Subject:
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Re: new trains
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Wed, 17 Jan 2001 00:44:50 GMT
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Viewed:
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810 times
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Personally, I wouldn't think that they would go as far as computer
controlled layouts considering most individuals would not want to move
their computer close to their track nor do they usually have enough
space for even a temporary layout in whatever room a computer might
typically reside. Besides, operating a layout still needs to remain a
fairly simple task otherwise Lego risks losing the younger market.
While the older crowd would go "Ooo" and "Ahhh", it would lose an
element of innocence, simplicity, and awe that results from taking
little blocks of plastic and creating whatever we can dream up.
Anyway, I think a better solution might be along the lines of having a
regulator with essentially a small array of rheostats or dials or
sliders so that it looks similar to an audio mixing board. Each
slider corresponds to a certain wheelset code (A, B, C, etc.) and each
wheelset has a dial on the bottom to tell the wheelset which code to
pay attention to. This would be a system similar to the X10 and the
like that allows you to control the lamps and appliances in your
house. This would allow you to set all of the engines on one train to
the same number or letter. You could also have multiple regulators in
the same area just powering separate lines. This allows Lego to keep
a simple and intuitive system that would not be a far cry from the
current system. Also, it would not be difficult to produce; just a
couple of IC's and voila.
On Tue, 16 Jan 2001 02:44:14 GMT, Chris Gray <cg@ami-cg.GraySage.COM>
wrote:
>
> OK, so we have lots of really strong hints (basically statements) that
> there is going to be a new/changed line of Lego trains coming out soon.
>
> As one of the people who doesn't know what it is, I'm darned near dying
> of curiosity. So, it ocurred to me that one of the best ways of getting
> someone to spill the beans, is to have lots of discussion about it so
> that someone accidentally makes a correction or hint that lets it all
> fall into place. So, lets speculate!
>
> Here's my guess (based on absolutely no inside information):
>
> Lego has headed deeply into computer stuff now. So, the new trains will
> have some tie-in to computers, somehow. Most "normal" model railroads
> are now using electronic control systems which allow trains to be controlled
> by signals flowing through the tracks, or via radio, and the tracks supply
> a fixed level of power for all trains on it. So, my guess is that Lego is
> going to do something like that. I *hope* they don't require any batteries
> in the trains!
>
> Opinions?
>
> --
> Don't design inefficiency in - it'll happen in the implementation.
>
> Chris Gray cg@ami-cg.GraySage.COM
> http://www.GraySage.COM/cg/
Lightfoot
lightfoot@earthling.net
http://www.wellsellanything.com/
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: new trains
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| (...) For cost reasons I'd think LEGO would create a Micro-Scout sized computer with a little screen that would allow you to program each train into the system like DCC. A Scout type screen would be all that would be needed. Small and efficient. Of (...) (24 years ago, 17-Jan-01, to lugnet.trains)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | new trains
|
| OK, so we have lots of really strong hints (basically statements) that there is going to be a new/changed line of Lego trains coming out soon. As one of the people who doesn't know what it is, I'm darned near dying of curiosity. So, it ocurred to (...) (24 years ago, 16-Jan-01, to lugnet.fun, lugnet.trains)
|
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