On 6/22/2018 at 1:45 PM, Goldenmasamune said:

That is a really nice looking hogwarts express. it puts all the official models to shame 

Yes, you are keeping several steps ahead of the lego folks, excellent build and rebuild!

On 6/22/2018 at 4:47 PM, ZANTHERA said:

I'm happy to see people still talking about my Hogwarts Express after having built it so long ago, that is actually quite an old version and due to many new elements and some parts from this new Hogwarts Express set I took to refining my design.

Hi Zanthera,

Can you embed pictures with a maximum width of 1024 pixels? You can use Flickr to host hi-res images and link to a smaller version. Bricksafe works great too. If you use imgur make sure to upload a 1024 version. 

Thanks.

6 hours ago, Jim said:

Hi Zanthera,

Can you embed pictures with a maximum width of 1024 pixels? You can use Flickr to host hi-res images and link to a smaller version. Bricksafe works great too. If you use imgur make sure to upload a 1024 version. 

Thanks.

Yea sure I can do, as you can see I don't post here often. Could I ask why though? any particular reason for 1024 wide?

14 minutes ago, ZANTHERA said:

Yea sure I can do, as you can see I don't post here often. Could I ask why though? any particular reason for 1024 wide?

No problem. We enforce a maximum rule to avoid long loading times for other users. I know we don't host the pictures ourselves, but if we all start embedding very large pictures, the page will load slowly.

Just now, Jim said:

No problem. We enforce a maximum rule to avoid long loading times for other users. I know we don't host the pictures ourselves, but if we all start embedding very large pictures, the page will load slowly.

Ah I see, makes sense. I can go and edit those other posts with smaller images if you'd like.

1 minute ago, ZANTHERA said:

Ah I see, makes sense. I can go and edit those other posts with smaller images if you'd like.

That would be so awesome!  

Thanks!

19 minutes ago, Jim said:

That would be so awesome!  

Thanks!

Done, I'll make sure to remember the 1024 rule for next time.

15 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

Yes, you are keeping several steps ahead of the lego folks, excellent build and rebuild!

Thanks, I have been thinking of either getting some of the connecting rods you offer or making some for my own, as much as I'd like to keep the loco as original LEGO as possible I kinda had to throw that out the window using BBB wheels. I have brick built rods for now made of the old technic plates which many tend to use.

I'd love to be able to have my design be made into a UCS type of set and have LEGO make XL drivers themselves in the same design as their smaller wheels.

Edited June 26, 20186 yr by ZANTHERA

 

Gonna guess the new Powered Up battery goes in the open space in the tender (I can't watch the sound on the video, if that's already confirmed there)? And the motor goes under it?

Zanthera, I wonder if you could show/tell us what sort of structure you have inside the boiler please? I've been trying to do a boiler that size for a while and could never quite work it out.

On 7/3/2018 at 4:25 AM, obsidianheart said:

Gonna guess the new Powered Up battery goes in the open space in the tender (I can't watch the sound on the video, if that's already confirmed there)? And the motor goes under it?

No the battery box is the same size as the tender so cannot fit in it, this new set was absolutely not designed to be powered.

 

On 7/3/2018 at 1:59 PM, Kalahari134 said:

Zanthera, I wonder if you could show/tell us what sort of structure you have inside the boiler please? I've been trying to do a boiler that size for a while and could never quite work it out.

The boiler design is quite old and is known as "cheese boiler" so all you have to do is search that and you'll find out how it's made.

Cheers, found the thread now.

On 5/20/2018 at 4:34 AM, JEB314 (James) said:

Track packs are relatively inexpensive, so that should keep most happy enough, and for those hardcore 9V people out there, like myself, it means we don't have to acquire too much of 'Satan's Track'!

Ahh you young 'uns with your fancy 9V. I'm still on 12V, the true hardcore Lego Train-nerds track.

3 hours ago, bigginsd said:

Ahh you young 'uns with your fancy 9V. I'm still on 12V, the true hardcore Lego Train-nerds track.

 And still the best ;)

To bring things back on topic, I suppose one can put the tender body on a 12v, 9v, PF, or PU motor for a tender driven train. However, I think the old 4.5v train motor might be too big. Once I get this set, I will experiment with my old 4.5v motor. The great thing is that the gauge of the track has not changed for all you 12v and 9v train heads out there. You can still run it on your existing track. (I know, I know, I'm stating the obvious) but I think its silly how one camp likes to think their old technology is (insert your preferred adjective here) than all the others. We can all agree on one thing: Lego trains, regardless of the technology that drives them along the track (brumming included) are just plain cool.

So, I'm looking forward to getting this set, and would like to get at least one additional copy.

14 hours ago, ALCO said:

But I think its silly how one camp likes to think their old technology is (insert your preferred adjective here) than all the others. We can all agree on one thing: Lego trains, regardless of the technology that drives them along the track (brumming included) are just plain cool.

So, I'm looking forward to getting this set, and would like to get at least one additional copy.

Sorry to ramble off topic, it's usually something that drives me crazy in forums. I was just joking, the remote control accessories are the only thing superior in 12V. I don't think it was overall a better format by any means. PF is a cinch to set-up for kids so I can understand why LEGO went in that direction. 

I love the new Hogwarts Express, they strode a very fine line to produce a train that is cheap enough for most parents to afford, can be played with without track (because of the genius wheel locking mechanism). I'm fine that they cut costs with no track or magnets, and most Train fans have their own track in different formats so I think they did a good job not to include it. If the tender had been a couple of studs longer to fit a battery box and motor it would have been perfection for the market they are going for. A good jumping off point for a MOC, what more could we hope for? Creator Expert Trains were awesome, but I still take greatest pride in my custom Trains so this will help with making those.

Wow, so it looks like the new Hogwarts Express locomotive has enough space for a motor and a number of gears. Cool!

 

 

Edited July 10, 20186 yr by Gideon8
(Typo)

3 hours ago, Gideon8 said:

Wow, so it looks like the new Hogwarts Express locomotive has enough space for a motor and a number of gears. Cool!

 

 

Did he cut lego apart to make that work? That seems excessive considering the parts he "created" with cutting more or less already exist. 

1 hour ago, Goldenmasamune said:

Did he cut lego apart to make that work? That seems excessive considering the parts he "created" with cutting more or less already exist. 

I couldn't see any modified elements, where in the video is this?

28 minutes ago, ZANTHERA said:

I couldn't see any modified elements, where in the video is this?

Go to 14:14. He cut the bottom out of that piece it looks like. 

6 minutes ago, Goldenmasamune said:

Go to 14:14. He cut the bottom out of that piece it looks like. 

Oh blimey yea, why the hell did he do that, that totally exists as two separate elements and could have been done without ruining an element forever.

He did that because there were no hollow stud variants on Bricklink in red, which is because it only came in red in the solid stud version! What kind of plonker mutilates an element because they don't look for a suitable version properly.

Edited July 10, 20186 yr by ZANTHERA

1 minute ago, ZANTHERA said:

Oh blimey yea, why the hell did he do that, that totally exists as two separate elements and could have been done without ruining an element forever.

He did that because there were no hollow stud variants on Bricklink in red, which is because it only came in red in the solid stud version! What kind of plonker mutilates an element because they don't look for a suitable version properly.

A grievous crime against bricks has been committed. 

 

I just got my copy tonight. Did any one else have trouble with the axle holders? Mine seemed like I had to really caress them into place. 

On 7/10/2018 at 12:44 PM, Gideon8 said:

Wow, so it looks like the new Hogwarts Express locomotive has enough space for a motor and a number of gears. Cool!

Here's JANGBRICKS' motorization of the set:

 

19 hours ago, Digger of Bricks said:

Here's JANGBRICKS' motorization of the set:

 

@Digger of Bricks, thanks for the video! His ingenious set up with the M-motor and the IR receiver in the locomotive is amazing! It does not look too difficult either! If I do this way, I want to find a tan Technic Axle 6 and use it in place of the black one. I also want to try with the PF train motor under the tender and see how fast it can go without derailing! Haha. I hope the red window frames will continue to be rather cheap so we can BL more carriages. Is there any third party sticker maker in USA or something we can do ourselves so we can get or make more stickers for the carriages? 

@Goldenmasamune, whoa, I didn't notice the piece manipulations in that video. Thanks for shedding a light on it. 

Edited July 16, 20186 yr by Gideon8