BillytheKid

I searched for this website around here, but couldn't find anything about it. It explains a lot only about the 12v trains form 1980 till 1990, with the grey 12v track, that explains the name of this website. Now I collect also these trains, but have them quite a time complete already and start to moc/build a little with trains running at 12v. This is not mine website, I came it along searching for people at facebook who has the same interest in this system. Some of them want only use those bricks at that area time available. Some people really make very goodlooking models with newer bricks after that area. What me interest most are his moc's including free instructions. I did what I never thought possible, I made all this moc's, with a little rebuild of mine own. I always wanted a real model where the 7740 was based on, the Baureihe 103. I build one in tan/darkred as showcase in mine livingroom and build one yellow/red for mine layout together with the 7740. I already build 2 extra wagons and 6 wagons are too heavy for 2x 12v motors, they can burn broken when pulling too much. Now every train has 3 wagons to pull and an awesome sight to see them running together. I also made a video of that: Baureihe 103 and 7740 together running. And the tan/darkred one in mine livingroom: The 2d train what got mine interest is a dutch train the icm or nickname koploper (headwalker, because you can walk thought the head). I studied his instruction and others at rebrickable and started to pick the best parts of all designs in what I think it will look right beside to the other 12v trains. This is what I came up with: How does it looks beside the 7740? What was also a nice cute train and afterwards not easy to build, the NS600. It was a better version of the NS500, what dutch railways got from England after WO2 and still used this day by several big compagny's. I modified it a little with modern parts to look it more realistic. And than set 727, which I always liked. Only there was no minifig inside what will look odd beside the 12v grey area trains. Why not build a minifig one? Here we go: And than the last, but not least. The Baureihe 41 or would I say the ultimate 7777 in mine opnion. A friend loved it right away and wanted one. After I build it, I used the wheel set-up for mine 7750. After the ultimate 7777 was parked at mine layout for a while I started to like that one and thought, what the heck. Build one for myself. Only the big red wheels was painfull in mine wallet. And also made a video of it. And the 7750 XL has improved a lot with the longer wheel setup: Too bad I never met the person who made this site, but I own him a lot that these awesome trains find a way in mine layout. Exspecially the Baureihe 41 or ultimate 7777 looks awesome. A true steam engine through it basic colors. Still looking better than the emerald night (or flying scottmann) and bigboy. The bigboy is ugly as ugly, but awesome through it's size.

Finally got some time to make a nice video of the red 10233 horizon express. Click here to see the video . And offcourse some nice pictures before movie started: And where the trains are now, after the video :

I bought the house with an attic like this, to build up a layout like this . This red buffer I mean, to look like a Flying Scottman :

This is the Thalys : This is the TGV-Patrick , where the set 10233 is based on (and the 7745 in the '80's and mine red 10233):

You can use Powered Up system, like people did with the Orient Express. You need to puzzle a little how to build it in nicely in the lookalike Flying Scottmann. You can change the front buffer for a red one ;-) . At rebrickable there are some interesting wagons you can build for the 10194. I don't know where I got the instructions to mine, but anyway this is what I made: I have chosen to use a double trainmotor and used a double tender. The Flying Scottmann has driven in USA where a double tender was needed for the fuel and water. And I changed the connecting rods into light grey, so it's more visible when it rides.

Some month ago I bought set 10233 Horizon Express and was impressed quality of the design. Why I 'missed' this set.....? Anyway, this set is clearly based at the french TGV-Patrick. To complete this set, you need 2 of them . That is too expensive these days. So I decided to build one in red. The set 7745 was also based at TGV-Patrick, but in the '90's there was no orange and the parts for a 'real' model yet. I kept the number of wagons at 4, it is already heavy enough for 2x 9v motors in the front engine. The front engine has also working frontlights. Both 9v motors are connected to eachother. The back 'engine' has also working taillights with special metal wheels (from bevinsbricks) instead a wire through whole train. The front engine with double 9v motor connected to eachother and working frontlights The 1ste wagon, just like set 10233. The 2d/middle wagon in 2 Jacobs-bougies. Also modified the undersection. And missing few parts . The 3th wagon just like set 10233. The tail 'engine' with working taillights from metal wheel from bevinsbricks. From right to left. The 7745 sold in '85-'90. Then 10233 horizon express sold in 2013 design form Jamie Benard. And then, lets call it a 30th year tribute for the 7745 . I still need some parts to complete the whole train. Most are ordered (hopefully). After the red horizon express is completed I will make a video where all 3 ride at same time.

I guess the main reason is that it ain't a ugly big black hump of steal. And that it could reach 100 mph/h was also a reason.

Mine idea is a 10194 Emerald Night, replace the buffer at front for a red one and the Flying Scotmann. Did you wonder why the Flying Scotmann is so famous? Because it is famous . Several rich people had bought the locomotive, but went broke on maintaince costs. Now the Britisch railway museum have bought it and restore it like new and still in use this day.

Lego can win this battle, but at the end they will loose the war.

Nice big train that is. Only at 12v it will cause some problems with switches and passing eachother in curves.

Just put some dark grey 2x2 like this :

The 12v traincollectors know the rare and expensive 7750, I guess : Well I do like this steam engine a lot, but I miss that 'greatness' look. A bit tiny when you compare it with the real German steam engines. A friend of mine liked the model of Baureihe 41 from Fouke Boss. After I build it, the steam engine is slim, but the wheel setting would be perfect for a 7750. And that's what I did, although I had to make the set a 4 studs longer. In this way the 7750 is a more impressive train to look at and not a dwarf between al those modern diesel and electric locomotives. Welll compared with a BigBoy, every train is a dwarf . How does it looks in the curves? Well the project 7750 XL is finished and placed back on the shelve where it used to be. Too expensive to drive around with it. To enjoy the wheel setting, I use the 7777 of mine friend pushed along through a NS1700 at PF .

thx, just ordered it.

We are talking 12v motors sold in 1981 till 1991 and those were only in black or red. And those could be equipped with connecting rods, like a real steam engine.

Book out of stock :( .

Dirt can be cleaned with a soap and water (Dreft-sopje). Discolored parts, well grey is tricky with hydrogen peroxide. I use cleaing petrol (wasbenzine) for cleaning the metal part. Why people always use alcohol for it..........?

Some updates, parts still arriving to complete the trains where I'm building at. The Wadrunner and Frontwalker have their Dutch railways logo's. The outside is now finished, just need some detailwork at the inside and need more small trainwindows for the doors. Beside the backbone of the 12v trains, the 7740. Well the model of frontwalker is also a backbone of the dutch railsways till 2025. After that the train will be removed of the track till 2030, than all frontwalkers are gone and will be scraped. Also I build another GP-38 from design of J. McKee, but in BNSF colors. That model has just more 'body' if you know what I mean. Colors are more realistic to the real locomotive. Those darkgreen parts are expensive........ It has a double 9v motor connected with a wire for more smoother ride and more pullingpower. And a working front- and taillight when it runs. The train is not complete, just miss still few parts. Mail is slow lately.

It has been a while for any updates I posted, but let's give it a shot to catch up . Picures tells more than 1000 words. Although I live in the Netherlands and I'm dutch, Exxon is de main supplier of fuel in PandaCity of Bricks. They even have green power: Even fuelstations are converted to Exxon: And yes I drive a Fiat Panda as daily, as long the gourverment let me offcourse. It is 25 years old and actually too old to leave it on the road . Which modern car can drive more economic than 18km at 1 litre of fuel.......? But he, I'm a trainguy. I had this train for some time, but in white. And yes, in time it became yellowed. I decided to change color and red was the choice and hope it won't discolor anymore. Even DB can build more beautiful trains, an American loc can't be missed in their fleet. Isn't a beauty of a beast when it rides. It runs at 12v equipped with a double 12v motor for more pullingpower. Another beast of a train, the BigBoy. I still need to work it out to run it on his own at the track. I had a yellow 6x28 trainplate as spare and decided that I want another GP-38 in mine fleet. The colors from BNSF. When finished, this will be the most expensive locomotive in mine fleet. Even a 7750 can't beat that . That's because of some parts in dark green. And it get a double 9v motor and working front- and taillight. The disign is form Jacob McKee form book 'Started with trains', which came out in 2004. The set 10133 came in 2005 for sale by Lego. The design form Jacob McKee has more 'body', if you know what I mean. Also new in mine fleet is a minifigversion of trainset 727, designed by F. Boss. And also updated mine first model of a real train, the DH2 of 'Wadloper' (Wadrunner) with doors that opens more realistic and roof more smooth. Okidoki, last pic The clubwagon 4547 in colors of 7740 with behind it mine version of 1 apriljoke of 7812. The joke was too good, not to build it. I needed extra wagons for mine 2d 7740 . There will be another 2 trains coming soon, parts are ordered. You know all how mail works these days.........

If you make a long tender (which I tried too), that does look bad. It's a long low wagon, which is same length of longer than engine itself. I understand that people motorize the wagons behind it, to no to chance the set itself. That's silly in mine opnion. The sport is to motorize the engine itself. When keep that in mind, try to motorize the BigBoy . I did it, but that's a hell to control it and I guess the driver of the real one share that opnion .

Some sort the same problem, I had. Skip to power the loco itself. No motor will be strong enough to pull the whole train when expended with extra wagons, like I did . I added 3 extra wagons, so I needed a better solution for more pulling power. I used a double tender, both has an 12v motor connected with a wire. That should you do also, a double 9v motor and connect them with a wire. That you get this result: I found out at internet that the flying scotmann went to USA for promotion after restoring the whole engine and got there a double tender also, because for more water and fuel of the long distances it had to drive. In mine opnion this set is the most beautifull train to look at when running at (any) lay-out. Not too big, like the Big Boy I build and no to small like a small playable train for kids .

A small review of this (in mine opnion) great moc. It was in oktober this year available at bricklink in moc pop-up store. Moc's who didn't pass designer programm. It wasn't cheap, but some moc's are too good not too have. It's a modular in the form of books. Something different than a 'standard' building with a nice interior. Let me show you some pictures and give mine opnion about it. This is the building. The minifigs were not included and I needed to order those separatly to 'complete' the moc. Also added a printed tile with name and who design it and which year it came out. After 10 years I properly forget all these details. Also I added a 'bricklink' tile at the side as a honor that it was possible by bricklink. This is the interior of the ground floor. Bookshelves with books. Looks nice and great eye for detail. This is the first floor of the building and is meant as studyspace if you need to focus in a book. A view form other side of the first floor. The 2d floor were you can relax and read a nice novel in open air with nice weather offcourse. I guess a little heater when it gets to cold. Also at 2d floor, a separate space to study or search in private with a pc. Here is the moc is placed in mine lay-out between sets of LEGO. When you look at the city, this building stands out a bit, because it's different form other buildings. That's why I like it so much. There are 3 tiles which you need to print, pic's are added at purchase and I added the ground and bricklink tile by myself. All beautifull done at steindrucker. Unfortunately these moc's can't be bought anymore, the moc pop-up store is closed. I've had contact with designer and he sold quite a lot of his design. I guess these kind of moc's will be forgotten in time. I hope with this small review it will not . I hope you liked mine review of this moc.

Just those little details whoch makes the set more 'complete' : And this set too :

Offcourse we keep building and expanding PandaCity of Bricks. Movie of progress PandaCity of Bricks.

Want to see the train of Studgate moving at 12v? Click on link below : Moving train from Studgate 910002 at 12v.

I was just wondering if there are more people who refuses to use the orignal stickers of Lego itself, because of the bas quality (it won't last long sadly) or difference in color when apllied. In late '90's Lego changed the quality of stickers and still to this day, it doesn't look that has changed to mine opnion. So when I buy a set, when stickers are involved, I wait when Steindrucker has them available and use then in sets. It does looks better and no worries that sticker will curl and break in time. Last one depends at uv-light, humidity, temp. etc.