Do you think this Roller Coaster would actually work? From Lego Ideas

[LegoDW]

Hello all.  Was looking at Lego Ideas and came across this moc.  I think it looks great.  Unfortunately, don't believe TLG will ever offer this set (at 5000 votes currently).  Would be competing against the official Roller Coaster set TLG has out currently.  That got me thinking maybe this would be something to inspire a moc of my own.  I got the Creator 3 in 1 Pirate Roller Coaster with aspirations to motorize it.  Something like this moc would be many times better in my opinion.  

Not looking at the buildings and such, think all the track sections are available (not in gold, but in gray).  Not sure that first hill is high enough to keep the car moving thru the entire run.  The last hill to the on/off area to me seams like a long way to go.  There might be some decline in this part part of the run, difficult to see.  Wish the builder had a video with their submission.  Anyways, before I start dreaming on my moc, do you think this track arrangement would function if motorize?  

https://ideas.lego.com/projects/b85f394e-f73f-4bac-a37d-894792d39c7c

[autolycus]

FWIW, the Creator Expert Roller Coaster is expected to retire this year, so I don't think that sets would keep another roller coaster from being made. This one is MUCH smaller also, so they might consider it a good mid-level set for people who want a coaster a little bigger than the pirate coaster 3-in-1 set. Whether it will "work" is hard to tell just from these pictures. I suspect it stalls out in the mine because it probably loses speed going around the bend that's blocked from our view. It probably needs to start a little higher. But maybe not?

[LegoDW]

The creator expert roller coaster is retiring this year?  That seams too short of a run.  

[Merlict]

From my experience messing around with the tracks it would need a lot more height to run reliably. Way too much brown too haha.

[SollX]

The train would have to mutch friction i think. even in the first part after the small fitst drop. Only if you give it alot of speed with the wheels that are needed to get it through the first bend at the top like the oficial set has it might get to the 2nd drop

Edited April 30, 2020 by SollX

[neonic]

Don't know much about rollercoasters, Creator stuff or the working of your creation.
What I do know is that I like it. It has a real 'western' look with all those cactus and stuff. the Train looks nice too.

Maybe, just a thought, you can add some straight pieces to it? and fill in the cap next to the platform.

I just thought brown rails would be fitting better but than it's 'too brown'. This gold/ yellow is a nice solutions I think, or maybe grey fits better with the theme.

Anyhow, nice creation. Reminds me to that rollercoaster (also without loopings) in the Efteling. Nice ride.

[adwind]

8 hours ago, Merlict said:

From my experience messing around with the tracks it would need a lot more height to run reliably. Way too much brown too haha.

Should be fragile :) 

[TeriXeri]

Most of those  "Wild Mouse" type coasters use single carts unlike this IDEAS one.

I remember the Copper Mine in Drievliet for example. 

That's how I'd use it at least, single "mine" carts.

And the physics, the first drop really is tiny, so based on the first drop on the Pirate Roller Coaster, it likely won't make it to the second drop without an extra push. 

But that doesn't make this a bad IDEAS submission , I like the style a lot.

 

 

Edited April 30, 2020 by TeriXeri

[jus1973]

As for the physics of this, I think the main issue is the loss of momentum round the corners.  I think it needs to be a bit higher and a steeper drop to start.

as for the design, I really like it, and as I have the two creator coasters, this is potentially a great intermediate set.

[autolycus]

11 hours ago, LegoDW said:

The creator expert roller coaster is retiring this year?  That seams too short of a run.  

It came out in June 2018, so December 2020 would be 2 1/2 years. The Ferris Wheel ran from June 2015-December 2018 (3 1/2 years). Carousel ran from June 2017-December 2019 (2 1/2 years). I think there's a high risk of it retiring this year, and if not this year then almost definitely in 2021.

[LegoDW]

The late Ferris Wheel is one of my favorite sets.  Motorized it is a thing of beauty.  

[autolycus]

14 hours ago, LegoDW said:

The late Ferris Wheel is one of my favorite sets.  Motorized it is a thing of beauty.  

I really enjoy it too, but the motor is much louder than I had expected. I had never used the Lego power stuff before setting it up with the Ferris Wheel and Carousel. They're so loud it's quite distracting.

[LegoDW]

Yes, the motors are loud, I just consider it part of the ride.  We have the carousel also, both motorized (they share a battery pack as right next to each to other). Both are great sets, Ferris Wheel my favorite of the two.  Some of the led light kits are amazing for these.  Like your at a real fair/amusement park!

[dr_spock]

I don't think it is critical that the idea has working physics.  Some lucky TLG designers will get to sort it ouf if the idea submission makes it that far. 

 

[jus1973]

9 hours ago, LegoDW said:

Yes, the motors are loud, I just consider it part of the ride.  We have the carousel also, both motorized (they share a battery pack as right next to each to other). Both are great sets, Ferris Wheel my favorite of the two.  Some of the led light kits are amazing for these.  Like your at a real fair/amusement park!

Have you ever thought of trying to have just one motor and a gearbox to drive both?  Mine are packed up at the moment, but that’s my plan, if the motor can power them.  My other thought included a mindstorms program switching them on & off etc.

[LegoDW]

Have seen on Youtube one motor powering both sets.  In my setup, have both motors powered off one battery box (one motor has an extension cable so it can reach, power functions).  With the one motor setup, you can gear down the speed of the motor, thus slowing down the sets which is something I would like to do.  

Future plans were to just drive both these motors from a dc power source (one of the old 9 VDC train power supplies, adjusting speed of sets from this power supply).  With Power Up Hub (Power Functions 2.0) can have variable VDC output on two channel, one for each set.  Using the coding in the Power Up App can adjust speeds thus getting the same effect only better as you could make the rides stop and start on timers.  Wish the Power Up Hubs were a little more price friendly.  

[LucyCol]

The issue may be that there is no lift chain, (Lego like these things to work), and there doesn't seem to be a lot of space to put it in