[GBC] Akiyuki Train System: Type 2 mods and improvements

[doug72]

Double crossover reverser module (Completed) (Video)

3D printed crossover received today along with the small gift of a buffer stop.

Quality is very good and operation of switches is very smooth. Testing carried out and correct setting of the four switches made.
Train cars ride very smoothly along the track and pass through the switches in “wrong” direction without any problem.

Made a small MOD to the Red reverser, so that the trigger hits the train trip bar more centrally.
To achieve this the  2L axle connector bewtween the two reversers was replaced by a 3L ribbed axle connector (white) and red red reverser shifted by 1L.
Each reverser only requires one Red rubber band.

Video:-
Showing operation of the module linked to two other reversers for testing the 3D printed double crossover unit.
Final set up will be linked to the Rotary Dumper & Loader modules.

 

Edited August 16, 2018 by Doug72

[dunes]

Great Doug.

I dont have space atm to built a test drive. But try to free some over the weekend.

Added your mods to mine aswell

PS: Is it time for a new LDD file ?

Edited August 16, 2018 by dunes
question added

[doug72]

8 minutes ago, dunes said:

PS: Is it time for a new LDD file ?

The build is as per the Akiyuki instructions apart from the two rubber band reversers so that should suffice.

Had a slight issue with one train sometimes not entering far enough to engage the 24T gear when train running switch end first on the track that drives differential & the two reversers.

 Part of the underside of the PF switch sometimes snags the XOO cross blocks that keep the 8T gear engaged with 24T gear.

 I,ll post a image tomorrow. Changed the two cross XOO blocks to XO cross blocks and now OK.

Found track from crossover track has to slope up and then level up to match the reverser module so that the train engages with the rack section properly.

Had it running on test for a long time now, 

[dunes]

52 minutes ago, Doug72 said:

Had a slight issue with one train sometimes not entering far enough to engage the 24T gear when train running switch end first on the track that drives differential & the two reversers.

 Part of the underside of the PF switch sometimes snags the XOO cross blocks that keep the 8T gear engaged with 24T gear.

Had that too on my short test run. Looking forward to see your pics.

btw LXF file done.

[doug72]

10 hours ago, dunes said:

Had that too on my short test run. Looking forward to see your pics.

btw LXF file done.

 

Double crossover reverser module.

Sometimes the train fails to engage fully with the 24T gear that drives the differential & the two reversers, especially when train is running with the PF switch forward.
Traced this to the PF switch underside sonetimes snagging on the two LEGO Technic Cross Block 1 x 3 (Axle/Pin/Pin) (42003).

Changed to LEGO Beam 1 x 2 with Axle Hole and Pin Hole (60483 / 74695)
The rounded end helps to engage the train better and still keep the 8T gear engaged with the 24T gear.

The other reverser is OK.

Also found that if the rubber band for the trip to unlock the differential, as train reverses, is too tight,  that this also impedes the train as it enters, a slacker blue band used instead of a red band.

Edited August 17, 2018 by Doug72

[Ankoku]

Akiyuki is getting some LEGO Group love again.

I really wish that LEGO would actually support the GBC community by making it easier to buy balls. Especially the old soccer/basketball ones.

[doug72]

PV Productions now supply orange Basket Balls, White soccer balls and Glow in the dark balls.

https://pv-productions.com/product/lego-gbc-balls/

Now replaced all shock absorbers with rubber bands reversers and all working OK.

Time to set up my train layout now all the modules have been built, IF I can find enough space !!

Edited August 19, 2018 by Doug72

[Ankoku]

For the LEGO purist, that really isn't the way forward.

[doug72]

1 hour ago, Ankoku said:

For the LEGO purist, that really isn't the way forward.

The rubber bands are Made by Lego and therefore legal.

Red band :- LEGO Rubber Band 25 mm (22433 / 44609 / 70904)
Blue band :- LEGO Rubber Band 26 mm (44609 / 85560 / 700051)

Edited August 19, 2018 by Doug72

[Ankoku]

I was talking about the balls.

[doug72]

15 minutes ago, Ankoku said:

I was talking about the balls.

They are the closest you can get, easily available and roll just as well

I brought some white Etsy balls and they tend to stop  on the dimple caused by the holes.

Edited August 19, 2018 by Doug72

[Ankoku]

That is my point though, the reason why I posted in the first place. I just find it baffling that the LEGO Group will celebrate Akiyuki's GBC system, whilst continuing to make it difficult for those who build and show these things at LEGO events to get official LEGO balls.

[Berthil]

5 hours ago, Ankoku said:

That is my point though, the reason why I posted in the first place. I just find it baffling that the LEGO Group will celebrate Akiyuki's GBC system, whilst continuing to make it difficult for those who build and show these things at LEGO events to get official LEGO balls.

There are not many balls in the Akiyuki video :)
May be try a membership of a LUG (LEGO User Group) and see if you can get the balls through the LUG.

Edited August 19, 2018 by Berthil

[RohanBeckett]

yes, it's not a lot... but there's an increasing amount of balls appearing in various friends/city/creator sets lately!

things like this can only help the 2ndhand market, when BL sellers part out 100's of sets.

 

But yes.. join a LUG, and get access to LUGBulk :)

[Ankoku]

It is no an issue about me needing them. I bought mine back many moons ago.

My point is more about the LEGO Group just making it far harder than it needs to be for the GBC community, yet at the same time celebrating it. There is a certain irony to it.

The fact that you have guides on how to buy balls kinda says it all.

[doug72]

Dougs Layout - started.

Having built all the modules now and obtained a 3D printed double crossover, the first stage of assembling the layout has began.

Only space large enough to assemble is the conservatory by kind permisson of my wife !!

Tried both settings for the double crossover switches and determined which best and how long the track run to the loader module & back has to be so trains don’t run into each other on the crossover. Determined that the best is straight run into double reverser, that way the time delay between 1st & 2nd train releases is always the same.

Position of loader module will be as shown or at right angle depending if I use the through module or reverser only.

Stage 2:-
Add loader to transfer balls from rotary dumper to train hopper and transfer to the unloader / loader modules.

Note:-
Train will enter the through module to be  loaded - then be reversed by a 4 lobe reverser before passing back through module & return to crossover unit.

I may try and use a Vee reverser to change the loading direction.

 

 

Train Units:-
Now built a 3rd train and it is much faster than the other two I have built. Think I have found a source of friction that is slowing them down.
The end stop on the 2 axles that link the drive to both train wheel axles is rubbing on the edges of 1L bush spacer - evidence of dust when exmained.

See image which shows the problem - solved by using plain 4L & 5L axles.

Edited August 20, 2018 by Doug72

[Berthil]

Nice layout @Doug72! Greetings to your wife being so kind to let you build up your circuit 

I've implemented almost all your improvements, thanks for you hard work! It seems to work very well and easy to time.

Here a first tryout, transition lift to dumper I already made smoother, it's fine tuning lift height before it stops without falling down.

Most important improvement I made was locking the grey gear because it ran out during my tests, probably because there was a too high force for a short time during testing but nevertheless. Behind that I made a construction to also connect the bottom technic rectangle better to the frame.

I had to redesign the catch tray because your timing mechanism is 1 stud wider and it touched the tray but it's doing very well now with maximum amount of balls.
Other modification I done is connecting the front ring on it's four corners to the carrier, the bottom left one is visible on the picture. It makes the whole carrier a bit more rigid so the front ring is following a bit better.
I'm also using the Lego lithium battery instead of AA batteries, train weight is 1/3 less but let's see how long it runs.

I have also rebuild the train, the Akiyuki version uses a 24 gear directly on the motor instead of 8 gear as in the reverse engineered train of Courbet. So that's why it's faster
I by the way just used a seven axle to drive the train because the 2l connecter between the 4 and 4 L axles with stopper was touching the bottom of my motor.

I will test the setup coming Sunday for 4 hours straight at an event and report back here.

Thanks again for all your hard work Doui!

Edited August 20, 2018 by Berthil

[doug72]

@Berthil Thanks for your comments, nice to see another rotary dumper working well and  I see you have used the rubber band version.
The elevator also gave me a lot of headaches with it dropping back down again, hopefully now resolved.
I have modified the guide beams so the sharp bump is eased.

Look forward to seeing a video of yours  in action at the event you are going to.

Thanks also to @dunes for doing all the LDD files.

Still sorting out the final set up of layout but have now tested with balls and running OK,  just a few snags to sort out - track lengths so trains don't idle too much.
Don't have the parts for the balloon loop so will use a 4 lobe reverser instead which halves the time it takes to reverse the train.

Once reliable will make a video.

Eventually it will reside alongside my Lego train layout in the loft (attic)

[doug72]

@Berthil  Most important improvement I made was locking the grey gear because it ran out during my tests,

I have not had that problem but I like your solution to stop the grey drive slipping off, the axle, worthy of adding this as a MOD to the LDD file.

Edited August 20, 2018 by Doug72

[dunes]

Test run. Rotary Dumper and Loop

still some minor issues. modified the train axles with 4L and 5L without stop.

[doug72]

Doug’s GBC Train System. Video Done.

Now finalised the layout & tested with balls. Some minor tweaking required but now running smoothly and reliably. 
Only one ball escaped the rotary dumper and has disappeared in the conservatory somewhere ! 
This was due to to ball build up at entrance to the loader as dumper chute slope too shallow - now corrected.

When transferred to the loft the layout will be more linear to fit the width available, so will probably use Vee reversers instead of the wide curves to turn 180 degs.

The passing siding module not used as it it quite long taking up a lot of space with the two track switches plus passing module. Also sometimes failed.

The two loaders need a few more bars on the conveyors to carry more balls & even out the train loads.

Next project:- 
A through Rotary Dumper for the blue shuttle train, which will require a separate ball hopper wagon.!

Video of system running:- Ambient Temp. 35 C.

 

 

Edited August 21, 2018 by Doug72

[Berthil]

Excellent!

You have more balls in the circuit than Akiyuki :)

@dunes, thanks for the LDD files, very helpful when building the mods of Doug.

[doug72]

Train Car units:

Now changed the 4L axle / 2L axle connector / 5L axle combination to a plain 9L axle that drives the two train wheel axles.
This eliminates the possibility of the 2L axle connector rubbing on the underside of the M motor.

There is a noticable improvement with smoother running and less power consumption.
Now using AA rechargable batteries in all train units.

Train Layout,
More balls needed to even out the distribuion around the layout, at times the Blue shuttle train runs with an empty hopper until next rotary dumper cycle.
Might make a simplified through delay unit to lengthen the time the shuttle train runs between loader / unloader / loader and / or use a four lobe reverser for the loader.
There is no room to increase track length at the moment.

Edited August 22, 2018 by Doug72

[dunes]

4 hours ago, Doug72 said:

Train Car units:

Now changed the 4L axle / 2L axle connector / 5L axle combination to a plain 9L axle that drives the two train wheel axles.
This eliminates the possibility of the 2L axle connector rubbing on the underside of the M motor.

There is a noticable improvement with smoother running and less power consumption.
Now using AA rechargable batteries in all train units.

Why haven't we seen this earlier?? 4+5 = 9 

Im using also rechargable batteries (Eneloop) in my trains. They work well.

[doug72]

9 minutes ago, dunes said:

Why haven't we seen this earlier?? 4+5 = 9 

Im using also rechargable batteries (Eneloop) in my trains. They work well.

I found a low cost source at the local market at 1/3rd normal price for a pack of 4 Energizer AA recharge batteries and with a 6 battery charger from Lidl they are sufficient for my needs.

Fine tuning my layout and performing well.