Duq

I've used a full loop of R88 in my layout. While I agree the track pieces are a bit fragile I don't recognise the problem of track popping out once it's put down. I've built this layout for two shows and on both occasion I've reliably run trains for two full days. The only tip I can give you is to swap rails around between sections; use an inner rail with a different outer rail if the first combination didn't work. My only problem with ME Models is communication. At times it can take weeks to get a reply from them. I have placed and paid an order for the new metal curves. It's now day 46 since payment and I haven't got a shipping confirmation, nevermind a tracking number or a box of track.

I think you should also buy a Metroliner and a Cafe Corner. And paint your front door yellow. And eat more chocolate.

It's possible to use those 9V battery boxes with PF without a hacked cable like this: PF with old 9V by Duq, on Flickr That's an unmodified PF extension lead between the battery box and receiver. The normal power lead on the receiver is not used. You lose a bit of power but it works. And indeed, as has been mentioned, those batteries don't last very long...

Hi Claus, You can ask your questions in Dutch here if that's easier: http://www.lowlug.nl/forum/viewforum.php?f=7&sid=79037f83c89895043b3a423f022361f4

Yeah, lots, but we're discussing it all in a secret thread that you can't see...

Yup, totally agree with Zephyr. In short it's the old 'learn to walk before you try to run'; start small. My first steam engine was a 2-4-0. Like you I had dreams of these magnificent steam engines I was going to build but then a competition came along for a 2-4-0 and I thought I'd just give it a go. I enjoyed building the little steamer (too small for its own propulsion so it's pushed by a motorised carriage) but it still is a reliable fun runner on layouts. BR70 rear by Duq, on Flickr

@ElectroDiva I think you may not be the average AFOL, nevermind the average customer... I certainly don't have the cheque book to buy $250 sets on a whim and I know very few people who do. Most sets these days only last 1-2 years on the shelves. Train sets stay for 4 years until they get replaced. That's because they just don't sell like fire stations or Millennium Falcons. Just think about your friends and club members; how many have sets like the VW Campervan or the BttF Delorean, and how many have an Emerald Night or Horizon Express? @M_slug357 Looking at the Expert trains, Emerald Night was popular and is still sought after because it introduced the big steam train wheels and because of its nice colour scheme. Maersk train was popular because AFOLs have been brainwashed to think that the word 'Maersk' is Danish for 'special' (a bit like that other M-word...). Winter Village train was popular because of the winter theme. Apparently in some countries it's normal to have a train running around your xmas tree. I've no idea if cross-theme appeal works; I've no idea how commercially successful the Toy Story and Lone Ranger trains were. I know the Lone Ranger theme as a whole did really badly but the train was a good set.

Most of mine are wrapped in cling film (I think 'mericans call it Saran wrap) and then stacked in shopping crates between events. I've recently put a few shelves up to have one or two on display in the Lego room. I've been meaning to make some proper transport boxes for a long time but sofar they haven't made it to the top of the todo list...

Indeed, Philo's page is the goto place for any Lego electric specs. For torque, if you're totally new to engineering I would start with a look here, Khan academy explain a lot of things really well: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/torque-angular-momentum/torque-tutorial/a/torque There are no hard and fast rules for what torque you need for a steam engine, or any train for that matter, or which motors or how many. It all depends on what sort of train you are building. If you want to pull long trains slowly, then you'll need lots of torque. Gear down the motor to make your train stronger but slower. If you want to build a high speed train then gear up for more speed, but it may take a while to get to that speed because of the lower torque. For grip or traction it's best to have lots of powered wheels as it reduces the chance of wheelspin. For a steam engine it depends on how you make your side rods. If they are rigid, like liftarms or half-beams, then you only need to power one axle because all the wheels are connected by the side rods. However I found that if you make your side rods with axles and connectors there's a little play in the length of the side rod. In that case it's better to connect the axles with gears. Hope that helps. Looking forward to pictures of your trains.

That sounds like 2 City Cargo trains + 1 City Passenger train so you're probably looking at $400+. And then you'd have a set that very few would buy. The AFOL train market is tiny, the target audience for trains is kids and then particularly the big xmas present. Few kids would get a $400 train set from Santa. Re-releases have proven unsuccesful which is why they haven't been done for some time (the Death Star being the exception). For sentimental value it would have to be exactly like the old set which is often not possible and part substitutes may turn people away. Think USS Constellation. To people without memories of the original set it would probably look like a poor design beside current sets. The individual locos and cars were last tried with the My Own Train line. You could argue that not all those sets were great designs but the point is that they just wouldn't sell in big enough numbers. Unfortunately LEGO is run by beancounters these days (which in a way is good because they saved the company) but it means that very simple calculations are made. We have x slots for sets this year. Are we going to fill 5 of those slots with small train sets that will sell n copies each, or will we do a helicopter and a police boat and a fire truck that will sell 10x n copies each? As much as I'd love to see individual train cars as a nice way to get train parts I can't see it happening any time soon. I think the sweet spot for flagship/expert train sets is somewhere between $100 and $150. Bigger/ more expensive would seriously limit sales volumes in what really is a niche market.

Emerald Night has some issues but they are all fixable. If you can get one for a reasonable price it's a nice train. As others have said, unless you have deep pockets I would forget about 9V. It's not just the motors, track is expensive too. There's the ME Models option now but that's still not cheap. Big question you haven't answered: are you collecting sets or planning to build your own models? Buying City train sets is a good way to get started with train parts, after that it's eBay and/or Bricklink. The software most people use for planning layouts these days is Bluebrick: http://bluebrick.lswproject.com/download.html

Then someone made a really bad choice when they picked this software, leaving us with the worst of both worlds; a crap wysiwyg editor and no raw editor.

I asked why you think Lego is killing off trains. "I'm not the only one" is not an answer to that question. I have no idea what planet you live on. I don't know any hobby/fan community that is friendlier and more helpful than the AFOL community. On every Lego forum people are willing to _help_. Techniques and details of MOCs are shared and all people are looking for is recognition. Where a lot of AFOLs draw the line is at the "can you do it all for me" question. The "I can't copy your MOC just from the photos, can you spend 40 hours to do detailed instructions for me" type of question.

Can we not have a wysiwyg editor AND a raw bbcode editor? The current editor sucks for someone who's used bbcode for 15 years. There are so many things this crappy editor can't do, like a proper quote with a name.

What exactly makes you think Lego are killing off trains? There already are instructions available, why do you think people should create instructions for their MOCs and make them available for free? Do you know how much work is involved in creating those instructions?

Peeron used to be the go-to site for instructions and inventories but they mostly stopped updating a good ten years ago unfortunately. Start with this list on Brickset: http://brickset.com/sets/tag-Steam-Locomotive/theme-Trains/subtheme-4-5-12-V The handy thing with Brickset is that from the set details page it links to all the other sites that have instructions.

I really don't think the price point is the issue. Compare a City trainset to iPhones, tablets and Playstations that seem to be normal xmas presents. I will never understand the Monorail obsession. I've been a Trains fan as long as I've been an AFOL but I couldn't care less about a Monorail return... Some excuse to finally create that 4-wide straight track would be nice though.

Brief history of Lego City Trains: 2006 7897 Passenger Train 7898 Cargo Train 2007 7997 Train Station 2010 7936 Level Crossing 7937 Train Station 7938 Passenger Train 7939 Cargo Train 2011 3677 Red Cargo Train 2014 60050 Train Station 60051 High-Speed Passenger Train 60052 Cargo Train 2015 60098 Heavy-Haul Train See the pattern? For some reason 7997 was released a year late and the level crossing is not part of the regular sequence either but based on this I would expect a station, passenger train and freigh train again in 2018.

Hi Peppermint, Using one of the PF motors it's possible to create a train that fits on the 4-wide track. See this for example: bogie by Space2310, on Flickr If you want to do any more than a circle you're going to be in trouble though: straight track doesn't exist in 4 wide...

Shipping of one loop R56 and a pack of conversion track would be €36.95 to Ireland.

Brickshop.nl have just added some metal rail stock on their site. Unfortunately they only have R56 and their prices are nuts: If I order from ME Models and add the 23% VAT I would have to pay if they intercept my parcel in customs it would still be cheaper than ordering from Brickshop.nl. At the ME Models webshop the conversion rails are now sold out in grey so ordering there is no option either for now. Looks like I won't be testing the metal track any time soon.... :-( Conversion pack at ME Models $10 = €9.35. €9.35 + 23% Irish VAT = €11.50 Conversion pack at Brickshop.nl €17.99 (56% more than €11.50) R56 pack is 'only' 28% more...

A switch right before/after a turn is a bad idea anyway. I actually like that I can now put half a straight between the turn and the switch.

As Dfenz said, at the moment shipping costs to Europe are prohibitive. I've emailed them to ask when their European reseller brickshop.nl will have stock of metal curves but no reply sofar. Shame, would have liked to use the metal curves for my next event in April but can't see that happening now.

Now I get it! Yes, if those metal contacts are stud-sized then this will work. Interesting idea.

Yup, my point exactly. Still, gonna order a loop with some half lengths to upgrade my layout. Now let's see how long it will take them to develop R72 metal switches...