TRAIN TECH Help, General Questions & Talk to the Staff

[kieran]

I am just starting put with Trains also, this has been very helpfull

[WesternOutlaw]

What are the different scales mention here... Can any 4.5/12/9/RC be run with any scale, or What do builders usually stick with?

I've moved this to our general question topic.

[ringleheim]

I am new to Lego trains and have been studying up on the various sets over the last several days.

The question is: which one to get?

I think I have it narrowed down to the Emerald Night and the Maersk, as they seem to be on a higher level than all the other Lego trains to date.

Honorable mention goes to the red freight train, simply b/c I like the design of the locomotive in that set.

I do not mind having to buy all the bits and pieces a la carte in order to get a running train.

Are there any weird issues with the Emerald Night or Maersk I should know about?

Is there anything to watch out for? I assume many here own ALL of the Lego trains ever made! I'm hoping to tap into your knowledge and experience in getting a really good train set.

Thank you!

Edited July 5, 2012 by TheBrickster
Moved your question to our General Question topic.

[JopieK]

The emerald had strange problems indeed. Rest of the trains are just fine. Have fun choosing! Btw flex track isn't a winner but the normal track is very ok. The battery is expensive but works very well!

[ringleheim]

The emerald had strange problems indeed. Rest of the trains are just fine. Have fun choosing! Btw flex track isn't a winner but the normal track is very ok. The battery is expensive but works very well!

Thanks for your reply.

What are the strange problems with the Emerald Night, and are they severe enough to avoid purchasing the set?

I prefer the aesthetics of the Emerald Night over the Maersk so I am curious as to what it's problems are.

No one seems to mention them, at least in video reviews on youtube!

[Artifex]

Trying to get into trains, I have another question: are the flexible tracks good?

I mean, value-for-money-wise, is it better to buy a set of nothing but flexible tracks or the set with straight tracks and a few flexible tracks?

You can make straight tracks out of the flexible ones, isn't it? But how many do you actually need for that?

Or should I just get both sets of tracks?

Edited July 10, 2012 by TheBrickster
Moved/merged topic to General Train Questions topic.

[kyphur]

Get the set that has both flex & straight track.

Here are some examples of uses for flex track: The Many Uses of Flex Track.

Personally I own over 1,300 pieces of flex track. 4 pieces = 1straight.

[gifinim]

Flex is fine, just a bit loud if it's on a wooden floor!

[Legotom]

I like the flex tracks, can be very useful. However i would get straight tracks too. I found, on a wooden floor, that the straight run of flex track i had laid would go snaky after a few runs of a heavy train (the red cargo engine). You can use plates or tiles to stop that and make the flex track ridged. I'd say get whatever you can though, as I find it hard to find track packs around my way.

[Lord Of Pies]

Looking at the review index it seems that no one has done a review of 4512 Cargo Train. That happens to be one of the only train sets I do own so I might do a review of it if their is any interest. I haven't reviewed a set for about 2 years I would guess.

[legolijntje]

Hi,

I''m not really into Lego trains, but I came across this document on the Lego site. And now, I'm curious; what's the Bricklink number of this one? I already searched, but searching a part on Bricklink whan you only saw a picture is very dificult

Edited August 3, 2012 by TheBrickster
Question moved to the Train Tech Question topic.

[Rick]

And now, I'm curious; what's the Bricklink number of this one? I already searched, but searching a part on Bricklink whan you only saw a picture is very dificult

Uhm... set number 88002 ... as indicated in the document you linked to.

[legolijntje]

Uhm... set number 88002 ... as indicated in the document you linked to.

Oops

I totally looked over it. Thanks

[Legotom]

It's the current Power Functions train motor. Needs a battery box and IR receiver to function. And wheels, but they come with it ;)Probably the most powerful train motor that Lego have made, mostly due to the fact that it can have traction tyres.

[funkdis]

It's the current Power Functions train motor. Needs a battery box and IR receiver to function. And wheels, but they come with it ;)Probably the most powerful train motor that Lego have made, mostly due to the fact that it can have traction tyres.

more powerful than 9v?

[LEGO Guy Bri]

more powerful than 9v?

Yes, here is a chart comparing the all the 9V motors, among them the 9V, RC, and PF

[IAmWillGibson]

What Did I Just Buy?

Hello Train people,

I need some help explaining what I bought. So here's the story: I have the Emerald Night, kitted-up with IR gear. That's the extend of my Train involvement. I was shopping online last week, trying to get to 75 bucks for the free shipping, and I though, hey, this 8866 Train motor's been on sale forever, and it's 8 bucks [Canadian], so why not? So I added it, assuming I'd be able to use it somehow with the other gear to make some silly little train at some point without having to take apart the EN for the motor and gears buried in it. But I just opened it.. and... huh?

I probably should have looked over some reviews, but regardless of the techy issues of slippage and power and other such things I'm too bush-league to have an opinion on, what do I need to make the thing even work? Which wires are available, and will they plug into the other kit I have? I've got the 88000 battery box and the 8884/8879 remote stuff.

Thanks for any quick primers you can give. Even though the thing was cheap, I don't wanna regret having bought it, and I certainly don't want to just buy a cable only to have it be the wrong one.

Edited September 8, 2012 by TheBrickster
Question moved to our Question Topic

[domboy]

I believe what you need to make the 8866 train motor work is a Power Functions Extension Wire, such as:

8886 Power Functions Extension Wire

8871 Power Functions Extension Wire 20”

The latter only if you need a really long one. I believe You could also use an older 9V cable if you happen to have one (I've heard of people connecting this motor to the 9V motors).

Edited September 7, 2012 by domboy

[Hrw-Amen]

Glass for train door windows?

I am wondering if anyone can help me here?

I have of late been building some small green twin axle passenger coaches to go with one of my turn of the century (19th/20th.) engines and I have been using the nice green train doors, (Bricklink parts 4181/4182.) which make building them so much easier.

However I cannot find out what type of glass those doors take, it seems to have two little notches for fittings on the top and bottom from what I can see on the doors.

Now it is not a huge problem and does not overly detract from the MOCs but I would like to include the glass in the doors if possible so if someone can give me the Bricklink part number for it that would be great.

I will post pictures soon, but I am just finishing the brake van first. I plan to make some larger bogied versions once there are finished as I like the look of green carriages as they remind me of those that used to run near where I live on the Southern Railways years ago.

I have to say that I understood these small twin and tripple axle coaches were phased out by the time of the second world war, but talking to my mother last week she assured me they were still used in the late 1950's to early 1960's on the branch line that ran behind her house where I grew up and she can recall travelling in them on occasion.

Still, I waffle. If anyone has the part no's for the glass I would appreciate it.

Thanks.

Edited September 10, 2012 by TheBrickster
Topic moved to our Train Tech Question Topic

[roamingstop]

A quick inventory check would show http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?S=3735-1

Which uses http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=4183

[cimddwc]

Even faster: If you're already on the item page http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=4181 just scroll down below the colorful Item Availability table and see "This Window fits with the following Glass(s): Part 4183 Glass for Train Door"

[Hrw-Amen]

OK thanks.

I have to say I have never looked under the catalogue button before, I was trying to use the search facility to look through all the train related products but it was taking forever.

[juzo]

Hey all,

I'm in the process of buying another 10219 set and just wanted to know what i would need to power the second engine as i'm going for a long setup and will need the pulling power.

So basically my question is, can i just get away with buying another 88002 motor and extension and run it off the front battery box and controller or will i need another complete pf setup for the second engine?

Any help would be greatly appreciated as i don't want to buy what i don't need!

Thanks guys.

[peterab]

Hey all,

I'm in the process of buying another 10219 set and just wanted to know what i would need to power the second engine as i'm going for a long setup and will need the pulling power.

So basically my question is, can i just get away with buying another 88002 motor and extension and run it off the front battery box and controller or will i need another complete pf setup for the second engine?

Any help would be greatly appreciated as i don't want to buy what i don't need!

Thanks guys.

Each receiver can safely handle (at least) two train motors, so it depends how many you've used on your first engine. I'd recommend using two motors on the same engine because I've experienced less slippage with this than single motors, and it avoids tying two engines together.

If you need to find out the maximum number of PF train motors, I'm pretty sure the Technic forum will be able to tell you both the current draw of a PF train motor, and the maximum current the PF receiver can handle from which you can work it out.

[Man with a hat]

can i just get away with buying another 88002 motor and extension and run it off the front battery box and controller or will i need another complete pf setup for the second engine?

I found no problems using two motors as Peterab also mentioned. I run both motors from the same receiver. The only thing I added was the PF switch 8869. It then takes some fidling around to fit it all, but you can do that by removing some brick from the inside without compromising anything of the outside looks.