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In lugnet.trains, Tim David wrote:
> Another pic has turned up on the Eurobricks forum
> http://eurobricks.hosting.ipsyn.com/euroforum/index.php?s=1bd80257a3f418521bd7993afe0cd930&act=ST&f=9&t=3239&st=0&#entry57939
>
> Tim
Hmm. Hypothesising on these pictures...
You can see the raised 'patch' on the side of both engines, like that that
appeared in Jake's keynote speech. I don't think it's stretching the
imagination too much to take this to be an IR sensor - this could even indicate
there's a sensor on each side. The middle block below the baseplate is large,
and similar on both engines, so I'm guessing this is the battery and controller
compartment.
Counting the sleepers underneath, it looks like a 30-stud train baseplate. That
would make it a new piece. It would be nice if the sensor / battery box just
clipped on to an ordinary baseplate, or better yet if the ends of the baseplate
plugged in to the box (making them useful as variable length baseplates), but
since this is all about reducing costs it's probably all moulded as one piece.
That looks like an ordinary grey motor side bar fitted to a black motor, but I
don't understand the black spots at the wheel centres. (Note the two studs on
the top of the grey side bars on the front bogey. The rear bogey has three
studs on top, giving away that it's a brick-built bogus motor).
The track clearly doesn't have metal caps on, but note also there's no metal
visible on the motor wheels. So, it looks like a new motor for this battery
system. You could run a 9V motor with lower voltages from a battery, but a
dedicated motor may be more efficient. Overall though, it probably works out
cheaper to constuct a simpler plastic motor unit without the sprung metal wheel
flanges. So it won't pick up from, or power up, any metal track it does run on,
so it could run on the same track along with a 9V train.
Unfortunately, the other pictures that have appeared don't suggest any working
lights. I wonder if this is going to run at 9V and be able to power lights (or
another auxiliary) or not.
What I do think is odd is how the 'sensor' panel on the side rises by about a
plate above the level of the baseplate. I'm curious as to whether you have to
build over a slight rise there. That would probably be more robust than having
to build between the sensor patches though.
The red stripe seems to make a step change in shade near the front, so it may go
from bricks to stickers or paint. There don't appear to be any seams or step
changes in the nose profile. That would fit with the whole front being one big
moulding. It's not the same shape as either the current high speed train or the
new jet though. And it seems to extend further back at the top.
The return of the crocodile front is a nice touch, as is the availability of
green doors. That suggests some canny part placement to interest the AFOLs.
Here's hoping for a carriage kit with wide and narrow TAN windows with CLEAR
glass then...
Still, they look good and I can't wait to see when we can buy them.
Jason Railton
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