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 Dear LEGO / 5221
5220  |  5222
Subject: 
Re: Train part suggestion
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.trains, lugnet.dear-lego
Followup-To: 
lugnet.dear-lego
Date: 
Sun, 13 Feb 2005 16:35:09 GMT
Viewed: 
982 times
  
In lugnet.trains, Christopher Masi wrote:
> Dear Lego,
> 
>      While watching my son put his train on the track I thought it would
> be great if LEGO made a level crossing that aligned the train on the
> track. When I was young (30 years ago), I had one for my HO scale
> trains, and I loved it. You could roll a train over the crossing, and
> all of the wheels would fall into place on the track.
>      In addition to being a a great part to include in a starter train
> set, it would make any level crossing set that much more desiralbe. I
> would definately buy one for my son, and one for me (I am a big LEGO
> train fan too). I think that other LEGO train fans would find a this
> part useful too.

I think it would be a GREAT part. Note that Rick Clark has devised such a thing
(and quite a clever design it is, too) from readily available parts:

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1004349
and
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1004350

which takes care of the fans, but doesn't help out the mundanes, which are,
after all, the target market.

>      Another part that I thought would be wonderful and popular is a
> wheelset that can pick up electricity from the track. A wheelset that
> allowed a builder to add lights and accessories to a coach without
> running a wire from the engine would be boon to LEGO train fans
> everywhere. Additionally, this part would make any LEGO set that
> contained it _much_ cooler. I've noticed both at the train shows that I
> have attended with NELUG and at home that kids _love_ things that light
> up. My son went wild when we installed a LEGO lamp on his green LEGO
> steam engine.

I think if I had to rank these two, I'd rank this one much higher, although a
rerailer IS cool. But a power tap is something a LOT of us have wished for, for
years.

>      There are other things that I would love to see, like switch tracks
> that over a short distance allow trains to switch between parallel
> tracks or switch tracks that peel off directly into a curve,

These two can both be accomplished with a simple geometry change to get rid of
the reverse curve, as Ben Fleskes has demonstrated.

> but the
> level crossing and the wheelset that pick up electricity are ideas that
> fit more neatly and easily into the current LEGO train system, and have
> a wider appeal.
>      Thanks for reading this note.

Great suggestions! I've XFUT to dear-lego, since after all, your post starts out
"Dear LEGO:" (smile)...



Message is in Reply To:
  Train part suggestion
 
Dear Lego, While watching my son put his train on the track I thought it would be great if LEGO made a level crossing that aligned the train on the track. When I was young (30 years ago), I had one for my HO scale trains, and I loved it. You could (...) (22 years ago, 13-Feb-05, to lugnet.trains, lugnet.dear-lego)

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