American trains - steam - diesel - electric and thier consists

[Murdoch17]

I finally took some updated photos of my American-inspired train models!

Meramec River Runner

This model features the 2-8-2 Mikado steam engine pulling the train, one combination baggage / passenger car, three coaches, and one observation car.

The train cars by themselves are inspired by the Wabash Frisco & Pacific passenger cars, except these are dark gray and not blue.

The name of this train is a play off the Missouri River Runner, a real train that Amtrak runs from Kansas City to St. Louis. The Meramec River runs next to the Wabash Frisco & Pacific, so I switched the name to the Meramec River Runner.

The locomotive is a 2-8-2 (two leading, eight driving, and two trailing wheels) steam locomotive. Engine number 5916 usually pulls the Meramec River Runner lightweight passenger train.

Combination baggage and passenger car for the Meramec River Runner.

Three identical passenger coaches for the Meramec River Runner.

The observation coach of the Meramec River Runner. This car lacks the letters BRS (standing for Brick Railway Systems) but it is owned by that line.

LDD file for this train: http://www.mocpages....1435538712m.lxf

Emerald Express

This 2-6-0 "Mogul" steam engine & it's four car train is painted in a exclusive dark green, thus giving the train it's name. The trains consist of 1 baggage / passenger car (also known as a "combine"), 2 passenger coaches, and 1 observation car.

In the real world, the locomotive was originally assembled from instructions on Railbricks for a MOD of set 79111, Constitution Train Chase, by a user named Zephyr1934. I modified the engine from the pistons up to achieve it's current look. I then added train coaches inspired by set 10015, Passenger Wagon, but with inter-car connections and inset doors. (plus the rear platform on the observation car)

The locomotive is a 2-6-0 (two leading, six driving, and zero trailing wheels) steam locomotive. Engine number 4613 usually pulls the Emerald Express clerestory passenger train.

Combination baggage and passenger car for the Emerald Express.

Two identical passenger coaches for the Emerald Express.

The observation car of the Emerald Express. The letters BRS stand for Brick Railway Systems, the owner of the train.

LDD file for the Emerald Express: http://www.mocpages....1435538134m.lxf

Spirit of Legoredo

This diesel led train is headed up by a FA (cab) / FB (booster) set and a combine, three passenger cars, and a observation car. It runs from New York City to the city of Legoredo near the West coast. This desert terminus and it's Wild West heritage is where the train get's it's name. (EDIT: new photos are in place for this train. 7/6/15)

The locomotive is a American Locomotive Company (ALCO for short) diesel two unit semi-permanently coupled set, with both engines assigned the same number. Engine number 7996 usually pulls the Spirit of Legoredo streamlined passenger train.

Baggage / passenger car for the Spirit of Legoredo.

Their are three streamlined passenger coaches for this train.

The observation car features a large curved glass window instead of a rear platform.

LDD file for the Spirit of Legoredo: http://www.mocpages....1427399561m.lxf

909 National Limited

This fast train travels from San Francisco to St. Louis via the (slightly modified) first transcontinental railroad alignment. It is pulled by the biggest loco type on the roster: the Texas type. (Please note: the coaches are shown in slightly older and grainier photos and will be retaken once I rework the cars to 6 wide and shorten them to 24 studs long each... that should happen soon.)

This locomotive is a 2-10-4 (two leading, ten driving, and four trailing wheels) steam locomotive. it usually pulls the 909 National Limited on it's cross country journey.

The updated passenger cars for the 909 National Limited.

LDD file for the train (no steam engine): http://www.mocpages....1436560213m.lxf

Generic Freight consist

The locomotive is a GG1 electric locomotive, which can be powered by overhead wires or third rail. This engine is up for a serious rebuild, as the three wheels in a row stress the track. I have already come up with a solution, but need more time to test it before building it IRL.

coal gondola

diesel fuel tanker

drop side gondola (with hobo!)

two identical boxcars

flatcar with vehicle load

rock hopper

Brick Railway Systems bobber caboose

Their is no ldd file for the whole train, whoever, the GG-1 electric engine does have a file: http://www.mocpages....1412600679m.lxf

4-8-0 "Mastodon"

The locomotive is a 4-8-0 (four leading, eight driving, and zero trailing wheels) steam locomotive. Engine number 5841 usually pulls the Generic freight train where the GG-1 has no ability to go. (no overhead wires and all)

LDD file for the 4-8-0: http://www.mocpages.com/user_images/80135/1436900565m.lxf

Well, what do you think? Comments welcome!

Edited July 15, 2015 by Murdoch17

[Rail Co]

Love these models your work is always fun to see Murdoch! Looks like someone had to much to drink on one of those cars

Great Job!

-RailCo

[WholeWheatLego]

Wow! Wish I had the space to run all of those!

You must have had a lot of those old windows lying around for those coaches.

[Pop Bumper Pete]

the passenger coaches need passengers

I do like the coaches for the 909 National Limited

[THERIZE]

that 2-10-4 is massive!

[Younge]

Great designs yet again, Murdoch!!!

[Legotom]

Great designs Murdoch. Love the steam engines. Some of those American types are huge! Do they all go around regular Lego curves?

[Murdoch17]

Love these models your work is always fun to see Murdoch! Looks like someone had to much to drink on one of those cars

Great Job!

-RailCo

Yes, that hobo is quite a drinker: he's been sitting there for almost a year now!

Wow! Wish I had the space to run all of those!

You must have had a lot of those old windows lying around for those coaches.

I too wish I had that kind of space! I have to shuffle my stuff around my two 6x3 foot tables as it is... If i had a big yard that fit everything, I'd need another two tables or so! (not to mention dusting them all!)

Also, I just use brick-link for the windows, except for the curved macaroni: I got those from my father.

the passenger coaches need passengers

I do like the coaches for the 909 National Limited

Thanks, and Yes, they need passengers. The 909 National Limited is being reworked into 6 wide models (instead of the current 8 wide), while also being shortened to 24 studs instead of the current 30.

that 2-10-4 is massive!

Thanks, and yes, it is. It still runs fine on Lego curves though!

Great designs yet again, Murdoch!!!

Thank you, but some of them aren't 100% mine: the Texas' drivers, cab, some of the tender, and pistons were inspired by Sava's Berkshire, the freight caboose is a Scotnick design for a UK brake-van, and the Mikado is a bunch of different designs (a BR 9F 2-10-0 provided the wheels, while a 2-6-2 gave it's cab and the Emerald Night forfeited it's rear pony truck), all made into one engine.

Great designs Murdoch. Love the steam engines. Some of those American types are huge! Do they all go around regular Lego curves?

Yes they all work 100% of Lego track, you just have to move building sometimes to clear the way for the wide swing of the locomotive.

[Murdoch17]

the passenger coaches need passengers

I do like the coaches for the 909 National Limited

Here are some digital pictures of the 6-wide 909 National Limited. I have yet to order the parts finish these coaches.

If you are wondering how i got the name for this train here's the behind-the-scenes look at where I got the idea for them in the first place:

These cars were inspired by a 8 wide Galaxy Express 999 MOC I saw years ago on Brickshelf. (see it here: http://www.brickshel...ry.cgi?f=374748 ) The name of this train was changed to the tune of the Beatles song "One after 909" from the album "Let it Be". Then I tried a bunch of words that could go with 909, including the following: limited, express, cannonball, flyer, runner, and a bunch of other names and combination of said names I can't recall right now. Eventually, I ran into National Limited on accident when correcting a typo. I liked the way it sounded, and thus 909 National Limited was born.

Also, the LDD files for the followeing train are in the first post:

Meramec River Runner - Emerald Express - Spirit of Legoredo

the GG-1 electric loco from the freight train is also available.

Edited July 10, 2015 by Murdoch17

[rahziel]

Damn, that steam powered locomotive 2-10-4 (I think) its impressive, and loved the hobo detail in one of you train carriages

[Murdoch17]

Damn, that steam powered locomotive 2-10-4 (I think) its impressive, and loved the hobo detail in one of you train carriages

Thanks!

Here is another item for the wish list: a 2-6-2 Prairie type.

Engine Number: 4831

Engine Type: Steam, freight

Configuration: 2-6-2

Engine Class: Prairie

Designer: Scottish Nickel Locomotive Co.

Build Date: 1919

Builder: Scottish Nickel Locomotive Co.

Current Owner: Brick Railway Systems

Length (including tender): 59 studs

Width: 8 studs

Height: 10 bricks

Top Speed: 70 MPH

The Real story:

This model was originally ScotNick1's London Midland 7 Southern Ivatt class 2MT steam tank engine. I added a Anthony Sava-style Tender to this model about a year ago. Then this model vanished off my Lego building radar, which had other more important thing on it, including the Texas type 2-10-4. Today, whiled browsing my files, looking for something else, I rediscovered this lost treasure.

The plain black didn't really suit it, and thus I tried a variety of colors on the engine, including tan, reddish brown, green, and light bluish gray. I eventually settled on this chocolate brown color, with black bands / lines. I fixed the cab to suit the tender better and added a Constitution Train Chase -style boiler.(I'm certainly getting a lot of use out of the Lone Ranger train!)

Also, this engine is now the designated freight engine: the 2-8-2 has been assigned to the Meramec River Runner, and the 2-6-2 never hauled was designed for passenger service in the real world as it rode rough too much. And another thing: Scottish Nickel Loco Co. is a play off the original builder of the engine: Scot Nick, plus it also is a nod at the Russian Iron so common in this era of steam trains.

and here is the the updated 909 National Limited coaches.

The ldd files for both model are in the first post.

Edited July 12, 2015 by Murdoch17

[Dread Pirate Rob]

That is going to look awesome combined with those coaches. I particularly like the roof, I have not seen that before and I will have to give it a try. Looking forward to seeing it in bricks if you can get that many brown ones together:)

[Murdoch17]

That is going to look awesome combined with those coaches. I particularly like the roof, I have not seen that before and I will have to give it a try. Looking forward to seeing it in bricks if you can get that many brown ones together:)

I don't know about a whole train pic for these cars. The three coach pictures barely fit in the frame as it is. I got the inspiration for the roof from my first custom LDD-created-and-ordered model: a bright red version of Zephyr1934's heavyweight passenger coaches designed in 2007. Needless to say, this provided the inspiration for the rest of my LDD train creations. Before 2007, I was a train head with my dad's 5 custom models running around the layout. After 2007, I became train addict, and I'm proud to say that today I have 62 trains!

Here is Zephyr1934 observation car that started it all: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=2414964

EDIT: typo fixes

Edited July 12, 2015 by Murdoch17

[Murdoch17]

Okay, I've reworked my plans a bit. My brother may be getting the 2-6-2 Prairie in green, and so to stay unique I built a 4-8-0 (the type is called a Mastodon) instead. Here is a little background on the design:

This engine started out as Anthony Sava's 4-6-2 Pacific. I eventually lengthened the frame to make it into a 4-8-2, then removed the rear pony truck and switched the wheels to be Flange-Blind-Flange-Blind. I added a Emerald Night four wheels bogie to the front and a Constitution Train Chase-style boiler plus pistons from Zephyr1934's MOD of that Lone Ranger set. The tender design came my 2-8-2, which got it from Anthony Sava's 4-6-0, where it had a two wheel tender with a oil tank and spot for a 9V motor that I never put in. as it stands, the cab is probably the only origianl Sava design feature left (pretty much) untouched.

The fictional backstory is basically the same for this engine as for the Prairie, so I won't be posting it again.

LDD file: http://www.mocpages.com/user_images/80135/1436900565m.lxf

Any thoughts on this?

[Lego Dino 500]

Hey Murdoch, if its built, do you have any pictures of your Southern Pacific Daylight? I'm thinking of bricklinking it, but I want to see what the model's like before I do.

[Murdoch17]

Hey Murdoch, if its built, do you have any pictures of your Southern Pacific Daylight? I'm thinking of bricklinking it, but I want to see what the model's like before I do.

I haven't done that one yet.... sorry.

[Lego Dino 500]

Oh, it's cool you don't have to apologize. I'll just design something myself, I was just curious how your train would run.

[zephyr1934]

I don't know about a whole train pic for these cars. The three coach pictures barely fit in the frame as it is. I got the inspiration for the roof from my first custom LDD-created-and-ordered model: a bright red version of Zephyr1934's heavyweight passenger coaches designed in 2007. Needless to say, this provided the inspiration for the rest of my LDD train creations. Before 2007, I was a train head with my dad's 5 custom models running around the layout. After 2007, I became train addict, and I'm proud to say that today I have 62 trains!

Here is Zephyr1934 observation car that started it all: http://www.brickshel...y.cgi?i=2414964

My apologies to your pocketbook (grin) but you've gone on to build a mighty fine collection.

[Murdoch17]

My apologies to your pocketbook (grin) but you've gone on to build a mighty fine collection.

Thanks Zephyr1934! I haven't counted how much exactly it's cost me altogether but I guess it's over "a lot of money" but below a "ton of cash". It certainly could have been more if I had done it earlier in my life - I used to buy mainly from Lego via Pick-A-Brick / Design By Me with some Bricklink orders, but I stopped doing that around 2011 (or was it 2012?) when LEGO stopped doing Design by Me. Now it's all Bricklink.... I actually can't spend any money on LEGO this month, as I over spent last month.

Edited July 16, 2015 by Murdoch17