Dan-147

I work for a sign-making company, so... Actually, I've prepared decal sets for my train MOCs but I haven't got around to getting them done yet. If anyone is interested, I could have more done and mailed out. Dan-147

I just downloaded your instructions. Many thanks! I was impressed by your MOC but now that I can see all the internals and details, I'm even more impressed. I'm very tempted to add a train station to my modular city! Dan-147

Like Jack Stone and the Junior line... Dan-147

Actually, it seems to be six studs shorter than the Maersk loco and two studs shorter than the BNSF loco (which I thought was borderline short). However, lengthening it to Maersk length shouldn't be too hard considering how common blue parts are. Dan-147

I would tend to agree with the above post (ties that would accomodate code 250 track) but for this to work, it would need the all important transition piece between this new system and LEGO track. Otherwise, that would mean a complete system that would completely replace the LEGO track instead of complimenting it. For 9-volt, this piece must also assure a good electrical connection with the LEGO track. For the code 250 track, there already are screw-on connectors that would link the pieces of custom track together. Not really sure how easy or inexpensive this transition piece would be to make but i would be the deal-maker in this system. Dan-147

I had to forgo the liquor to finance me LEGO habit... Dan-147

I had also wondered about the siding. It didn't dawn on me that the jumper plate hade been redesigned with a groove just like the tiles. Just goes to show how a small change on a classic part can open up new uses. Congrats to the whole Ralbricks team as well! Dan-147

I did a quick check in Plastruct's catalog http://www.plastruct.com/picat/STRCTURAL_SHAPES_FTGS_9.pdf I was wondering if you had considered the 1/4" Te (T-8 on page 2) rather than the 1/4" I-beam (B-8 on page 3). A quick draw-up in AutoCad shows that it is a better match to both 9-volt/PF track and 4,5/12-volt track. Plus, the Te has more surface area that is glued to the tile so it should have a better bond. Hope this helps. Dan-147

Thanks a million! Download went really well. Now off to Bricklink to get the parts. Dan-147

Really spectacular! Any chance that you could make the files available (LDD or LDraw)? Thanks.

Years ago, when 9-volt trains first came out, I made an adapter piece by cutting a straight piece of 9-volt track in half and cutting a 4,5/12-volt sleeper in half. By reversing and glueing everything back together, I ended up with two adapters The use of a razor saw with a very thin kerf (0,010") made the lost material insignificant. For good measure, I cut two 4,5-volt straight tracks in half so that when they were combined with the adapter piecies the total length was one track length or 16 studs. The electrical current didn't carry through but the cars and battery-powered locomotives could. If anyone is interested, I could post a few pictures of the finshed product. When Power-Functions trains came out, it breathed a new life into my old 4,5-volt tracks since there were now new train motors that didn't need track power. My previous adapter pieces were perfectly funtional since 9-volt track fits directly to PF-track but I wanted a more uniform look. Besides, I could use a few more adapters. I could have simply done the same conversion as in the past but LEGO's color changes created a "problem". PF-track comes only in Dark-Bluish Gray while the old 4,5-volt sleepers were only made in old Dark Gray. It bothered me that the sleeper was bi-colored so once the PF-track was cut in two, I cut out the 1/2 sleeper at the end. Instead of cutting a 4,5-volt sleeper in half, I just cut off the clips on one side. Careful filing of the 1/2 PF-track insured a perfect fit to glue on the sleeper. It was a bit more work than the previous version and it cost me an additional sleeper but I was happy with the result. Dan-147

You could try using slices of bicycle wheel inner tubes. Some of the race bikes have really skinny wheels that might just be small enough. Dan-17

Hi, I hate to be limited by the bricks that I have so I like to design my LEGO creations with CAD. I feel comfortable with computer design (I use AutoCAD at work) so it doesn't limit my creativity. I've done some design with LDD but I now prefer LDraw. Once I've finished fine-tuning my design (which can take quite some time), I print out the parts list. The fine-tuning includes an attempt to use bricks I already have and replacement of rare and/or expensive parts. If I drool long enough over it, I start filling a zip-lok bag with parts I have and start ordering parts on BrickLink. The goal is to get 100% of the parts in the bag before I start assembling but I've never bee able to reach that. When I have 70% to 80% of the parts, I can't wait to see it "in the brick". I usually end up making another round of modifications to limit the need for parts I don't have. Dan-147

The Maersk bogie is spot on as far as dimensions go with the motor bogie. However, be aware that the technic cross-axles that it uses create a lot of friction. If your goal is static display, they will do fine but if you plan to operate your locomotive, you might be better served by copying the Metroliner's dummy bogie (http://cache.lego.co...ons/4167345.pdf page 17). The size is the same but the attachement point is offset by 1/2 stud. Dan-147

Possible upgrade... Replace the nuclear reactor with a Mr. Fusion cold reactor as in Back To the Future. Just kidding. Seriously, the train looks great! Indeed very much like the GoldenEye train. I might steal be inspired by it and make my own. Dan-147

While I would really love for LEGO to offer all the train accesories that the HO community have acess to (track options, semaphores, trackside structures, etc.) I can't imagine that it will happen. Most HO companies are small with very tight profit margins. Even the big players like Walthers, Marklin and Bachmann have to keep large stocks that don't move very fast; exactly the opposite of LEGO's business pattern. I remember in the 2000's when the individual train sets came out, I wanted to buy multiple copies. After taking a good look at them, I only bought a few and then decided that I would rather MOC my trains and get exactly what I wanted. It was actually a lot more fun that way. I realized that not all train fans wanted to MOC so I decided to offer my modest efforts to the community (check out Railbricks.com if interested). Since then, I check out new offerings from LEGO. I did buy the Emerald Night and the Maersk Train. I considered buying the Horizon Express for a while but decided against it because it didn't really fit interest with what I was trying to do (American freight). I have to admit thought that it is a really great set. The other recent train offerings didn't really interest me except as a source of parts. So that's my recent experience with LEGO trains. I realize that it is not representative of anyone else's but it does show how hard it can be for LEGO to gauge the AFOL community's interest. Dan-147

One solution would be to set the shelves high enough to pass above the window and door frames. The down sides are that you'll probably need a stool or step-ladder to set your trains on the track and that your point of view will be looking up, up at your trains when they pass. Viewable scenery is also quite limited. I spite of these shortcomings, I've seen a few layouts like this (LEGO and traditional model trains) on the internet.

What can I say? It's fantastic! The detail, the precision of the dimensions, the rotating fans... I have to agree with Duq, however. That loop of gray wire is distracting on an otherwise superbe creation. Like he said, maybe shortened so it doesn't poke out. If it were black it would also call less attention to itself. But even with the gray wire, it's one of the finest LEGO steam locomotives out there! Dan-147

That is such a cool idea! I wish that I had thought of it myself. I have a suggestion for you on how to work out the geometry of the setup. Personnally, I use IKEA RIBBA Picture Ledges for display purposes (for now) of my LEGO trains. The track is an almost perfect fit. Eventually, I hope to use these picture ledges for a wall-monted, operating layout. My original idea was to make an inner-room layout (all the way around the room) with custom shelves for the curves. With your idea of going through the wall, you could use these ledges for one side of the wall. The center of the track is about 50mm from the wall. Assuming the wall is about 115mm thick, that leaves 475mm to the center of the track on the other side of the wall or 443mm clear of the track (more or less 55 studs). Subtracting the 32 studs for a complete unmodified modular, that leaves about 23 studs for a road and a transition to the track. Hoping this helps. Anyway, I can't wait to see how your project turns out! Best of luck on it. Dan-147

I always felt the yellow locomotive looked a lot like a British Rail Class 60 diesel-electric with an added pantograph. So, if you remove it, you get a fairly realistic model without the need for catenary masts and overhead wires. Just my two bits... Dan-147

I have to say, Locomotive Annie, that you have really inspired me with this post (not that your other posts were not inspiring). I have two of those clockwork motors from my first awakening from my dark age (just before my gray age). I had pulled the wheels off one of them and replaced them with train wheels from a 4,5 volt motor. I wanted to make a rail-sprinter but it never looked right. Your model reminds me of the Galloping Goose railcars built by Rio Grande Southern Railroad. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galloping_Goose_(railcar) Now, I have to get to it... Dan-147

Alternately, you could modify the tender to use the PF motor bogie and to carry the battery and rf receiver as was discussed in this recent post; http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=80413&st=25 See post 33 to see what I mean... Dan-147

North American trains have the buffer function built into the knuckle coupler; it's called the draft gear. This setup has been standardized since the early 20th century. European trains historically did not use automatic couplers. Instead, they used chains to couple the cars together. These chains were tightened until the buffers were compressed which insured the stability of the coupling. European trains are gradually moving away from these chain couplings fot two reasons. They are more labor intensive than automatic couplers and they are not as strong. Considering the number of cars and locomotives involved, it's not a simple matter to change them all. It's easier to start with dedicated trains that are not generally mixed in general waggons and locomotives such as passenger trains. Another place where automatic couplers are gaining is in unit trains such as those that carry ores aand agregates. In this case, the superior strength of the knuckle couplers made the transition more compelling. Dan-147

Just a hunch... If the wheels are too tight against the motor the friction will build up rather quickly. Try removing the wheels and axles completely to see if the motor runs well on it's own. Also, if you are using the decorative side frames with the round cutouts for the technic axles they could be a large part of the problem. My Maersk locomotive had that situation. I enlarged the cutouts with a circular file and it made a huge difference. Dan-147

Hello Jimmy. Welcome among us train nuts. I intend to build a layout but that is for some time in the dim future. For now, I've been building MOCed and MODed (Maersk train) North American freight cars and locomotives that I display on shelves. Speaking of which, I've found the perfect ''off-the-shelf'' shelf at my local IKEA, the RIBBA Picture ledge. It is exactly the right length for 9 straight track sections. The track pieces fit snuggly against the outside edge of the shelf and a ''1 x 2 plate with handle'' installed on the inside of the track (I usually put one on the joint between the 1st an 2nd track piece and another on the joint between the 8th and 9th track piece) will lock it against the inside edge of the shelf. Here is a link for the shelf on IKEA's Canadian site: http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/50152595/ If you would like pictures, let me know. My area of interest as well. If you haven't come across them yet, I have a few instructions on the Railbricks site: http://railbricks.com/instructions/diesel-locomotives/ http://railbricks.com/instructions/freight-cars/ Dan-147