Andy Glascott

After a break from building and the various forums, I'm back up to speed and building again. (It's good to see the standard of building/posts on here is as good as ever btw.) My latest project has been modular layout with trains on 2 levels and using both 9v and 12v track. If you're on brick.ie or Brickish you may have seen it, the image gallery is here: http://www.brickshel...ry.cgi?f=528346 And video of it in action is here: It's in 4 sections, each 5 x 3 baseplates (32x32 studs) in size with all the wiring for the 12v points and signals contained in the sections the points etc are on. This image shows the 12v switches built into the viaduct at the back of the layout, I ran a wire from each set of switches to a 12v power unit, each loop had it's own controller. In total 6 trains could run at any given moment. Andy Sorry,posted this in the wrong forum, Admin please remove, I'll repost in Train Tech.

One of the (many) things I love about the 12v era is that you could build, usually small tank-style, steam engines with the working drive rods that came with the 12v motor set. The lack of that detail on subsequent train sets until the EN was a big disappointment for me. (I did try to build larger steam locos in 12v but never had the larger wheels.) Once I discovered BB wheels my imagination went wild! The HP and TS trains just don't have the detail, as has been said, and for me were never even close to being on my shopping lists. Andy

Very impressive sir, I still prefer the old orange and black, but I'm a traditionalist.... These look fantastic and should go down well at Dun Laoghaire. Andy

And here's the link to ME Models, though I notice all their stuff is marked as sold out at the moment... Might be worth a look when you get back to the US. Andy

Fair enough.

Wouldn't another easy solution be to bank the curves? I regularly place a 1x2 plate on the outside end of sleepers/ties in corners. Keeps the speed up and the train on the track. Andy

Welcome Mark, All my recent layouts have been on a table 4'x8', and the oval of track that went round the outside had 13 straights on the long sides, 4 on the short sides and obviously then 4 curves in each corner. As the layouts evolved the ovals became more complex, but the outer loop on this image follows those dimensions. That's a total of 34 straight sections, a lot cheaper than 57 On an 8'x4'table that doesn't leave very much room at the edges on the long sides, but does leave an inch or two at either end. This folder has images of the layout the above loop was on which will give you an idea of the space I did (or didn't) have to play with. Occasionally, the track on the edge was over the edge by a stud or two! Hope this helps, it should at least save a few quid buying track. Andy

Definitely looks better sir.

Personally, I'd stick with the black windows but if possible run the white line below the lower windows if possible. They blend with the baseplate which I don't like, but hey, it's all down to personal preference. If you do go with the white line above the windows, then I'd go with red windows below as mentioned earlier. Choices, choices. Ultimately Sok, it's down to what you prefer. Andy

Oh the memories! Very clever, I like it Andy

Welcome to EB Iarnrod Raille Liath. I'm guessing from your name and post you're Irish...? Have you found brick.ie yet? There are some good Irish trains on there, including an 071 by Dfenz. (His Brickshelf train gallery is here.) Andy

That is very impressive, like it. Andy

I've built a few multi-level layouts over the last 4 years or so, and the first two had ramp(s) between them. However, I hardly ever used them. Some of the ramps were 12v, which meant that if they weren't used regularly they stuttered, as 12v does, but the biggest challenge was managing power to them and not short circuiting when power went through the ramps to connect the levels. It is possible to isolate power using the points in the 9v system and the 12 signals, but to swap a train you have to synchronise power supplies. I suspect that a steeper ramp with a chain mechanism would have similar issues, though with PF power supply isn't as much of an issue. Ultimately I found the novelty of swapping levels wasn't worth the hassle involved. Eventually, when I went to a three level layout, I did away with connecting ramps and settled for a compact, efficient and flexible method of switching trains between levels - hands! Andy

This was my only attempt at an uncoupler. The axle moves out of the supervisors deck between two wagons that have stopped, the loco pulls away and the axle holds back the rest of the train. If it gives you ideas, great, feel free to adapt etc, as someone has said, with the linear actuators now available it should be easier to build something like this. Andy

Only fitting to give a one word response - STUNNING!! Andy

That's huge! I love the spiral, something I'd love to have a go at at some point. Andy

Hi everyone, I've been working on this for several months, and although not perfect, it's time to go public in the hope of some advice! The shell of the Class 158 was relatively easy to build, but I wanted more than that in a 6 wide MOC, so inspired by others (Esbin Kolind on EB and Carl Greatrix on Flickr, EB etc) and their work on doors, both powered and not, I decided to have a go at powering (some of) the doors. The challenges were several - space and the fact that each door is in effect two working as a pair, and so needed power delivered to each half. The mechanism works smoothly when powered by hand, but now that I've added an M motor to power it, it is a bit sticky opening the doors. I haven't yet taken stills or video of the mechanism, I'm just pleased enough to have got this far at the moment! (Link to video below.) The issues (and my thoughts on causes): 1 - it's a bit slow as a train! I'm using an old RC motor I was given 2 Christmases ago, I suspect I need to replace the O rings for better traction. (It's also very heavy!). Switch to a newer PF train motor? 2 - The doors stick. I know that the design involves sliding doors into a tight space and have managed to get a system that pushes them out parallel to the walls of the unit and then slides them along, then reverses the procedure to close, just as on the real thing. I think the M motor is a little weak in the power (torque?) it has, do any of you with more electrical/engineering know-how have anything to suggest? For example I have an old 9v technic motor I could swap in, it currently powers the lift in my station. I doubt I could get an L sized PF one in the space I have. The video of the doors - - shows that the concept works, excuse the ape-like arm assisting occasionally!Any suggestions will be gratefully read and tried out! Thanks in advance, Andy PS If anyone knows how to embed the video, please feel free to or point me towards the tutorial. Thanks. Edit: video embedded. Thanks AussieJimbo

Hi and Welcome. It is possible to fix tracks directly to base plates, but only the straights. The best bet is to put a single plate between the tracks and the base plate with tiles under the curves for support. If your corners are all 4 track lengths long you can stick the end to a plate to stop the whole lot moving around. This keeps all the tracks on the same level. Andy

I can see where you are coming from, but I decided to stick with the sets I have rather than my MOCs, and my version of 7740 is a bit doddery! It currently runs off the same power source as my 7745, and if they both run at the same time it is a bit slower! Andy

I'll kick the replies off then.... I often ask this type of question to the kids I work with, so to be asked it myself is bit of a turn around. I'm limiting my options to the trains I own, so would go for the classic no 7740 - old (I'm approaching 40 next year, suggestions for a mid-life crisis welcome) but reliable, capable of occasional bursts of speed and built along classic lines - read that how you will How about the rest of you then? Andy EDIT by TheBrickster to help visualize:

One word - AMAZING! Happy Christmas Tony

By telling the wife it keeps me out of other mischief...... I'm lucky enough to have very flexible hours, I'm a youth worker, and work from home, so any down time I have during the day is easily filled - my layout is in the room next to my office! Given my hours involve evenings, time when my LPO (Lego Permission Officer) is home and I'm not at work is often for us, so flexible hours which include a day off in the week while she's out at work really help! Oh, and no kids.... Andy

Here's a link to the loco I'll be adding PF to in the new year, it may well be March or April before I get round to it, I'm working on a DMU at the moment. Andy

My layout has space for 7 trains to sit in the station at the same time, and 6 of those can run at the same time as well. Pics here. I'm currently working on adding PF to my steam loco and building a DMU that will be PF as well, so in theory at least I will be able to run 8 of 9 at once, though I'm not sure there's really space for it! Andy

Hi and welcome, It's not unusual for 12v motors to take some time to "warm up". I have several motors, all at least 20 years old, and if I don't run them for more than a week they stutter a lot. Turn the power on, each time the motor stops give it a little push and be patient. It may take 10 minutes for a train to run without stopping. Each time it goes round your layout it should run a bit further between stops. Hope that helps, Andy