Pingles

You need to set an evening aside and have that baby shine in the dark! Just ran my Emerald Night with a few lights in a dark room for the first time a few evenings ago and it was magical.

As a Train nut I got the Cargo Train and City Transport using TRU's BOGO. Threw in a Caillou doll for my daughter. Last time I felt so guilty when we got the Lego box and it was all stuff for me. WORST DAD EVER!

I can't connect to the Eurobricks forums using McDonalds WiFi. If I disconnect from their WiFi I can use 3G no problem but always time out on McDs. I am assuming it's McDs network backbone because I've tried it in three McDs. It's odd because I can play the MMO Order and Chaos from McDs and don't have this issue with any other website. Weird, eh?

Ha! Now I don't feel so irresponsible! I started in February and own two trains Passenger Emerald Night It would probably be more but I prefer Steam Engines. I plan on getting the current Cargo next but after that it will likely be a Steam MOC. Looking for a good one that hasn't been done yet.

Picasa is Googles Image site. Includes a pretty nice photo organizer desktop program. Allows private and public collections.

Yikes. That ToysRUs sale is very tempting. Buy one, get one half off AND get a free Lighthouse? *sigh* I really do TRY to control my shopping...

This news gave me an excuse to buy the current Cargo Train. Awesome!

I'm not sure how the 9V/12V do with kid-pushing but the current PF train motor does very well being shoved around the track by my two year old. The Emerald Night motor? Not so much.

I am sure this debate gets heated so I won't try and fan the flames but I find PF impressive technology and very good for my setup. I enjoy having multiple trains share the tracks and being able to coordinate their positions and have them wait for each other at switches.

Wow! I love that roomy cab!

Page 4 or 5 of the pdf I think starts it. http://cache.lego.com/bigdownloads/buildinginstructions/4611661.pdf

Would the gear setup in the Emerald night be appropriate? I was very impressed by the setup and it works great motorized.

(Sorry, this started as a three-sentence post and became a Novella with very little payoff) My daughter got me into Lego Trains. She's two-and-a-half and a Thomas nut so we got her a bunch of Duplo track and the Thomas cars and she loves them. I had so much fun setting up her Duplo tracks that I wanted some of my own, having been a Lego fanatic for many years. As a kid I had TWO rails of the blue tracks. No trains, just the rails. I have NO idea how I got them. But I always loved them as a kid and wished I could get a train but never did. So a few months back I purchased a bunch of track, a Passenger set and an Emerald Night. I kept them a secret from my daughter, having suffered the heartbreak of the Toy Story Lego train in her grip. Each time she touched it she came away with pieces. She's been on a strict Duplo diet since. But she was in my office the other day and saw my bucket of old Lego pieces and asked to see them. She went wild for "Daddy's Legos" and I allow her to play with them when I am present. She was so well-behaved with them that I finally set up my track for her and allowed her to play with my trains. As someone has mentioned before, she does not like when they run by themselves. She insists on pushing the trains. It works well on the Passenger Train but my PF-converted Emerald Night gives too much resistance. So she calls it "Daddy's Train" and leaves it alone. But last night I was brushing my teeth and I heard her say "Oh no! It crashed!" I walked into my office and, sure enough, it HAD crashed. The poor Emerald Night was on it's side, in pieces. I was SO furious. But she's two. And adorable. I feel so silly being mad and lecturing a two year old on what fragile means. I got through about two sentences before I realized how ridiculous it all was. I guess I had convinced myself that she was no ordinary two year old and would play with big-kid Legos without a problem. Of course that's not true. She's two. She breaks things. It's what is SUPPOSED to happen. So this morning, before work I cleaned up most of the track, put away all but two cars of the Passenger Train and will make sure I'm supervising a little better. I keep thinking I understand what being a Dad is and she keeps surprising me. What a crazy, wonderful experience.

I have never changed my AAA rechargeables! I've had them in there for months but only get to run the trains a couple of times a week.

Do what makes you happy! Enjoy making whatever train you like! I have considered creating some Fantasy/Dwarven style trains. Get creative!

Some has already done that. Use Search to find it.

Bought the Duplo trains for my Thomas-crazy daughter and I enjoyed the experience so much I started on Lego trains myself.

Same boat. Just can't bring myself to muddy up the beautiful Legos with stickers. Stickers archived but no interest in using them. I am re-doing my Office and you've inspired me with your shelf design. Although I will have to add bumpers because it's earthquake country here. :)

Fascinating, fun and fantastic, sir! Thank you for that. As a Steam fiend myself I am eager to start my own project and will be revisiting your project throughout. Thanks for all of the hard work. I will certainly pay-it-forward by documenting my own, hopefully with equally amazing results.

I'd also like to add that each time you go for a job you have to imagine all of the OTHER people trying out for the job. What will make YOU stand out? Lots of times it will come down to 3 or 4 reasonably close candidates. The one with the higher education will usually win out just for showing the follow-through to complete a degree along with the hopes that the degree will bring some kind of added value to their work. I have done very well for myself with no education but I know there are jobs that I missed out on because of the lack of a degree. I have even been told that by interviewers. One job was on a research ship for the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. I had a friend who worked there and he told me that EVERY resume they had was a PhD except for me. :D

A lot of character. Nicely done.

I own none of them (Steam-powered fan here) but I find the nose and window of the Super Chief to be more pleasant. The flat, side-viewing windows of the others don't appeal as much to me. I also appreciate the side design-work of the Super Chief. It is the only Diesel I have been attempted to buy. But I am too attracted to the Steam period (both trains and city) to stray.

In Santa Cruz, CA they have a train that runs along the beach Amusement Park and wharf. This picture shows the track (but cuts of the wharf, which is to the right of the picture). The pic shows a freight train but a Passenger train runs every summer day. A nice option for a water/train mix with passenger cars instead of freight.

Thanks for dredging up this old article. Great read and fantastic comments.

A gorgeous abomination.