Subject:
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Re: Semi-ADMIN: Pause Train Reference Improvement Work in Good Shape
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.admin.database
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Date:
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Thu, 18 Mar 1999 16:43:41 GMT
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Viewed:
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642 times
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Looking at the 'themes browse' page
<http://www.lugnet.com/pause/search/browse.cgi>, I notice both 4.5V Trains and
4.5v Trains. Was this intentional?
The two links under 4.5V Trains don't match the years shown on the browse page.
Likewise the first link under 4.5v Trains. Actually, for all the links I
checked, the year shown on the browse page has nothing to do with the years of
the related set(s).
Steve
On Thu, 18 Mar 1999 06:04:25 GMT, Joshua Delahunty
<dulcaoin@alumni.cse.ucsc.edu> wrote:
> A big friendly whistle blast to all... :-P
>
> Summary:
> -------
> I've re-categorized all the 4.5v and 12v trains entries on the Pause
> section of LUGNET. Check it out and let everyone know what you think (I
> already know that 726 is missing -- we have no photo available).
>
> Quick step-by-step:
> 1) Jump to http://www.lugnet.com
> 2) Type 116<enter> in the Set Search Box
> 3) Click on the 4.5v Trains link // this lists all the 4.5v Trains
> entries on Pause
> 4) Type 727<enter> in the Set Name/Number Search Box
> 5) Click on the 12v Trains link // this lists all the 12v Trains
> entries on Pause
> 6) Click on various category links
>
> More Hairy Details than you probably want:
> -----------------------------------------
> Thanks to a great many individuals, including Matthew Bates, Huw
> Millington, Tore Eriksson, Todd Lehman and the various folks who have
> scanned in early brochures, the Pause reference on LUGNET is now a whole
> lot more useful to the LEGO trains enthusiast looking for information on
> the 4.5v and 12v trains lines (I'll spend any necessary time soon
> cleaning up 9v -- but that should be fairly easy compared to the early
> info needed for what's been done already).
>
> I have recently spent some time compiling information from all over the
> virtual map, and cleaned up the Trains references on Pause. I welcome
> you Trains experts to surf over and take a peek, and report back any
> problems you have, so we can get the last few details into place.
>
> Here's the deal:
>
> TLG originally launched 4.5 volt trains in 1966, these sets were
> numbered in the 100 range (100-110 were motor accessories, 111 upwards
> were Train Sets, 150 onwards were Train Accessories.
>
> They released new items in 1967 and 1968, and then in 1969 (after the
> 118 Electronic Train was released in 1968) added the 138+ section for
> Electronic Trains, and released the first of the 12 volt sets.
>
> 12V trains were in the 700 range, 700-710 accessories, 720+ Train sets,
> locomotives, cars, 740+ transformers, 750+ accessory track.
>
> One really nice attribute of the way TLG did it early on was that each
> year meant incrementing the top number in a section for the new
> releases, so numeric releases more-or-less are strictly increasing in
> both the set number _and_ the release year. This makes release years a
> lot easier to guess at by viewing them contextually with other sets for
> which known release years exist.
>
> Then in 1980, the two lines were mixed together (since 12v trains can be
> viewed as a superset of 4.5v trains: same thing with a center rail), and
> the color of the rails changed from blue to grey. The 7700's were
> basically full train sets, low 7800's were accessory train cars, 7850s
> for 12v Accessory Track, 7860's were 12v Accessory items such as remote
> signals and decouplers.
>
>
> The way I've decided to categorize is this:
>
> Product Lines: (wrongly referred to as "themes" in RTL usage)
>
> There are two main product lines, "4.5v Trains" and "12v Trains".
> All the 1xx sets fit into the former, the 7xx sets into the latter. The
> 77xx and 78xx sets are mixed between the two. I thought it better to do
> this way since TLG originally divided them into two camps, and I wanted
> to keep that division; I kept away from making the 7xxx sets into a
> product line of "4.5v/12v Trains" because it would make it impossible
> to, say, show all the locomotive sets for the entire 12v range.
>
> The categorization rule is, if there's a 12V motor or 12v track inserts
> in the set, it's 12v, otherwise it's 4.5v; that places push trains into
> the 4.5v category, unless a brochure showed otherwise.
>
> Themes: (wrongly referred to as "sub-themes" in RTL usage)
> There are no Trains themes. So I made some up (subject to Todd's
> careful review, I assure you). I balanced the choices of "theme names"
> between usefulness for searching, and not having too many to choose
> from. Here's the final list that I've arrived at:
>
> Accessory Elements
> Accessory Track
> Buildings
> Train Cars
> Locomotives
> Train Set
>
> Key:
> - Accessory Elements: Usually parts-pack style add-ons (but 12v lights
> fit here)
> - Accessory Track: (self-explanatory)
> - Buildings: Train Stations, Cargo Stations, Level Crossings
> Note: I was going to use the above listed items as further categories at
> one point, but backed off as it would have made them awfully small, and
> keeping them together keeps from having a "Other Buildings" category -
> this will all have to wait.
> - Train Cars: one or more accessory train cars to be added to a train
> set. Usually no track is included
> - Locomotives: an accessory locomotive
> - Train Set: a locomotive, cars, track, probably a transformer (12v).
> Enough to get going on a train layout
>
> So, it's now possible to, say, list all the 12v locomotives that have
> been released. That'd be
> http://www.lugnet.com/pause/search/?theme=12v+Trains,Locomotives
>
> I find it all a lot more useful now; I hope everyone else does too.
> Please play with it and report any inaccuracies you find (I already know
> we lack an entry for 726).
>
> A note on usage: Year values of the form "+xxxx" mean that I've found
> the set in the brochure for year xxxx (usually 1973), but lack the
> previous year's brochure to make sure it was actually new in year xxxx,
> so they mean the set came out _at_least_ as early as year xxxx, possibly
> a year or two earlier, but I can't be sure. Any brochure sightings
> folks can provide would be very helpful with this.
>
> Follow-ups set to lugnet.admin.database.
>
> -- joshua
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