peterab

Since all the different motors have different characteristics, using two different types together for any great length of time is pretty much a bad idea. The motors will probably want to run at different speeds, thus you will be stressing at least one if not both at any time. To test the motors I'd start with a bare motor on a small loop of track. Run it at at whatever speed allows it to loop around without interruption. A good motor might be a bit jumpy at first but should settle down once the track cleans itself. It should then run reliably for at least a couple of hours. A good motor should have no problem pulling any of the official lego train sets continuously, and should go fast enough to derail on maximum speed. Heavier trains will require more motors.

In my experience with 9V trains on our club layout, it is almost never the controller or transformer unless you are running multiple motors at once. I'd start with track cleaning or overheating as the most likely suspects with Anthony's suggestion of the pickups a close third. The track can appear clean but still give problems, though after running a train for a while it should fix itself. As 9V motors age they may become clogged with lint, others have suggested opening the case and cleaning and lubricating them. When the motor has extra friction like lint or a too heavy load it has a temperature cut out, which will trip. This sounds like what is happening to me.

I've considered installing pelmet boxes above my windows to reduce heat loss, but one of the motivating factors is also to be able to store Lego trains on them

It comes via Sydney, but from either Denmark or the Czech republic. The cost includes a private company in Sydney splitting up the bulk air freighted order and resending them I've been told. Very inefficient and costly. The Lego Australia office in Sydney don't have the warehouse facilities to store stock, part of the reason we're yet to get a LEGO brand store.

That image has two different classes of German loco; the E93 (later 193) and the 194, there was also a similar looking 144 in Germany. I'm pretty sure the 194 is the equivalent of the Austrian one you linked.

There is some overlap, but there seems to be more Mocs posted on Flickr, and the Flickr interface allows notes to be added to the picture so there tends to be a lot of helpful advice given there. The community there is a lot more focused on train building. Here there seems to be wider discussion and a broader range of topics. I like to be a member of both.

Very cool train :-) I've been tempted to do this too, but have resisted because I couldn't run it on my clubs layout, and I have enough trouble pulling a 7 wide train, since the carriages get so heavy. Have you geared up the M motor, how fast does it run? My TEE still doesn't satisfy me since it's so slow, I don't need it to be as fast as LEGO sets but I would like it to look like an express train when it's running

Probably because by the time they get here the new wave will be out. Retailers would probably rather have the new stuff than restocking older sets.

Thanks Udo for the picture, I now know why I couldn't work out what the custom piece was :-)

I like your BR 01, particularly the cab interior, the levers along the sides of the tender and the triple pipes on the boiler. What piece is holding the pipes in place? I've been looking for a solution for my endless WIP BR 50 :-) The middle set of wheels are blind drivers (ie they have no ridges on the rims) so they can float over the rails, hence no handling problems.

The level of detail and realism are in your diorama fantastic. I really enjoyed seeing this.

That's the catch right there; you're talking about a subset of a smallish hobby. LEGO is now the third largest toy manufacturer in the world, behind only Hasbro and Matel IIRC, who both have large stables of toys. LEGO is the single most popular toy in the world. Orders of magnitude difference between what makes a successful model train and a successful LEGO set. I doubt many model railway products get a production run of 10,000, which I've heard is the target for a moderately successful LEGO set, the most popular set (LEGO mindstorms FWIW) has sold over a million. I'm thankful AFOL interest makes the exclusive trains viable at all. Just wanted to add the note that Railfans are parochial too, I'm not that interested in either the EN or Maersk as models (parts packs is different:-) because I like German trains, you'll quickly splinter your train market with realistic trains.

There are about 50,000 AFOLs, not all of whom like trains. Compare this with the number of kids in the western world who are likely to buy a set or have one bought for them. The scale of TLG these days means they have to target the kids. In some ways we are lucky as AFOLs that they can also target us even though we are a much smaller market. The reason Emerald Night and Maersk exist is they are targeting AFOLs.

I'm pretty much the opposite of you :-) I've got no kids and buy LEGO primarily to expand my layout which I'd like one day to be completely custom (ie no official sets) modelled after real trains. For me what triggers a buy is if the parts included give me new options to build a particular prototype. In the case of the red cargo train, the red windshield was a must have. The more straight track, and wheels and couplings included the better. Motors and IR receivers are OK, but I'd happily do without more remote controls. The yellow cargo train really didn't have any killer feature but was a good value set with a lot of extras. Other than that I like to collect the sets, though I won't buy ones that don't appeal to me. When my LUG puts on a train display it's always useful to have the current sets built to show people, as many are unaware LEGO even sells train sets. I'd buy a stack of any set if it included 4x3 green train windows, or a replacement for the 2x2 printed windows from the 70's.

I've been told in discussions with LEGO employees that the reason Indiana Jones ended was it didn't sell very well in Germany, LEGO's biggest market. Part of the problem with it was the WWII vehicles. It's not hypocritical to choose to make sets that are more likely to sell. I'd love a BF109E myself, but I doubt I'll ever see an official LEGO model of one.

While I agree to some extent (especially about the RC train large nose piece) I think the detail of Emerald Night and Maersk train is clearly better than Santa Fe, which is better than most other 9V trains or 7740 etc, so there is a clear trend there. The cargo train sets are a bit more up and down, but given the price differential, unless you have a really strong drive such as nostalgia, the older drive systems are far less attractive to a new purchaser. That doesn't mean I think it's not worth converting some of the older trains to PF, but only that to build a reasonable collection it's far easier and cheaper to start with what's currently available. 9V had some pretty ugly trains IMHO too, 4511, 4559, 4560 are all less appealing to me than the current passenger train for example.

All the current sets are PF so that makes it a lot easier and cheaper to collect them. The 12V trains stopped being made in the 80's so they are now rare and collectable. After the 12V trains LEGO made the 9V trains they are less rare but also very collectable. Over time the detail of the trains has increased so unless you have a nostalgic connection to the older trains it doesn't make much sense to collect them.

This is really nice Dave, ... and you've solved a little problem I was having. In daydreaming about having a German/Swiss border combined layout with you I've decided I need a Swiss Bo-Bo engine for my TEE carriages :-) I'm pretty sure Railbrick even have instructions as a starting point which will make it far more likely to happen too :-)

Very cute engine, I'm sure your kids loved it. As I understand it 'Friday Night is Hockey Night'; that would give you an opportunity to trial a Toronto Maple Leafs train and you could switch the colours for Canada Day In fact with the number of teams in Canada you'd be set for most of the year

I tend to do a search of Brickshelf/Flickr/MocPages for examples of what I'm building to gather ideas for how I want to do major features. I then sit down on the carpet surround with likely needed parts and fiddle. I will also go searching for enough pictures via google images of the prototype that I can get details correct. I'll try and get the features mostly scale correct, except with long passenger carriages, where I'll generally use selective compression to remove some windows to keep the length low enough to run on my clubs layout. I tend to build the body first and then try and power locomotives. This is generally the wrong way to proceed :-) I've learnt the hard way with steam locos it's really important to get the wheels sorted out and running reliably first, as it's really hard to make changes later without rebuilding large parts of the frame and body. I'm a bit of an egotist so I very rarely finish a Moc, since they rarely live up to my expectations. Finished Mocs will either be pulled apart of hang around and get gradually upgraded over time if I like them enough. I might buy parts for a few copies if I'm not too critical of them. Many will be exhibited when my local LTC has a display. Even finished Mocs rarely get photographed, though I hope to change this.

Yep, according to a friend who's a LEGO retailer, pretty much all the big retailers have sold their initial stock, LEGO Australia has sold all the extra stock in their warehouse except for a couple of sets, and they won't be restocked till late May or June. The sales have exceeded expectations I'd say.

I'm having difficulty replying to the poll since there is no option for not upgrading the motors. The old 4.5V stuff is quite robust mechanically so I don't feel the need to change it. For many the 4.5V era is either nostalgic, or unknown, so can be interesting to see at a display. I've wanted to get mine out for our local convention and next year we will probably have the extra room for me to do so.

LEGO trains are designed to crash on the highest speeds because kids like it. I guess you've figured that out though :-) I'm curious if the fixed coupling will work, please let us know the result.

So far as I know only through shop at home, and a few retailers who must be importing themselves, so their prices are above the RRP because of extra shipping. Bricks to the world have it for $229.95 for example.

I don't think it would help much to add track to the likes of the Maersk or Emerald Night. They are targeted towards adults, and most of us have far more curved track than we know what to do with after a while. I'd hate the cost of these sets to rise to include something of little value to me. I'd much rather see an extra carriage than a loop of track.