Hrw-Amen

That is good news that he was able to choose which to buy. Maybe he will save and get the station or passenger train. If he is saving for that and he likes building his own stuff, (You said he built some cargo trucks I think?) then maybe he could build his own station and concentrate on geting the other train, but at the end of the day it is up to him what he does with his own cash, at least under your sound guidance.

Fantastic train. Just like the real ones.

I have not had any problems with rubber tyres on carpet, but the hard plastic wheels just skid everywhere no matter what surface they are on. Maybe some extra balast is called for?

I am impressed especially with the box wagons. Where did you get those yellow sliding doors from? Very nice job. Good to see a wholle train of them coupled up together!

A few but not as many as I wouldl like. Usually the bigger sets of a series are left unbuilt due to space limitations and not having room to display them that makes them sit around unbuilt.

Check the frequency as above. If that does not solve it then yes, conect the motor directly to the battery box. If it goes then but not through the IR unit then I guess that is the issue. Can you try the IR unit out with something else to see if that is working, maybe you have another PF train you can swap then around? I think it will be a case of trying to rule things out untl something checked eslewhere fails, then you know what bit to replace.

Yes, good one, that piston idea will solve a lot of problems. Well done.

I have several engines with twin LEGO train (PF) motors and they will comfortably pull six passenger coaches that are 44X7 studs. They will not pull seven without wheel spin unless one of the passenger coaches also has a motor in it. I have a half brake/parcel coach with the motor in the brake/parcel section. My single motored engines will just about pull three of them. The single motored freight engines pull around 13 wagons that are 16X7 of various types and I have not yet reached a limit for what the twin motored ones or two links single motor engines will pull, but I have had them pull 22 wagons of that size before with no issues. The only problem sometimes is the magnets give out but that is easily fixed with a 2x1 plate or tile. (As long as you are not shunting when it gets fiddly.) As has been pointed out, if you use the wheels on the technique axles they will not pull as many as there is then more fricton to consider.

So just to check, you are complaining that they did not check your 'Build a Minifgure' box to check that you had NOT put more 15 parts into it to mae three minifigures, like if you had accidently put in an extra weapon or tool ot something so that they could remove it for you? I think most people would feel a bit hard done by if they did do that. It is fairly easy to see if there are components for three figures, as in three heads, torsos and legs and hats/hair. I don't see them loosing any sleep over the odd extra tool. I am not really sure what the complaint is there? I can understand it can be awkward however if the top of the PAB cups do not shut down tight as they are supposed to, but they usually are not that strict and just put a bit of tape over it where I go. The ones that they scan next time you go to get a discount from PAB wall for reusing the cups. I can see it would be annoying if you lost out on that especially f you have several cups with mulitiple discounts.

I do like to collect a theme if I find it interesting and often buy every set released for it. For example last years CITY mine. I have not made up the larger ones as I do not have room. This year it is City artic. I also get several of the smaller sets in a theme to make MOCS for that theme. Usually there is a printed tile or sticker sheet and of course you normally get a minifigure so they are useful. This year I have bought about eight of the small snowmobiles to get parts and figures for artic theme MOCS. Generally though I am a MOCer. My main theme is trains and there just are not that ,many to buy and they are generally big purchases. I have yet to get this years white passenger train but I am saving myt £1.00 coins for it. Nearly all of my railway stuff is MOC'ed though in comparison to the official sets. I tend to generally get most of my stuff for MOCing from Bricklink and I buy large numbers of bricks ata time generally building up until I have enough to lauch into a MOC. I do not go out with the intention of buying from a aparts list as I have a good idea of what I need without that. I just restock on things I am short off. So I would say about 90% MOCs and 10% Built as on box. This 10% also tends to include Mods as most of the time I like to tile everything rather than havings nobs sticking up.

They look good but if you want to power a lot of lights it looks like you will need a lot of USB ports or hubs. Surely it would be better to come up with some method of having several lights into one USB port?

Thank you for your comments. I am currently debating if my next locomotive should be in an artic theme to pull those wagons or a Friends one to go with similarly themed Friends wagons. As of yet undecided. I'd like to build a made up train not based on a real life one for a change but my brain seems to be stopping me from contemplating this to any great degree, it wants another factual engine even if it is weird colours!

Yes, if you want it to go slower use the old motor, they are usually still OK, I have half a dozen of them dated from 1966/7 and they all work fine. They just required cleaning out. You can also easily rig the old 4.5V motors to run with the power functions IR unit if you want to still have remote control. Actually using those old motors it is pretty good the control you can get at lower speeds if you are using it on a very small loop.

I lke the look of this wagon, but yes make more so you have few to make a train.

Maybe the crooks could wear something other than stripy grey vests/tops. I mean does not that mean they have been caught once and sent to goal only to escape? Surely the bad guys could be wearing something else, maybe one of those masks with just the eyes showing, then a wooly hat like now but other tops and trousers to make them appear less like escaped convicts. If they want to carry on using that current stripy top they could have set where the prisoners are out doing some community work on the chain gang. Then one makes abreak for freedoom and the cops have to chase him (Or her?) which gives room for a motorcycle cop or police peursuit car? Maybe some civilians to knock over as they dash off.

Just to be different I never make a wanted list. I know what I am building and more or less what I have got. I have half a dozen trusted Brick Link stores that I use for 99% of my orders (Well over 300 now) and I tend to go for things I know I am likely to need to have them in stock. That way I can just build away most of the time. I tend to try and always have a few in house of what I am likey to use. That way even if I do need a part and one of my favourite stores has it I will then pad out the store with other things I am running low on even if I do not need them right away. Useually tiles, plates, train wheels and buffers etc. If I have to use a different store than normal I usually get the bit I want and then add some basic generic things that whilst I need to restock it is not the end of the world if they take a whle to come. Having said that though so far I have been lucky. The longest I have had to wait has been a week.

I think for me it has to be Black as it goes with everything. However I use a lot of the greys, mainy Grey, DBG & LBG. I find it hard to tell the difference between LBG and Light Grey to be honest unless it is in good clear daylight. I have started to get collection or the Azures, purples and pinks, but this mainly so I can make some Friends stuff for the wife.

I have over the summer been working on an Artic themed train. It is a collection of five flat wagons, all of which are similar if not exactly identical. They are designed for the specific purpose of carrying a secret Artic mission where two Artic Explorers can set off with a complete package to enable them to perform the mission. There are two habitation units with everything an Artic explorer will need, bathroom, bed, communication, cooking etc. They are both mounted on skies so they can be easily towed by the snowmobiles if needed. There is a small snowmobile. (Had to be made a bit smaller to fit onto train.) and then another snowmobile with a trailor. These can be seperated and the trailor transforms into a small launch pad for rockets. The snow mobile has plenty of launch controls bult into it so the explorer can turn around and control the lauch from a safe dstance. Then of course one of the wagons is carrying eight small rockets and payloads that can be launched. Anyway, here is the link to flickr.:-https://www.flickr.c...57646438819347/

Quite an unusual design, I have not seen one like that before but it is pretty good.

I have had no problems with the IR Range inside the house. The only issue is as has been said line of sight, even then I find as long as there is a wall/ceiling to bounce it off it still works even when down behind the chairs and table out of direct line of sight. It has to be really - really blocked totally with now way in whatso ever to not work. I have tried it outside and found it totally different and hard to get to work unless you are right on top of it. I have a high wall all around my garden and it is roughly the same size as my living room but the lack of ceiling I am assuming is the issue. As has been said it is OK as once the train is going it is going, but I can only get it to change speed outside if I am right there chasing it about the garden.

Looks like a nice layout. I feel however that the track supported above the water needs a little more support, as it is it seems that the sleepers are just hanging in the air. Looking at the storm damage tosome of our rail lines in the UK last winter that sort of thing will never hold up. Still it is easy to fix that with a few well placed plates. Otherwise it is a good use of station parts.

Yes it is a really nice train and very impressive with all the details. Can you tell us, or better still, show us what wheels you used, I am interested to see if they are real train type wheels and if so from where? It will be really nice to see it mounted on some track and I am with those who would love to see it running, but I can also appreciate that you want it as a display and I look forwards to seeing more pictures in the near future.

I have to say I have never had any problems with shipping prices. I do stick to stores in my own country though so I do have a rough idea of the cost. I usually stick to a group of tried and tested half a dzen or so stores with which I have built up a good relatonship over time. I find it is not uncommon to get a message from the store especially if it is a large amount so then I can choose if to use the post office, signed for, insured, private delivery service and so on. Some of them even send the parcel now before get home and pay. I have had a parcel turn up a couple of times before I have even seen the invoice. It really does pay to have a good relationship with just a handful of stores. Between them I can normally get everything I want as far as parts go.

I would be happy with any steam train as long as like the recent Creator ones they are at least roughly based around a real engine. I'd prefer a shunter and matbe they could come out with some sort of micro motor just for it? Perhaps on a twin axle set up like the existing train motor but withoutthe central pin. That way it would be much easier to do with all the other PF stuff. It would be good if they could do one with lots of pulling power but a low top speed, still keeping the 7 speed variables but all at varous low speeds, much more shunty f you get my meanng!

I find that generally Bricklink is better for most ordinary stuff, however if you need harder to get colours then online PAB can be cheaper. It is just a case of lookng to see what is what really. PAB Walls can be useful if they have what you want or are willing to fill a cup with stuff you think you may want further down the line, but they will rarely have everything you need.