Carefree_Dude

WHy not just use the powerfunctions train motor? Unless you're building a steam engine of course.

Also, as I have said you can use 9V motors with Power Functions, which helps cut cost if you want to convert.

There are benefits to Power Functions. for starters, there are more doable layouts. Also, the PF motor seems to be slightly stronger than the 9V motor. YOu can also control trains individually. You can buy rechargable battery packs, and charge them while they are still in your train. You can also hide cables pretty easily. As much as I prefer 9V, I've accepted that 9V is over, never coming back, and PF is what we have now. Luckily it is easy to convert any 9V train into PF with a simple cable. If you build a "Power Functions" car you can hide all the PF stuff behind the train, and have a hidden cable going into the actual train to power the motor.

I only used one. Sadly, I had to make it a little off in order for the original wheelsets to work on the new plate. However, I plan on again stealing one of lego's designs and make a "Fake train motor" kind of like what is used on the 2010 cargo train. the fake train motor means the studs on the train wheels wont get in the way and I can make the tank under the train be a full 8 studs instead of seven. Boxcar images are added to original post.

You can use 9V parts with Power Functions. The track works (even some 9V track that doesn't exist in RC) and the 9V train motor can be used in place of the Power Functions motor. The 9V motor possesses better traction, and is considerably stronger than the RC motor. I've been considering turning all my 9V trains into power functions, and it looks like an easy task; all I would need is a "PF" car that will have the sensor and battery box, and run a PF extension cable to the 9V light fixture (which will also power the 9V motor)

I was extremely unhappy with the 7898 Cargo Train Deluxe. I wanted to give RC a chance, only to find that the RC motor couldn't even pull the whole set. I later found out that my motor wheels were part of a bad batch, but that is besides the point. So, I decided to give power functions a shot. I purchased a rechargable battery pack, an extension cable, a IR sensor, and a power functions motor. I thought the modification would be easy since the train was already an RC train. I was wrong. After a very difficult time trying to make it all fit, and working with a smaller plate, i finally made everything work. Here are the results of how I made it work. I wanted to keep it as true as possible to the original train. In the end I had to get rid of the rear driver seat to make room for the IR sensor. The top of it comes out right underneath the black thing. There is plenty of room for the remote to control the train still, and the sensor top is very discrete. The battery box fits right behind the driver. I used a dark bluish gray plate because i already had a 6x28 one available. A black one would have cost me 10 bucks and a week on bricklink. The original was a 6x30. I had to use 1x4 and 1x6 plates in order to extend the length. The roof of the driver, and the roof over the IR sensor both come off; the driver to remove him, and the IR sensor to change the channel. There is a PF extension cable that runs under the battery box and to the lights. All of the extra cable is stored under the IR sensor and in the hollow part of the rear of the engine. You turn the battery box on and off by pressing the little circle plate on the top of the train. I stole this idea from the 2010 cargo train. This is a small layout I put up on my table. I am happy to learn that with a PF motor, the train engine easily pulls 10+ cars very fast. I haven't made a track big enough to really push the limits. It also moves faster than the new 2010 cargo train. Here are added images of the modified boxcar. All I really did was toss it on a 6x24 plate and add wedge plates to lock in the pallets. all three pallets fit.

Sweet, I got my first one built. The parts for the other two should arrive monday.

I went ahead and made my cargo train into powerfunctions rather than the old RC. I bought a PF motor on bricklink, but it had no wheels. I used the wheels from the RC motor... The motor sounded more powerful but still slid in place! So, for kicks i traded out the wheels for the Emerald Night wheels with the grey friction bands (the current one had black only). Surprisingly, it worked perfectly! I looked on bricklink and apparently the band color is random. But it seems that the grey has better friction than the black. Does anyone know anything further about this?

I just won this: I'm awesome. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370416245649&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

I used tape, because tape can be removed easily. How did you manage to rig up 2 XL PF motors? I barely have room for one.... Anyways, I think part of the problem is that the front wheelset kinda bobs up and down on turns, pressing the buffer against the tracks and making it loose.

I think, a large starship loosely based on some of the old space themes would be nice; or maybe a large space station that incorperates all the old space themes as "friends". I would hope it would be in the 200 dollar price range. Either that, or a giant blacktron mothership...

I taped it down and now it works great. Tape isn't noticable either. Maybe it's a bad batch of buffers? I noticed when I pressed the buffer against the plates, it would kind of come up again off the studs.

I used to sell a few train MOCs on ebay. The cheaper ones sell fast; I built a very cheap freight engine (parts cost about $12 total) and I sold 8 of them for $40 a piece. Another thing you could do is sell instructions for it; its a really cheap and easy build, and I could imagine money to be made. If you're not interested in the ebay selling thing, I could build/list them, and share the profits. as the creator though, I feel you deserve full credit, and it should be your thing to do, not mine.

I bought parts for 3 of them; cost roughly $18 each. Pretty cheap to build. Parts are easily available too. You may be interested in selling these on ebay with a $30 price tag; they'd sell like hotcakes.

Hey, I got a bit of a solution! Use some of that clear scotch tape to go all the way around the buffer and the two grey 2x4 bricks. (I bet a bunch of you just cringed)

I've had my Emerald Night for a week now. I've had a problem with it though; the front buffer doesn't stick at all. the slightest nudge makes it fall off. Is there any way to fix this?

I think the train is kind of ugly especially with all the slopes in the front. Why can't we have another beautiful passenger train like the metroliner? Shoot, even that yellow and black thing was prettier than this.

How about one built into the powerfunctions train motor? It could be a small switch on the bottom of the motor; you build bricks up on a track (two plates high) in order to hit the switch before it hits a crossing. that would add the train doing a horn... by itself!

oh wow, i want to make some of these! they are beautiful! What set do the big half cylinders come in? and those blue peices?

Can you power a 9V motor with a powerfunctions battery box? If so, that would mean transfering all your 9V to PF would be as simple as buying battery boxes and remote sensors.

A few weeks ago I bought the RC cargo train deluxe.Right away I had a problem with it; the train motor struggled to pull the full length of the train. I had to give it a push to get it going, but even at full speed i could tell that the wheels were spinning a lot faster than the train was actually moving. Is this normal? I've tried all kinds of things with the motor but nothing seems to work. The wheels just spin in place at high speeds, and sometimes the train starts moving as well. Today, the Emerald Night I ordered arrived. The PF stuff didn't arrive yet though. I put it on the tracks, and tried to move it using my cargo train engine (all my 9V stuff is packed away). The Cargo Train engine could barely budge the Emerald Night, even if I took everything away except the engine. So, are the RC motors just that poor of quality, or is there something wrong with mine? Also my Emerald Night came with a bunch of stickers that were just numbers. what are these for?

taken from the review thread

I have the set. my biggest issue with it is the lack of minifigs. it could use at least 2 more officers. Also that big hole in the side could easily have been covered with a few plates.

im in the process of building the sets. I got the undercover cruiser done, part of the base done, and am doing lunar limo now. Though it doesn't say he is an insectoid anymore, the red alien in the base has an insectoid sticker on his flyer, and has an insect like mouth.

All three sets arrive tomorrow. I'm super excited!