2018 Lego Trains

[technic70s]

2 hours ago, 3797 said:

That's about the controllers. They're letting potential customers know, that they can't use the new remote with the old IR based system or vice versa. All we can do is hope for an adapter or maybe a possible mod (swapping out the cable) that allows us to use our old motors with the new PF2 stuff.

I wonder why they don't just show us the new PF2 parts and connectors. The Chinese know what those bits look like anyway. There's no point in hiding it from us any longer.

The Brothers  Brick have a photo of the App-Controlled Batmobile, you can see they are the Boost connectors. 

[obsidianheart]

So, the battery box/receiver look like it's 8x4x4 (maybe 8x4x3?), and I'm guessing it has a Boost-style cable slot at the back on the vertical face. Train motor looks about the same, but without better stand-alone pics I can't be sure.

Smaller footprint without the IR box, anyway.

 

EDIT: I just realized it looks like the 1x1 trans-clear round tiles are on a plate. Does that mean no lights?

Edited May 22, 2018 by obsidianheart

[technic70s]

9 minutes ago, obsidianheart said:

So, the battery box/receiver look like it's 8x4x4 (maybe 8x4x3?), and I'm guessing it has a Boost-style cable slot at the back on the vertical face. Train motor looks about the same, but without better stand-alone pics I can't be sure.

Smaller footprint without the IR box, anyway.

 

EDIT: I just realized it looks like the 1x1 trans-clear round tiles are on a plate. Does that mean no lights?

Only having two outputs in the new Battery Box/Receiver (is that what we call it) means that without a splitter cable or adaptor, it would be two motors or one motor and one set of lights, well lights if they bring out some new lights with the Boost connector. 

Maybe the lights fit into a hole in the nose cone, like the PF lights will fit inside hollow studs.

[JEB314 (James)]

I just really hope that:

1. TLG bring out a converter cable so I can use all my PF1 motors still.

2. TLG bring out a Y cable so more than one motor or lights can used, i.e. of the 2 ports, one for lights, one for motors.

3. TLG bring out a pole reverser / direction switch with the new plug ends, so I can have motors going it opposite directions like I'm able to do currently...

Edited May 22, 2018 by JEB314 (James)
Cnat speel!

[obsidianheart]

2 minutes ago, technic70s said:

Only having two outputs in the new Battery Box/Receiver (is that what we call it) means that without a splitter cable or adaptor, it would be two motors or one motor and one set of lights, well lights if they bring out some new lights with the Boost connector. 

This is a good point I had not considered! I forgot about stacking the lights onto the motor plug on the IR bow.

 

Hm.

[JEB314 (James)]

1 minute ago, obsidianheart said:

This is a good point I had not considered! I forgot about stacking the lights onto the motor plug on the IR bow.

 

Hm.

I've got a Horizon Express with 4 motors and 10 (yes 10!) lights, ideally I want to be able to repeat this kind of feat in the future, for example with the new passenger train!

Hope TLG has thought about that!

[technic70s]

2 minutes ago, JEB314 (James) said:

I've got a Horizon Express with 4 motors and 10 (yes 10!) lights, ideally I want to be able to repeat this kind of feat in the future, for example with the new passenger train!

Hope TLG has thought about that!

Me too, but I'm really worried. 

I believe the new Battery Box/Receiver is called a Powered Up Move Hub. 

[JEB314 (James)]

Just now, technic70s said:

Me too, but I'm really worried. 

I believe the new Battery Box/Receiver is called a Powered Up Move Hub. 

I hope I don't have to cut wires, get out a soldering iron, and make my own Y cables, etc!

I hope Lego have thought this all through properly!

[technic70s]

1 minute ago, JEB314 (James) said:

I hope I don't have to cut wires, get out a soldering iron, and make my own Y cables, etc!

I hope Lego have thought this all through properly!

The same, I don't cut cables, lol.

We need this Mock up Boot too PF 1.0 by Stephen, on Flickr

 

[JEB314 (James)]

32 minutes ago, technic70s said:

The same, I don't cut cables, lol.

We need this Mock up Boot too PF 1.0 by Stephen, on Flickr

 

And this:

Sorry it looks dreadful, my photoshop skills on a phone are less than ideal!

[Bartosz]

Since the boost connectors are released, is there an info for what the wires are assigned to, somewhere?

Oh, just found this:

 

Edited May 22, 2018 by Bartosz
a link

[JEB314 (James)]

Just been looking up previous times Lego made converter cables, and also aftermarket and home made ways of connecting things!

-

Never knew this even existed, but Lego made a converter cable between NXT and 9V.

Therefore, if used in conjuction with the 9v to PF cable (8886) its possible to power a PF motor off an NXT...

Also, there's a way of doing NXT to PF directly: 

Thus, this involves less cables!

-

34 minutes ago, Bartosz said:

Since the boost connectors are released, is there an info for what the wires are assigned to, somewhere?

This might help upon studying!

As for Boost to 9V and PF, Jorge Pereira has found a way and posted it on Youtube:

-

Overall, I imagine some form of converter cable from PF2 to PF1 will happen, looking at past examples, we just need to make sure Lego knows there is demand for it! Although, I'm sure they can see from the sales of 8886 that there's people out there that like compatibility!

-

Hope that helped a little / opened some new ideas to people!

-

34 minutes ago, Bartosz said:

Oh, just found this:

 

Haha, we stumbled across the same video!

Edited May 22, 2018 by JEB314 (James)

[Bricked1980]

Brickset have updated their pages for the new city trains and added a couple more pics including the the box art from the back of the packaging. Here is the page for the passenger train and the new pic shows a bit of detail from the interior of the carriages.

https://brickset.com/sets/60197-1/Passenger-Train

Also on the equivalent page for the cargo train is a pic from the back of that box as well.

[JEB314 (James)]

For those that wanted the battery box dimensions:

We know its 4×8×Something studs! I'm going with the something being 4ish studs, its definitely more than 3 studs that some predicted!

[Eaglefan344]

After seeing all the photos, I like the cargo train less and the passenger train more.

[JEB314 (James)]

As for the cables and plug locations on the battery box, the batmobile might help with that!

 

[Eaglefan344]

19 minutes ago, JEB314 (James) said:

As for the cables and plug locations on the battery box, the batmobile might help with that!

 

Why are there 2 cables? Wouldn't it just need 1 for the motor?

[JEB314 (James)]

So these cables have 6 wires, and you need a studs length of plug space, right, thats going to help a lot with moc planning!

Hmm, wonder what that might mean for compatibility...

Also wonder why they need 6 instead of 4!

What extra component types do you think we might see? Sensors?

1 minute ago, Eaglefan344 said:

Why are there 2 cables? Wouldn't it just need 1 for the motor?

It has 2 independent motors, one for each side, might buy one just to experiment with train concepts!

[Carefree_Dude]

8 hours ago, Toxic43 said:

Yes! Finally! Just click here to see the page on Promobricks.

Worryingly, it does say that the Bluetooth technology is not compatible with older train products. Big concern for me as I'm so heavily invested in PF1.

I took that phrase as saying the bluetooth can't control the old receivers. I'm also assuming that the connectors are different though, and we will need an adapter. The fact that PF got a standard 9V adapter tells me that an adapter could be possible. 

EDIT: I missed there was an entire next page with pictures of connectors 
 

Edited May 22, 2018 by Goldenmasamune

[Dav1d]

https://brickset.com/sets/60197-1

The 'Blueprint' images of the track and trains is different. The passenger train looks especially strange as its 

drawn straight on a section of curved track.

 

  

Edited May 22, 2018 by Dav1d
added image

[JEB314 (James)]

Just now, Dav1d said:

The 'Blueprint' images of the track and trains is different. The passenger train looks especially strange as its drawn straight on a section of curved track. 

Yeah, I don't quite understand that!

At least the other one its actually on the track!

 

[ElectroDiva]

6 hours ago, JEB314 (James) said:

I've got a Horizon Express with 4 motors and 10 (yes 10!) lights, ideally I want to be able to repeat this kind of feat in the future, for example with the new passenger train!

I hate to ask, but why on earth did you feel the need to stuff 4 motors and 10 lights into a Horizon Express? :)

 

6 hours ago, technic70s said:

We need this Mock up Boot too PF 1.0 by Stephen, on Flickr

 

Absolutely. They will alienate PF1 users if there isn’t some sort of solution to use old PF1 gear.

 

The lack of controller backwards compatibility is understandable (you can’t expect them to support both Bluetooth and IR), but not making a simple adapter cable available would be inexcusable.

[Carefree_Dude]

I hope the adapters aren't silly long like the PF to 9V ones

[JEB314 (James)]

2 hours ago, ElectroDiva said:

I hate to ask, but why on earth did you feel the need to stuff 4 motors and 10 lights into a Horizon Express? :)

Well, no-one has done it before!

I did it for 3 reasons mainly:

1. To test the ability of power functions.

2. To have a train that looks great in the dark.

3. Because TLG hadn't released a great train in years, so I had to keep myself busy somehow!

Info:

I've got it set up so that there is 2 circuits in the 6 car unit.

In power car 1 is a rechargeable battery box and an IR receiver (on setting 3). On the red channel, it has the 2 motors at each end of the train, therefore 4 in total. On the blue channel is the headlights and tail lights, therefore 2.

In power car 2 is also a rechargeable battery box and an IR receiver (on setting 4). On the red channel is 1 light per carriage, therefore 4. On the blue channel is 1 light per carriage, therefore another 4.

Totalling the 4 motors and 10 lights!

Now why have I done that I hear you ask! (Not mad at all!)

I have a train occupying 4 of the 8 channels, (not seen that done before!) 

I also have the ability to control the trains movement, external and internal light independently, as well as vary the amount of light internally to a level not even necessary!

It really is a mess of cables I must say!

I challenge anyone to make a more ridiculous 6 car unit!

Unfortunately the entire train is in storage at the moment, otherwise I'd shoot a video showing it off!

(I'm currently planning a more ridiculous train with more motors and more lights, possibly sbricks or buwizz technology! Though its becoming quite a task! If its ever finished I'll be sure to create a thread on it!)

Hope that gives the long answer to what should've otherwise been a short one! 

[dr_spock]

6 hours ago, Eaglefan344 said:

Why are there 2 cables? Wouldn't it just need 1 for the motor?

The bat mobile has skid steering it would seem.  One motor drives the left wheels, another one drives the right wheels.  To turn, one side stops and the other moves.  Or one side goes forward and the other side goes reverse.