[MOC] Ruby Eclipse

[mahjqa]

Based on the Reading 1251 , which itself was a one-off prototype Frankensteined together from leftover parts of a I-2a class 2-8-0.

The words "based on" are doing a lot of heavy lifting here. The proportions are slightly off, the colourscheme is all the way different, and the included coal tender doesn't really make sense for a shunter.
And that's how we get to this topic. I've made trains with free instructions before, and may want to do so again.

However, before I start wasting both my time and yours, I'd like to know if there's any interest in instructions for a train like this. I hear steam train fans are very realism-oriented.
I'd like to give a rundown of the features, and I would love to hear if there's improvements I can make before I start the whole instructions thing.

Starting off; the mechanism. My goal was to mount the motor as low to the ground as possible, to get more room for details. Gearing right now is 1:1 Also, the coupling rods assembly won't seize up. Trouble-free running ahoy!

The battery tender is designed so switching batteries and minimizing wire length is as easy as possible. Transparent parts at the back allow for checking the status light.

I still want to make some adjustments to the model before making instructions. On the to-do list are:

1. Adjusting the proportions where possible. The front hangs over quite a bit, and I'm sure this can be improved.
2. Making the model easier to construct. The front assembly has some math that while legal, might not be entirely Euclidean.
3. Where possible, substitute expensive or hard-to-find parts.
4. Structural integrity. Right now the model is pretty damn solid, but I still have some improvements in mind.

So, how do you like the model? Would you be interested in instructions? Any improvements that would be welcome? I'd love to hear them.

Edited December 14, 2024 by mahjqa

[idlemarvel]

Lovely model. Very impressed with the compact drive mechanism. Thanks for sharing. 

[zephyr1934]

The engine and tender both have a good look to them. I particularly like the "curved everywhere" on the tender, and the yellow stripe adds a nice touch. The locomotive is very clean too, a good looker.

Should you improve it? Only if you want to. It is odd to see a locomotive with its own coal bunker also pull a tender. As a train head I would think either go without the tender or go without the coal bunker. If you went without the tender I bet you could make a nice self-contained engine with a circuit cube bluetooth motor set. If you modified the locomotive to eliminate the on-board coal bunker, by the end of that endeavor it would be a completely different build. So nothing wrong keeping it as is.

Well... okay... there is one thing, the gap between the engine and tender seems too large. What if you moved the cab back 1 stud (without changing the cab or coal bunker) so that it is above the buffer beam; then extend the tender 1 stud forward and 1 stud back just to make the gaps smaller.

Oh, and clever trick using a rocker for the connecting rods instead of a piston

[Feuer Zug]

Good looking locomotive. Even if the history is a bit off, the work is solid. As mentioned by @zephyr1934, the gap between the cab and bunker is a bit long. That would be my only change recommendation.

[FGMatt]

Agree with the point above about the bunker and tender seeming a bit odd - I'd move the cab back slightly (giving a longer boiler) and remove the bunker. That could also line-up the ladder with the entrances, which seem a bit awkward at the moment. 

[mahjqa]

Thanks for your suggestions! I did some fiddlin'.

Well,as suggested- ditched the tender, moved both front and rear couplers inward. Boiler mounted 1 stud further to the rear, and one plate higher. Cab moved similarly.
Ladder-entrance distance is shortened a bit.

 

The now-inboard battery box compromises the look a bit, but since Circuit Cubes aren't my thing that can't be helped.

Any other bits that can be improved?

 

 

[zephyr1934]

I thought the original build looked good, but the new one tightens it up.

[mahjqa]

 

Busy putting together instructions, but I'm wondering about gearing. 
Lego's own trains that have been powered with L motors usually have 1:1 gearing (Emerald Night, Crocodile). 

Due to the low-mounted motor, this one is geared approximately 3:1 (three revolutions of the motor for one revolution of the driven wheels). 
This makes the model slower, but more powerful. Seeing as the original 1251  was mostly used for shunting duties, this seems appropriate. 

There is an alternate gearing solution I could implement, but that has two issues- 

1. It requires a 24z crown gear , which hasn't been in production since 2012 or so. 
2. The other gears are 8z gears - not really known for their sturdiness or reliability. 

 

So, does anyone here have a preference? The options as I see them are:

A- Slow, steady, reliable, made from commonly available parts

B- Faster but flimsier, made with out-of-production parts. 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 6 by mahjqa
added video

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

I always aim for power, in any case I think the possibility of the double configuration is clear.

Beautiful model with harmonious curves (the tender is a masterpiece)!

[zephyr1934]

On 1/6/2025 at 4:37 AM, mahjqa said:

So, does anyone here have a preference? The options as I see them are:

A- Slow, steady, reliable, made from commonly available parts

B- Faster but flimsier, made with out-of-production parts. 

I like the slow and steady, you get to actually see the rods move. Much faster and the rods just start to blur

[Murdoch17]

2 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

I like the slow and steady, you get to actually see the rods move. Much faster and the rods just start to blur

I second this notion. Slow and steady wins the race, as they say.