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In lugnet.trains, Ondrew Hartigan wrote:
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1.put BBB wheels on the new train motors
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Might make your wheel spacing awkward, but a good idea. Has anyone tried this
with a 9V BASIC motor?.
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2.install a battery pack instead of using AAs
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Just putting in some high-capacity NiMH batteries would extend the life from one
charge. But, building in a charging socket and circuit would be neat, as youd
ordinarily need two fast chargers to do all 6 batteries.
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3.remove the motor from an old train motor and use it as a power pickup for
the IR trains
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Maybe better to add brush pickups and a smoother/regulator to the underside.
Still sounds a bit dodgy to me though. Probably easier just to install DCC all
round rather than find yourself stuck with the 3-train limits of the IR system.
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4.shorten the train base from 30 studs to XX studs
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30 studs is OK for shoebox diesels, but theres more to life!
Id probably start by sawing one down to just the centre 10 stud section, then
saw 3 studs off each end of whats left and glue them back on. A pair of 2x3
plates, or a 4x4 plate with the last 0.8mm trimmed off, glued under each end
would hold it together.
Then, youve got a 6x16 baseplate you can mount ordinary wheelsets under, 1 stud
in from the end. Itd work as a battery tender or dummy wagon. You could hitch
it behind a steam engine or small shunter. Hopefully LEGO will get round to
doing one of these for real.
Im a bit put out by the idea of a big block on top of the baseplate, as I
wanted to do a crane bed and it may be hard to disguise. With this version, I
could hook it up behind the crane as a support wagon.
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5.change the IR frequencies for additional channels
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Leave this one to John Barnes...
John could probably build a pretty impressive multi-channel RF system that runs
off the battery box. I bet he cant wait to get started, actually.
There are some standard RF modules around which would fit inside the top 4x10
box. I looked some of them up before, and they were just a little too big for a
standard 4x8 battery box. Theyd need a relay or power regulator on the output
though. I could probably put together an on/off or directional one, but I
wouldnt have a clue about latching with the controller circuit or doing speed
control, so Id probably be better sticking with the IR.
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7.completely remove the electronics for installation into odd shaped mocs
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May be tricky if they rely on plastic or metal structures inside the box. Youd
have to re-attach the sensors somewhere too, so you may just be better with
making something up from a standard RF module again.
What I want to know is, will we be able to buy IR baseplates and motors directly
from LEGO? I think there are plenty of AFOLs whod love to get their hands on
these trains, but dont really want a load of plastic track with it.
Jason Railton
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Message is in Reply To:
| | modding the new IR trains
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| Hey all, Well there has been quite a bit of talk about modifying the yet to be released IR trains so i figured it might be a good idea to consolidate them into one thread. Heres a little rundown of what I remember as well as my X-ACTO knife (...) (19 years ago, 13-Jan-06, to lugnet.trains, lugnet.parts.mod, FTX)
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