Werlu Ulcur

That looks very good! I would have to "round the corners" though. BTW, is the engine on this set actually based on a real one?

You can get it in Z scale!

Whoa, I didn't think it would be that easy for once . Well then, I already have a starting point (and best of all, I don't think I need to BL parts !), so that's the least I'll do. Any other ideas for a something "more American"? I would l-o-v-e to do something local, like these: GE U23C GM G-22U

Well, that was the first thing I thought, but it seemed an overly-newbie solution even to me . I was hoping for some pics to use as ideas for the project - I plan to get the Yellow Cargo Train set and MOD the engine into a diesel.

Any ideas about how to transform this: Into a much less environment-friendly diesel engine? My future railroad will be diesel-electric (for now), so an electric loco won't fit very well. I want it to be motorized (PF), so any ideas of what I can do with it would be greatly appreciated . PS: What's the proper way to say it in English, diesel-electric or electro-diesel?

That looks very good! Maybe steam won't work very well for a high speed train but for a "regular"one, why not? Though your loco looks turbo-charged .

Friggentastically AWESOME!!!! I loved the half train on the wall, that was superb! How long did it take you to build all that? Do you have any idea of how many pieces you used?

Thanks guys, that eases my mind. With all the options I have at hand, being a certified noob makes deciding what I can and what I can't go after a difficult process. Sorry to bug you guys so much, but you're making my life much easier .

That looks pretty good! Do you have any side view shots?

When you give it to your 6yo as a b-day present and he spends the whole Sunday building it and then playing with it:

The more I read, the more I realise I'm a total noob . So about rail stock. Can I go to town and get any wagon, flatbed, hopper, etc that Lego issued in the past or can I only use modern stuff with a modern engine? I mean, is there any compatibility issues with the pick-up system between modern and older cars? And just to be clear, track gauge will not be a problem, right?

Other then it looking good (great!), is there any reason to recreate the ballast with bricks?

From what I saw of prices on BL, I think a full set is the ticket. Living here in Brazil S&H can represent a big chunk of how much I spend when shopping overseas, so if I were to get each part from different stores the added S&H would be prohibitive. And the big bonus of getting a full set, like the Yellow Cargo Train, is all the extra rail stock (for me that wants a freight train) and tracks. That would be the rational thing to do, unfortunately my LM (Lego Madness) is way more serious . I use rechargeable batteries a lot (flashlights, GPS, etc), and I have a lot of them always charged and ready to go, so a battery pack is not a must have for me right now. But if I have the opportunity to buy a pack the ease of use sure justifies getting one. Fantastic tips there, thanks ! Good to know I can use any charger (as long as the voltage is ok and the plug fits), because if it's not the most expensive it's one of the most expensive items on that list. So that makes the prospect of getting a battery pack even more enticing. For now I'll first "get comfortable" with the stock #3677 and start looking around for ideas on MOCs, using the red engine as a building platform, but I guess a second full set is a given in the (near ) future. Thanks guys for all the tips, this has been immensely educational!

That might get her attention, and also might land me in the dog house. With my brand new Lego train set for a pillow . I was wondering the same thing. Looks like TLG had to fill a parts quota and came up with that . From what I gathered, to motorize a second train with PF I would need the following: 88002 + 8887 + 8884 + 8879 + 8878 + 8870. Tthough as stated above, I could save on the 8879 (IR control unit), since the #3677 alreadty comes with one. I tried to find a store on BL that would have all of those items so that I could save on shipping, and the best I could do was getting everything (except for the 8879) for 105 EUR. But adding things up, wouldn't it be more economical to just get a second full train set, like the #3677 or #7938 or #7939? You would get all the PF hardware (with the 8879 controler), and of course, tracks and rolling stock. And certainly that would make things a lot simpler.

When you collect watches, knives (on the back burner now), Lego and blow chunks on mountain biking, threatning her with some other sport won't do much...

When my wife sees a train set box there will be hell to pay... But too late, now the can is open . Like any normal 42yo with a 12yo's mind (though if you ask my wife she'll say I'm ony 10yo ) I'm barely holding back on what to buy next, but I have to stay firm and first get this set, build it and only then start thinking about the next step. But I tell you: it ain't easy! Well, I've been reading a lot and it looks like there is an agreement that nowadays PF is the best place to start. I was kind of worried that I might had jumped the gun and got the "wrong" system. Right now I don't even have the space to go crazy, so I was after something kind of "plug & play", but with the possibility of getting more serious. One thing that worried me was gauge issues, but it looks like in terms of rail stock everything is compatible. Somewhere here, in an old thread, somebody recommended getting a "full" set first, then tracks and rail stock, and only then start thinking of MODing/MOCing or buying more trains, and that sounded wise in my ears. I think I'll start looking around for ideas on wagons and maybe a crane. I always wanted a crane on my railroad .

No, I think I understood: I need one IR receiver + motor () for each engine, and then I can control more then one engine with just one IR controler. Got it! So I can infer that I can put a second engine on a composition and control both engines with just one IR controler? If it's possible, that's pretty cool! If I really want a second train on my track I will need another trio of motor+IR receiver+ battery pack, but not a an extra IR controler - good, that cuts a bit on costs. Darn, the guy is only posting my train tomorrow, and I'm already thinking about a second train. I knew this was going to end badly .

Thanks for clearing that out - I didn't know you could recharge the battery pack without needing to remove it. That sure is a plus! And two more railnoob questions: 1) Using PF, can I operate a second composition on the same track with the same RC unit or would I need a second RC unit? 2) And using PF, can I light up the engine?

I understand - I've read that many have issues when trying to fit PF hardware in stock engines. Well, no biggie, since the BNSF is too rich for my blood at the moment. But is there any advantage in using the power pack over regular rechargeable AAAs in terms of weight, space or power output?

Back to PF: I've been reading about a battery pack for the motor. From what I understood, for the set I'll have to use regular AAA batteries (six?!?),so would it be advisable to get this battery back? Why? Because it's lighter or stores/outputs more juice then regular AAAs?

That looks great! Can you run all the trains at the same time?

Oh boy ! I went through Brickset but I must have missed it! Can it be motorized? But I checked the prices . For those prices I can get a sealed Maersk. Oh, the Maersk is on my sights too! But as you said, quite expensive. If I manage to add at least one wagon to my Red Cargo I would be torn between the Maersk and the Horizon Express, but look at the difference in prices.

Hey guys ! I have been interested in trains forever, but never took the plunge - well, in my defense, I was trying to keep things manageable with collecting only SW and super-heroes . By chance yesterday I found a BNIB #3677 "Red Cargo Train" (and locally!) for a fantastic price and it was a deal too good to pass on. Therefor, in 3 or 4 days I'm also in the railroad business . With that can of worms officially open, I'm already thinking of the next step. In the future I'm definitively going to get a passenger train (probably the Horizon Express), but for now I just want a modern cargo train. I would want to add wagons to the #3677 and build (mod?) a new engine, something like this: I honestly don't expect that I'll be able to make a "scale replica", I'm actually aiming at making something that just resembles the real thing, so I think I can pull it off. I'm also hopeing to use the #3677 engine as the basis for the project. Do you guys think it's doable? I know I'll have to get extra parts, but if the #3677 is a good starting point the project will be easier, and specially, cheaper. And about rolling stock. With the stock motor, how many wagons can the engine easily pull? I really don't expect something huge, but it would be nice to know I could get the engine to pull 4 or 5 with ease. And speaking of motors and PF. What extra parts would it be nice to have? Sorry for all the questions, but I went through all I could find around here but still have these specific doubts, so any tip would be greatly appreciated .

I was not much of a DC reader (only graphic novels and such) but was a hardcore Marvel fan (specially Daredevil, X-Men, Avengers and Spiderman). VERY nice setup you got there!

I just ordered two jeeps and one of the small Chima set. Should be here in two or three weeks .