Old rails compatible with new ones?

[Good old Lego builder]

Hi all! I have been searching this forum, but could no find the answer or topic.

Question is this: I'm thinking about giving my son a train set, later this yeAr. If he wants one...

So i have a lot of old stuff from the grey 12v er? The 7740, mail wagon en sleeping car, the crossing and other things. Is it possible to connect the old rails with the new ones? It doesn't have to run on 12v, just wondering if the rails can connect in one big track.

[Duq]

The current track has different connectors from the 12V track so it won't just click together. It's the same width though so it should be possible to make it work.

[Rufus]

Is it possible to connect the old rails with the new ones? It doesn't have to run on 12v, just wondering if the rails can connect in one big track.

I don't think so. The newer tracks come as two rails and four sleepers (three whole and two halves) as a single mold, which connect via clips at each end:

I cannot think of a way you could connect these to the 1980s 12v track. You could run 7740 on the new rails, of course, but you'd need to replace the 12v motor with a modern one (I've not tried, but if I remember 7740 correctly I think it could be done).

[John Hill]

I dont believe they will connect without modification but that should not be too traumatic as the modification would only entail cutting the end off a current all plastic rail section to produce a flush end. Obviously you would then have non standard track lengths with the problems that might bring.

[nesquik]

If I was yourself, I would invest in the modern rail track and just run your old trains on that :) There are long term benefits too, because depending where you buy it, it can be more affordable ('Pick a Brick') and easier to integrate into a larger set-up than any retro track.

And yes, the trains should run on new track without modification as they're the same width. So win-win!

[dr_spock]

You can check out this topic -> http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=31962

domboy has some pictures on how he did it.

Also I think someone 3D printed an adapter.

[John Hill]

Thinking on this further, I think the best option would be to cut a new all plastic section and one of the older blue or gray rails in half and glue together to form a full section length adapter. Presumably this could be done for both straights and curves.

[Good old Lego builder]

Haha, good idea. I dont like cutting my lego! ;-) thanks for all the responses!

[Dan-147]

Years ago, when 9-volt trains first came out, I made an adapter piece by cutting a straight piece of 9-volt track in half and cutting a 4,5/12-volt sleeper in half. By reversing and glueing everything back together, I ended up with two adapters The use of a razor saw with a very thin kerf (0,010") made the lost material insignificant. For good measure, I cut two 4,5-volt straight tracks in half so that when they were combined with the adapter piecies the total length was one track length or 16 studs. The electrical current didn't carry through but the cars and battery-powered locomotives could. If anyone is interested, I could post a few pictures of the finshed product.

When Power-Functions trains came out, it breathed a new life into my old 4,5-volt tracks since there were now new train motors that didn't need track power. My previous adapter pieces were perfectly funtional since 9-volt track fits directly to PF-track but I wanted a more uniform look. Besides, I could use a few more adapters. I could have simply done the same conversion as in the past but LEGO's color changes created a "problem". PF-track comes only in Dark-Bluish Gray while the old 4,5-volt sleepers were only made in old Dark Gray. It bothered me that the sleeper was bi-colored so once the PF-track was cut in two, I cut out the 1/2 sleeper at the end. Instead of cutting a 4,5-volt sleeper in half, I just cut off the clips on one side. Careful filing of the 1/2 PF-track insured a perfect fit to glue on the sleeper. It was a bit more work than the previous version and it cost me an additional sleeper but I was happy with the result.

Dan-147

[Good old Lego builder]

Domboys solution seems quit smart too. Lots of soltions, i see!

And something else, suppose I change the 12 motor to PF, is it as strong as the 12v motor?

Edited January 19, 2014 by Good old Lego builder

[zephyr1934]

On the simplest side, you could use plates without the half stud gap of domboy's solution (which I have also used) to connect the two different types of rails. So instead you would have a full stud gap between the 1 stud wide tie of the PF and the end of the 4.5v rail. Battery trains should be able to span a half stud gap from the end of the PF connectors to the start of the 4.5v rails. Just keep that gap at least one straight segment away from your curves or switches.

If you are a heavy duty user, you might run into a few quirks. I have not done much with 4.5v rails, but I've looked at them. First off, they have teeth on the top of the rails which should help with pulling, but might shorten the life of the traction bands on the motors. Second off, I believe the current train wheels have a flange that is so large that the PF trains will ride on their flanges when on the 4.5v rails. Not necessarily a problem, but something to keep in mind (and can be quickly verified with a wheel set and some rails if it is a potential point of concern). I THINK the flanges on the motor wheels are smaller, so that the motors actually run on the top of the rail (again, something that could be quickly verified).

You might want to get a single section of PF straight track and experiment with it.

On a side note, I too have made a converter piece by cutting down a piece of straight track to be about 2 studs long (I bet flex track would be an even cheaper solution). I'm not concerned about preserving the 16 stud rail length, so this approach is feasible for me, but might not be for everyone.

On a second side note, the 9v rails were originally sold as being backwards compatible with the 12v trains, in which case, the PF molds should be too. Though without the teeth on the rails, I would presume there is a slight loss of pulling power.

[splatman]

A few adapters are available on Shapeways.