lightningtiger Posted March 4, 2011 Author Posted March 4, 2011 I need some more advice.....what engine do I make using Lego parts, it must look realistic within reason of being Lego and it must also be currently running on Australian freight services ? Any information....I would be very grateful ! Quote
jonwil Posted March 5, 2011 Posted March 5, 2011 (edited) Put South Australian freight railway into google image search and you should get some ideas of some locomotives to build :) What sort of wagons is this freight train intended to carry? Edited March 5, 2011 by jonwil Quote
Hewman Posted March 5, 2011 Posted March 5, 2011 That's beautiful, mate, it has really come together well, I had trouble imagining how it would look all together after only seeing the individual sections, but it works magnificently. I love the shots with the gum trees in the background. Quote
lightningtiger Posted March 5, 2011 Author Posted March 5, 2011 Thanks 'jonwil' for your suggestion and 'hewman' for your kind comments ! I have tried Goggling SAR trains as well as AN and Pacific National, but something based on this maybe in PN colours..... As all as I can get the window frames in yellow ! Brick On Everyone ! Quote
Artifex Posted March 5, 2011 Posted March 5, 2011 So I spent a couple of weeks away (I´m moving to another city), and when I come back... Just WOW! LightningTiger, your main street is just GREAT! I was looking at the pics in the first post when my girlfriend came in. She said exactly what I was thinking|: "That's Lego? I thought it was a real town!" -- I guess no more comments are needed huh? I love the decals you are using -- they add so muuch for the realism of the MOC. Zac's Town feel so real! I feel like I could walk its streets right now... Great job, man! Quote
Gregorovich Posted March 5, 2011 Posted March 5, 2011 Looks great, Lightning Tiger! The techniques you've used on some of the walls look fantastic, and all the little details make it look very realistic. I think it would look better with some minifigures, but apart from that it's perfect. Thanks for sharing! Quote
lightningtiger Posted March 5, 2011 Author Posted March 5, 2011 Thanks for the kind words 'Gregorovich' and 'Artifex', I'm working on two towns, New Mannum and Zactown, the latter is my son's which is mostly Lego City sets with some MOC's of retro-inspired or fused era's of past Lego town/city sets ! New Mannum won't be growing any more until after the train show, as I hope to show both New Mannum and Zactown with seperate layouts. My trouble is the engine for the train track I might have to make it 8 wide, ouch, I'm good at designing buildings and even road vehicles, but I have never MOC'ed a train engine ! Ah, well.....keep on watching.....keep on suggestng Train Tech's ! Quote
lightningtiger Posted March 5, 2011 Author Posted March 5, 2011 Thanks 'dr_spock' for the suggestion, problem I only have 4 wide square windows and by the time I fill in the gaps with tiles as a SNOT job it will be 9 wide engine....that's not so bad eh ? Good idea, I'll make the front of that one tomorrow and post it, then see what people say ? Thanks again 'spock' ! Quote
lightningtiger Posted March 5, 2011 Author Posted March 5, 2011 On further research, the 422 will not be suitable, it is a Co-Co type, my RC motor is a Bo-Bo type....yep only two powered axles not three and unless someone can show me how to do three powered axles then that one is out.....back to square one again ! Quote
lightningtiger Posted March 5, 2011 Author Posted March 5, 2011 Now I'm thinking old school...... Class 500 series - only ever made in South Australia.....and I found the diagrams for it. Problem battery box will have go behind the engine itself and be a piece of rolling stock....of what I do not know yet. Any suggestions as always very, very welcome ! Quote
dr_spock Posted March 5, 2011 Posted March 5, 2011 How about the QR 3800 class? I think it is a Bo-Bo-Bo locomotive. Designed and built in Germany for the QR National. Quote
peterab Posted March 6, 2011 Posted March 6, 2011 (edited) On further research, the 422 will not be suitable, it is a Co-Co type, my RC motor is a Bo-Bo type....yep only two powered axles not three and unless someone can show me how to do three powered axles then that one is out.....back to square one again ! There's a three axle bogie design in railbricks 6 p62. It requires a few technic pieces but nothing too rare. Now I'm thinking old school...... Class 500 series - only ever made in South Australia.....and I found the diagrams for it. Problem battery box will have go behind the engine itself and be a piece of rolling stock....of what I do not know yet. Any suggestions as always very, very welcome ! The red battery box from the new freight train would work but not in a hurry. A red sticker would hide a grey one in the hood till you can replace it. If you want to go old school some of the old Commonwealth Railways stuff might look good, but pricey and difficult part selection in dark red. I've wanted to do the old livery of 'The Overland' for a long time. ETA the class 500 _is_ Commonwealth Railways era despite it's unique colours. The bird emblem jarred my memory just after I posted. Edited March 6, 2011 by peterab Quote
lightningtiger Posted March 6, 2011 Author Posted March 6, 2011 Thanks for the feedback everyone, now I had a brain wave.....a master-slave setup, let me explain......the master is a piece of rolling stock and the slave is the engine....yep, a powered wagon...i.e. freight car will contain the RC battery pack (2006/7 cargo train one) and have the motor on it. Hence I could do a Co-Co or Bo-Bo engine because it's being pushed and pulled along the track. Okay, so it's a theory - I might have to try it out....has anyone else ever done this ? I think I might have to ask these questions over in the train forum. Anyway, keep those suggestions and ideas comming....thanks again and Brick On ! Quote
lightningtiger Posted March 6, 2011 Author Posted March 6, 2011 If you want to go old school some of the old Commonwealth Railways stuff might look good, but pricey and difficult part selection in dark red. I've wanted to do the old livery of 'The Overland' for a long time. ETA the class 500 _is_ Commonwealth Railways era despite it's unique colours. The bird emblem jarred my memory just after I posted. On checking, it's just bright shiny red, not dark red for Commonwealth Railways but red like the Sturt Desert Pea, our state flower. So plain old Lego red will do....hey, it will be my first MOC engine ! Brick On ! Quote
peterab Posted March 7, 2011 Posted March 7, 2011 (edited) On checking, it's just bright shiny red, not dark red for Commonwealth Railways but red like the Sturt Desert Pea, our state flower. So plain old Lego red will do....hey, it will be my first MOC engine ! Brick On ! The 500's were bright red but The Overland, and a lot of the other stock were like Lego dark red. I just checked my book of photos of the broad gauge diesels, 500' were bright red, Classes 350, 800 & 830 were brown and yellow, classes 700, 900 & 930 were like lego dark red and silver. I'm not sure about the 600 class since it was narrow gauge and isn't in my book. Thanks for the feedback everyone, now I had a brain wave.....a master-slave setup, let me explain......the master is a piece of rolling stock and the slave is the engine....yep, a powered wagon...i.e. freight car will contain the RC battery pack (2006/7 cargo train one) and have the motor on it. Hence I could do a Co-Co or Bo-Bo engine because it's being pushed and pulled along the track. Okay, so it's a theory - I might have to try it out....has anyone else ever done this ? Yeah this has been done, many of the European steamers work like this, or pushed by their tenders. I'm pretty sure Gambort posted a cool parcel van on his stream with all the PF gear in it. Many long 9V trains had extra motors placed along the train to help push too. The only real gotcha is you wheel sets shouldn't wiggle around when pushed, otherwise they'll derail at points, crossings etc. You should probably look at the Lego Train Mocs group on flickr. It has many Mocs to give you ideas. Also lots of suggestions for things like Co bogies, though the railbricks one I mentioned earlier is probably the best (many of the ones on flicker are earlier prototypes that had problems found later in testing). BTW railbricks is a wealth of knowledge on trains, and is available from their site as a free download. Edited March 7, 2011 by peterab Quote
lightningtiger Posted March 7, 2011 Author Posted March 7, 2011 Thanks 'peterab' for your input, it is greatly valued.....thank you again. By now you and a few others would have seen the start to my 422, which I know is Co-Co...I still have to do the wheels that way yet. Also working on some of the towns' features and must get cracking on more custom figures and oh, plus that silo ! Keep on watching everyone ! Quote
peterab Posted March 8, 2011 Posted March 8, 2011 Thanks 'peterab' for your input, it is greatly valued.....thank you again. By now you and a few others would have seen the start to my 422, which I know is Co-Co...I still have to do the wheels that way yet. Also working on some of the towns' features and must get cracking on more custom figures and oh, plus that silo ! Keep on watching everyone ! I'm really looking forward to the silo, they're sort of iconic for a lot of south-eastern Australia. Be careful with 8 wide, it's easy to end up with very heavy rolling stock, and many people build them long and they look odd going around curves. Quote
lightningtiger Posted March 8, 2011 Author Posted March 8, 2011 Thanks for the feedback again 'peterab', I will be ordering 2x1x3 train windows in red for my Class 500....I'm still got my fingers crossed that the 422 works out, but I have just over a month before the train show. Today I saw a model railway set for silo package....it's going to be big....dam it me and my big mouth eh ? The Class 500 SAR diesel works out about right for the 422 chassis - but the 422 needs to be longer, much longer ! Any more information would be very welcome ! Quote
lightningtiger Posted March 9, 2011 Author Posted March 9, 2011 (edited) Just a quick line to say the 422 is dead and the Class 500 diesel is comming along nicely..... MOC - Class 500 SAR diesel Once this is finished, I can then get back to the silo and more trackside stuff. A good friend of mine will lend me his pride and joy to use also at the April train show, a Lego built 520....known to us South Aussie's as the Steam Ranger. Keep on watching for updates, more in the next two to three days. Footnote - the 507 diesel is actually based where the Steam Ranger used to run....the 507 is used for shunting and also at times pulling passenger cars between Victor Harbour and Goolwa. Edited March 9, 2011 by lightningtiger Quote
lightningtiger Posted March 10, 2011 Author Posted March 10, 2011 G'day everyone, the Class 500 is comming a long nicely, but I have a problem...the silo may be a silo too far ! So if I don't build a silo, would a) an old Aussie railway station or b) small platform with stockyard along side the track ? Comments and suggestions are very welcome ! Quote
TanTile Posted March 10, 2011 Posted March 10, 2011 what about a coal mining depot and or a container yard? Quote
lightningtiger Posted March 10, 2011 Author Posted March 10, 2011 what about a coal mining depot and or a container yard? Well, thanks anyway for the ideas, but in a small country town....a container yard...only if it has a factory there or it's connected with a shipping port....coal mining depot, interesting but since my friend is going to lend me his 520 some.....old school trackside stuff might do the trick ! Brick On ! Quote
Redcross Posted March 10, 2011 Posted March 10, 2011 How about a railway shed where local volunteers keep the train maintained, and sell train ride tickets to fund their repairs? Quote
lightningtiger Posted March 10, 2011 Author Posted March 10, 2011 Fantastic idea 'redcross', the actual owner of the 520 model is planning to build a shed for his 520.....but the engine itself is the length of the EN then you add the coal/water tender so a shed would cover a huge area. Thanks for the suggestion anyway. I'm thinking a simple platform and old school station - not huge, but I can't decide on weatherboard or brick ? Any more suggestions ? Keep on.....suggesting ! Quote
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