Subject:
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Re: Pictures of 8mm:1ft scale trains
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Wed, 10 Sep 2003 07:03:52 GMT
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Viewed:
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1749 times
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In lugnet.trains, John Neal wrote:
> In lugnet.trains, Mark Bellis wrote:
> > Here's a link to pictures of my Lego trains
> >
> > www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=35408
> >
> > These are the trains (with others) that will be running at the NEC, Birmingham
> > in December. All are built to (approximate) 8mm:1ft scale - usually 8-wide plus
> > extra bits.
> >
> > The pictures are taken in my loft, which was built for the purpose (as we Brits
> > don't often have a large cellar).
> >
> > You can see that the curves are spaced out with straights, but they are still
> > 120ft radius (80ft in the yard) to the scale.
> >
> > Have a look and tell us what you think!
>
> Hello Mark-
>
> I enjoyed viewing your trains-- I also build 8wide+, but I have calculated my
> scales a little differently than you have.
>
> Though the gauge of LEGO track "says" virtually 1 stud = 1 foot (about 10 wide),
> I abandoned that scale almost immediately. I didn't like how small the LEGO
> wheels looked on a 10 wide, which are about the scale of 1:48. That is the
> scale I call 8wide (same as "O" scale here in the US), so even though the track
> gauge is too wide, I still operate under the 1:48 scale.
Even on British trains (more so on American), the wheels are less visible than
with 6-wide Lego trains due to the vehicles being wider than the track. For
some of the engines I haven't been able to put the wheels where they should be
due to the constraints of using standard motors and having to articulate the
bogies to get round 40' scale radius curves (I space the curves out but points
have 1.5 curves at 40' so the whole bogie has to get round that).
Given that the wheels are not in the right place, I've hidden them behind the
bogie side frames and put yellow dots where the real wheels should be. Very few
people are any the wiser!!
> That said, I also am working on a new scale which I call Lgauge1, which utilizes
> gauge 1 track and trucks and comes out to be 12 wide for standard gauge at 1:32.
> In the past I have dabbled in some 14 and even 16 wide cars, but I am settling
> down on 12 wide, which is, ironically (to me, at least), almost the perfect
> scale for Jack Stone figs:-) I have 1 car completed which I still need to
> photograph, and a few more are on the drawing table. I also utilize some
> modified minifigs for my townsfolk-- I'll really have to get some pics up...
>
> All of this 1:32 business is directed towards creating a garden railroad, a la
> the trains in Miniland (which also utilize non-LEGO track and trucks). So, it
> appears that I build slightly smaller as well as slightly larger than you:-)
>
> John
I thought "wouldn't it be nice in the garden with plenty of space?" but then I
remembered the weather, birds etc... and that reliability isn't perfect (I
connect the 2 motors in big engines with a wire to improve pickup reliability
and spread the load better to avoid motor burn-out).
Seeing the Miniland trains, they seem to be a metal chassis with some Lego
plonked on top. A shame really, but for year-round reliability I suppose it's
necessary.
Conversely I try to use only Lego with no paint or stickers and a minimum of
glue (only for sticking points back together after modification for motorisation
by micro-motor). That is, except for the electrics - once I get beyond the feed
wire there are some 12V plugs and a beefy dual 3-Amp power supply.
The advantage of our larger scales on Lego track is that the same physical speed
is a slower scale speed, which is more prototypical. I notice that DCC is used
for American trains to get better crawling as they are slower (and longer) than
most British trains. To scale, my Pendolino will to 78mph at about 7 or 8 Volts
before coming off on the corners. The BR standard class 9F 2-10-0 steam engine
will do 90mph - its prototypical maximum design speed!
Also, the minifigures seem to fit better in 8mm scale - they're too fat for
6-wide.
I have built my first prototype American engine chassis, for a 4-8-4 Northern
engine. I need more pictures and drawings before continuing though. It will
have one motor under the firebox as the wheels are 6' apart and 2 motors under
the tender. Two 9V Technic motors will turn the Model Team driving wheels,
which are suspended off the rails like the ones on the 9F.
It's great to know someone else builds to a larger scale, or for that matter
takes the time to consider the scale in Lego. I chose 8mm:1ft because the track
is to scale and most model railways begin there. The dimensions for Lego models
don't have to be more accurate than the nearest 6 inches, especially since 4mm
is the smallest designed offset for bricks. It takes a lot of engineering to
get other offsets.
Keep me posted on your stuff - I look forward to seeing the pics.
Mark Bellis
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Pictures of 8mm:1ft scale trains
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| (...) Trock Trick! :-) (...) I agree wholeheartedly. I would never leave LEGO track outside at the mercy of the elements, which is why I'm going to utilize G scale track which can and is designed to do. And BTW, I'd never heard of connecting dual (...) (21 years ago, 10-Sep-03, to lugnet.trains, FTX)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Pictures of 8mm:1ft scale trains
|
| (...) Hello Mark- I enjoyed viewing your trains-- I also build 8wide+, but I have calculated my scales a little differently than you have. Though the gauge of LEGO track "says" virtually 1 stud = 1 foot (about 10 wide), I abandoned that scale almost (...) (21 years ago, 9-Sep-03, to lugnet.trains)
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