Haddock51

Thanks. You can read more about my display in my 40 sqm hobby room in these topics: You are welcome to visit me in Sweden next time you travel to Europe. Your alias "Feuer Zug" indicates some connection to a german speaking country, or?

A couple of years ago, I built the BR 10, a very beautiful steam locomotive originally operated by Deutsche Bahn, which was supposed to pull my long and heavy coal train. It was only later I learned that the BR 10 during the 60’s mostly was part of the Riviera Express, a historic passenger train that drove tourists to and from the Italian Riviera. The original which was built in only two copies had a top speed of 160 km/h! Last year I decided to build my own Riviera Express and now, even this express train is part of my Lego train collection. It consists of: A BR 10 (8-wide) with two 9V engines. This locomotive, still one of the most beautiful and spectacular steam locomotives in my collection, is a slightly modified version of @HoMas original. Total length including tender: approx.. 70 studs· Six 7-wide coaches (DB and FS), whereof one dining coach DSG/Mitropa with two 9V engines. Length: 48 studs each · The total train length is approx.. 3 meters. Please note that all coaches – except the coach coloured in Tan/Dark Red – are equipped with real train doors! It’s been a while since last … All beams are strengthened with super magnets. And this is what my Riviera Express looks like: The BR 10 on a German stamp: And this is what the original looks like: Some more pictures: Tender fully loaded with "coal" and covered with a piece of fishnet stockings ....

I live in Knivsta just north of Stockholm. Feel free to visit me next time you plan to visit Scandinavia!

In order to achieve efficient cleaning of the metal plates, you need significant pressure against the rails which requires substantial weight on the car. A few coins will most likely not be enough. Also keep in mind that this concept implies that the cleaning car basically is sliding on the rails. Make sure that the wheel flanges still have enough contact to maintain steering control. PS: Sunil766, you are from Switzerland, my country of birth. Have you seen my recent topic on the Glacier Express MOC? What do you think about it?

To clean this room from dust has multiple dimensions: 1. The trains: All trains in this room have a thin layer of dust on top. The most efficient way of cleaning is to use compressed air, eventually in combination with sprayed water (only on trains without stickers!) and a hair dryer. In addition, all wheels on all 9V motors will be cleaned with 70 percent rubbing alcohol. 2. The train shelves: All train shelves, one by one, will be mounted on the track and cleared from trains. The shelves will be cleaned with a damp dishcloth. The rails will be cleaned manually with a slip block covered with cloth and moistened with 70 percent rubbing alcohol. 3. The track: Dust must be taken off the track, preferably with a suitable vacuum cleaner that reaches out in all parts of the track. To get the dust and debris off the rails and away from the 9V motors with the help of a PU-powered brush from the train wash is simply not good enough! Cleaning the rails is the most challenging exercise! The most efficient way of cleaning is manual cleaning, the same way like the rails on the shelves. This is applicable for all sections that are within reach. For sections out of reach, the special cleaning wagon mentionned before is required. The cleaning wagon must be run back and forth several times to achieve clean metal plates.. 4. My own Lego World: All spaces and objects must be cleaned with a soft dustpan. Very time consuming ... And finally the floor that needs to be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner.

My longest and heaviest train, the Swedish iron ore train with a Dm3 locomotive ,24 wagons and a total weight of approximately 10 kg, has 13 9V motors which gives an average weight of close to 800 g per motor. My recommendation would be not to exceed 1 kg per motor. In the early planning phase, I was recommended to mount power connections every 5 m. Given the inclines - and based on initial testing - the track segments between the power connections are somewhere between 2.5 and 3.5 meters. When it comes to recommended running times, my suggestion would be that you regularly, e.g. every 10 - 15 minutes - check if your motors are getting warm/overheated. Yes, with FX Track the 9V system will experience a renaissance, most likely with significant price increases on already very expensive 9V motors. Is there any 3rd party supplier considering producing own 9V motors?

Proficient is probably slightly exaggerated, but I have been rather careful when using my 9V motors during all these years. My first 9V motors were purchased and operated almost 20 years ago. As of today, none of the motors I have purchased - which in average have a lifetime so far of ten years plus - has broken down! All of them are running without problems! I remember several years ago - probably at the time when TLG decided to discontinue the 9V product line and the introduction of new train product lines like RC, PF etc - when I read several topics with rather negative opinions and comments about 9V motors, mentionning motors that have broken down etc. I also remember myself reacting strongly because I simply couldn't understand what they were talking about! My guess is that some of these motors suffered extra wear because of overload, i.e. too long trains with too much weight for a single motor, in combination with multiple hours of running. Zephyr1934, it's not so easy to answer your questions. Since all my motors are still in operation - i.e. no experienced end of lifetime - the question remains open, at least from my side. I don't run my trains for several hours in a row, for several reasons. I have not seen any extra wear due to running multiple motors at one time. The higher current is irrelevant in this context because 9V motors pick up just so much current for what is needed. No extra wear due to inclines because I use many motors based on the total train weight, thereby avoiding overload. This can easily be verified by checking motor temperatures, and so far I haven't experienced any overheated motors. Once a while I clean motor wheels with 70 percent rubbing alcohol, primarily to prevent deterioration of power transmission fram track to motor. And that's about it. I don't want to resurrect an infected debate, but with my experience - and from what I have seen myself so far - I still believe that Lego train 9V is superior to any other Lego train system, especially with my needs in mind. What about 28 000 plus 10 900 studs?

Thank you XG BC, your comments and feedback are much appreciated! When reading your lines, I recall some of the arguments to go for DCC. I also remember visiting an AFOL colleague in Belgium several years ago with a very interesting and impressive layout using DCC with basically all the features and benefits you mentionned. Yes, lights have been on my agenda for many years and several of my passenger trains are equipped with various light systems. It really creates a special ambiance when running these trains in darkness. However, the lights have to be turned on/off manually which is ok for me. The remaining open topics on my list are sound - and smoke! I remember a video some years ago on Youtube from a guy in Norway who was operating a steam engine - I think it was an Emerald Night - with both sound and smoke! Very impressive indeed, but I haven't investigated this matter any further so far. Hopefully this can be solved for a single locomotive - e.g. the BR10 - without a complete conversion to DCC. Looking ahead, I will think about new train projects, with the Orient Express on top of my wish list. In addition, I hope we start making more videos now when the Corona pandemic seems to be more under control.. Visit my topic "Lego Train 9V Extreme - ready!" where you can read more about this track and watch spectacular videos!

Yes, this is a permanent layout with a total track length of 224 meters (plus 87 meters train shelves). I remember that DCC was a topic that was intensely discussed at the time I was making first plans and setting the basic requirements for my 9V Extreme track. That is many years ago, and I am unable to recall all the details of these discussions. Finally, I decided to remain with/go for 9V with original - and modified -Lego train controls. So far, I have invested in 160 9V engines (!), probably the largest 9V engine collection in the world, worth a fortune.. Due to the inclines of 8 percent, the long and heavy trains are equipped with 8 - 12 9V engines, which also required uppgrading of the train controls with 3A diodes and substantially more efficient heat sinks. In addition, the track is segmented in 4 segments where you can operate 4 trains simultaneously (by 4 hands ...). For me, that's good enough. I have no idea what a conversion of my trains to DCC control would imply, not the least financially. If the benefit of such a conversion is limited to control trains by one pc/raspberry/tablet, my decision would most likely be negative.

I just have a short answer to your burning question - it's hardly impossible to prevent dust build up on such a huge layout, particularly if you have two dogs... So the basic question is: how do you deal with dust? As a matter of fact, I am right now in the process of getting mentally prepared to clean my entire Lego room, an exercise that will most likely take several weeks. That includes cleaning approx. 300 meters (!) of 9V tracks with metal plates. This will require the use of a special cleaning waggon with a weight of almost 1 kg, pushed and pulled by 6 locomotives with 12 9V engines (!) This waggon is mandatory in those parts of the track that are out of reach - and there are many ...

Even though the room is very much occupied, I managed to add some objects since summer 2020. I couldn't resist buying the Colosseum, a very nice addition to the attractions already in place (Taj Mahal, Big Ben, London Tower Bridge and Sydney Opera House). In addition, I built a Bistro along the high level train track next to the cable way top station.The MOC includes a mini loudspeaker so I can listen to Swiss folc music when running my trains through the Swiss alps.... I am very pleased with the Glacier Express, my latest addition to my train collection. Within soon, the Riviera Express will hopefully be ready as well.

The Glacier Express with Panorama Carriages (Stadler Rail) - one of the world`s most beautiful and mopst famous trains - is now part of my train collection! The GEX has been on my wish list for many, many years. And now, this train dream has come true - what a great feeling! This train evokes so many memories, not the least our GEX journey from St. Moritz to Zermatt in First class some years ago, a fabulous experience with breathtaking sceneries and a superb service onboard. My Glacier Express is built 7-wide and consists of: a Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB) locomotive type HGe 4/4 II with two 9V engines and a length of 40 studs, four Panorama Carriages First class (Rhätische Bahn) with a length of 46 studs each, a Dining Carriage (RhB) with two 9V engines and a length of 46 studs. The total train length is approx. 2,3 meters and the total weight amounts to approx. 3,8 kg. All beams are strengthened with supermagnets. To build this train has been a journey with multiple challenges, not the least all the decals. Special thanks to Knivsta Tryckeri, our local printing house, for their superb support! And thank you also to Selander for his inspiring advice during this project. And this is what my Glacier Express looks like: And this is what the Glacier Express looks like in reality: PS: The Glacier Express is a registered trademark.

Thanks @Toastie The other dog (Luqas) is 10 years old and brown & white. He is a kind of old man who doesn't get excited in the first place, certainly not about cableways and trains... Before starting to build this display, I spend many hours to unpack and sort out all my Lego sets that were stocked in my sauna (which I haven't been able to use for more than 10 years...). There are still enough sets left for another major layout... But then I would need to expand my current room, an option that is not even negotiable... After the summer break, I will have to start with a complete and careful cleaning of the entire Lego room, incl. all trains on the shelves which will certainly require a mental recharge... But then, I will most likely start to build my own Riviera Express (the BR10 is already in place). And then start looking for other challenging train projects! Toastie, I wish you a nice summer. Take care of yourself, particularly in these Corona times! Daniel

They are very different. The black & white one (Zorro) goes completely bananas when I start the cableway. He seems to appreciate trains much more...

There is no way to squeeze in additional track meters (unless I expand my Lego room considerably. The support for such a plan is below zero...) Now I will take a much needed summer break until september/october. Then I will Think about new challenging objectives w.r.t. Lego projects. This will most likely be about new exciting trains.

On My Own Lego World layout, I have currently four trains plus one tramway. On the Lego Train 9V Extreme layout, I have currently another five trains. In addition, there are 30 more trains on my train shelves. All powered with 9V engines.

Three years ago, I finished my Lego Train 9V Extreme Project. And now it's time to inaugurate My Own Lego World, a Project that - on and off - has been ongoing for approx. 30 months. This layout includes many vintage Lego sets from the time our daughters grew up. Most of these sets are from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s. Some originate from more recent years. My Own Lego World covers the following themes: City Paradisa & Beach Container Port & Shark Bay Outdoor activities World Cup Soccer (1998) Space & Space Center Airport, Aircrafts and Air Show Tivoli Train 9V In addition, it also includes several MOCs (e.g. signal box, track traverses, observation tower, stairways, open-air cinema, church, windmill and cableway base station with "elevator" tower) and a battery driven cableway (Rigi Lehmann). Addendum #1: Technical data & details Construction: Level 0: 74 cm above floor Level 1: 17 cm above level 0 Level 2: 36 cm above level 0 Top of Lego World: 214 cm above floor Layout dimensions: Level 0: 3.8 x 3.8 m (with two islands of 0.75 x 0.75 m) Level 1: 0.5 x 3.6 m plus 0.5 x 0.5 m Level 2: 0.5 x 2.1 m Total layout area (excl. Moon Base and Top of Lego World): approx. 17 sqm Train 9V: Total track length incl. sidings and dead-ends: approx. 51 m Total track length incl. Lego Train 9V Extreme layout: approx. 224 m with - all in all - 67 power connections to rails Including train shelves, 2 296 rails and switches are now deployed in this room with a total length of approx. 311 m: 1 871 straight (whereof 675 for train shelves), 330 curved, 51 modified straight (4, 8, 10, 12 and 14 studs), 19 standard-, 14 halfcurve and 11 crossover switches (eight switches are electrically operated). Movable train bridge between My Own Lego World and Lego Train 9V Extreme layout Gradients: approx. 6.5 and 8 percent Min. clearance: approx. 12 cm Track Design Program: Track Designer Application (R) version 2.0 by Matthew D. Bates (Matts LEGO (R) Train Depot) Electrics/Electronics: 1 power supply unit Voltcraft EP-925, 3-15V(DC), max 25A 2 modified train speed regulators (4548) with LM350T regulators, 3A diodes, outside heatsinks (with a thermal resistance of 1.9 K/W), mini fans and digital thermometers to measure temperatures inside the speed regulator boxes 3 standard train speed regulators (4548) 15 power connections to rails approx. 200 m RK cable 1.5 sqmm 1 LED strand (2 m) with dimmer Märklin pins and sleeves Cableway: Distance: aprox. 4.8 m Height difference: approx. 1.0 m Construction materials: 10 tables 0.75 x 1.5 m and 3 tables 0.75 x 0.75 m wood (45 x 45 mm) and wood strips (22 x 43 mm) MDF boards (6 and 10 mm) ground grass and ballast (Busch, Faller) fishline 0.47 mm cable conduits angle irons straps paint Addendum #1: Pictures Addendum #3: Videos Cableway:

So if I understand you right, the "leakage" in your case @aawsum is not due to problems with switches but rather due to construction/setup circumstances with your layout (which at least to me is good news...) I assume that these circumstances eventually also could cause derailings. My advice would be to spend more time and effort on wires and tables in order to get rid of the root causes behind your "leaking" and other problems.

Thanks @Toastie for sharing your own experiences. Yes, I would have been surprised to learn about leaking non-modified switches (unless they have been damaged one way or an other). Interesting to read your short circuit case with rather dramatic consequences. It appears to me that you must have missed adequate fuses with your permanent power supply. Standard - including my modded - 9V speed regulators include termo fuses which automatically interrupt power supply in case of short circuit. I guess a safety precaution since the 9V system with its open power supply to the 9V engines originally was developed for children. That's why I was surprised to read about this "leaking" issue. Using 9V speed regulators, it's either on or off, straight or switch - nothing in between. That's at least my understanding. And yes, modifying 9V switches is tricky and requires full attention and accuracy. PS: 15V/10A 150W permanent power supply on your layout?!? A Lego 9V train engine at full speed requires approximately 350mA. 10A would theoretically be enough to run 30 9V engines at the same time at full speed ... So what's the basic idea behind 10A permanent power supply? Why 15V? What is the maximum voltage tolerance for 9V engines? By comparison, on my 9V Extreme layout, I use 4 modified 9V speed regulators with LM350T regulators that can provide up to 3A each. This means that, theoretically, I could run 4 trains with 10 9V engines each at full speed (alt.13 engines at medium speed as on the Swedish Iron Ore Train) which all in all would require approx. 12A. Still less than half of what the Voltcraft EP-925 Linear Regulated Power Supply unit can provide (3-15V/DC, 2-25A 375W). However, the difference here is that the Voltcraft will only provide as much power as is required/needed. No risk for overheated rails. And with the outside heatsinks, LM350T temperature increase is well under controll.

I need to get back to @aawsums comment re. "leaking" switches. All in all, I have been using almost 50 switches - incl. crossovers and halfcurves - over the past 25 years and never experienced any "leaks". Based on your experience, what are the reasons behind leaking switches?

The basic idea with this layout - as with the 9V Extreme layout - is to provide the possibility to run several trains simultaneously, and independant from each other, by using multiple speed regulators for different segments.This can be done with all switches in straight position, thereby eliminating interference with opposite polarity. As mentionned above, the original problem - caused by inaccurately connecting all minus cables together - is now solved and it is now possible to run 3 trains at the same time without conflicting polarities.

As mentionned above, I use two modified and two standard speed regulators:

This is exactly the reason for this problem! When mounting the minus cbles and connecting the four blocks, I was absolutely sure I had done it the same way on the 9V Extreme track, which I haven't.... So this is how it looks now. Problem solved! Another sign of growing dementia...? Thank you guys for all your help and attention. And sorry for taking up your time for such a stupidity.....

And this is how all cables are connected in the Cable terminal:

#1: done #2: done #3: what are insulation segments? #4: the test motors are brand new! #5: ?