Paperinik77pk

Hi there Evans - yes -they were thought for this kind of use - Now let's see if they can be improved in some ways!!! I had the same problem - but I'm using a specific setting of my old version of Cura slicer which slowly designs the outer circle. This improved a lot the printing - I try to retrieve you the setting from Cura (it has been set for awhile - I've to find it again ). I'd like to try ABS mainly for the smoothing thing that can be done with acetone fumes. Never tried it (I still have the black PLA sold with the printer - I've used it rarely) but it is on my ToDo list!

Hi all, I've started to use again the 3D printer after a big time it was unused (I had to re-align it and still has some work to do). Thinking about a model of @Evans (a large steamer in 12v style with old 12v medium size wheels - those of 7750 , but in black), I tried to recreate the original 12v medium wheels design and I also tried to go further, enlarging them to 37mm size. The new wheels feature 10 spokes as the original old wheels, angled at 36° each. I used Tinkercad since it is easy and more than sufficient for my projects. And this is the result ,printed both in black and red (red filament is new - I have to understand why there is black filament residual - I'm still a total noob on 3D printing ). I printed on a medium quality setting for the red ones. The black wheels were printed on draft setting. The filament I used is PLA - a medium cost one but it works fine. The red color is somewhat between the red one used for new Large wheels and the old red of the 80s. I think there are darker and lighter red filaments, but it's really difficult to tell if the printed result will be of the correct color (the raw filament color is quite the same as the original Lego wheels, but once printed...they are a bit brighter). I used a pair of normal red wheels (the ones used on wagons - like in 7720) I removed the original wheels, kept the "red axle" and used it with my 3d printed wheel. Then I locked again in place the red pin on the black wheel holder brick - and that's all. I'll post here all my experiments - there's a lot to improve! If you have any ideas or suggestions - feel free to comment! Ciao! Davide

Thank you Sven!!! I've always wanted to recreate the E03 / E103 at the time - but it was quite hard using the original parts from the 80s (doors and so on) - so in the end all my tentatives were always resembling the 7740 !!! So I gave up Ciao! Davide Thanks Zephyr!!! It seems strange, but all credits must go to the macaroni parts...they give the "initial round shape" and then all the other square parts seem automatically "smoothed". I don't know - it is something I've noticed on the ESSO Engine on book 242. I use the very same way to build the "noses" of these locomotives, plus the stickers for headlights. If you try to imagine the same cabin built without macaroni parts...it will be too square. I am tempted to build this in "Gray Era" style, but will the 7740 ever forgive me for such an attempt? Ciao! Davide

Hi all, I gave another try to the new 12-wheeler chassis, and this time I could not resist to recreate another iconic locomotive. The real DB E03 is based on a CoCo wheel arrangement, so the 7740 locomotive was more accurate on this aspect. But I'm in the "Blue Era" , so I am a bit limited to the 4,5v/12v motor size and "rigidity". Therefore, my DB E03 is still a 12-wheeler, but in a BoBoBo-like arrangement. Don't tell anyone! This is my first DB E03 - I've never built one in other styles or sizes, apart the 7740. I chosed the first one produced since i liked that silver middle line separating the red and the yellow parts. It can be built also as a DB E103, removing the gray line in the middle of the body, adding a second line of lateral grilles, and changing the pantographs to the one-armed model (it was already used in the late 70s - so it fits the Blue Era). The correct wagons for this one could easily be the Rheingold ones, but in red/yellow color scheme. They should be a bit longer too. In this case, they would be also a lot heavier, I wonder if the 12v motor can pull such heavy things on highly-uneffective wheels lof the time. I hope you like it! Ciao! Davide

I think you perfectly got the shape! I agree, with @ColletArrow, Maybe it's a bit low, but it's instantly recognizable!!! Very nice and original locomotive!!! Ciao! Davide

Wonderful little gems! High details, great solutions for the motor positioning, those Duplo parts for the two standard wagons are simple and effective! Both locomotives are really cute! Great work!!! Davide

Ciao Evans! Luckily, this one was already without base - it was a part of an economic lot I got a long time ago on Ebay. I've another one that had the broken base - so I needed to remove it using the hairdryer . Since there's a technic axle, I thought it could be nice to use a standard remote 12v actuator (normally used for switches) with some Technic gears (let's say - same mechanism as the automated crossing level of the time. I sincerely do not know if a 12v signal control could be used to move also an actuator... it is something to try!

Hi all! Sometimes things break up, but throwing them away is always annoying for me. So I keep them, and in some cases I find a new use to them. This is the case of some red signals coming from 4,5v world - the stopping system was broken, the white plate broken and yellowed, plus the lever was prone to get stuck and not working properly. It can happen... So after dismantling the old signal, I tried to make it work again. the signal post has a metal lever inside, that is raised by the original plastic lever, basically sliding on a round surface. the red shell is composed by two parts. On this one, the bottom part was broken and split in half. I needed some glue to make it good again (I glued the interior side so nothing can be seen outside). I decided to use this signal on newer PF track,so to have some scenery. It has no more the stopping feature, since trains are now PF, but maybe it will have some in the future (a sliding color code, maybe? ). So I recreated with very few parts a new base and a similar mechanism to activate the signal. First I put some gel glue on one end of the metallic pole, basically making a "plastic tip" to slide on the small half liftarm (plastic vs plastic is better than metal vs plastic). I greased a bit the pole and the tip with Tamiya grease to make it work better. And here it is, once repaired. It's not so much work, there's no glue between the pole and the other bricks (it is just attached as a normal 4x1 brick). It is a nice vintage addition, if you have a steamer around!!! Obviously It can be used also on 9v track, just replace the dark bluish gray plates with dark gray ones and the light bluish gray Technic axle (3L) with a black one Ciao! Davide

This is a true masterpiece, the E18 has always been one of my favourite locomotives...great great great train!!! Ciao! Davide

Great MOCs Holger!!! That mallet locomotive is spectacular!!! And many thanks for your kind words!!! In these days we need a new slogan! "Keep Calm...and Build 12v!" Ciao! Davide

Epic car and epic MOC!!! The "station wagon" version is my favourite!!! Thumbs up!!! Ciao! Davide

I love it too!!! The only problem to have a "shiny" train today is find light gray parts in good condition...I am tempted to try the retrobright process on some yellowed parts - I have all the needed stuff (i got that for retrobrighing a Commodore Vic20) - so it could be worth trying!

Now I understand what was the purpose of the Topolino!!! Welcome back, Sven!!! It's a true masterpiece, and it would be great see it running on your big track!!! Ciao!!! Davide

Emanuele, congratulations for a very very deserved featuring on the main page!

Nooo I cannot believe to my eyes - you built it!!! Great!!! I try to upload the link with the preview! Thank you for giving it a try!!!

Great MOCs , Torsten!!! Very interesting!!! May I ask you how did you manage the articulation of the outer bogies of the blue locomotive? Ciao!!! Davide

Great @zephyr1934 !!! In fact this last "Blue Era" Style is the inspiration for the whole line of "famous trains" I designed. The headlights stickers are got directly from the 727 - and allow me to use the round macaroni bricks for frontal parts. It is a solution that reminds me the old lithographies on tin toy trains. The stickers and the "deformed" look of these locomotives built on standard chassis give me that "old toy" feel I particularly like

Thank you very much for your support, as usual Thanks Emanuele!!! I thought it was a nice addition - and I think it could be a nice MOC also for "Gray Era" to be paired to the 7740. I already saw some MOCs around - I'll try also to create my personal one!

...and carried around in the best possible way

Wow, this thread is really really interesting!!! After trying my 3D printed wheels with Technic axle on PF motor, it could be great to run the whole thing directly on 12v track! Emanuele, you did a great converter circuit!!! Pity I've very poor electronics knowledge to fully understand it - but more or less I got the whole idea I love that Emerald Night on 12v!!!

Hi all, this time Germany is the main guest, with its pre-TEE "Rheingold" train. The Locomotive I chose is again a 8-wheeler, in order to mantain the original Lego chassis. It is the DB E10, a nice locomotive that was never depicted in a Lego catalogue, since in my opinion it is quite difficult to recreate with normal bricks. It has a slanted nose, its design is very linear and it's a mess to make it easily recognizable. I still have a lot of doubts, I admit. Apart the colors and some details - its shape is resulting very similar to the one I used for the FS E444. I tried to recreate it in all its old color combination (the oldest one - with single headlights - in blue and black, the Rheingold and the red and yellow TEE, both with double headlights). Since my rendition of the locomotive is pretty dull, I tried to give some credit to the particular wagons of this great train, depicting the first and second class, the "panoramawagen" and the restaurant wagon. The same cars can be repainted in red/yellow to become standard DB TEE And here a full picture of the Rheingold train: I hope you like it - if you have some suggestions for the locomotive - they are more than welcome!!! Ciao! Davide

More or less...yes. You are right!!!

Don't worry at all Torsten, this is a joy for my eyes! I like these boxes (and their content) a lot!!!

Thanks !!! Initially I did not notice I was on the featured topics !!! Yesterday I saw your message and I looked at the Portal's page! Thanks all for support!!! Davide

It feels real...so well detailed, in the right color, with those great lights... ...another impressive model!!! Wow! Ciao! Davide