soc399

You should complain. I recently started calling customer service to get replacements whenever I noticed a poorly colored or ill fitting brick. I suspect Lego will work harder to correct these issues if we all start demanding replacement parts instead of just passing along our dissatisfaction.

Thanks for the pics and video, Matt. It is great to see automated functions in Lego train cars, and seeing Mark Bellis's version of an unloading hopper is really inspiring.

I added a second motor to the engine from 7898 with this old 9V extension cable, and I had no problems. You can reverse the polarity of the old cables simply by turning them, so adding one of them between the power functions cable and your train motor would be an alternative to Duq's suggestion.

Nice! The first photo is epic, and I really like the minifig legs on the chest of the robot.

The only Duplo train I know about is this one featured on Railbricks a while back.

I don't have any technic figs, but I say get the cheapest ones you can find in good condition. You don't need the right colored shirts to look good with the vehicles you already have.

I haven't built any goats myself, but here are some that I found on Brickshelf.

I would kill you for not opening the set! This was one of my favorites from childhood, and you should definitely enjoy it. This review was great, and it makes me want to pull my old one out and build it again.

Nice! The purple works great for a Wonka train, and I love the chrome accent pieces. Did you make the Wonka decal yourself? Creations like this are why Train Tech needed to be its own forum.

I totally agree that the parts to build more carriages would be a great addition to PaB. I have two Emerald Night sets and an extra set of the new wheels from Bricklink, but I doubt I will buy another whole set just to expand my train. There are just too many other great sets, and I'm starting to MOC my own trains from scratch. The extra locomotive parts are a nice bonus, but the EN locomotive parts are cheap on Bricklink with so many people looking for more carriages.

That's how I fixed my Emerald Night, and it definitely stopped the locking problem. It still doesn't run perfectly smoothly, especially on the lowest speed. I'll have to try widening the cylinder, since I have a MOC steam loco with 2 long cylinders that doesn't suffer from the same problem.

Over the last few years, I've noticed a similar recurring problem with yellow clips of this type: It was especially noticeable in my 4939 Creator Cool Cars.

Bricklink is definitely the way to go, but make sure you get these parts if you are using the new RC train motors. The old 9V decorative sides don't have space for the technic axles that the new battery powered motors use.

You might try calling Lego rather than using the online form. Lego does watch for people taking advantage of the replacement parts service, but you won't have any problem if you talk to a representative directly. I was missing a bag or two from my Green Grocer, and they didn't fill my second online parts request. I called them after not receiving the replacements, and the person at customer service said my request had been flagged because I ordered so many parts. Once I explained the situation, he had the parts sent right away. If you are missing more than a single piece, calling customer service is far superior to using the online system.

I've downloaded instructions like this before but never thought of backing up instructions for my whole collection. Was your tutorial prompted by this topic?

I have also used the regular battery box with my Emerald Night, and it works fine. I used normal alkaline batteries, but it should also work with rechargeable AAs.

To get the metal axles from Lego, you have to choose "prepack with two asle" under Transportation in Pick a Brick. Unfortunately, it is a bit pricey to order the parts directly from Lego. Have you tried searching Bricklink for the complete wheel assembly? Here you can see some stores in the US that are selling them. As far as building the track or the city first, I put the track down first. I wanted plenty of space for sidings and switches, so the city grew in what was left after the track looked good.

These are some interesting rumors. I would love to get more rechargeable batteries, but they will probably drive up the prices quite a bit if they are included. The crappy RC motor is no surprise, but I hope they re-gear it like Mark Bellis has suggested.

This is another great car for your freight train! I love the 4 wide building style, and I shamelessly lifted your tanker design for my own cargo train. Is there any chance that we will get a shot of your whole train soon?

A bunch of brown flatcars sounds awesome to go with this great locomotive! There are so many amazing details and greebles, especially around the locomotive's drive wheels. One question, how is it powered?

The mechanical method that lightningtiger mentioned will probably be the simplest, since Lego doesn't make a PF voltage regulator. Basically, have the M motor connected to a small gear that drives a larger gear. The greater the difference between the small gear and the large, the slower the speed of the large gear will be. EDIT: Have you thought about using a linear actuator? I don't have any, but I think they extend and retract when connected to an M motor. They are a bit pricey but contain a built in clutch, which you will need with something like a lift that has to stop at the top and bottom

Unfortunately, all the new production runs have the sealed magnets that will not work with 12v track. I just got the Cargo Train Deluxe, and it had the new couplers, even though the box showed the old ones. Safety concerns involving swallowed magnets caused Lego to change the part, and this also led to the new design for minifig magnet sets.

What kind of gearing did you use to get the right balance of speed and power with the M motors? UPDATE: An engine with one M motor connected directly to the truck from this Railbricks post will pull the Metroliner Club Car and two Santa Fe cars, but it only works with the proper weighting and the o-rings like Railbricks suggests. I had to position the PF rechargeable battery almost directly over the driving truck to get enough traction, but the heavier normal battery box should give better traction.

I'm not surprised the M motor doesn't work well on the Emerald Night. The gearing is wrong. I was planning on building a little train MOC later today, so I will try the M and XL motors. I built a steam engine a while ago, and the XL motor worked much better than the M motor. I think the main reason was weight, since the M motor wasn't heavy enough to provide traction. I suspect that the M motor will work for you with the proper gearing and some ballast, but I can't guarantee it. I'll try to post some more info later today or tomorrow.

I've had a lot of fun lately building PF trains with the trial and error method. The power functions components are very easy to work with, but designing working drivetrains and the like is harder. Good luck!