Sunil766

Looks great! How did you get the metal wheels to shine this nicely?

I'm a little triggered by the fact that there is not a single loop to have a train run continuously in such a large layout - apart from the 8 in the center. Other than that, yes, with the remote control functionality this must be much fun!

I finally got myself to order my pack of s32, not because I desperately need it, but because this is exactly what I wanted when I came out of my dark ages 1 year go and really want to support /contribute. Stock seems to be depleted so congrats that you managed to sell everything in the preorder period! I'll certainly be in for the second batch. On that note, I hope that there will be sufficient demand to cover a second production batch, and that not all train heads have satisfied their urge for 9v track yet. Can't wait for the large radii and motors!!

Have followed this endeavor since I joined the forum and am very happy that all this is happening. When coming out of my dark ages I could only read about past relics with ME models. Very glad that we are now presented an even better alternative. @michaelgaleyour video is amazingly professional and soothing to watch. Due to a lack of space I prefer building layouts for a short duration and prefer the 9v system for that. Was gonna order the large radius curves first thing in the morning but had to realize they are only available in June as opposed to the s32 in March - I must have misunderstood that unfortunately. I built up a collection of approx 140 straights so I'm good in that regard (for now). Anyway, ordering the curves as soon as they're available! Keep it up and I hope the best for you and this undertaking. Thanks for the comprehensive review as well, really got me looking forward to better looking trains in curves :-)

While I wish for more trains too, this video really startles me. They make it seem like they put a lot of "R&D" in this topic but... For what?! Kids for whom almost all trains since x years are made don't care at all about this single digit improvement over a looong test run period (I assume). Afols, who might care about slightly longer run times, might still not be happy with that new system and just don't have anything to use this with. Why doesn't lego first improve the train eco system before providing a half cooked solution to a problem that was barely existent? Makes me think they either largely plan to increase the number of future train sets or don't use their resources wisely at all. Besides I am still slightly confused by the fact that 60197 had metal axles when people were talking about "plastic wheelsets"?

That's amazing, how do I do that? Just pressing all three buttons (remote + hub + hub) at the same time-ish? Must admit I won't try out since I am shocked by having to buy 15 AAA batteries just to play around before they're depleted to an unknown extent at the end of the session. I'll rather quickly attach 2x9v motors and off we go #keep9Valive :-)

Bottom left next to the yellow cars

This is my thinking. Another chance to show that Trains are wanted (or not )

Also voted for trains. (+pirates +adventurers) Even with castle being split into different categories I have low hopes as the first comments seem bionicle focused - something I've literally never played with and no connection to, except I consider it the least lego of all lego ;-)

Do you mean 4558? I thought this had already been republished with 10001? Just bought 4558 with 30 straights and two switches for 250EUR so from a very personal perspective I would prefer something else :-P I would rather see a new version of the santa fe - this is one I still don't have and its crazy expensive on the second hand market. Nevertheless I just hope the crocodile helped in showing the demand for advanced train models and to escape the spiral of justification not having them (bad/simple trains - low demand - no incentive for more trains). I think second hand prices for maersk, santa fe, metroliner, and the other creator expert trains say a lot. I was shocked when I saw TLG asks 160 CHF (180 USD) for the 60197 City train. No surprise to me that this is a high hurdle for most of the prospects. (I got mine for 80CHF and think that's far more reasonable.) I am at a point where I would literally buy anything (and everything) as long as it's a bit more sophisticated - like separate coaches etc (again - santa fe - what a time it must have been not being in the dark ages). On that note, I read the "my own train" line wasn't very well perceived. Is there a different reason than my thought "its nice, but not as nice as the other good trains"? IMO it's a good addition to a year 200x train ecosystem.

Clever, I like it! Yes I am, but only with the crocodile. Don't know if it's due to the transmission, but the Croc never seemed to drastically lose speed in corners, even when pulling 5+ (standard) cars without the red traction bands. I know that I will want to step the game up with automation and track section control (maybe with (magnetic) proximity sensors) at some point. Just not sure which system to base this on: - use my existing 9v equipment (4 transformers, 110 straights, 5 or 6 pairs of switches) and be limited to "x loops = on/off" - upgrade to more PU equipment (so far only Croc and 2x60197) and be able to control trains individually. I assume the latter provides more flexibility in what can be achieved. Would be very helpful to see an overview of use cases incl. required Equipment... Might have to do some research in that direction first, YouTube is offering a lot in that regard.

Those look great. Though I'd like to keep it 100% lego, I am most certainly in for higher radii curves (that would mean switches too... I see myself being caught up in this). These finally look high quality in comparison to 3D printed tracks. Speaking about availability, as much as I anticipate more 9v compatible equipment, especially since the production of aftermarket lego train parts seem more like a very demanding hobby, my frustration tolerance in regards to manufacturers' responsibilities and promises made on online forums is quite high. As long as we're talking about small "entrepreneurs" I think they are going the extra mile to give us what lego doesn't want to give us (they certainly could), so I as a customer am in no position to demand products at a certain deadline. It goes without saying that a transparent and frequent communication helps building trust and is just nice to have.

This sounds very interesting. I am still hesitant to equip my old 9v trains with PU (let alone how to fit the hub...) but this possibility - among the others regarding automation - intrigues me. When you say PF L Motor, does this mean it won't work with a train motor? The 10277 is my only train driven without a train motor. @TuffTuffTuff Small amendments as a workaround (haven't done this myself though) If both motors are attached to one hub (a+b), you could turn one set of buttons upside down on the remote and control both simultaneously. If they are attached to two hubs you would still have to choose different ports and then quickly switch between channels (=hubs) before controlling the second motor.

That makes total sense, I have adapted the text and title. Thanks all for your feedback.

With all the fancy things going on here in these forums this probably isn't even considered a MOC but more of a MOD. Anyway, I wanted to combine my old 2150 with 2 of the 7937 stations I bought. Since my significant other is more underwhelmed rather than impressed by it, I thought I'd share with you guys. I just added a small extension on the large slope of the 2150 and then put the rest together. I just had to improvise with the third crossing (light gray) and the shop (which now also has a light grey baseplate to extract more dark grey plates) to extend the platforms. I am happy that I had enough light gray bricks flying around in my repertoire. This way I think it goes as a proper station in comparison to a standalone 7937 which is more of an elevated crossing that an actual train station. I hope it works to just link the Flickr pics. PS: it was my first experience with PUP this weekend with the 60197 (after the crocodile) and... So. Many. Batteries. Programming with a proximity/color sensor and tiles on the tracks would be great if lego actually included that in a future set (or I try it myself), but except for the remote and a "fresh" feeling I am still very much a 9v fan.

From a Nostalgia point of view my old sets which I have just this year re-found; 4559, 4565, 4560, 3335. Unfortunately my era ended before my actual all time favorites: 1. Santa fe 2. Maersk (so sad I haven't been around with lego while they were being sold) 3. Horizon Express (to which I've treated myself recently for a reasonable price, same goes for the metroliner) I wish enough people will buy the 10277 so that they keep bringing (restarting) expert trains! Funnily enough I don't really fancy the emerald night, even though I would've gotten 2 sets for sure if it came out while I was "active". Crocodile 10277 though will have a place on the stairs too, haven't decided which other set it would have to share it with though. ;-)

Dear all, just wanted to thank you all for your replies. Eraser (or soft modelrailthingy) is apparently the best solution out there. WIll store rail segments (I usually keep 5-high stacks of 2 rails) in cheap plastic bags that are twisted a few times to be airtight. Regards

Dear all, great thread! Being a new member (not new to the forum though) I was wondering if there's a place to just share layouts and enjoy watching trains. Since getting back into lego this spring I am quite keen on building layouts when time allows. Over the weekend I have built another layout Alll your MOCs look amazing. However I hope that "regular" sets are still appreciated :-) Clearly not a MOCer myself. Very jealous of all the Santa Fe's and Maersk's though! (longest possible cargo combination from 4:50 min.)

All, Thank you very much for your replies. Conductivity has only been a problem at the very start - as said, running motors on full speed helped with the few black sheep. Luckily I didn't need a procedure as outlined by @zephyr1934! Still good to know. Sandpaper on the inner edges as @Toastieand @Pdaitabird said is not needed. I must probably mention that I am more of a perfectionist and would like the rails to *look* new and shiny (not just the power pickup edges) as it makes such a difference in my mind. Having used the blue side of an eraser with mixed results (see my picture above) I don't see this as something with a lasting effect. I won't go through this effort for ~200 tracks (as I also clean the connection parts) if I'd have to do it again every 2 months - which is more than "every time I get the trains and tracks out". It looks like I will have to give this model railway track cleaning "stone" a try, even though I read somewhere that it also slightly scratches the surface and therefore makes cleaning more frequently necessary. I was hoping for a solution that I go through once every 5 years or so (even shorter), given the tracks' relatively good shape after, what, 24 years without any maintenance. Don't want to make the tracks' longevity worse with the cleaning. Sorry for these long posts

I absolutely agree with you. I flattened a few of these pins myself, but they survived. Had to re-open some bricks too as it didn't work the first time. The wire is very cheap though in comparison to replacement parts (which will have the same issue). Nevertheless, soldering the wire to the terminal is quite intrusive - as you said - and irreversible. Soldering right outside the brick doesnt solve the issue of breaking isolation right at the brick. In my opinion, replacing the wire is less effort than playing around with the soldering iron and shrinking tube ;-) rephrased: the soldering poses a much higher risk of messing it up with my fingers!

Hi, not sure if I get this correclty - but you can replace the wire between the speed regulator and train connection. There should be YT tutorials and threads in this forum. (I did this myself recently on overall 5 cables) Use a very small screwdriver, better two, to force the 2x2 brick's bottom plate out of the connection hooks on the side. You can then remove the bottom plate and have access to the wire. The wire is kept in place by a cable or strain relief and makes contact via two small pins that poke through the isolation. Use standard twin-lead 0.5mm² for replacement. The bottom plate just clicks back in place. The track connector works similarly - I felt it was easier to open but needed more effort to be put back in place. On this piece you have to remove one screw and small plastic part before you can take out the old wire. Remember that the track connectors are both the same piece - but you don't need to turn around the cable by 180°, as they will be facing each other. Stay focused while attaching the new cable so that you don't have to do it twice (like me - for two cables). BR

Dear train fans, as a silent reader for quite some time I have decided to finally sign up and participate in what I have previous read. I just recently left my dark ages and discovered my old and lovely train sets (4559, 4565, 4560, 3225, 2150, 4553, 4555). In the meantime, I have now acquired 10277 (what a lucky year to rediscover lego trains), 4512, 10233 and 10027 (for 180€... wow this stuff has gotten expensive but from what I've read I feel like it was a good deal). What amazes me the most is that after a thorough cleaning (disassembly, warm soapy water, dish-brush, followed by a shower in a sieve) everything looks almost like new. I did have to renew all wiring from the converter to the track and for the locomotive's light though. Thanks to this forum's help it wasn't a challenge anymore! The 9v track I had (stored for years and years in an open container in a garage) and some that I bought new doesn't look amazing anymore and the procedure above only helped the plastic part. The metal part however is a challenge for itself. 1) Initial heavy conductivity problems were solved by having 1-2 9v motors run on full speed for a couple of minutes 2) I tried the green side of a sponge - that helped, but I feel like it scratched the surface and made it look dull. 3) I used metal polish ("elsterglanz") on a test piece. Apart from the mess it leaves on the plastic I soon realized that it leaves a protective layer reducing the conductivity between rail and wheel pick ups. 4) I used the blue side of a rubber which seemed to have a great effect. It is a LOT of work, however, I was really happy with the result. Super shiny and looks like new. After a few weeks of storage in an IKEA box with lid in the basement (maybe that's the problem? too much humidity? There is no other storage solution possible for me though) I inspected again and noticed that the track had an oxidized(?) or greasy layer on top. Couldn't remove it with a dry cloth. Picture to follow (right: newly cleaned, super shiny - left: cleaned 3 weeks ago, grease layer). I have now stopped the successive eraser-cleaning process as I don't want to ruin the straights. TL;DR: Eraser helps but it seems the solution and effect doesn't last. I feel like the "holy grail" of 9v track cleaning has not yet been found... Maybe some of the "9v grandmasters" can help out and share how they keep their track clean sustainably. Thanks a lot in advance! Kind regards