alainneke

You've got my support as well! It would be great to have a turntable in my layout without having to saw a big hole in the table...

Nice solution! I always wondered what to do with those hard drive magnets :) How did you open the electric point motor?

Sorry about that. iPads don't do Flash... Here's the part that holds the PF leds, the cheese slopes and the transparent round plates: ... when you add all these parts, you get this: Step8 by alainneke, on Flickr ... and when you put this on the cab, you get this: Step9 by alainneke, on Flickr I've uploaded the instructions to my photostream (why doesn't LDD draw a thin line between the bricks?).

Here is my Maersk train with PF leds. I really wanted to keep the original look with the two lights above each other, and it worked out pretty well (no brick modification necessary): How do you build it? Attached is the LDD file. The wiring is pretty straight-forward if you are running on PF. If you are using 9V, you'll need to get this cable (the cable with 2/3 high connector bricks prevents the motor bogie from turning in corners). Please comment! Maersk train cab.lxf

It seems to me as a very smart way to be able to sell additional wagons without the need to actually create individual wagon sets. If they were to put 2 engines and 1 wagon in a box, people would think twice before buying a second set...

Why don't you put two light bricks next to each other behind the transparant headlight bricks?

It also runs on the Mac, but you'll need to install Mono first (see http://bluebrick.lswproject.com/download.html). Downside of Mono is that you won't get the native OS X look and feel. While not specifically made for designing LEGO layouts, I usually use RailModeller (shareware, see http://www.railmodeller.com/). This program also includes a track designer, so you can create and add custom tracks (R56, etc) yourself. Regards, Alain

As noted before, the flanges of the available LEGO train wheels are too tall to fit the H0/00 tracks. If you don't mind modifying them, just run them down on a lathe.

How did you fit 2 cross axles in the front bogie? I've been trying this for some time, but can't seem to figure it out... Alain

I bought 2 sets yesterday at the LEGO shop in Oberhausen and built them today. They look great, and with each "locomotive" powered by a 9V motor (equipped with DCC), they run great too. When powering the lights, don't connect the PF cable directly to the 9V motor, but put an extra (short) 9V cable in between (9V motor -> 9V cable passing through bottom of train -> PF cable -> PF lights). The PF cable is too wide and inflexible to correctly handle the turning of the motor bogie, and will cause the train to derail... Regards, Alain

I don't think it actually matters, as long as you keep the interval the same. However, you should keep track of the weather conditions as well (was the interval mostly cloudy, sunny, rainy, ...?) This should be interesting: keep us updated!

Why don't you put some of the clone brick tracks in the sun, as well? Maybe there's an interesting difference between those and genuine LEGO tracks...

The XL-motor is 5x5x6 studs (wxhxd), so you need more room... Regards, Alain

Why don't you build a wye (http://www.brickpile...t-geometry/#wye)? This way, the length of the train is only limited by the shortest track coming out of the wye. When using 9 V trains: a wye will cause an electric short circuit, so make sure you use isolation to prevent this. You can use short pieces of flextrack for this. Regards, Alain

Hello everybody, I have been reading these forums for quite some time, but never introduced myself I've been a huge fan of LEGO and LEGO trains for all my life. It all started with the push-along 7715, and currently I own about 20 train sets: 12 V, 9V and PF. As opposed to 'graafderk', I'm not afraid to perform some surgery on the train motors, so I've converted most of the trains to run on DCC. Aside from the trains, this also makes it possible to remotely control the points, signals and railroad crossing booms. Just tap your finger on the controller screen and watch the lights on 7866 start to blink... It's just like the good old 12 V days As for the inspiration: there is an impressive amount of ideas and information on the Eurobricks and Train Tech forums, and I would like to thank all the contributors and admins for that! Regards from Belgium, Alain

Thanks for the extensive (p)review and the very nice pictures! The hole in the roof near the pantographs doesn't really bug me: I'm going to run this train on DCC, and it seems to be a perfect place to mount a miniature speaker...

Hi Henrik, here are some ideas and suggestions for each of the sets: - in addition to a picture of the main model, why not add a picture of the original box, catalog entry or alternate model too? - don't forget to mention the original price - as suggested by "wabbajack", some background info would be really nice (it's obvious that the Horizon Express is based on the TGV, but not all trains are as iconic as the TGV). Pictures of those trains in real-life would also be nice For each of the train systems (9V, 12V, ...) you could add: - a FAQ: how do I clean the tracks and motors, where to find replacement parts, ... - technical specification of the motors (see http://www.philohome.com) - details about the wheel sets (see http://www.holgermat...rainswheels.php) I remember reading in an old UK catalog that the centre holes in the sleepers of the track are meant for screws, so that you could attach the track to a table and store it vertically. Maybe there are more of these "nice-to-know" things (e.g. what is the purpose of the 13 V ~ connector on set 7864?)... Good luck with your book. I will definitely get a copy! Regards, Alain

From my experience, the 9V tracks don't need as much maintenance as the 12V ones. Most of my tracks were in storage for a couple of years before I started building my layout, and didn't need any cleaning. If the tracks have lost their shine, you can rub them with a pencil eraser. I've also had success using Silvo (silver polish), but I only recommend that if the tracks are *really* dirty. Regards, Alain

Thanks for sharing Eric! It's nice to see that progress is being made.

Methylated spirits are fine and actually recommended by LEGO: http://www.brickfact...00/7760/007.jpg Regards, Alain

If you have a broken (burnt-out) 9V train motor: open it up and remove the motor (see http://www.lgauge.co...ins/dcc/dcc.htm for details). Then, put the motor-less "motor" under the tender and run the connection wire to the PF XL motor or your DCC chip. Works great! Regards, Alain

I usually use RailModeller (shareware, OS X). While not specifically made for drawing LEGO tracks, it includes the LEGO 9V, 12V and monorail track sets. When drawing a layout, you can use layers to separate table, tracks and buildings. It also includes a track designer, so whenever Big Ben, ME or LEGO comes out with wider curves or narrow gauge tracks, you can easily add them to the program. Here's my current layout, drawn in RailModeller: Layout by alainneke, on Flickr Regards, Alain

This looks very nice. You did a great job on the curved platforms! I don't think I've ever seen long curves in a LEGO train station before... Regards, Alain

Don't forget to clean the electrical pickups at the bottom of the 12V motor as well. Regards, Alain