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This Blacktron 1 colored passenger train is modeled after the General Motors Aerotrain concept of 1955. I modified the engine to have two bogies (one of which can be replaced with a 9V motor to power the train) instead of the one bogie and one fixed axle of the original. The passenger cars were lengthened from 16 to 24 studs and Jacob's bogies placed in two spots to lessen the part count. (Yes, it bears more than a passing resemblance to a certain other space train of mine... let's just say some espionage was involved concerning the CS design plans for that train!) The train will be used on my Blacktron space base, shuttling VIP's around on tours of my base. Alternatively, it could be used to get personnel to / from the base and the off-site living quarters. (you can read more about my Blacktron fleet in it's own thread in the Sci-Fi forum.) The windows in the train were difficult to get right, but I managed to attach them. Inverted trans-yellow 2x2 slopes that would make this way easier are coming in a set releasing in March, but I'm not waiting that long! (The tail car is currently missing a few parts for the roof.) The cab roof is removable and a driver can be placed at the controls, but the coaches are totally impossible to get into due to the construction techniques used. (Also, two control panel double-cheese slopes, two 1x1 number tiles, and two radiator donut tiles are missing from the model, among a few other parts.) As for when this will be built in the real world, it will be soon. The last few parts for the train were ordered 1/14/25. Update 1/15/25! This space train station (named 'Base Terminus') is to be used with my retro-futuristic Blacktron passenger train to get staff and VIP's to and from the space base. (Some printed parts are not in the picture, but they will be when it's built in real life.) Thoughts? -
Historical background: The experimental Aerotrain was built by General Motors using hard riding Bus Bodies for coaches, a new untested (and quite complicated) air cushion suspension system, and an under-powered motor originally made for switching locomotives. Two of these trains were built in the 1950's as a way to entice passengers back onto the railroads and out of their automobiles. The hard-coupled unit had one engine and 10 cars attached, including the observation car. These low-slung units toured the United States as a test of it's abilities. Needless to say, it was a tremendous failure. It toured on four roads including the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe, New York Central, Pennsylvania Railroad, & Union Pacific before eventually being sold to the Rock Island for Chicago Commuter Service. In 1966, after less than a decade of service, one locomotive & two cars were sold to the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin, while the other locomotive and two cars were sold to The Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, Missouri. The train can come apart (unlike the prototype Aerotrain) into 6 sections: 1 engine, 4 coaches, 1 observation coach. Model Notes: The original train had ten cars, which would be hard to do in Lego (and it's kinda pointless as 9 of then are identical) I have five cars on my train, four identical coaches and one observation coach on the end. My Inspiration for this model came from this Brickshelf account here: http://www.brickshel...ry.cgi?f=497396 and i give 99% of the credit for the model to Brickshelf user enquete-art. The other 1% comes from me, such as the reworked front bogie, front and back windshields, window work and using this numbered tile in red: http://www.bricklink...sp?P=3070bpb063 I used a lot of SNOT to hold the diagonal windows & front engine slopes in place. other than that, it's pretty straight-forward building. I found this picture on Google. It comes from a 1950's General Motors ad for the Aerotrain. It has been used by several different blogs and groups according to my search, so it should be okay to post here. Comments, questions and complaints welcome!
