SteamSewnEmpire

Except, the design part can and does happen overnight - I do it all the time, and that's really the only part that requires unique talent. Maybe the kit is worth what he's asking (I don't believe that myself, but whatever - I think it's a very flawed approach to be purchasing Lego in what amounts to a 4th-party transaction. Lego is overpriced even out of the box; it doesn't need 'sales from sales from sales' markups tacked on), but the failure to offer an "every man" option in the form of instructions is rather tone deaf in today's economic climate. No, the answer is not 'this is what the hobby costs,' nor is it responsible to brand those who don't possess immense disposable income as crying. We aren't all wealthy. Period. And the answer shouldn't be "then get out." I'm not going to post anything else in this thread because the man's trying to sell his product. But I did feel it necessary to respond to a call out like "wahhh it's too much." You're on a first-name-basis friends with this guy - maybe that slightly skews your POV on this?

I agree - it can be out of 99% of our price range and he'll still almost certainly sell out.

Eh. To be fair, this locomotive blows the Disney train out of the water. Aside from the steam dome - for which Lego still provides no decent 3-w solution - the loco could be at a glance mistaken for a Bachmann 10-wheeler. It's that good.

So... $380 now equals $1,250? I understand that people have to be compensated for labor, design, packaging, etc., but not to that degree. There's a big difference between 'expensive' and 'I could get a brass O or G-scale locomotive for less than this.' Also, why are you so defensive over this? What does it really matter? The model is lovely - it's superbly designed. But it's also for sale. People can comment somewhat negatively regarding cost.

Less than 1,200 parts. Always loved those bizarre inward-angled Vauclain compounds.

Normally I wouldn't post some slight rework, but - while it may not look like it - this is an entirely new locomotive: The drivers are shifted forward 1/2 stud, the boiler is a full plate wider vertically and horizontally (you can see the gaps where I am missing brackets, but that will be rectified when built. It's gone from 2 large PF motors to one XL motor (with proper gearing so it doesn't run too slow); all the tubing is redone... etc., etc.

The proportions are spectacular - this is a case where a model looks more like fine scale than Lego. Having said that, you're right, it's unbelievably pricey. Have you considered selling the instructions rather than just the kit? I believe I could more than justify spending, say, 50 bucks to source my own parts... but I'm totally out of the market for $1,250.

I think you're going to have to thin the interior framing of the steps in order to accommodate larger trucks (maybe go to one plate snotted on the inside, or possibly eliminate the interior step frame entiry), but, in the end, it will be worth it. As railfans, we tend to spend a lot of time looking at wheels (they are often at eye level when you are standing next to a railway berm), so they are arguably the most important aesthetic element of a locomotive. You're 98 percent there. Beef up those trucks and it will be perfect.

I forgot to add that it’s designed around Shupp's LL drivers, so there will be slight gaps between the big wheels if built.

These were the first "super power" steam from Lima, and the direct predecessors to all the berkshire 2-8-4s (one of the reasons NYC never had berks was because their 2-8-2 fleet was so satisfactory). There are a few bracket pieces missing from the locomotive that exist, but aren't in LDD.

At least in terms of length, yes, they need to be perhaps 1-2 studs longer. You might also consider raising the locomotive one plate higher off the trucks themselves (though I think this is more down to personal taste, so don't worry so much about it). In this photo, the trucks are well over 1/4th the length of the locomotive. Your trucks are about 1/5th the total length.

The frame is superb. I feel like the trucks need a bit of work (they look too short in terms of length, and leave the locomotive riding a bit low).

Yeah, that's a huge problem. That, plus the tender pushing pretty much explains the derailments as far as I am concerned. I wonder if it would be possible to fit one of the smaller motors in the HP loco? You'd obviously lose the cab in the process...

It definitely does look like stuff from that era.

Very much agree. --- What part did you use for the fans on the roof? Are those the base of 4x4 turntables? If so, what's in the middle?

Yeah, it does. And after I put all that work in to make the "halfway" mount work on my next loco. Lol. :P Oh well. Regular mounting is more stable anyway. Thanks.

How is an intermediate size - such as LL - mounted? If you drop down a plate from XL, that would force you to use L size, correct? So do LLs require special 'halfway' approaches, such as mounting in the bottom hole of 43857 set on its side? Would that correspondingly require special mounting for the lead and trailing trucks? What I'm talking about with 'halfway' mounting is something like this: Is that what's required for an LL wheel mount?

Wow, this is fantastic. I can only speak for myself, but I believe 8w to be the best compromise between part count and appearances.

I'm just curious. I rarely use these wheels in designs (I'm not a snob - I just mostly build passenger steamers), but after creating my Reading 2-8-0 and lining it up next to diesels, I realized that it looks kind of short (rail head to stack-tip). This is generally not a problem for either my steam locomotives, or for RL late-generation (say, post 1910 or so) steamers - as you can see here, this 2-10-0 is basically the same height as a GE Genesis locomotive. That engine's drivers are 56" IRL - so the proportions of the 2-10-0 should be relatively similar to my 2-8-0 with its 57" drivers. But... they aren't. My engine is a good brick lower than most of the diesels I have done (all of which are consistently scaled against each other). So... does anyone know approximately what the diameter in inches (in minifig scales) the Lego wheels are? Typically, I go by the rough estimate that <60" diameter wheels are stock Lego; 60"-70" are Big Ben XL, and 70"+ are Big Ben XXL... but that seems to have broken down in this instance. I have a feeling that, given how a lot of people here build their engines based on blueprints, someone is running around with this answer already :). I'm just not a strong math guy, and would rather leave it to the experts.

There are two ways to do it. One is using a boil-in dye like RIT. The problem with this is that a) you cannot dye dark parts lighter, b) it doesn't always soak in that well, and c) there is a high chance of damaging the parts in the hot pan. The other method - which I linked - involves what is called vinyl dye. The is intended for plastics inside automobiles when repairs are made. It sprays on like spray paint, but is actually absorbed into the plastic, changing its color. As a result, it us pretty much impervious to wearing or flaking like with normal paint. It works excellently on Lego - paticularly the black dye - but I have no clue how it would do with 3d printed plastics. Still, if you want permanence, that's the way to go.

This is really neat, although I feel like 8 or even 9w might have served you better. The prototype is really very fat looking.

The wheels are 3d printed? Uh... not sure. I usually dye Lego parts, but I don't know how that would work on the plastic used in 3d printing. Vinyl dye is amazing stuff. https://www.amazon.com/HI-TECH-Plastic-Carpet-Leather-Upholstery/dp/B08BPFG95F/ref=sr_1_20?dchild=1&keywords=VHT+Vinyl+Dye&qid=1595749142&sr=8-20

5w is, IMO, the best way to represent Cape Gauge.

What derails on the loco first? The lead truck, or the driving wheels? Is this a modified HP loco set, or a MOC of your own (you said moc'ed up, so don't know which we're talking about)...? Without knowing more details, the first thing that comes to mind is the lead bogie/truck. IRL, these have some lateral 'give' to them, but in order to simulate this in lego, most people double-articulate the connection between the bogie and the frame. Without double articulation, you will have issues in turns and S curves. I cannot speak to the Emerald Night part, as I don't own one myself. *edit* You do have the driving wheels arranged flanged-blind-flanged, right? *edit 2* Another shot-in-the-dark is adding some weight to the loco to make it a bit more stable. Overall, I don't like tender power, though it's basically a necessity with 6w trains. Lego brand HP locos are small and light, have a high center of gravity, and are easily derailed when pushed from behind through tight, stock Lego curves.

Nice work. Looks maybe 2-3 studs too short, though? I honestly forgot Japan still moved freight via rail. Love the dual gauge track.