MOC: 8-Wide Maersk Train

[Ralph_S]

I'm not much of a train lover. In fact, while I generally do look at MOCs posted in this forum, it's only the second time I post a MOC here myself. The first one I posted was the first train I built in about 20 years.

When the first pictures of the Maersk Train set were released a few months ago I immediately liked it. I haven't yet bought the set, although I might buy one for the parts and for the stickers. I have taken a close look at pictures of the set and at pictures of the real engine that it is based on. LEGO's designers have really done an excellent job considering the scale. I think it really is one of the nicest LEGO trains they have ever produced.

Completing my American tiller truck has made me think about building my own little US-themed layout, with a firehouse, a diner and all of the American cars I still have left from Bricksboro Beach, a collaborative project I was involved in with The Brickish Association back in 2009. I also would love to have a train track on it.

I decided to build my own version of the Maersk train in my own style -the engine anyway. Regular 6-wide trains look too narrow to me and since I have no intention of having mine actually run on a layout and I therefore don't really have to worry about the radius of the curves, I decided to go bigger.

WIP Maersk train engine by Mad physicist, on Flickr

The blue isn't LEGO Maersk blue, but medium blue instead.

It currently still is a work in progress, but I like what I've got so far and will keep posting updates until it's ready. Perhaps you'll enjoy reading about the experience of a non-train-builder building one.

Cheers,

Ralph

Edited May 23, 2011 by Ralph_S

[Fuzzylegobricks]

Nice train Ralph! The side and front look really good right now,

I will keep watching the progress.

[buddy]

Excellent MOC so far! it is a good idea to build a Maersk Train in 8-wide and yours looks great and like the real thing.

Extremely well done so far.

~buddy~

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Amazing modification!

Have you planned to use lights to complete your fantastic work? I really miss them in the original set.

Edited May 23, 2011 by LEGO Train 12 Volts

[Neil Scotland]

Brilliant - would this work 12v though on 12v track? Maybe?

[Ralph_S]

Thanks guys. I decided to take a better picture of the reference drawing I made for this build. My previous Work In Progress picture of the Maersk train showed a diagram lying on the table. I decided that a better picture was probably called for. When building I use plenty of reference pictures, but I also tend to make a drawing with the general arrangement telling me how long things need to be. I find it far easier to work this out before I start putting bricks together.

LEGO Maersk Train general arrangement diagram by Mad physicist, on Flickr

I also decided to make a picture of my work area.

LEGO room with Work In Progress by Mad physicist, on Flickr

I made some progress this evening. I changed the location of the lettering some, added some detail to the sides and starting building the aft section.

Amazing modification!

Have you planned to use lights to complete your fantastic work? I really miss them in the original set.

I haven't thought about adding lights and, looking at the location of the headlights, I reckon it would be pretty difficult. I'm also not sure where to put the battery box for it. It is a fairly big model, but with all the SNOT work for the lettering there isn't much room inside for anything really.

Brilliant - would this work 12v though on 12v track? Maybe?

Probably not. It's a big lump and provided that it will even be able to take corners it would look silly. An added issue is that the bogies/ trucks (depending on what side of the Atlantic you're from) are very long -AFAIK much longer than a 12 V motor.

Cheers,

Ralph

Edited May 23, 2011 by Ralph_S

[L@go]

Looks brilliant thus far, Ralph. I generally like the idea. It appears clear from your sketches which letter gave you the most trouble, and I must say that your solution for the K is very nice :)

[LEGO Guy Bri]

Awesome room and spectacular job on this engine. I can't wait to see it finished

[Ralph_S]

Thanks guys. Yes. The 'R' wasn't easy, but I've seen it done before this way. It involves using a 1x2 x 1x4 bracket that sticks into the structure. What made it difficult here us that it interferes with the lettering on the other side. I've never seen a proper K done in a similar font. They always look a bit awkward. I didn't want to simply stick cheese slopes in there not attached to anything, but using two 1x2 cheese slopes allowed me to connect them on the inside.

I'll probably get started on the bogies/ trucks next. I already have a prototype (lying next to the model in the lasest picture I posted), but it needs more work.

Cheers,

Ralph

[lightningtiger]

Excellent work so far 'Ralph', I can't wait to see the end result.....Brick On !

[Fuzzylegobricks]

You could use the long curves at a convention to display it. It would be able to run that.

[dr_spock]

It is looking good, Ralph_S.

[Ralph_S]

Thanks guys. I spent a bit more time on it yesterday. I found out that I made a few errors. The rear vents just under the roof are too big and the MAERSK logo sits lower on one side than the other . I also came to the conclusion that whiles more-or-less correct for the scale, the distance between the bogies was a bit too long. The 'balconies' on the ends will take up a bit more space than they do on the real train, so I'll need to compromise a bit.

You could use the long curves at a convention to display it. It would be able to run that.

That should be possible. A fairly long stretch of flexible track would also work. I have no desire to build my own train layout, though, and don't have an engine for it. The only tracks I have myself are those that I had as a child with my 4.5V train. Those were the days...

Cheers,

Ralph

[ACCURATEin]

Nice work!

Whenever I breach my 10219 set I have the intention of widening it by 2 studs.

I can't wait to see your final product.

[peterab]

It currently still is a work in progress, but I like what I've got so far and will keep posting updates until it's ready. Perhaps you'll enjoy reading about the experience of a non-train-builder building one.

Or perhaps I'll feel crap as you come here and show how much better you do it.

Seriously though I find you planning and neat workspace quite alien, nothing like my piles of bricks on the carpet. I better explain at this point I'm 45 but have never gotten beyond building on the floor, I find it gives me more room to spread bits, which helps in the tactile way I build.

Your Moc looks like it will be wonderful, and you should check out Holger Mathis' article on wide curves in Railbricks. I'm pretty sure you could use a variation with your 4.5V rails to at least test if you could make it run.

I agree that the Maersk train from LEGO is one of their best, and if I'm not mistaken the designer was one of the AFOLs that worked previously on the hobby train set. I think TLG may be hiring AFOLs as a way to provide the sort of trains AFOLs like. Jamie of Emerald Night fame was also an AFOL before he became a TLG employee.

[Ralph_S]

Nice work!

Whenever I breach my 10219 set I have the intention of widening it by 2 studs.

I can't wait to see your final product.

I saw your 8-wide train (hard to miss on the front page) and it seemed obviously inspired by the Maersk train. I'd say go for it

Or perhaps I'll feel crap as you come here and show how much better you do it.

Seriously though I find you planning and neat workspace quite alien, nothing like my piles of bricks on the carpet. I better explain at this point I'm 45 but have never gotten beyond building on the floor, I find it gives me more room to spread bits, which helps in the tactile way I build.

Your Moc looks like it will be wonderful, and you should check out Holger Mathis' article on wide curves in Railbricks. I'm pretty sure you could use a variation with your 4.5V rails to at least test if you could make it run.

I agree that the Maersk train from LEGO is one of their best, and if I'm not mistaken the designer was one of the AFOLs that worked previously on the hobby train set. I think TLG may be hiring AFOLs as a way to provide the sort of trains AFOLs like. Jamie of Emerald Night fame was also an AFOL before he became a TLG employee.

Thanks for the reply. I know LEGO has been hiring AFOLs and it shows. I think what also helps in this case is that, since it's a licensed product, they could make it look like the real deal. I know that to avoid potential copyright issue they are often forced to make models not look like any particular real vehicle. Thanks for the tip on Holger Mathis's articel. I'll see whether I can find it, because I definitely want to test it to see whether, if I were to take my train to some event, I could have it run.

Everybody has a different way of building. I tend to be fairly organised and my table is actually a bit emptier, usually. I used to build on the floor as well for quite a while. This is the first time I have actually had a nice dedicated LEGO room. I used to build in my home office, which was quite small, with LEGO all over the place and a desk that was too small. This space is a luxury and I'm still getting used to it.

Cheers,

Ralph

[Toastie]

... nothing like my piles of bricks on the carpet. I better explain at this point I'm 45 but have never gotten beyond building on the floor, I find it gives me more room to spread bits, which helps in the tactile way I build.

... and I was afraid that I am the only one - at age 49 - still sitting in a mess of bricks/plates/things and trying to keep up with all these fantastic builders ... well, I am feeling much better now!

In any case, this 8-wide Maersk train will be a beauty. I can clearly see it already.

All the best,

Thorsten

[Ralph_S]

... and I was afraid that I am the only one - at age 49 - still sitting in a mess of bricks/plates/things and trying to keep up with all these fantastic builders ... well, I am feeling much better now!

In any case, this 8-wide Maersk train will be a beauty. I can clearly see it already.

All the best,

Thorsten

Thank you. I'm a planner. There's always some improvisation required, but I always know where I'm going and I to keep from going nuts I have to have things sorted. I hate sorting though

I haven't had much time to build on the train in the last two days, but made some progress this evening. I finished the superstructure (for lack of a better word), have finished the bogies/trucks and am pretty much done with the front. That leaves the rear, the fuel tank, a few details and stickers. I am still considering buying the actual set to get the stickers (as well as the other parts), but might settle for custom ones instead (or buy a sticker sheet on bricklink). I've already spent rather a lot on LEGO this month.

I tried taking a few photographs to show the progress, but it's already too dark and it's getting so close to being finished that they wouldn't leave much surprise for pictures of the finished product. If I go for custom stickers, I am pretty sure I'll finish it and will take pictures this coming weekend.

Cheers,

Ralph

[Ralph_S]

It may still say WIP in the title of this thread, but it's done.

Maersk locomotive (5) by Mad physicist, on Flickr

Maersk locomotive (1) by Mad physicist, on Flickr

It was fun to build a train for a change

Cheers,

Ralph

[buddy]

Excellent MOC! It looks great and has some great details, such as the SNOT lettering and the brick-built patterns on the sides.

Extremely well done.

~buddy~

[Mr. McDuck]

Altrough I am not a huge fan of trains, this is soo good and accurate!

This is definetly the train I would like to have on my shelf .

How many pieces are used approximately?

Anyway, amazing. Thanks for shareing!

[Ralph_S]

Excellent MOC! It looks great and has some great details, such as the SNOT lettering and the brick-built patterns on the sides.

Extremely well done.

~buddy~

Thank you. I understand why the designers of the set chose to use stickers for some of the details, because they do complicate the build, but I wanted to have them brick-built. I'm glad you appreciate them.

Altrough I am not a huge fan of trains, this is soo good and accurate!

This is definetly the train I would like to have on my shelf .

How many pieces are used approximately?

Anyway, amazing. Thanks for shareing!

Thank you very much. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I'm normally not a train builder either. This made for an interesting project though. It's fun to build something different for a change. Unfortunately that does mean I have no idea how many parts it has. For cars and such I normally have some idea, because I have built many of them and can estimate the number of parts based on my knowledge of those that I've either counted the parts of or have also built in LDRAW. With this one all I can say is that it's bloody heavy, so a lot! I used 50 medium blue cheese slopes, for instance.

Cheers,

Ralph

[Zorbas]

Really beautiful work Ralph, it turned out great! Although that I'm not a huge train expert your creation is really admirable and I'd love to try something like that too, even for display purposes. (To be honest, you've just motivated me to start building my 10219 copy that's still in the box).

Excellent job!

[Fuzzylegobricks]

Very nice finish! I loved seeing this experience for you. The brick built logo (if sold as a set) would be way to complicated for

the average customers (kids).

[Ralph_S]

Really beautiful work Ralph, it turned out great! Although that I'm not a huge train expert your creation is really admirable and I'd love to try something like that too, even for display purposes. (To be honest, you've just motivated me to start building my 10219 copy that's still in the box).

Excellent job!

Thanks. I'm not a great train expert either, but it was a fun build. It looks nice sitting on a shelf. I'm even thinking about whether or not I should add a few cars to it.

Very nice finish! I loved seeing this experience for you. The brick built logo (if sold as a set) would be way to complicated for

the average customers (kids).

Thanks. This model would definitely be too complicated to be sold as a set. LEGO may be doing some SNOT lettering for the Cafe Corner series, but this is rather more complicated. It can navigate a standard curve. I tried it on Saturday, but it does look rather silly because the radius of the curve is too small compared to the length of the locomotive.

Oh no, I'm turning into a train head

Ralph

Edited May 30, 2011 by Ralph_S