Heppeng

To be honest, the last comment was probably what a lot of young kids were thinking in the 70's. Lego was just so much easier and quicker to put together - each piece could be just easily snapped in place instantly rather than taking a minute or two with spanner and screwdriver. And when technic arrived enabling the sort of engineering models in lego that were previously only possible with meccano it pretty much sealed meccanos fate. Indeed when I look at modern lego technic with its multi hole beams and lift arms, it really is not far off a plastic snap together form of meccano.

Cheers! The reason I am keeping the near platform relatively clear, is that I have future plans about adding an extra track on this side of the platform making it an island, which consequently will have no room for buildings. Hopefully the minifigs won't mind too much having to cross the bridge to use the facilities! I have also repositioned the ticket machines in a slightly less precarious position between the buildings! The 2150 has a very high level of detail for its time and I am tempted to 'modularise' it by bricklinking another to place back to back to make a complete building. Although it is a bit smaller in comparison to the other modular, in time there will be a road between them so it should not be too noticeable.

I wanted the Horizon Express to run on my 12V railway. The easy option would be to stick a 12V motor under it, however they are only available second hand at a price two or three times higher than a new Power Functions motor, and you can't fit those nice decorative sides. So I chose an alternative, which in fact is pretty lego friendly (only one cheap lego part was modified) I bought the Power Functions motors, and the short extension leads. Each extension lead was cut in half, and the two center wires soldered to brass strip. The brass strip was then bent and stuck with double sided tape under one of the bogies. This is the end result: Now I'll admit that it is somewhat crude, but it does work very well, at least after getting the hang of soldering the wires so there is sufficient flex in them to stop them breaking! The sellotape holds out very well too, and should be easy to clean off the lego should the need arise. It would be better to use phosphor bronze or copper for the pick ups, but I happened to have some brass strip of just the right size handy so I used that. And before anyone gets hysterical about frying 9V motors on 12V, I did do some measurements with a multimeter to check all was OK, the results being as follows: With a typical lego train of 1 loco/2 cars - Voltage at which a 12V train tips on corners - 10V Voltage at which a 9V train tips on corners - 7V So my 9V motors won't even see 9V - let alone 12V if I want to keep them on the tracks!!

I wanted a decent sized station for my proposed railway, but I also wanted it for a budget price, and therefore combining existing sets where possible. The following consists of 2 x 7937 - bought new for £25 each including p+p, but without taxi or track, a bricklinked 2150 without platform, doors, minifigs and vehicles etc came in at just over £30 I think, although I used some of my existing lego where possible, and four of the platforms from 7938, which cost a total of £15 including postage (and minifigures) All combined it looks something like this: I think the 2150 goes rather well with the more modern 7937, although I have swapped the latters blue seats for yellow to match. I also want to extend the near platform to the same length as the far one, but I don't think I want any more from set 7938 as I already seem to have a bit of an over provision of yellow route maps!

Or rather than split the motor wire, get a short extension and split that instead so you leave the relatively expensive motor unaltered/unharmed. At least that is the way I do it for my PF to 12V conversions.

Those bogies are powered, but it needs a pf motor that sits in the loco and drives down through the bogie pivot. I stand corrected about the windscreen! I might also have to cheat though - I think a certain Chinese clone does it in almost exactly the right colour for a Deltic in green...

That is brilliant! You have caught the details and character well - even down to little details like the sand box fillers. The high intensity light looks perfect too. Do you intend to build this? The reason I am asking is that I am working on a 6 wide Deltic, which would use the same windscreen and bogies that you have. Unfortunately lego only made the windscreen in red for the Santa Fe, and LDD does not prevent you from using colour combinations that were never produced. I was also really struggling for a good bogie design, and then I checked out the Central Station thread and discovered these beauties: Which do seem to be a good likeness for the bogies for Class 37/50/55 which are all pretty much the same. As soon as I get them added to my Deltic I will upload the results! One more thing, have you tried it with the headcode panel 1 stud higher? It looks a little low, but then it might otherwise look too high if it went up. But a cracking design none the less!

It is! I doubt at this stage that I will be going DCC, but I am adapting 9V power functions motors to pick up from 12V track by adding somewhat crude but effective brass strips as pickups under the bogies, and soldered on to half of a PF extension lead so the motor itself is not in fact altered. As part of the process I checked the operating voltages - For a 12V motor, derailment speed on corners with a light train = 10V. Same speed on a 9V PF motor requires 7V. So all that happens is I don't use so much throttle on 9V motors which means that in normal circumstances they will not see anywhere near 12V. I expect that you can set the CV values on each chip to fine tune them to each type of motor so that they all respond in the same way, i.e. step 4 on a 12V motor gives the same speed as step 4 on a 9V motor

Don't tempt me! I am already thinking about playing around with one in LDD, but there is a little more restriction with 7740 depending on how much compromise you want to make - ie if you want to keep the original type of locomotive windows, you will just have a choice of red, white or yellow if you want a sensible price. If you want to keep the working headlights then you have a choice of red or black only for this brick. You will also have to move the weights inboard if you want a colour different from red or black in this area too. Building it in 7745 Express Passenger train colours would probably work quite well in this case. Metroliner colours could work well with the black light brick, but you may want to substitute a different type of locomotive window to get a suitable colour. You will have to bear in mind door availability as 7740 has twice as many doors as 7725, and you will probably want to add matching sleeping car, mail van etc which would certainly put me off using the same colours as I have above! I wonder if it is worth compiling a list of windows and doors by colour in ascending order of price so that it is easier to work out a cheap combination?

Interesting read questforcastle, thanks! I wonder what 7740 would look like in alternative colours? And just in case anyone is interested, this is the one and only set the door is used in, which also conveniently has the small windows in white:

Its tricky, I must admit mine has also started squeeking again. Don't oil the commutator or motor itself, just bearings and gears. It might be worthwhile trying a plastic friendly grease as it can also have a damping effect that helps reduce noise.- I got some from ebay intended for RC cars, but have not tried it on the motor yet.

Cheers, Thanks! Yes the doors do continue the pattern - I chose the doors first and then altered the colour of the train to match the pattern on the doors. Here is a picture of the door from bricklink:

Its interesting where a twisting road can end up, or the story of what seems to have turned out to be an unusual version of 7725! I already have a 7725 which I have owned from new - Birthday present from my parents IIRC. Having recently come out of the dark ages and starting to expand my old 12V system, I managed to rebuild this and to my surprise it was 99% complete with only a couple of minor bricks missing. Now on my much larger railway it was looking quite short. And seeing as it looked like it was supposed to be some kind of multiple unit, I thought it would be a bit different to build an unmotored version that I could couple to it to make a total of six cars. The idea being that without the motor I could probably bricklink it at a good price. So the first step was uploading the parts inventory of 7725 to a bricklink wanted list, removing track, instructions etc, and then removing motor, motor base plate, weights and so on and adding the extra wheels, bricks and of course seats to convert the motor cab car to the non motorised version. Then I removed from the list all the parts that I already had from my modest lego collection. I then started searching shops using the brickficiency tool to get the best price, which despite not having a motor in it and a few other parts was coming up at prices only a little cheaper than a second hand set. So as it was only going to be a 'dummy' 7725 I decided that some substitution with cheaper similar parts would be acceptable, and so the long process of ultimate cost reduction was begun! First task was identifying the expensive bits that were pushing the price up. You would have thought that the train being in plain red and grey would mean that unlike 7740 there would not be such a premium on windows/doors as the parts must surely be pretty common and cheap by comparison. Well a look at the prices showed how the laws of supply and demand put that notion to bed! It even threw up some surprises – I had no idea that a 3x3x1 grey slope was so rare, only being used in this set, one other rare 12V loco, and one small space set and priced accordingly. I was somewhat pleased that I had not lost any of the four from my original set! So this was substituted with a 3x2x1 and a 3x1x1 at a much lower price. Wheels and couplings were a little expensive too, and needing 8 pairs and 6 sets at somewhere around £2 ish per item was pushing the price up a bit. Now I already had some black motor wheels as spares from motorising my Horizon Express, which when put on technic axles look only slightly different from the 12V versions. They are also significantly cheaper than the 12V version on bricklink, even taking in to account the technic axles and so an that would be needed – although again much of that could be supplied from my existing spares. They may well have higher friction, but the 12V motor is pretty powerful so I do not expect any problems. Couplings, well you can save a little by going for 9V versions instead of 12V – the principle difference being that 9V versions don’t have the stalk on the bottom which I believe is needed for the 12V remote uncoupler to work. I don’t have one so it is not necessary. Even so, the couplings were one of the more expensive items, and worth further cost reduction. As the train would not normally be uncoupled, magnetic couplings would only really be required under the cabs. So I replaced the intermediate couplings with a 5 long half thick technic lift arm, with half pins and a modified 3x2 plate with hole which fitted perfectly in the position previously occupied by the magnets and buffers and cost only pennies. I tested it on my existing 7725 to make sure there were not any issues and it worked excellently in both pushing and pulling. I tried bricklinking the ‘economy’ version, but the doors and windows – particularly the small red 3x2 on the centre car were still pushing the price up to more than I wanted to pay. So it was looking like I might shelve the idea – I already have one 7725, so the desirability of another one was not quite the same as if I did not have one to begin with. But I did not really want to. So the final answer was to change the colour to something cheaper. Whilst it would be nice to have a matching pair, it was not unusual for full size trains to be run in different coloursThe colour would be dictated by what colours doors were available in, and how expensive the matching windows were, and if they complimented the existing red version. I started looking at plain doors, the idea being a simple complete overall colour change. And although savings could be made I did not feel particularly inspired by the colours. Then I looked at decorated doors. The range was a lot bigger than I expected – train doors got used on lots of sets besides trains, often in unique colours considerably increasing the scope! I found an interesting rare door, which was slightly cheaper than a plain red one – presumably there is not that much demand for the one set it is used in, but more importantly the matching windows were much cheaper than the red ones! With these changes the price was now close to as low as physically possible, and with the unusual colour scheme I decided it was worth it and it the project was go! It took a little while to rearrange my wanted list to take account of the change in colours, but the orders are now placed, and the end result (bar the doors since there are only plain in LDD) should be something like this: And for a net cost of under $65!

You could do worse than visit your local model or model railway shop. They will have plastic friendly oils of just the right viscosity. The one I have comes in a pen sized dispenser, with a thin hypodermic needle type of nozzle which allows you to get in to tight spaces. You just squeeze it and get a small drop of oil on the end. I have just had the same issue, and besides squirting some oil through the openings - which luckily I think are almost directly underneath the internal motor bearings - I also was able to put a drop of oil on the axles behind the wheels too. It has been running quietly since.

It might be a little while before I commence on this, might get a chance at the weekend.

The diode is there for circuit protection or to indicate an incorrect connection and conducts only when the polarity is reversed, resulting in the lights permanently on when the supply is connected the wrong way round. If you look at the circuit, if you reverse the input and make the bottom positive then current flows straight through the right hand diode, through the lamps and out what is now the negative at the top. When connected the right way round current will flow through the transistors and the other diode. With mine, when connected the wrong way round you get nothing instead of permanently on lights if it was working properly, and connected the right way round permanently on instead of flashing. I will have to dig out my multimeter and test it but I am a little busy at the mo so it might have to wait!

Thanks very much for that. However I suspect there may also be more to it than that since when the polarity is reversed, the lights are off when it would appear that they should be on, This could mean that the diode on the right is open circuit, but would that necessarily interfere with the flashing and give the symptoms I have? I do not have a 'scope, just a digital multimeter. I don't expect the components are expensive, so I may just replace all diodes, inductors (as per your suggestion) and the two transistors and cross my fingers...

Dunno - you will have to excuse me I have been in the dark ages quite a while! I expect there must be more modern components that will allow you to do the same or similar, it is quite a useful arrangement, and has the advantage you can build the length to suit - I achieved my suspension lift simply by substituting longer axles - and you can vary the stiffness by how you wrap the rubber band(s).

The schematics, or links to them etc. were all in the previous topic which I posted in. Unfortunately as this has been split a lot of my references to it no longer make sense, so here is a link to the original topic: http://www.eurobrick...989#entry728323 Incidentally the circuit is unusual in that it does not have capacitors, but instead uses chokes and a darlington pair.

Yes, there is a shock absorber alternative for a live axle using rubber bands. The chassis on page 44 of the 8888 technical ideas book uses it, and in fact a much modified version of it was what my independent front axle was fitted - along with rear suspension lift, V8 engine - it was getting a little monster truckish!

Uses a lot of pieces not available in the early eighties...

Memory is sort of hazy, but it went something like this: The turntables are done in black to make them stand out more. I may have substituted rubber band style suspension instead of the shock absorbers as I am not sure they were stiff enough, and I expect there were some additional reinforcing parts too that I can't remember, but it is not too far off what I actually built.

I did it as a proof of concept in about 1986 or so, but by that time my lego was somewhat worn with reduced clutch power so it was a little fragile - I played with my lego a lot! It was a double wishbone arrangement using the 1x1x6 technic bricks with holes as the wishbones. I will have a go to see if I can recreate it in LDD, my old technic lego is at my mums at the moment!

I have just done my own version using two sets: The pile of bits in the middle is the very few leftovers from the two combined sets - I had bought two sets from which the tracks and the taxis had been split. It certainly seems to me to be greater than the sum of the two sets! And with the addition of four of the platform and signal split from set 7938, we can extend the platform and add signals thus: A close up of the footbridge and gantry signals: I think I could improve on the gantry signal a little, but I was restricting myself to using parts only from the above mentioned sets.

Appologies for resurrecting an old thread but I need some help with a 12V level crossing that I have just bought. (see previous page for reference). Unfortunately the flasher does not work when connected correctly. The symptoms are that the lights stay on permanently when the barriers are down. Reading the above it seems that the circuit is designed to do this if the polarity of the input is the wrong way round. So I reversed the inputs (even though originally it was connected to the correct socket on the switch) and the results were no lights on at any time. I have dismantled the brick and cannot see any dry joints (my usual first suspect when a PCB does not work properly) My soldering skills are reasonable, so I was wondering if Mark may be able to advise on what could be wrong and the best route to getting it working again? My electronic knowledge is a little limited, but I have printed off the circuit diagram and as a last resort I could just replace all the components one by one until it works (hopefully)!!