JWBDolphins

What a cool project! I don't think you're lacking creativity either - you did something that was important to you and did it very well! I think your upgrades are well done too. I don't recall seeing diaphragms done that way before, the use of those bricks really gives that collapsible feel, nice job! Thanks for sharing!

Stickers. That looks Great, by the way!

Another consideration. Lack of 9V track is probably the biggest hurdle and plastic track has two advantages (besides production cost): First, plastic track doesn't oxidize/lose conductivity/need cleaning. You don't have to use an eraser/chemicals/sandpaper every once in a while, just keep the dust down and run trains. Some outdoor G scale users have switched to battery powered remote control so they can essentially clean their track with a leaf blower. Secondly, with 9V track ending over a decade ago, how many users since then have incorporated things like turnaround loops and wyes which would short-circuit 9V track? With DCC you can get around this with electronics (ARSC) and dedicated track - which is more cost. This is Not an issue with O gauge and 3 rail track. Still, if you conclude this would be a viable market, I think it would be awesome!

My 2 cents. I Am one of your target audience. Do I like the idea?, I think it would be Great. BUT, would I buy it? No. Here's why. I have a DCC system for HO trains and like it a lot. Then I "discovered" LEGO trains at a local show around 2007. I thought this is awesome! - I can buy this, convert to DCC myself....and then I talked to one of the displayers who said LEGO had just discontinued the 9V system. So I had a choice to either snag up as much 9V track, switches, motors and controllers as I can or wait to see what LEGO does next. I decided spending a lot of money on parts that were already obsolete and would only get rarer and more expensive as well as wear out wasn't an option for me. Looking into it more, for me it became the right choice learning that the voltages and amperage LEGO motors use are higher than what a typical DCC system uses. I haven't looked lately, but I don't think Lionel does DCC for their O gauge trains even today which is where I would have looked first. Since that time I have amassed a decent collection of current LEGO plastic track. I know you can attach copper strips with adhesive on one side over the plastic track but for what gain?, and how "good" does that look. I have not (yet) tried 3rd party track so I cannot say how its quality is vs LEGO track, but I do know it will be prohibitively expensive for me to replace what I have with conductive track. Add to that a problem that some steam MOCs can have with derailing going over LEGO 9V curved track in a certain direction and the thought of trying to cobble together a metal track layout from scratch is even less appealing. IF LEGO were to return to a metal track system, then over time you would have an audience of new purchasers (including me) who would eventually be ready for this, but I don't see that on the horizon from LEGO. Again, I think it is a Great Idea, but its the potential audience size that would be my number one concern. That was my initial thought. I am all for do-it-yourself replacement parts that would be cheaper than buying new. But that is also a niche market. Bluetooth has its issues and there are other 3rd party control options out there. I've had good luck with LiPo batteries (Educate yourself fully before going this route.) My guess is there is a better future in different battery-powered control systems than creating a new DCC market where lack of conductive track would be the biggest hurdle. That's my 2 cents at least...

That looks really great! Now I need to find space....!

The obvious advantage of sets like 60198 are they include track and everything needed to run a train. Agreed! I like that you can build a train and track along with everything else you'd see, in this case, on a model railroad. Roads, cars, trucks, buildings, landscape, plants, animals can all be built with LEGO. (And along these lines, virtual meetings are fun, but it will be nice when we can all meet in person again! )

Wow, that still sounds Great! Thanks for posting!!!

Thank you! They're on my list to investigate!

For what its worth, I've looked at non-LEGO power options for when a LEGO battery box won't fit, and I decided on 2S Lipo batteries. 9 volt batteries (and better yet, rechargeable ones) work fine too, but they are surprisingly big, especially if you put them in a battery holder with a switch. I do Not have any data on how long a 9V battery would last but I'm sure its not as long as a LEGO battery box with its 6 1.5 volt batteries. Note on Lipos - if you go this route, DO take the time to educate yourself on them and use a Balanced Charger. A 2S Lipo battery outputs 7.4 Volts, but that is what LEGO used in their rechargeable battery box and 7.4 Volts vs 9 Volts isn't a problem. Lipos are safe as long as you take care with them. They come in several sizes so fitting them in is not that hard. I have not used Lipos that long yet, but I timed my first one. I had a small 300 mAh Lipo run an engine pulling a car as fast as it would go without flying off the oval and it ran for 20 minutes and used 10% of the battery - that's just anecdotal, but that's what I found. Something to consider. You'll find advice on all sides of Lipos but if you read enough you should be able to get a good feel as to whether they will work for you or not. Finally, if I may ask, what did you use for Sound and Speaker? (Enclosed speaker vs open, etc.) That's also on my list to try!

What an Amazing piece of artwork! I Really like the interior ceiling and how the chandeliers connect! Incredible work!

That is one of the neatest ideas I've seen! Thanks for showing that!

Those look Great! I think any track-side items really help elevate a layout to a model railway look, Nice job!

That's awesome! NICE JOB!!!

What a gorgeous set! I don't see a flaw in it. If I had the $, I would buy This over a Lionel Christmas train! Its models like this that inspire me to stay in this hobby!

Very cool! I've wanted to mess around with containers for a while now, but the sticky point (arr-arr) has been the connection points. I think this is very nice solution. I've added this to my ever-growing to-do list. (Better to be too busy than not busy enough! )

Welcome to Eurobricks! :-)

Agreed, and I'm not sure where that line is either. I'm sure there as many opinions as there are Eurobricks members. :-) There is something Magical about a Pure LEGO build that doesn't look like its built with LEGO. But there are parts of trains that are integral to their look that LEGO doesn't currently provide (rods, wheels of various sizes and colors, stickers) and if LEGO were to produce them they would seamlessly swap in. That's generally where I probably fall. I look forward to all the new creations and tweaks to existing models that are yet to come!

Congrats to ALL!!! That's the kind of work I (only hope to) aspire to and why I really enjoy LEGO as a modelling medium!

That looks unbelievably good! bogieman beat me to the one thing I noticed - the cab might be 1 stud too short. I think a few well-placed stickers will go a long way to make it really look like the source. Nice Job!!!

This is really interesting. I've replaced a bunch of HO gauge Tyco plastic horn couplers with Kadee couplers over the years with great success. I had thought about trying O gauge Kadees for LEGO and read all the threads on this I could find (most mentioned above) but just hadn't gotten around to it yet. I am very interested to see what they come up with.

I've used over a thousand (maybe thousands) of 4x4 plates of all different colors building MILS baseplates. Then I starting using reddish-brown 4x4 plates and broke 4 right off the bat. My son building something else broke 2. We both starting handling them with a lot more care. Those 4x4 plates came from BrickLink so I just assumed something happened to them (exposed to sunlight, near chemicals, who knows.) But after finding this thread, I concur that there is something going on with reddish-brown parts, at least with reddish-brown 4x4 plates.

To me personally, the pantographs aren't as big a deal (although I don't have a real model in front of me so that may change.) But I Really like the additions to the side. They come close to meeting the edge of the added side panels (like the original model has) and really "hides" the addition of the side panels. I'll definitely keep that mod! :-)

AH, I see! (For some reason the pictures weren't loading for me the first time - just the video was. But they are there now.) That is very slick, nice job!

That's very impressive, especially without modifying LEGO parts. I've had grand ideas of having a Raspberry Pi automate switches and crossing gates, etc., but that would include a lot of relays and so on to get the appropriate current to each piece plus lots of coding. (I've gotten as far as buying the Raspberry Pi and a breadboard but they've sitting in a box for 2 years.) If I'm understanding this right, the Control Lab does the work of the relays and things - Very cool! I haven't dived into the Powered Up stuff too much, but I like the direction LEGO is going with all the sensors and how you can program things. I'm very interested to see where they go with this and I'm especially interested to see all the cool ways people come up with to use it.

I like how it looks lowering the roof a plate. Its funny your mentioning the trucks. Being new to the forum and relatively knew to looking at LEGO trains at a deeper level than just plastic toys, I DID notice the trucks. I assumed it was an option others use, and to Me at least, I think they look good.