Paperinik77pk

Hi there! I have to admit, XXL doors are my problem , but I'm working on them. This is the 7710XXL , featuring a protoype of the new low-profile locomotive chassis with two L-motors (prepared after @Tenderlok suggestion). Its blue and yellow cars, plus an optional red-blue livery one, are used to experiment a bit possible solutions (also for coupling - currently not showed). One very simple solution for XXL doors and windows is to make them smaller than the real doubled size (I'm at Lego Basic level - SNOT at minimum level) and to create a grey "metal" frame around them. But I like the windows look and not the doors one - the good side is I have all the internal space available for seats. Sincerely it reminds me the doors of the chemical toilets!!! The second solution (the classic one) is to move doors internally by half stud, and this is what I was trying on 7740XXL. Sincerely I like this solution more!!! But for the monent these are only drawings - I'm saving a bit of money to buy the BuWizz (also for an RC Car project I've in mind) and to build the Locomotor 29. Ciao! Davide

Thanks Emanuele! The 7810XXL is a big toy , my second experiment on the large scale world - all in all it's amusing to see it going around. Now I'm concentrating on bigger things , but I will likely continue the "12V doubling" saga in the future (there's a 7740XXL somewhere in my designs folder , but it feels not proportioned at all. The main issue in "Gray Era XXL" trains are WHEELS and (unbelievably) the DOORS!!! Being originally 4-wide and 5-tall , once you multiply doors by 2 they become ENORMOUS and UGLY (and not openable for the moment). Now that I see the 7720XXL after more than a year, I do not like at all its sides. I started designing another steam train which can run on G-Gauge track - this is a more realistic thing, but I had to stop drawing since I needed 6 XL-sized Big Ben Wheels to perform some curve tests on 600mm radius track - I have to study a bit which could be the maximum feasible distance between the two outer axles and how to manage lateral play of the central one (which is not centered at all). So for the moment I'm concentrating on Locomotor 29, which is a bit easier!

ooooh yes...total failure...I'm not able to solder properly, it seems... it sounds like a...well...it doesn't sound good at all. I like the solution you linked...it seems nice!!!

Thanks Sven for your help, always appreciated! I do not have experience with L-motors - I just ordered two of them in order to make some tests - thanks for the suggestion. They seem to be perfectly suitable to my needs. Regarding steering, I made some tests on normal Lego wagons, and it was a more complex solution than the one actually used by LGB. On 600mm radius teorically also a single steering axle works fine ( I tried to lock one in central position and it works as well ). Couplers are a tough thing to prepare - I want to try a last solution with pure Lego , and then I think I'll go back to a specific 3D-Printed solution (the classic fish-hook solution with a Technic axlehole placed somewhere ) . Thanks ! I am going to redraw both of them to 13-studs width (14 with all details) - I think it will be the correct size. I want at least create the red one, since it is one of my favourite locomotives (I was actually born in Genova so it has a special meaning to me). CIAO! Davide

Hi all, after a very long time, dedicated to my retrocomputing hobby, I finally got back to Lego trains . What made me come back to drawing and studying was a very cheap copy of G-Gauge LGB trains, made in China by a company called Newquida. These trains also offer a specific track, only proposed in Radius 1 (600mm), all made by brown plastic. So I gave this track a try (for 25 Euros I got a full circle, two points and an half circle). Apart the 45mm gauge, the track is all in all very similar to Lego standard geometry. Currently my two prototypes are not G-gauge perfect, they simply are 12v Lego trains with their size multiplied by 2. They are a 7810 and a 7720 on steroids, basically. After getting the track, I widened the bogies of my Lego prototypes of "big" Lego trains from L-gauge to G-gauge and I made a test run...the result is...I'll never go back to L-gauge (only for for trains which are so big and heavy ). This track is cheap and quite solid. More than enough for the moment! So, having the opportunity to properly test my locomotives, I bought three LGB cars (the ones used on standard sets) at quite a bargain price. Immediately, I understood that some ideas I got from photos, catalogues , Eurobricks members ( @Tenderlok ) were correct, others were quite right at a first sight, but totally wrong. First thing to think about: dimensions - The scale 1:22,5 is the one commonly used by LGB for Narrow gauge trains running on 45mm tracks. It means that real trains running on tracks around metric gauge (950mm/1000mm/1067mm, but also smaller ones) are quite standardized to this scale. Standard gauge real trains are quite commonly scaled to 1:32. My Double-L trains are something between these two standards. They are taller and narrower than LGB cars. They are close, and this was quite a satisfaction for a newbie like me. So let's make a bit of reverse engineering. I got some data of real trains (for example BerninaBahn Abe 4/4 30 - 1000mm , JNR KIHA 31 railcar - 1067mm and Genova-Casella locomotives 950mm adapted to 1000mm), and I calculated the measures in studs. We're always around 13/14 studs for width, lenght may vary but buffers are quite often near 3 studs, height can slightly vary but roofs at 15,16 bricks from ground. What I would like is to have some basic reference measures to standardize a bit some parts of my future design. So i dismantled one of the LGB cars and started to take some measurements in order to see if my calculated dimensions were correct. Well,let's say three studs for a single buffer. So lenght of the body could be approximately calculated as: overall lenght over buffers translated in scale and then divided by 0,8cm, subtracted by 6 studs. It's not a general rule, but it works to at least have an idea. I went back on fixed buffer solution instead of pivoting one - it works perfectly. My train base chassis is 12 studs wide - LGB one is 11. but LGB undercarriage parts are thinner than Lego, so I will have to rework all the details (leaf springs, bogies and so on) to be a bit more narrow. Axle steering at least is correct and works fine - it should be limited a bit - LGB axles steer but not so much (I'm no more using Lego tracks for these trains so I can limit the steering a bit). The wagon's body is 14 studs (sounds nice). All doors and windows are smaller than I thought on these wagons. Second thing to think about: weight So, I always tought my locomotives were too heavy. Not at all, LGB wagons are heavy too, so a bit of weight in the locomotive is welcome to improve traction. One thing for sure: the XL motor works fine and smoothly , but bigger batteries are needed (the small battery box is not enough). So, this is what I learned from my errors and ideas so far . First trial in designing something more serious I would like to share with you my first design of a locomotive in real G-Scale, not based on double-sized Lego sets. It's the Electric locomotive number 29 (red) and 28 (blue) of the Genova-Casella railway, one of the survived narrow gauge railways in Italy. Locomotive number 28 was scrapped and parts were used to keep the 29 alive. This design still keeps the possibilty of changing from L-gauge track to 45mm track, but I am redesigning the whole thing. I do not know the real width of the locomotive and I do not have blueprints...so I used a lot of photos. Currently it is 14 wide (16 with ladders), but I'm going to make it narrower by one stud (the real locomotive is thin and tall), in order to give a more faithful look. It will loose the double gauge feature, but I think it deserves a less square design. I'm planning to use two XL motors and a standard PF battery box, but I could also think of a 7,2v high capacity (4000Mah) RC car battery. They are simple as usual, the only snot-designed part are in the front of the locomotive. I hope you like them, and I'd really like to understand if what I experienced could be correct or useful Ciao to all! Davide

Hi @Hod Carrier, this is a true masterpiece, the use of Mindstorms (and the whole frame design to fit it inside the locomotive) is really fascinating! :) :) :)

A wonderful creation! The whole "set" is very well designed !!!

Very nice locomotive! Clean and compact! :)

AAAAAAH it's always a pleasure to see your creations! The whole train with E656 is amazing!!!

Some Ideas: the Big Boy, the Bi-Polar and the GG1 :) They're so big that it could be really satisfying having them in a tiny space :)

Great work, I'll buy it for sure!!! :)

It's a long time since I wrote on this thread - I see things have improved!!! :) The refinery is one of my darkest desires!!! Many thanks for sharing!!!

Nice and clean!!! :)

Beautiful locomotive - nice solutions and great attention to details and cinematics!

Great work for really small trains!!! Fantastic!

Hi there @ColletArrow - it's a lovely work!!! Can't wait to see it finished in real bricks!!!

It is a very cute little locomotive!!! And it works really fine! The Idea of wrapping the battery box is a really good solution to make things smaller!!!

Hi @Hod Carrier ! It is a very good MOC, very "different" and very well done!!! I Like it a lot!!!

Can't wait to see it completed! In these months I stopped a bit the Lego activity...but it seems there will be a nice room and a garden for my trains in the next months...finally!

Another good shot - as always!!! Very nice choice!!! Ciao! Davide

Hi Erik, It is a very nice locomotive!!! Someone says that the first look is important - this MOC immediately gave me the idea of a small, economic Italian locomotive. And even if it is Eritrean, the feeling was correct. Both locomotives, the mallet and the small one, were made by Ansaldo and Breda - two big italian manufacturers. And if a MOC immediately gives a so precise feeling...well it means it is a very good one! Only some suggestions when you'll build it for real (all things I've encountered experimenting large scale models ) I think one XL motor could be fine for moving this beauty - the batteries won't last so long, so using the BIG PF battery box with high capacity rechargeable batteries could be useful. Try to keep the body as light as you can - e.g. my locomotives are built with 2-wide bricks to be more solid - but they're too heavy and I loose half of the power only to move the body. I'm currently making both of them lighter, Two axles locomotives may have problems managing the standard Lego curve radius and the switches, resulting in slowdowns and stress on transmission gears. Maybe Big Ben Bricks wheels are easier on tracks, but standard Lego wheels have some problems in managing large interaxles. Some parts (e.g. buffers , coupling rods made by old parts, headlamps holders, ski sticks) are quite unusual, so trying to simplify them using common parts will save you some money. Keep up the good work!!! Davide

Sweeeeeeeeeeet!!! I love your style! Simple - effective - lovely!

Hi Holger, fantastic creation - it is a real beauty!!!

What a beauty...every time I look at it I find a new detail...it's...IMPRESSIVE

Very nice building, simple and effective!