dr_spock

Burned out PF motors from running Great Ball Contraptions is a good source. Make friends with your LUG's GBC guys/gals. If you can wait for shipping, there is AliExpress. If you have a 3D printer, I printed this one from Thingiverse to make a PU to PF cable. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2718236

There are pros and cons to using metal tracks. If you're ok with the cons like corrosion and regular maintenance, then why not? You can implement stuff like DCC. You can 3D print or buy PF/PU connectors so no LEGO will be harmed in the making of adapter cables.

Maybe a way to nail the track down to the table? It doesn't appear to have the screw holes found in the LEGO tracks.

You could probably replace the disc with a Technic pulley wheel, some Technic pins and Technic beam. I think a 9L beam is long enough connect those two wheels and the disc together. A train wheel with a tire would have enough friction to turn wheels and disc. Be sure to quarter the connecting rods (beam).

It probably used to be no questions asked. Maybe they found too many people were abusing the system. A few years ago, they replaced my Mindstorm NXT with questions like my name and address. All I had to do was ship back the broken one to them. Hopefully, they'll be good with replacement parts for the Crocodile since it is reddish-brown. I seem to encounter more breakage with reddish-brown than other colors.

If you use rechargeable AA batteries or hack in some LiPO at your own risk. They probably want you to use the smarter hubs if you need speed control. Every few cents and/or extra minutes in production can add up some big accounting number.

I think dumb battery box is good for keeping prices reasonable for future motorized sets that have only on/off function requirements.

NIce. How well does it run on a layout? Will it make through a switch's S curve?

Not sure what offerings are available in your region. You can go to shop.lego.com, do a Sort by: Price Low to High and see what everybody else can get in the impulse price range.

The simple thing with one battery box is to put two motors in the front engine. Otherwise, you'll have to run PF extension cables from one end of the train to the other end. I could run one motor at home on flat level track and replacing the technic axles wheels on the second engine with metal axle wheels. I had trouble at train shows where the tables and tracks aren't level. I'd say try it with one motor on your layout. If it works, great. If doesn't, then go through the effort adding more motors. If the interior isn't important, you can also lighten the cars by removing bits not needed.

With Power Functions, a PF switch can be used to reverse the polarity of a motor without having to rewire the motor. You would connect the switch between the PF IR receiver and the PF train motor.

You could use two PF switches since LEGO doesn't make a DPDT switch. Put one switch between the PF IR receiver output and the motor and the other switch between battery and motor. That way you can isolate unwanted current going to IR receiver's motor driver IC outputs when you're running the motor on the direct switch.

Merci pour the review. It looks simple enough add a Powered UP motor and hub. Power Functions looks like it'll take some clever MOD to fit the PF IR in somewhere.

Surprisingly, BrickShelf is still around. I put my photos on different hosting sites for a bit of redunancy. For MOCs I posted on EB, the linked good picture is on Flickr and other linked pictures are on Brickshelf. I used Photobucket too and we all know what happened with that hosting site.

Interesting. Have you taken one apart to examine the insides? Is there corrosion, unpolished surfaces, lack of grease/lubrication, etc.?

White and teal will integrate nicely with LEGO Friends sets too.

3D printed PU to PF adapter. It's wired to ID as PU train motor to get speed control with the PU remote.

Water slide decals should be fine if it is going to be a display-only model.

It looks like that presentation slide has a date of May 22, 2019 on the lower right hand corner. Is the information still current?

The old smaller Croc minifigure would fit in the cab. I think Croc would standout better in the reddish-brown locomotive. He is not that noticeable in a green locomotive. Hopefully the set is coming out. It would fun to chase it with my Bat Train at events.

LEGO minifigures are designed with removable components. You can customize to your liking if you don't like yellow.

Something about the 6th moon is all I can read. We probably won't see it until August in Canada. That's usually when 2nd half releases make it to our shores.

You can also test to see if the remote will connect to the PU App on your smartdevice. It should show up with the name "Handset" in the PU App Connect screen. That can rule out the remote's bluetooth radio not working.

It is good to see no F (fire) in the test results column.