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It's not empty space. I just blended the Technic plate out for the rendering. You can see it in the Studio file I provided.

Of course it's possible. I did exactly that here:

You can scroll back a couple of pages and find several other motorisation mods. Your mod, albeit easy to do, takes away the working 3 axle tender that should be kept imho since it looks more realistic. Another way would be to put 2x 9V train motor and extend the tender in length. This way even PF users could have plenty of space hiding the IR receiver. But next to the locomotive a longer tender would look out of proportion.

I guess because he just used a magnet between tender and sleeper wagon and not even attached on the same level and the original ball joints between locomotive and tender.

Pulling works better because the ball joints are always tensioned. Pushing will compress the double ended ball joints and misalign the tender, therefore derailing it. Yet another reason why magnetic couplings should have been used by Lego. They can take up axial loads in both directions. If not strong enough secure them with a 1x2 plate.

I know I'm not a qualified reviewer or enthusiast Technic MOC'er, but building the Suzuki Katana was mind-blowing. Never thought such a detailed motorcycle could be built at this scale. Every part was thought out and CaDA proves again that a set CAN be built without a rainbow color palette; heck, they even went the extra mile to include 3 different colored half bushings, besides the all black pins in 2L, 3L, 4L, even 1/2 and 3/4 in visible places. Those two specialized fairings make all the difference to the looks and it's instantly recognizable as the source model. This is hands down the best Technic motorcycle I have ever built and it looks so clean. The printed plaque is just the icing on the cake. Not even the 5:1 BMW from LEGO can compete with this. And the best part is I only paid 27€ for it including box and shipping. Just look at these part lists: The only issue I had was a missing 2x4 yellow L-liftarm (an additional engine block was included instead) and a slight contact between a bush and 16t gear, because CaDA's octagonal bush has a larger outer diameter, so I had to switch it out with a LEGO piece to ensure smooth running.

Did you use magnetic couplings like he did or the original ball joints? He didn't align the magnets and just improvised. Try putting metal axles on the tender? I recon that might help too by keeping the wheels at a constant distance.

I guess this is the second simplest way to motorize the train without modifications as demonstrated in this video. With the PUp Hub there is no need for IR sensor so you'd only have the cable sticking out. https://youtu.be/_U43N4zTQ4I?feature=shared&t=950

Maybe this will answer your question: Also, recommend the excellent review on https://jaysbrickblog.com/reviews/review-lego-ideas-21344-the-orient-express-train/

Left: wrong sticker sheet, right: correct gold foil sticker (notice the mirrors also changed). At least bother Lego CS and ask for replacement (10110027 / 6511051) if you get the wrong one in the box.

Thanks for a more critical review this time. Looking forward for the motorization video. Also thanks for confirming the fact that the rails are really bent from production. This must be a molding quality issue due to the new mixture (adding metallic pigments to the mix) or decreased cooling time to increase production cycle time. Why on earth did they change the perfectly good dbg pieces which were always straight until now? Surely another cost saving measure. Wrong colored stickers aside, it's inexcusable to not do a proof-read and misprint a European city capital and the city name where their own German office is located. I can't believe nobody opened the O-E homepage to take a look at the names written on the carriages they put their whole focus and licensing on. So whoever is buying this set on December 1st instead of waiting patiently for an updated production run, clearly has too much money. It also sets a bad example that TLG can get away with sloppy quality and people still buy it.

Did anyone model this in Studio yet? I want to extend it and need to know exactly how many truss, frame pieces and links I need to order extra.

Thanks @MikeTwo9398 for the Studio model! Looks miles better with the Audi wheels (thanks @Philo for the early model). Maybe someone can test the grip and performance in outdoor conditions. I might get 4 extra and fit them on even though 4,77€ pp. is a lot just for rubber. I don't like the smelly Chinese RC wheels I bought and they also developed white residue as if evaporating the chemicals to the surface.

I know old topic and all, but does anyone have a picture of the Zetros with the new Audi 2491 tires fitted? Recon it would look much better and have better grip than with the tractor wheels. Could someone send me the Studio file in PM please? Never mind. Found one.

Cheers! It's not like LEGO didn't do it before, splitting the building steps into two or more sections, where one part would be up to page X without motorization (or main body color) and from page Y onward with motorization (or alternative color choice). The problems start when they don't include all the parts necessary for the add-on and people having to buy them separately (as opposed to the upgrade kits sold in the PF era). Pretty certain it was just a cost cutting measure to allow more details in the coaches without making the set more expensive than it already is, hence the plastic axles, regular windows and frames, etc.

Here is my V2 motorization mod with a Medium Linear Motor 88008 at 1:1 gear ratio. The biggest benefit of this motor over an L-Motor is that it's still available on lego.com to purchase and it's very easy to integrate in a System build. It supports the whole structure and will not move anywhere, thanks to SNOT construction. I know, you might say it has half the torque of the L-motor, but it's still 4.6x (2.3x) the torque of one train motor. You could also change the second gear pair to z12 + z12 for 1.66x faster speed. Oh, and the mod only needs 19 extra parts. Enjoy! Motorized_21344_V2.io

I only suggested this because the 3L is sticking out right now, so the 3L w/ stop would still give full length use. 7 stacked plates are less than 3 modules.

@Train of Thought Creations If you don't want the 3L axle to drop, might I suggest a 3L with stop 24316 to be more useful? Also, don't be upset about constructive criticism on a forum like this. We like to help other builders become better / find different solutions, especially one who recently joined. And a winky smiley always means that the text should not be taken too seriously, which by the looks of it, you did. P.S. Axles are only defined by their length. No need to add 1x. Besides, they are less than half a stud in diameter.

@Train of Thought Creations Good job! There are just two things I don't like. The visible blue plate + axle pins and the red technic beam. Just add 2x 1x2 inverted curved slopes to cover the blue plate and use a black 1x5 Technic beam. ;) Is there a reason why the bevel gear is not fixed on the axle in axial direction? Why even add the loose 1x1 spacer? To minimize the bevel gear wear I'd try to ensure the optimal and constant free-play by placing a bush + 1/2 bush on the axle instead of that 1x1 spacer. The gear forces will try to push the axle out otherwise.

So the 90s kids were much smarter than today's kids and could be entrusted to operate a simple voltage dial without getting electrocuted but now it's a big safety risk? And where are all the massive safety labels on the AC transformers that power the phones, tablets and laptops of children?

@Train of Thought Creations Relax! It's not a race who can make the first motorized OE. Most people will hold off on buying it until a decent discount is available anyway. It's pretty clear that the only reason this set is not ready for motorization out of the box is because LEGO doesn't sell any small sized motors besides the train motor and the huge angular PUp motor and NOT because of some design challenges or "high weight". Therefore they didn't even bother with metal axles in the first place. It was supposed to be another UCS Hogwarts Express but due to the complaints of the size they "listened" and made it fit L-Gauge, but it was still supposed to be a display model only.

@shroomzofdoom That image from the Polaroid is the original fan submission and not the final product. In a rendering you can change the color of parts to whatever you like.

I came up with something to motorize the locomotive. But one medium Boost motor alone might not be enough, so another motor could be attached behind it to drive the same axle via another bevel gear. But the stability will suffer. Some rubber bands would also be needed on the drivers. motorized_21344.io

Thanks for hinting out the mistakes. Corrected the model accordingly. Regarding the medium blue, you might be right. There are definitely two hues of blue besides regular and dark blue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRThAq5UDjA Try 9V. It has plenty of torque. And as I said two of these will fit and with some gearing should provide enough power.