Unfinished_Projects

Exactly! I do not understand the logic behind their release order at all. Their most recent update mentions an initial release of a couple different straight tracks and curved tracks, which is awesome! But after the initial release they are moving on to switch tracks? I just don't understand how that makes sense? Given their updates, they have incredible design skills and quality manufacturing partners. Yet they choose to start off by making track, which doesn't really go bad, instead of using their resources to bring back parts that are failing due to age. I understand the desire for more options in the 9v system, but if they truly want to bring it back, the basics need to be addressed first in my opinion.

Does anyone know if they are working on the power aspect of their system? Even just power pickups would be amazing.

This is all great news but I can't help but feel its still the wrong release order. To be clear I love the 9v system and use it as my primary power source for trains. However, it will be hard to invest in more track before the motors are released. The fact is, track doesn't really go bad and motors do. If the motors were released sooner, the track would be worth that much more.

I think this is great news! If this system comes to life I hope the release order is somewhat logical. I believe ME models really messed up by going right for the track first. They talked about a whole system but started off by depending on discontinued motors by the Lego group. Releasing a solid pickup/motor system relatively early on would be a good idea in my opinion. It would give people a reason to buy into the system. Quite frankly we already know how track works, especially if it's identical to what Lego made in the past. Overall I'm definitely excited for more details and the prospect of 9v living on. Unfinished_Projects

I too would be interested in detailed pictures! Did you make the wheels yourself? Unfinished_Projects

I second the notion of looking into the wire. They get very brittle with time. I too have yet to see a broken monorail motor. When checking the wire be sure that all connections are clean. Good luck fixing your monorail! Warning it may get expensive if you enjoy it and choose to expand! Unfinished_Projects

Yes it can allow illegal connections. I have it set up so w, a, s, d on the keyboard controls up left down right. Allows for easy fine tuning of part placement. I have not used flex tubing much yet. I just tried to find it. It seems they have the parts in standard document section rather than in program files. Unfinished_Projects

Nothing wrong with MLCAD, the instructions for adding Unofficial parts can be found here: http://www.holly-wood.it/mlcad/unofficial1-en.html Unfinished_Projects

For Studio 2.0 on Windows the process is as follows: 1) Go to Program Files > Studio 2.0 > ldraw 2) Add a folder called Custom Parts 3) Inside Custom Parts add a folder called Parts The final path should be: Program Files > Studio 2.0 > ldraw > Custom Parts > Parts This is where the new .dat files will go 4) In Studio 2.0 there is a drop down option that says Master Parts. Change this to Custom Parts to see added parts Hope this helps Unifinished_Projects

That would be awesome!!! Thank you! Unfinished_Projects

You're welcome! Yes, they were originally designed by @Shupp and can be purchased here: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/shupp-s-brick-train-stuff but beware, they are quite pricey. Unfinished_Projects

You're welcome, let me know if there is any problems Unfinished_Projects

Impressive build! I would buy it in a heartbeat so naturally I supported it on Lego Ideas Unfinished_Projects

Maybe, but unfortunately I have no clue how to manually manipulate .dat files. I chose to design them from scratch in Solidworks and convert them to .dat @Dampf Stein @supertruper1988 @Minh_Kha_N , I finished the basic XXL wheels and posted them here:

LDraw Files for Shupp's XXL Train Wheels Download links: XXL Flanged and Blind: https://bricktraindepot.com/resources Myself and a few others expressed interest in using Shupp's XXL wheels in digital form, so I decided to give LDraw part creation a try. Instead of designing the part directly into .dat format I used Solidworks to create the wheels, exported them as .stl files, and converted them using a python converter script (https://github.com/HazenBabcock/stl-to-dat). Please note these are not perfect, and may have slight differences from the real product. Included below is a picture of the wheels next to a Big Ben Bricks XL wheel and a Lego L wheel. Since I designed these in Solidworks I can export them in many 3D/CAD formats. So if anyone wants these wheels in a different file type, just let me know. ***UPDATE: First of all, many thanks to @supertruper1988 for hosting these files on Brick Train Depot! Secondly, I have ordered some XXL wheels so I can take my own measurements and make a more precise model. I should have the wheels by mid April and have the new files made soon after. Unfinished_Projects

@Dampf Stein @supertruper1988 @Minh_Kha_N , Shupp hasn't been on the site since November 2017, so I don't think he's going to reply about the Ldraw files. There is however basic dimensions for the wheels on his shapeways page. After classes are done today I'm going to start working on some LDraw files for the basic XXL wheels. Unfinished_Projects

It would be awesome to have XXL wheels in digital form! @Shupp, would you be able to make the CAD files available for these wheels? If so, we might be able to use this converter for .stl to .dat files: https://sourceforge.net/projects/stl2dat/ Unfinished_Projects

I like the effort to use older electronics! That's a shame that it doesn't have enough power. Maybe you could use the 12v motor with the same form factor, and wire a higher voltage battery inside the 4.5v box? This could allow for more power while retaining the back and forth action. There would also be no design changes to the train itself. Unfinished_Projects

Yes it's an "illegal" design. I should have mentioned that this particular design would only be useful for battery powered trains, or as XG BC said, if properly isolated. Unfinished_Projects

Awesome! Thank you again for sharing your work! Unfinished_Projects

They look great! I'm strongly considering a loop of R72 and have one quick question: What material are they printed in? Unfinished_Projects

Lego 12v Half Straights With my current addiction to old 12v trains I found myself looking to create more complex layouts. One piece I hadn't used yet was the (1) crossover piece in my collection. Using Bluebrick it became apparent that using only one crossing sometimes results in a half track offset, so I decided to cut 3 of my worst straight tracks in half. Note that I am not the first person to do this, but I have not found any documentation of it being done with blue era track, or many examples of geometry possibilities. To cut the conductors I used a handheld rotary tool with a cutoff wheel to get through the metal rails, and a thin hacksaw to go through the plastic. As you can see, I severely cracked one of my half straights by clamping it too hard in the vise. Oops! Cutting the rails is much easier, I simply marked the center and used the hacksaw to make the cut. As you might know, blue era conductive rails are slightly different than grey era rails. One of the changes between blue and grey era was the addition of mid rail sleepers in the grey era. While it seems like you can simply attach a 2x8 plate to the center of a blue era rail, there is actually a couple plastic supports (seen below in rendering) blocking where the studs would go. When creating a half straight out of blue era conductors, these supports much be removed. I used a handheld rotary tool with a sanding bit to carefully carve them away. I recreated the electrical connection tabs using rolled up aluminum foil. I'm sure I'll have to replace these whenever I change my layout, but its really not too difficult and requires very little aluminum foil. This is the finished product! Works perfectly! Here are some interesting geometry possibilities that are opened up with half straights on hand: *Bluebrick does not have a 12v half straight, so I used a 9v one in its place* Thanks for looking! If anyone else uses custom cut half straights (of any track type), feel free to post pictures of interesting layout possibilities! Unfinished_Projects

Thank you for sharing your findings! I'm looking forward to trying this out when I get a chance. Unfinished_Projects

Sounds awesome! I can't wait to try it out Unfinished_Projects

Just looked through this thread for the first time, and I'm very impressed with the work you've done! Is there any chance that you'll be creating a digital version of the final solution? I'd love to try out this design! (I'd always give credit of course) Unfinished_Projects