Paperinik77pk

Waffle waffle waffle! Waffle waffle...waffle! Great building!!!

Woooooooow! Where's this paradise???

It indeed is a good motor, looking at its specifications, but it seems they are hungry for electricity. I am searching currently on a site specific for robotic creations, and I found a motor that seems suitable for use with 4,5 volts input...it is used on Tamiya Gearboxes, so basically it's more or less the same use I'm going to do . There's also a little 130 motor tuned for solar power...

eeeeh yes , I admit it - on original sets I'm a bit too much rigid - that's why probably I'm so interested in retro-Mocs - so I can do whatever I likeeee! Mwuhahahahhaah!!! (bad villain laugh) Go for the big-bang!!! At this point three working headlights and tail lights are a mandatory requirement! Ciao! Davide

Hi all, yesterday I tested a new chassis for Blue Era trains, allowing me to avoid the use of standard train bases of the time. It features a particular bogey articolation which I got from old tin toy trains: Thanks to the lateral movement, Bogies are free to follow the track, even if the central part with motor is still fixed. Therefore, the new base can go from 28 to 30 and more studs. There are many other arrangements that could be achieved, especially for the limited "Blue Era" world So, after the chassis, it's time to design a body for it: It was an Italian pride at the time - our first DC locomotive. Why is it black instead of two-tone brown? Because this is the first version (real reason: there were no brown bricks during the 60s and 70s, there fore this was the only option!!! ) that was produced, using this peculiar livery. For completeness' sake, I must say there was also a...ehm...quite big decoration on both hoods (not shown here - On Flickr there's a picture of a time-correct version) . As you can see, a steering technic part is used to keep the bogies not falling from the body. It freely floats inside the body when the two bogies are touching the rails. This one can also work easily with 4,5v motors (getting electricity from rails, or with a battery wagon). Hope you like it!!! Ciao!!! Davide

Hi there! Gooooood question! It is all a matter of cost and look (plus originality of the set). First thing, in 7710 instructions TLG shows the optional 7865 Motor, which was only in black. Therefore, also back in time, a 7710 could have been expanded only with that option. The path of perfect originality goes in this direction. But... ...Red Motor is the perfect choice for having a nice look and give some credit to this small locomotive. Plus, it's a German one, so red wheels and chassis are a perfect choice. Red motor is expensive, but will be more and more and more valuable in the future. The bad side is: a 7730/7750/7727 will be particularly sorry to see their motor on a 7710 ! Sincerely...who cares? Red or Black base...no doubt here, at least for me. Black one, otherwise the locomotive will resemble too much the 7810. But for the original sets I want a perfect original look, so it's a matter of personal taste. Red or black cylinders? Black with black motor, black also with the red one. Big sister 7730 is teaching us this way! Doors or not - again a matter of taste - I prefer the original version without doors. So , currently my 12v version has: black base, black buffers, red motor, working central 12v headlight and reproduction stickers. Same for the 4,5v version but in addition there's a blue battery car of the 7720 (optional at the time) and a 4,5v light brick One thing I would recommend you...build 2 more wagons - they are a nice addition!!! Ciaaaao! Davide

Thanks Thorsten for your kind words, and for that folder! I'll go on with these models (both in gray and blue era) because simply they give me a warm feeling I cannot get from newer MOCs, even if I'm only designing and not building them all. But there is the possibility to build them, also with new parts, or from easily findable old parts. The E444 and the BB9200 are based on a platform which is not so cheap, I know...and for this I'm trying some new built platforms that could allow to build even more eye-pleasing things, even with a toy-rated look. 12v is a nice system , both in blue and gray era...it is toyish and keeps the feeling of "unlimited possibilities". But sincerely, 9v track is easier to use and more practical for a temporary layout. Plus, It has a realistic feel that I'm beginning to appreciate (I never had a 9v train at the time - my hobby was already retrocomputing). Wheels in 4,5v and 12v are AWFUL from a dynamic point of view. I have to use Singer oil on each wheel in order to avoid screeching and in order to have a smooth action...three 12v wagons are heavy to pull even by hand! Ciao and thank you again Davide

Thanks Thorsten!!! I'd go for the Mabuchi motors, which are the ones I know best - I've only to find a suitable RPM and Voltage . Obviously, this is only for replacement in case of emergency - long live the original 4,5v motors!!! Let's say brute force, but with a minimum effort (turn left/turn right) it came off easily! A thing I'd like to do (since these motors are new and pretty fast) is trying to use a plastic or teflon 13tooth gear instead of metallic one. This will allow me to leave the broken motor alone without recycling parts from it. I'll try to model a better motor support using 3d printing, or finding another solution to better keep 130 the motor in place and flat as the Buehler was, since I fear that even a sligtly different angle between driving and driven gear could damage the embedded transmission (and that's not easily repairable at all ). Ciao! Davide

Hi all, today I tried something I was wondering from a long time - to replace a broken 4,5v Buehler motor with something newer. This old thread gave me a good inspiration, but I still want my motor to run on batteries. So, I took apart the old Buehler , removed the original metallic 13-tooth gear (2mm shaft), and got all the copper wire (which can be used for other mods ) Now, time to find a substitute for the old glorious motor (this one was from 1969, even if the motor is a type II - probably in the past someone already repaired it). Konichiwa - Capon-San!!! Here it is the substitute...I know that it seems odd, but I had it around and it could easily fit inside the empty space left by the Buehler. It's a Tamiya Mini 4WD Power Dash motor, capable of a stunning 19900-23600rpm at 3 Volts. Maybe too much, but it's the only 130-sized motor I had at home (I'm wondering where all the others of my old Tamiyas disappeared ) for a totally failed Lego project. ...well... at least also the Lego motor is a 4WD... I fitted the original gear and the original front mask of the Buehler, then it was ready to go inside the chassis. It fits fine - it's not fully locked, but stays in place quite well. In order to get the electricity from the metallic chassis, I lifted the two metal contacts and I connected them to the motor contacts. A little pressure on the metallic connectors of the motor and everything's fine. The upper body part will block everything in place as usual. No soldering for the moment. Everything can easily return to its original status. Then, a problem appears...the Tamiya motor specifications for electricity input go from 2,4V to 3V. Normally Lego motors work at 4,5v (or a bit more if using the 12v transformer in 4,5v mode). After a fast trial at 4,5v the results were impressive - this motor was faster than any 12v or 4,5v motor I've ever seen. But after the trial, I went back to the normal 3v input, using a Lego battery box with two AA batteries and a wired connection to emulate the missing third battery. It works! The motor can pull easily 6 cars (7710/7818) , but since it is designed to compete, it drains batteries (already at 50%) quite fast. So, before batteries run dry, I made a small video: https://www.flickr.com/photos/138174786@N04/49702227807/in/dateposted-public/ It runs fine - but it can be improved on some aspects: Motor Input. on Ebay there are lots of 130 motors with different specifications - as an example, some of them can accept from 3v to 6v, or even 9.6v, so teorically can be used with the original input of 4,5v. Some of these small motors seem to accept even from 3v to 12v...but I've to document myself better. Number of Revolutions Per Minute. Probably, less RPM should better fit the original speed of the old Buehler. There is a specific "Torque Tuned" motor from Tamiya , but It is always limited to 3v maximum. So I'd go for a normal, slower Mabuchi 130 (around 12.000 RPM) 3v/6v. Soldering. Once I've found the motor, two soldering points will give a better electricity flow - there are a lot of vibrations and this is surely an easy improvement. These motors are very cheap, you can buy 10 of them for around 3 or 4 Euros. One consideration on 3v instead of 4,5v...2 batteries instead of 3 mean less weight on the battery box or battery wagon - and LEDs can be used as lights without using any resistor. Maybe not the better choice for restoring a vintage 7710 - but it's always an opportunity. Ciao! Davide

Sorry for delay - I did not notice the post! I use AA box, since these batteries last more with XXL an L motors. Here is the battery module, with control and unlocking system: The big yellow lever goes directly inside the locomotive's cabin and works as main switch. In this version it can operate only in one direction (forward). Backward operation is blocked by the pin and bushes in the middle of the control bar. The direction of the locomotive is then managed trough an an infrared receiver, a Sbrick , or a PF lever (as in 112 XXL). If there's no space to mount such devices, and we want a simple operation mechanical switch for forward/reverse, I can simply remove the central pin with yellow bushes, and the lever is free to operate backwards.The locomotive in this case will be operated like an old toy, using the lever inside the cabin for forward/reverse action. The unlocking system is easy - the "L" lever can be rotated slightly, so to free the bottom part of the battery. On the other side two pins with axle keep the battery box in position, without blocking it. The control lever is also using the same pins, so it can be disconnected without too much effort. The "L" lever could be forced in closed position by a rubber band or something similar. Now the 7810XXL is again dismantled to become the MARK III (...the Neverending Story...) and include this new battery solution. Ciao! Davide

Hi all! Here's another "Blue Era" train - this time we're in France and the famous train I've tried to replicate is the very elegant red and white "Capitole". I'm thinking about a Lego "Limited Edition" train back in the days...a special toy that could be nice to find under a Christmas tree, and something to celebrate the end of the great "Blue Era" !!! This train has a personal record - it is my first French train in Lego! I've always loved the BB Series and I had one Lima model when I was a kid. The round trans-clear macaroni parts are taken directly from the "Esso" locomotive depicted in Idea Book 242. As in the FS E444 Tee, stickers were designed in Powerpoint and applied on Lego bricks using Bricklink parts editor. The wagons (pardon..."voitures" ) are a recolored version of the ones I used on the Italian TEE. The font used for the sticker is similar (but not the same) to the original one. I could not find a font perfectly matching the very elegant script of the prototype. I hope you like it!!! Ciao! Davide

You hit the spot!!! Currently it was the first one I converted (it's a replica) to 45mm gauge , with a 4,5v motor!!! Now I've stolen its wheels for the 7810, but she'll be back soon! Ciao! Davide

Hi @Hod Carrier !!! Great build - these little accessories are beautifully realized with small parts. Simple and effective! I love this kind of building!!!

Two more pictures: One of the updated wagons: ...and one of the whole TEE consist: I'm currently creating different cars to make the train a bit more interesting, I will post them once ready! Ciao! Davide

You are right!!! I missed the gray macaroni in the big Lunar base set from 1979!!! This changes the whole thing. Since we're in 1979 - I worked a bit with the Part Designer tool and recreated some stickers for headlights (including top one) instead of windows or trans-clear bricks (727 style). There's also another sticker I could not avoid to create... I changed a bit also the side low grilles and, since Technic parts were available, 4 round windows as the real prototype. The 3x1 blue plates blocked a bit the wheels - I replaced them with 2x1. I tried with 181 locomotive and there's no problem on curves or switches. Thanks Emanuele, I hope the newer version is better! Thanks!!! It's a very nice comment! Thanks!!! Here it is!

Hi all, I've always wanted to recreate some Italian locomotive in 6-wide, but I've never attempted at it really. I've never built a real MOC in Blue Era style too. So, I decided to do both things at the same time . Therefore, after looking at the various models of Italian locomotives of 60s and 70s (I couldn't go further 1979 - after that year , I'd have to build it in "Gray Era" style ), I chose the E444 "Tartaruga" , one of my favourites. Then I had to check if all needed parts (especially gray ones) were available at the time. So I got some models of 1979 (some space Sets had gray bricks) and some catalogues. I kept the original 12v motor , baseplate and fake bogies of the sets of the time. This is the result: Well, the "nose" it's a bit boxy - but no gray round parts were available at the time and SNOT was not a feasible option . I found it's quite impossible to recreate small details - so the idea is to work on colors and try to "resemble" the prototype as much as possible. After the locomotive, I needed something to pull, and I chose the TEE wagons. The E444 plus TEE cars were composing some really nice trains back in the 70s - and all of them had a specific name, according to the cities they were connecting and/or the path they were following. Milano-Genova-Ventimiglia-Avignone: «Ligure» Milano-Torino-Lione: «Mont Cenis» Milano-Ginevra: «Lemano» Milano-Parigi: «Cisalpin» Milano-Como-Zurigo-Basilea: «Ticino» e «Gottardo» Milano-Monaco: «Mediolanum» Since I was born in Genova, and I live near Milan...the logical solution was choosing the "Ligure" . All information were taken from this fantastic site (also in English!!!): http://www.miol.it/stagniweb/rr01.htm It is quite fun building in blue era style, very relaxing! Let me know what do you think about it! Ciao! Davide

Thanks @LEGO Train 12 Volts!!! The work is ongoing - MARK III is under development (XL Motor and new battery box arrangement). Bodies (I include also the 7710) are now completely redesigned to use always the same parts, there are new lamp holders (designed to fit inside a mini-led and to run cables inside the locomotive), the 9v battery box for smoke generator has been removed (working on small 12v batteries solution). And some cosmetic solutions were applied to make the locomotives look more like their smaller cousins. I am trying a fast solution to extract the battery box without detaching parts from the body (removing only the motor). It's a solution I am working on from some time (starting from the LXD2 in 1:22,5 scale). After all, a big toy must also be easy and practical to operate !!!

Great build!!! The containers design is awesome!!!

Fantastic work! That's what I particularly like - a Technic chassis and a brick body. I love this locomotive, it has a nice and clean design and a sturdy, heavy duty chassis, and lots of power. Wow!

You made a great modification - small thin wheels (including 9v ones) NEEDED the opportunity to drive some rods! That little shunter is progressing really nicely! Yesterday I was creating an inventory of my blue era trains (missing parts, instructions, boxes, stickers) and I noticed how simple and effective was the possibility to add rods to normal 12v/4,5v wheels, using that little red part attached to the central stud of the wheels. However, the diameter of the half pin (where the rod is attached) diameter is wider than normal Technic parts. ...but the general principle is really nice!

Fantastic creation!!! That bodyshell is amazing!!! The fenders, the front grille - all details are wonderful. A replica of the Tamiya Midnight Pumpkin monster truck could be the next step (same body, different chassis)!!! From stanced to...airborne!!!

Oooooooh yes! Great building!!! I already saw the Zil 130 on youtube in the past - and the Gaz 53 is also a beauty in that blue/white colors!!! Let's go offroading!!!

Woooow - reminds me of Bernina train in Switzerland!!! Well done!!!

Thanks!!! Yes, the idea is to use these parts - I think in trans-yellow color! I am choosing whick kind of led I can use - this time I'd like to avoid the bluish PF lights and give a correct warm feel for the lights, like in the catalogues of the 80's!!!

It worked also for me - one driven axle (blind, flanged, whatever it is) and then connecting rods at 90°, never had a problem.