domboy

I just discovered that Lego actually has a third track pack available. I'm either blind, or they don't sell it at my local Lego store. Anyway, I'm talking about set 8867 Flexible Train Tracks. This one they ought to retire, and use the sku to sell some other track set, seeing as 7499 includes flex track. I imagine the number of people that would complain about being forced to get regular straight tracks when they just want flex track is a very small number. So that's my new official answer to the poll.

I've seen the Maersk train on display in the storefront at my local Lego store on at least one occasion. And that's at a pretty busy mall so it definitely got some exposure...

As someone who is only recently started getting into Lego trains, and coming in via the exclusive models, I have started from scratch track-wise. I actually don't mind the current track selection too much, and I haven't had much of a problem getting tracks so far, though granted I've used a combination of Lego store and bricklink. I've only gotten one copy of the straights+flex so far but I figure the flex should be useful to fill in wherever. The switches/points come with curves, and the recent crossing set included some extra straights. I may not care so much about aesthetics as some as I've got an assortment of RC, 9V (mostly curves), a few 4.5v era straights, and I plan on using them all together. The one thing I do wish is that the double-switch and some sort of crossing were still available from Lego as those prices used are crazy. Though I probably don't fit the typical AFOL train fan as I don't have aspirations for a huge layout due to both space and budget constraints. I guess what I'm trying to say is: sure maybe separate straight and curve sets might be better, but at least Lego does offer tracks apart from a big all-in-one train set (which I don't want to buy), so someone in my situation can still gather a collection of track to build a layout.

I can't help but wonder if it's physically possibly to create a similarly functional flex track piece that actually looks like the regular track pieces? If it were possible why would Lego not have done so? I don't actually have any flex pieces yet so I can't comment on how I love or hate them, but I do plan on buying the straight and flex track set hopefully soon so I'll end up with some. I actually can't imagine not having some sort of flexible track piece available to fix those little bits that just don't line up right. Besides, the pictures I've seen of people making really wide curves using just straight track pieces looks rather silly to me too, so which really looks worse?

I have to agree with a lot of previous comments, this set isn't much to speak of. Sure I bought it as it's the only crossing currently available at retail stores. It'd be much better if they ditched the vehicle and even the minifig and included a road baseplate instead. Without a baseplate the whole thing is rather delicate.

Not to nit-pick, and no offense, but by your definition one could argue that traditional model trains are toys. How many train hobbyists mod their model trains I wonder? It is probably taken out of the box and "played with" or put on display without moding it or trying to build it from scratch... I know I "played" with my "model trains" when I was a kid. I would have loved to have Lego trains, but they were cost prohibitive in my family... Which gets me to my point, they could all be considered toys! Why is that a problem? What is a toy anyway?

I haven't done very much MOCing at all, and don't have a lot of extra pieces to do so anyway (especially train bits). But I did get inspired to try to convert an unused rolling stock set into something to add a bit of a Christmas flair to the Train I had managed to have ready to go around the tree (10194 Emerald Night + 10015 Green Passenger Wagon + 10014 Caboose). That set was my recently completed (parts sourced from bricklink) 10016 Tanker. I realized the Tanker set contained a lot of Red, Green, and White pieces, so my idea was use only the pieces in this set to build a simple Christmas colored wagon with white "snow" pieces on top and then put a couple models from the 2824 City Advent Calendar (2010) on it. I am quite pleased with the result so I thought I'd share a few pictures. I didn't post it in the building contest as I didn't think it fit the category of a custom Christmas train as it's only one car, and not a very complicated build i.e. I didn't do any planning, just fiddling with pieces until I got something I liked (but I like it!). Plus I didn't get the pictures in time anyway... The Christmas wagon A couple of pictures of it with the rest of the train. I was very happy to have a Lego train going around the tree!!

This link contains the pictures: http://news.lugnet.com/trains/?n=28979&t=i&v=a

Captain J clearly stated in his original post that all the vibrant colors are temporary during the planning stages until he gets the proper colors. Since he stated it's going to be a mountain and posted it in the train forum, I gathered what I was looking at was the beginnings of a curved train tunnel. That's what I see anyway.

Or somebody that forgot what forum they were on... Bumblebee and Prime are transformers right?? On topic, I'm sad to see these sets go, and I wish I had gotten them on sale!!

Well, it worked. Before the train I had never heard of Maersk, but now I see it everywhere. For me it was the Maersk that finally pulled me into Lego trains, but once that happened I knew I had to get the Emerald Night, so I'm really glad it was still around. I really like both, but the EN had ended up being my favorite...

I actually think it's really cool that the lights can be controlled independently from the motor. I can't rag on anyone for being cheap as I'm cheap too and bought the AAA box instead of the rechargeable battery, but after buying everything except the remote one will have spent about $45 already, another $13 for the remote to make it all work seems worth it to me. Besides the AAA box plus remote is still cheaper than the rechargeable box... I think....

Just curious as to whether anyone has used Duplo bricks for the underlying infrastructure of a tunnel (or anything else for that matter)... I seem to recall they are compatible to some degree with regular bricks, and being much bigger it seems less would be required...

For my Emerald Night, I just last week purchased the following to power it: - 8882 XL-Motor - 88000 AAA Battery Box. This is the battery box in your set. - 8870 Light Set - 8884 IR Receiver That should be all you need. I don't have any of the PF train sets (I bought the Emerald Night, the Maersk, and the BNSF) so I didn't have any of the power function parts, so I had to also purchase the IR Speed Remote Control. Some of this may have already been iterated in this thread, just I figured I re-posted it with links just in case.

To specifically address this, yes, the current plastic tracks and 9V powered tracks are physically compatible and can be mixed if you're running just battery powered trains. I've got a mix of the two myself. That said, the 9V tracks are much more common in the old gray color, where as I believe the new plastic track is only available in newer bluish-gray color if you care about color matching. But as splatman previously pointed out, you can always use those out of sight...

Excellent point!

I didn't see anyone say it outright, and if you're using flex track you may not care about the regular curved tracks... 16 curved tracks are need to make a circle or oval I believe. I bought mine via bricklink.com since the straight and curved pack is no longer available. Curve tracks can be found pretty cheap there. I'm also working on an oval for the Emerald Night for Christmas, hoping I have enough tracks to go around the tree. If you have either the 7036 Dwarves Mine or 6761 Bandit's Secret Hide-Out you can use the individual old style straight rails in those sets as well (or even old blue ones) with a bit of work to keep them lined up... that's what I'm doing to try to cut the bill for this down. It will look a bit funny so you may not want that for a display setup... I'm going more for functionality than looks as I am planing on motorizing the train, and it's got to make it all the way around the tree... Yup!!

Just curious, has anyone tried printing stickers from the scans on the above link? I wish I had scanned my BNSF stickers before applying them... they're fine still and hopefully will remain so, but I know from other older sets that stickers don't hold up as well as printed bricks, and trains seem to be bad about having stickers that run across pieces, BNSF being especially bad. It'd be nice to know I could reproduce them in the future if the need arose.

I guess that's a matter a opinion... I agree grey wheels would be closer to the Tornado in gray it is modeled after, but the BB wheels just don't look right to me as they don't have the weighted side (or whatever that is called) like the Lego wheels do. Both color variations of this locomotive look fantastic.

From someone else who is just getting into trains, I say it really depends on which trains interest you, and that will dictate what route you take. If the current city trains interest you, that'll be a one stop shop to get complete running trains in one box. You have three options for that: 7938 Passenger Train 7939 Cargo Train And the new 3677 Red Cargo Train A few months ago, before I decided to get into trains, I didn't really like either city train sets available at the time... they seemed rather <insert that tiresome argument>, and I don't really prefer the types of trains they are modeled after (that was before the new Red one arrived of course). Then I saw the Maersk train, and that's what did it. That's the kind of train that goes by my house, and what I first think of when I think trains (that or steam engines). So I bought: 10219 Maersk Train 10194 Emerald Night I had to get the Emerald Night of course. But those two don't provide any track, power function parts, etc. So I'm left to buy all that separately. But the models are very fun to build and look great, and that's what I was after. That said, I do like the new Red Cargo Train, so I might do things a bit differently if I was starting now.

I'm pretty new to Lego trains, so I've only got a few so far. Bought new: 10194 Emerald Night 10219 Maersk Train Bricklinked the parts to build: 10133 BNSF Locomotive 10014 Caboose 10015 Green Passenger Wagon Work in progress (still acquiring the parts) 10013 Open Freight Wagon 10016 Tanker 10017 Hopper Wagon I don't have much track or any of the PF bits yet. When all is said and done I plan on having two trains: 10219+10133+10013+10016+10017 - I don't plan on getting into 9V so BNFS will having to hook up with the Maersk if it wants to do anything other than sit around (though I am hoping to get the headlight powered) 10194+10015+10014 - yeah I know, a British Steam Locomotive with an American style Caboose. But if it's going to go around the Christmas tree it's gotta have a Caboose.... I don't really care that a lot of this may not match (what real train does?), but from what I've figured gathering the parts to the My Own Train rolling stock seemed the cheapest route to go to get more stuff to pull. I really like the sets, matching or not, and that's what counts... Sort of off-topic... where do you all get those little train graphics?? Such as:

That of course is a subjective statement. I don't know what in your opinion makes 7939 Cargo Train far superior than 3677 Red Cargo Train (which is how I read your statement), but I have no interest in 7939, but I like 3677 Red very much. It's mostly the locomotive that makes the difference for me, but I like the rolling stock better too. The tanker from 7939 is alright, but then again, 10016 is a much better tanker. Track-side accessories and structures are ok, but I really think those should be separate sets, and make the train set primarily the train and some track. 3677 seems to do that better than 7939. My opinion of course.

To continue this thread and poll... I don't really care for the look of the locomotive the 10020 Santa Fe Super Chief is modeled after... maybe it's before my time, not sure (though I love steam engines so that probably isn't the case), so it's an easy elimination leaving the two more modern diesels in the running. Probably for the best as I can't afford it anyway (as in a complete train). However, looking over the building instructions it is a nice model. I like that the prime-mover is included as part of the model, and due to the nature of the 9V system it doesn't get get removed when the model is powered unlike the Maersk engine. 10219 Maersk Train is what convinced me to take the plunge into Lego trains, so it will always be high on my list of favorite sets. Very nicely detailed and interesting build, more so than the either of the other two. This is the engine type I see hauling freight on the line that goes by near my house, so I probably partial to it for that reason. The only downside is the lack of a powered headlight option like the other two have. But all in all a great set! But my vote has to go to 10133 Burlington Northern Santa Fe. I wasn't planning on getting any 9V trains, but I accidentally got smitten with the Orange and Dark Green color scheme. Love it! Makes the other two look bland in comparison (from a color scheme perspective only). I've managed to piece together via Bricklink a complete copy (except for the gray 9V motor decorative side pieces), so that probably makes it more special due to the effort required to obtain it - I've discovered that trains seem to be the worst when it comes to rare and exclusive pieces! Anyway, after building both I think it's still a interesting build, just not to the level of the Maersk.

Also on that note (keeping this thread updated) Lego also fixed problem #1 documented in Railbricks #7 in later production runs of the model. I don't remember if I read it earlier in the thread or another, but this was the case in my recently purchase copy of the set. The updated instructions are on Lego.com.

I really appreciate the responses guys, you've been most helpful in answering my question. Yeah, sorry about that. But it seem more appropriate to bring this topic back rather than starting a new one since my question built on what the original poster had asked.