MOD: Power Functions Tram 8404

[AussieJimbo]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post on Eurobricks and I particularly wanted to start off with a post in the Train Tech forum.

I'd just like to say how great it was to find this place and to express my awe at some of the fantastic creations I've seen, especially in Trains and Town. I won't list them now but there really are some supreme Lego talents on show here.

I've wanted a Lego train since I could put two bricks together and that dream was finally realised last year when I snapped up a few of the remaining RC sets heavily discounted. Since then I've expanded as the PF Trains were released. I think I picked a pretty good time to get into it with all the great sets we've seen recently.

Here's a quick shot of my current passenger fleet and then on to the MOD.

Set 8404 Public Transportation was a great surprise as I hadn't heard about it until I saw it on the shelf at TRU. I just had to have one right away.

As soon as the build was underway I knew I wanted another set so I could do a PF MOD. After one semi-protracted argument with myself about spending too much on Lego, I was back to get a second set that night.

The result is one of my favourite additions to the railway.

The key to making it all fit together was putting the battery box in upside down. The receiver is at an angle to best pick up the signal.

I also found that the little undersized wheels needed to be lubricated in order for the tram to run properly. I know WD40 isn't great for Lego but it was done very judiciously and the noise alone tells me it's doing less damage than running without anyway. Luckily I've got a few spares from level crossing sets if they do wear out.

Anyway, that's my take on motorising the 8404 Tram. I hope you like it.

_{Click the images for larger versions.}

:classic:

Edited December 16, 2010 by AussieJimbo

[LEGO Guy Bri]

Thats pretty neat AussieJimbo! curse that bulky battery box and IR sensor tho! Those seats are for paying customers! Also nice line up of trains. Are they all setup to PF? Welcome to Eurobricks and keep up the good work!

Edited December 16, 2010 by Leg Godt Gud

[lostdriveway]

Very neat! Something I'll be looking at once I get my set's up and running!

Any other tips you can give for how you did it would be great!

[AussieJimbo]

Thats pretty neat AussieJimbo!

Thanks mate.

...curse that bulky battery box and IR sensor tho! Those seats are for paying customers!

That's true but if it wasn't there, they'd have to get out and push.

Also nice line up of trains. Are they all setup to PF? Welcome to Eurobricks and keep up the good work!

No, the white Intercity is still RC, with motors in the front and rear locos. The red PF suburban commuter train also has powered locos front and back.

The Toy Story train is pushed by an RC base and motor hidden quickly under a couple of Toy Story passenger car bodies just joined together. I want to work on this a bit and turn it into a long end-platform coach which would look a lot better.

The crash test dummy's maintenance trolley is powered by wishful thinking alone.

:classic:

[AussieJimbo]

Very neat! Something I'll be looking at once I get my set's up and running!

Any other tips you can give for how you did it would be great!

Cheers, LD.

As far as building it is concerned:

First build one tram as per the standard instructions.

Build a second link section but leave out the seat and one the black 1x4 ball connector plates so you have space for the IR receiver and the cables (power from battery and return from IR to motor). _{This appears slightly differently in the photos above.}

The motor section is a bit more tricky.

Start with the motor.

- put a 2x4 plate on the studs at each end.

- two 2x3 bricks on that at each end, overhanging the ends. (I used 2 grey ones and two black ones, guessing from the set but not sure)

- grey 1x4 connector things under the 2x3 bricks.

- end window panels (black opaque) above that.

- build the white layer with the orange transparent corner bits but leave out one grey 1x4 connector thing for cable room.

- build the roof like a longer version of the link section but leave off the transparent yellow piece.

Now for the sides. Basically six window sections, 4 of which leave out one of the white 1x2+2x2 right angle plates.

- put window panel on top of black 1x4 brick, times 6 (but see note later)

- make the side panels with blue 2x4 tiles. Two of them with two of those white things, the rest with one on alternating sides to leave clearance for the motor wheels (the photos above show this)

- attach these to each of the window sections.

- hang the windows from the white layer. (you'll find that the ones with only one white thing are a bit fragile when trying to connect them)

Note: It would be stronger to link all 3 window sections together with one black 1x6 & two black 1x3 bricks (or a 1x8 and two 1x2's) but the black 1x4's are what you get with the set.

Then its just a matter of juggling the cables and inserting the battery box and IR receiver as shown. If you've got it right then the bottom of the battery box will be level with the top of the white layer.

Put the roof on and you are done.

Like I said above, you will need to lubricate the mini wheels to make it run nicely. You can search Eurobricks for some advice on what to use.

:classic:

Edited December 18, 2010 by AussieJimbo

[BillytheKid]

Sounds like a great project to build an 12v version . You've done a job.

[AussieJimbo]

Sounds like a great project to build an 12v version . You've done a job.

Thanks mate.

You'll get at least one more passenger back in with 12v but the motor section will still be a bit tight.

Good luck with it.

:classic:

[Mrlegoninja]

Nice Modification!

I might do this to my tram. It looks very neat.

[Kryne]

I know this is a very old thread, but just wanted to say thankyou for the inspiration to do this, but instead of buying a whole other tram, i have made this up in LDD and it turned out really well, just need to pull it apart and get the parts list now. Again thankyou for being inventive enough to try it first

Kryne

[AussieJimbo]

Cheers Kryne, glad to be of service. Have fun building when you get the parts.

Belated thanks to Mrlegoninja too.

:classic:

[xangodango]

I managed to PF the tram with only 4 studs extra length compared to the original by adding the receiver in the roof above the driver, and using panels each side of the battery box so the wires could route around the side of it. It's a bit fragile but works really well.

[Kryne]

I know its an old topic, but thought id finally share that i had gotten this mod done aswell only adding 4 studs in length and can also slide the battery box in and out without any problems at all. Can get pics and the lxf file up in a few days for anyone interested.

[aawsum]

Looking good, although I am wondering what it would look like if you joined cart 1+2 and 4+5, because now there are 5 small wagons.

In the past I did a try as well to RC the 8404, and I managed to squeeze both the batterij + RC in the middle cart. It takes a bit more work to switch the battery, but it worked for me.

8404 mod 4 by aawsm, on Flickr

[AussieJimbo]

Nice work squeezing both the battery box and the receiver into the 2nd car, aawsum and thanks for your comments.

Is the motor built into your middle car too?

I've kept the 5 cars primarily because I like the look of it that way but also because it still needs the sliding wheel arrangement and articulation of cars 2 & 4 in order to traverse 'S' curves and points correctly.

Keen to see pics of other versions to see how they address this.

:classic:

[Kryne]

Mine seems to work fine through s curves and switches, all i did was take away 1 set of wheels from the front and rear sections. Created alot less friction to which meant faster and longer running.

[clcwong]

I like the long passenger train behind lol

How did you collect so many cars...?

[Gioppa]

I have made my version of the 8404 tram Pf,the difference between this and mine is only i have used the M motor instead of the train motor,

in the video you can see the motorized car and the battery car.

Let me hear what do you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI3fv31JfVs&list=UUZ_O7tPSM3EpomEUZ4Mdq8Q&index=1&feature=plcp

[AussieJimbo]

Looks like it runs nicely, Gioppa.

:classic:

I like the long passenger train behind lol

How did you collect so many cars...?

IIRC, I picked up the multiples of the red passenger train on a 3 for 2 deal.

:classic:

[Brickmamba]

Great looking tram, good job!

[melbs]

Sorry to revive an old thread but i just opened mine, and this is what i did:

bought the following power function parts:

1. 88002 train motor

2. 8884 receiver

3. 88000 battery box

Only mod i did to the front and rear carts is add a 1x4 tile just before the wheel to raise the carts by 1 tile.

On the middle cart, I lengthened the cart by two studs.

And here is the finished product:

Edited January 24, 2013 by melbs

[lostdriveway]

Nice work melbs!

How have you go your points working that way without switching them?

[English Electric]

The points are spring loaded when you go through them in the trailing direction, so they are just set for the correct directions of travel in the facing directions.

[lostdriveway]

Ah thanks for that...

I grew up with model trains so I kind of freaked out when I saw that happening...

[AussieJimbo]

You've done a great job with your tram, melbs. Looks great zipping around your town.

Coincidentally, this thread has popped up the day after I finished building a red version of my tram to go with the original blue one so I'll just go ahead and update this one when I've got some photos done.

EE, I use switches and crossovers set up the same way for up and down main lines (but to avoid crashes not create them 8-) ).

:classic:

Edited January 25, 2013 by AussieJimbo

[melbs]

Thanks guys

I updated the tram with an extra light set i have. Here are the pictures:

How i mounted the battery box:

How i mounted the receiver:

With the roof on:

Front car with minifigs:

Rear car with minifigs: