absolutely. A very nice interpretation of an actual station, and really in keeping with the golden age of steam, too. I think a lot of the LEGO station type offerings look just a little bit too modern. Really lovely. Nice job.

Ah.....my goodies arrived from LEGO so out with the soldering iron last night! Decided to use a 4 AAA battery pack (4.8v) with 1000mAh NiMH cells for my 4.5v Trains. A sub miniature toggle switch on the top of the tender (fitted to a 2x4 blue plate) and a PP3 battery snap....job done. The whole shooting match goes nicely in a replica 182 style tender (black with the blue roof, hence the blue plate to mount the switch). I could have drilled a hole in the bottom of the carriage base for the wires and mounted the switch unobtrusively on the side of the base between two wheels, but I figured modifying the plate was less drastic than brutalising a vintage carriage base! I was also thinking of fitting a 2.5mm DC power socket as I have on my modified 4.5v tenders so I can simply plug in a NiMH charger rather than have to drop the cells out and charge them individually, but I made up a load of spare packs so some can be charging while I'm playing with the others. Now I have my 1968 '116 Deluxe Train Set', the 1970 '120 loco and tender', three 1972 '171' train sets, later 7710 and 7725 and my new 7939 Cargo Train all making their way around the attic now using one PF controller.....result!!

Cracking signal box. Looking at doing something similar myself. Very nice looking and those levers are great. There is a small signal box/level crossing hut near me (I live in a village with a station on the main London-Portsmouth line) which is very similar looking, and two level crossings within 500m of each other! Great for train inspiration. Not so great if you need a pint of milk in a hurry at two minutes to or twenty eight minutes past the hour! The village is literally cut in half by the railway, and my local grocery shop is the other side of the tracks

Actually, what I have ended up doing is buying a single curve...and cutting the two ends off and gluing them to a 1x8 plate. The perfect solution, and as most people have plenty of unloved and unwanted City-type curves for a few cents on Bricklink, pretty cheap and quick. Older trains actually run really well on the new track, and I agree it is far more robust. It is also better mechanically and it's dimensionally stable....take two blue straights and two white 8x1 sleepers and assemble as per usual. Then, grip the opposite ends of the sleepers and pull. Result: A parallelogram rather than a rectangle! The later grey track was more stable, especially if you bothered to fit the intermediate sleepers. Since the grey track days, the sleepers have had mounting holes premoulded into them so if you wish to screw or pin them down to a substrate board, the resulting assembly and stability is absolutely rock solid. And yes, most derailments in the 'good old days' were caused by a bit of the blue popping off the sleepers, but that was half the fun back in the 70's, wasn't it?!! Especially on deep pile carpet! I just have over 1km of old blue and old grey track, not very much of the new stuff, LEGO have made it harder to buy new track as an individual item and it would be nice to occasionally run my new 7939 round the old layout and my 116 and 171 and the like around the small loop of new track in a nice seamless transition. Guess I want to have my cake and eat it!