Mine mostly depends on whether the wee ones are good or not as well as the almighty income from the new job.

If outage goes as planned and I get the 1-2yr pay jump 5 mths early all will be well.

Itching for an American steam engine, have Sava's plans for the 4449, but really really digging the Northerns, Big Boys and Challenger people seem to fling about here being a long time UP guy.

My first MOCs of the new year will be the 4-4-0 Humble Sapphire for my wife and improving my Emerald Night. After that I do not know what I will do.

New project: cutting 2mm rods.

My LUG-mates are trying to get me to finally pull the trigger on my Yellowstone design. I also have plans for an updated Berkshire. Outside of that, I have many plans for MOCs, but they're more city related than train.

--Tony

2016 looks to be less of a 'train' building year and the beginning of the buildout for the Ghost Train. I hope I have enough baseplates and green pieces to start the build. Parts for the majority of buildings are also in my inventory, but I just need to start assembling them and getting everything placed. The year looks bright for Lego building.

Something from the future, just found the idea on the Internet, but trying to relate it to some existing Lego themes... hm...

I am new here but have been working on a PS-4 Southern, using #1401 at the Smithsonian American History Museum for inspiration. Also still working on the 2-6-6-6 Allegheny in the back ground... Additional projects include a GWR 5972 (Hogwarts Exp), and converting my modified BASF to CSX diesel into a CSX EMD SD 70 (ACe) going from 6x32 studs to 8x41.

I will try and get some pics uploaded. Link to Flicker

Edited January 5, 20169 yr by ZacLM

I am new here but have been working on a PS-4 Southern, using #1401 at the Smithsonian American History Museum for inspiration. Also still working on the 2-6-6-6 Allegheny in the back ground... Additional projects include a GWR 5972 (Hogwarts Exp), and converting my modified BASF to CSX diesel into a CSX EMD SD 70 (ACe) going from 6x32 studs to 8x41.

I will try and get some pics uploaded. Link to Flicker

An Allegheny? Mr. Sava is going to be jealous...

Ours is going to be #1604 that is housed at the B&O Railroad museum in Baltimore. My son is obsessed. Tony's work introduced us to Big Ben's Bricks and helped when I found myself stuck a few times.

I have not finished the tender or done any of the underside detail/hoses yet, but I used 2x2 mod plate ball and socket "trailer hitch" to articulate the rear bogey of the tender so it looks the part of a 6-8... not sure how I am going to power the thing, one PF truck in the front of the tender may not be enough.

I would suggest powering both trucks in the tender with XL-Motors, which if you look at Tony's pictures on flickr (and several other people) you can see how they are done. That setup will definitely give you the power that the Allegheny is known for. Although it is replicating other people's work, it is a setup that works great. I will eventually create a tender-powered locomotive with that exact same setup because it is so effective.

Edited January 6, 20169 yr by TF Twitch

Interesting. I just saw that XL powered truck yesterday on someones diesel plans I think... It looks like the drive axle is also the pivot for the truck. Does that effect how it turns?

On my #1401 PS-4 I have a the Emerald gear setup reworked so a medium motor sits right over the front wheels behind the pistons, I was thinking I could do two of those on the Allegheny too.

Is there an advantage to using PF round motors and gears vs 4wheel powered train trucks if powering the smaller train wheels instead of the steam train wheels?

(Also thinking of what might work best for the 8 wide SD70 I am working on...)

It depends on your desired final product. If you want speed, you cannot beat standard PF Train Motors.

XL motors powering small wheels will give you torque out the wazoo but at the sacrifice of speed.

M motors are, in my opinion, third to the other two options. They can only spin at twice the rpm of an XL motor, with about a third the torque. You're better off using standard train motors.

The only caveat is if you're trying for slow speed (or powering drivers) and you have no room for the XL motors, then M motors are your solution.

--Tony

What Tony said, plus the XL, L, and M with gears is preferred over the train motor if:

-the spacing between wheels on the train motor is too large for the scale of your model. You can get a shorter wheelbase by building your own

-you want to add a simulated 3rd axle between the two powered axles (Might want to consider this for an SD70) See Example

-you want to build to a gauge other than the standard Lego gauge

Edited January 7, 20169 yr by greenmtvince

I need to build a locomotive for my WWII display for our next train show. Does anyone have some inspiration-type photos of a WWII era loco? It seems like there's not a definitive "look" for a WWII loco ...

Is there an advantage to using PF round motors and gears vs 4wheel powered train trucks if powering the smaller train wheels instead of the steam train wheels?

(Also thinking of what might work best for the 8 wide SD70 I am working on...)

If you have some custom requirements that the train motor can't handle like powering three axles on a truck. Your MOC would have to have space to fit in the PF motors and transmission gears if you decide of mount motor horizontally or gear up or down the motor output for more speed or torque. It is much easier to use the PF train motor whenever possible.

I need to build a locomotive for my WWII display for our next train show. Does anyone have some inspiration-type photos of a WWII era loco? It seems like there's not a definitive "look" for a WWII loco ...

Which country will your display be based on? That will influence what your loco will look like. It can be steam or maybe early diesels around the WWII timeframe.

It depends on your desired final product. If you want speed, you cannot beat standard PF Train Motors.

XL motors powering small wheels will give you torque out the wazoo but at the sacrifice of speed.

M motors are, in my opinion, third to the other two options. They can only spin at twice the rpm of an XL motor, with about a third the torque. You're better off using standard train motors.

The only caveat is if you're trying for slow speed (or powering drivers) and you have no room for the XL motors, then M motors are your solution.

--Tony

The Train God hath spoken.

Which country will your display be based on? That will influence what your loco will look like. It can be steam or maybe early diesels around the WWII timeframe.

It's going to be set in German occupied France in about 1944, just before D-Day, so not sure if it should be a German or French locomotive.

It's going to be set in German occupied France in about 1944, just before D-Day, so not sure if it should be a German or French locomotive.

I would watch the 1964 movie "The Train" for ideas, which takes place in that time period and on several trains in occupied France. Their is a cool Armored locomotive in said film, you could try that!

EDIT: wiki link to said film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Train_(1964_film)

Edited January 7, 20169 yr by Murdoch17

There's probably an argument for both, but German locos are both much more recognisable than French locos and, I think, easier to pull off in Lego, thanks to their generally very utilitarian design.

Edited January 7, 20169 yr by Redimus

I'm planning on building 1 or 2 UP diesel switchers but haven't made up my mind on which ones yet, some cago rolling stock maybe (mostly boxcars I think, maybe a flatwagon) and bring out my SD60 in different colors, BNSF for one (allthough I might end up never building it myself and just put the plans on my bricklink for that one). Been slow going for the moment as I got other fish to fry at the moment, being in divorce (but got myself a nicer, Russian, girl who actually loves LEGO herself so that's working out for the better)

This smells like teen spirit new year's resolutions... and I'm pretty bad with those ;-)

Anyway, already underway is a German diesel shunter and a building to go with my station to replace the modular sets at shows. I had a basic maintenance yard with me in London and that will should get extended. Then I've plans for some freight cars, an electric loco, another steam engine, a rebuild of the BR65...

I've gotten a head start on my 2016 workload:

The 1950's GM Aerotrain is missing just one more order of 46 parts, which includes draw-bars (instead of magnets, they don't work well here) and parts to finish the nose.

It should have it's own post and be finished by New Years, but that depends on the postal service.

I'm a little late..... Thi Aerotrain moc is really cute.... It looks like and old Lionel/Thomas type of train.

I'm a little late..... Thi Aerotrain moc is really cute.... It looks like and old Lionel/Thomas type of train.

Thanks! If you want, you can see the completed MOC here: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=118894

BNSF EMD SD-60 Diesel.lxf by Barduck12, on Flickr

Slowly getting there I'd say