dr_spock

Chemical breakdown of the plastic over time can cause colour variations too. It's most noticeable with the white bricks. I do see variations in the blue bricks of sets I have from the 1980s.

Connecting them in parallel could provide longer running time. In series you could overheat or blow the voltage regulators in the controling electronics like the IR receiver, etc. There's always one way to know for sure. Try it and report your findings.

That would be Keybrick One. It replaces the battery holder and bottom part of the PU train hub. Philo has a 3D printable holder STL file for making your own LiPO adapter. https://www.philohome.com/pupbat/pupbat.htm

Changing batteries in PU hubs is easier than the PF. The batteries are in a holder and it is removable. It would be simple for anyone to make a holder that supports lithium batteries and some battery management circuitry

AFOLs had to be creative too. Probably how the term - nice part usage (NPU) came about. Maybe not be better for those who like complexity and form over function. I guess it was better since there weren't so many 42114 Volvo Hauler problem posts. Maybe they could do 18+ beginner, 18+ intermediate, 18+ expert. Kind of like with model railroading kits.

I bought rechargeable NiMH AA and AAA for my kids' batteries hungry toys. Now that the kids no longer play with those toys, I repurposed their rechargeables for my LEGO and photography equipment. What I found useful is a 8 battery intelligent charger. I can have 6 in the battery box while another 6 are recharging.

I too recently built 42114. I had Android/software issues but nothing mechanical. Moving freely could mean a clutch has not engaged or something somewhere is not connected. Try again...

Using the tilt sensor for control can save your finger joints pain from tapping on hard glass too much.

There are big kids and there are little kids. Big kids toys are generally more expensive than little kids.

It does look like a piece off a wire brush or wire wheel. It could have been contamination in the plastic pellets or they were cleaning equipment. Those wire on the brushes do break off with use. One time I had a piece impaled into my knee from a high speed wire brush while cleaning rust off metal for painting. I didn't notice until hours later. No infection resulted. For that piece, I think that stud with wire sticking out is where the injection point is. If you look at same piece without the wire, you'll see a small round indent on the LEGO word.

Maybe running it through the dishwasher might work. Dishwasher's hot water eventually breaks down superglue, at least on the cups I superglued the broken handle back on.

Colorful. I see some LEGO Friends parts and printed pieces.

You could mix multiple color plastic pellets and extrude them into your own custom 3D printer filament blend. There are DIY and cheap filament making machines. A spool of multicolor filament could also be a good starting material. They could be grinded up to make filaments too. You could try printing multiple bricks with one of those rainbow spools at the same time so that colors get distributed.

Looks like I averaged one order every 6 months since 2008.

Thanks. Working down my pile of shame. Two App Controlled Batmobile completed and have only one phone capable of running the app.

You could segment your layout into blocks. Each block is electrically isolated and controlled by one 9V speed regulator.

Bley-Night seems to have a nice funny ring to it. I think it would be nice if LEGO did an Amtrak Metroliner with current ACS-64 locomotive and Amfleet cars.

A little anvil for my LUG's daily build challenge.

I recall LEGO talking about that colour variation when they did that LEGO House Virtual Open House event last year. They have two suppliers of colorants. They can also end up with differences depending on the temperature of the extruder and how long the mixture sits in there. Color additives can change the properties of the plastic like reddish brown. Speaking of reddish brown, my 42114 is short two 3L reddish brown axles with stop. I subbed two 3L bley axles from my collection. We'll see how well that works...

You could blow the dust of the shock absorbers with compressed air. Wipe down the shock absorber and linear actuators with a cleaner dampened cloth or paper towel.

I finished bulding the 42114 Volvo Hauler and ran into a problem. The Control+ app wouldn't detect that location is enabled when location mode is set to Device Only. Yet the Powered Up app worked fine with location mode set to Device Only and could connect to the Technic Hub and updated its firmware. After some head scratching WTFs, I found changing the location mode to Battery Saving or High Accuracy on my Android phone got Control+ to see location is turned on. And I could play with the 42114. Why is that with Control+ app? I took out my 42030 Volvo Wheel Loader, put some batteries into the PF battery box and PF remotes. It worked loading bricks into the Volvo Hauler without any use of colourful vomit language.

Sweet. Google translator: https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https://www.promobricks.de/lego-9v-30-jahre-4558-metroliner-review/114271/

Excellent work. Is it compatible with R40 curves?

I think some folks have used the Mindstorm RCX for PTC years ago with running GBC trains picking up and dumping balls. I fix washing machines, dishwashers, etc. too. Why paid someone else when you can learn do it yourself and use the cost avoidance to buy more LEGO? The VIc20 could work as a TTY to an ESP32 controling the PU Hubs with Legoino. The Vic20 user port serial is at TTL level. Maybe a simple voltage divider to bring it down to 3.3V? I bought the PU hubs and re-used my collection of PF train motors with some wonky DIY adapter. I do like running bluetooth instead of infrared at our train shows. I can sit on the chair and don't have to worry about pointing the remote at the PF IR receiver of the train on the other side of the layout. I didn't wait for the Vic20 warranty to expire before soldering in another 24K of SRAM to the pins on the back of the expansion port connector. I wonder if any of my cassette tapes with programs are still readable.

PF M-motor has this soldered to the motor terminals.