Brickaroo

OK, so in my excitement in trying to put together a nice ballast I forgot that at some stage my rails will need power.....oops. I pulled one side apart and added some power in: I have a nice idea for hidden cabling around the layout to ensure steady power to all parts of the track. I'll try and get some of it done this weekend and post the pic.

Ahhh, I like the idea of brown bits and pieces in there. I might specifically stick them around the sides to make it look like that piece of dirt that usually sits between the tracks and grass. I'll buy those pieces soon and see how it works. Thanks for the idea.

I wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire personally.

I love the idea of the tan/brown ballast although I feel that would suit a more western/desert setup than what I'm currently putting together (a city/country layout). Something certainly to keep in mind for future projects. The tunnel will have to be a part of this project though, I really want to make a beautiful one for this project. Thanks for the idea!

I've recently decided to attempt building a track ballast for my 12V system. As I've never attempted it before I figure this is certainly the best place to go for ideas! I've uploaded the below pictures of what my attempt looks like so far, I've done a fair bit of reading up on the topic (mostly Dave's work, it's great reading) however that all (and any other ballast ideas I find) seems to revolve around 9V. There are some small intricacies about the 12V system that make it a little bit more challenging. I guess the first thing I tried to change was making it a double-layer of plates. I did it this way because it allowed me to have a little more latitude in the way that I placed track and what I could do below the track (mostly with the idea of laying cables underneath to keep the setup neat). Who else has done a 12V track ballast? Or any sort of ballast? Any tips and ideas would be great. I'm looking to make this a nice long-term project to work on when I have the time and money to complete it. I'll continue to post up progress when it happens. I'd love to be able to add people's ideas into it. I couldn't find any threads about 12V ballasting here, they all seemed to revolve around the 9V system so I do apologise if I missed one.

rofl, nice.

The 4554 Metro is my favourite by a mile, followed by the 7822. I love the Metro in red as well but the original one is a childhood favourite and always will be best in my eyes.

Ooooh hell yeah, this thing on 12V would be magic. I've been away for a little bit and have just logged in to find this. WOW, can't wait!

Very happy that you didn't give up on the 12v system like you suggested you might early on. I hope you're reaping the rewards now! 12V = best ever, don't think it can be beaten unless TLG change their view of the world.

I wonder if it's not the 2126 train cars add on that you're after... http://www.bricklink.com/search.asp?itemID=4036

Rest in peace Dan, your amazing idea brought the child that once lived back out from inside me and re-introduced me to a world that I thought was long lost to me as an adult. Through your amazing work with Bricklink I have been able to re-live my childhood and have been able to bring a new piece of happiness and joy to my life. I picked up an old Lego catalogue that I found in my cupboard about 3 years ago and saw some of the old trains that I once only wished I could have when I was a child. I decided to type in the model number on the internet to see if I could find it and up came Bricklink......3 years on and many, many thousands of dollars later my life has been given an extra piece of happiness that I could only have dreamt of before Bricklink. I will always remember you for your contribution to my life despite not ever knowing you. My condolences go out to all of his family and friends. Peter Melbourne, Australia

I went out of my way (and budget) to buy a new one of these about a year ago. One of my all-time favourite trains, and yes it wasn't sold in Australia and thus is very rare here. Well worth bringing it in.

You could have picked a bank that wasn't as dirty as the ANZ. Thieving mongs!

Get on Bricklink and start buying those parts to complete it. It's just not right unless it's complete.

That's a steal!!

You really can't beat the original: Trust me when I say that you will not regret forking out for this beautiful piece of Lego history.

I'd stick a nail in my head before I put one anywhere near my lego!

I'm also one of those people that likes to collect MISB 12V sets and open them at some point. It's an expensive habit but well worth it.

I just started using this software, it's amazing I have to say.

Agreed.

F*ck me! Don't have a word to describe this. Congratulations!

Nothing worth having in this world comes easy.

Personally, it's the Metroliner hands down. I comes with 11 minifigs and a lighting kit + it can be coupled with the club car to make a really beautiful passenger train. Moreover if you pick up a train station it certainly looks and feels nicer with a passenger train running through it than a cargo train. I've got plenty of trains from both the 12v and the 9v era and the Metroliner is my favourite of the lot.

I'll be in Balkan Europe for a few weeks next year with the intention of spending the remainder of my time in Europe taking part in this experience. I'll be happy to stump up the cash for it.

The 7750 is next on my hit-list. Once I've got the cash I'll buy a good condition set. If only the 2 new sets on Bricklink weren't selling for over $7000. I refuse to buy new sets and not use them, so that would be a hiddeous waste of money.