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The LEGO Trains Book Choose Scale, Wheels, Motors, and Track Layout

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The LEGO Trains Book Choose Scale, Wheels, Motors, and Track Layout Shelve in: hobbieS/lego • FOR AGES 10+ TH ® BRING YOUR MODEL RAILROAD TO LIFE! E Learn the model-making process from start to finish, including the best ways to LEGO THE LEGO TRAINS BOOK choose scale, wheels, motors, and track layout. Get advice for building steam engines, locomotives, and passenger cars, and discover fresh ideas and inspiration ® for your own LEGO train designs. ® T INSIDE You’ll find RAINS BOOK • A historical tour of LEGO trains • Advice on advanced building tech- • Step-by-step building instructions for niques like SNOT (studs not on top), models of the German Inter-City Express micro striping, creating textures, and (ICE), the Swiss “Crocodile,” and a making offset connections vintage passenger car • Case studies of the design process • Tips for controlling your trains with • Ways to use older LEGO pieces transformers, receivers, and motors in modern designs HOLGER MATT PRICE: $24.95 ($33.95 CDN) THE FINEST IN GEEK ENTERTAINMENT™ www.nostarch.com This book is not authorized or endorsed by the LEGO Group. H ES HOLGER MATTHES INDEX Numbers fixed, 81–82 Brickset website, 5–6 controllers (Power Functions Era), 4D Brix, 106 leading, 89, 128 BrickTracks, 106 37, 40 4.5 V battery-powered system trailing, 89, 128 buffers corridor connectors, 101–102 Blue Era, 18 couplings Blue Era, 13–14, 19 B Gray Era, 21, 26 couplings and, 84–87 Blue Era, 18 ballasting track, 106–107 6-wide scale, 75–76 Gray Era, 25 Gray Era, 25 bars, 48, 50 7-wide scale, 76–77 building instructions, 134 tracks, 84–87 bases 8-wide scale, 77–78 Inter-City Express, 135–179 crossings Blue Era, 17 9 Volt Era, 26–27 simple gondola, 180–185 9 Volt Era, 29 connecting trucks to, 83–84 motors, 28 Steam Engine BR 80 (online Blue Era, 16 Gray Era, 24 pantographs, 30 bonus), 228–229 double, 34–35 batteries power sources, 27 Swiss Electric Locomotive Gray Era, 23 Blue Era, 13–14, 19 single-purpose elements, Be 6/8 “Crocodile”, curved tracks, 103 Gray Era, 21, 26 30–31 186–213 9 Volt Era, 29 Power Functions Era, 37, today’s perspective, 31 vintage passenger car, Blue Era, 15 40–41 tracks, 28–29 214–227 BrickTracks, 106 battery boxes, 40–41 wheels, 30 building techniques, 51 Grand Curve, 104–105 Big Ben Bricks wheels, 90–91 12 V electrified rail system elements with odd Gray Era, 22 blind drivers, 126 Blue Era, 14–15, 19 dimensions, 62–63 ME Models, 105–106 BlueBrick (software), 107 Gray Era, 21, 26 geometry of LEGO bricks, 52 cylinders (steam engine), 89, Blue Era 90° SNOT method microstriping, 64–66 92–93, 128 bases, 17 brackets, 57 NPU (nice part usage), 68–69 buffers, 18 D bricks with studs on the offsets, 58–61 couplings, 18 designing models side, 55 SNOT (studs not on top), power sources, 12–15 aerodynamics, 100 headlight bricks, 54 53–58 today’s perspective, 19 BR 10 steam engine, 123–131 panels, 56 textures, 67 tracks, 15–16 color usage, 99 plates, 56 trucks, 18 C corridor connectors, 101–102 tiles, 56, 58 wheels, 17 cables, pantographs and, 30, 102 couplings and buffers, 84–87 180° SNOT method windows, 18 cables, Power Functions Era, doors, 100–101 headlight bricks, 54 boat studs, 60 37–38 driver’s cabin, 100 Technic plates and hinges, bogies. See trucks chassis, 80–81, 125–127 final model, 113 57–58 boiler (on BR 10 steam engine), 129 clips, 50 first draft, 111–112 A BR 10 steam engine, 123–131 Coifman, Ben, 94 German Regional-Express, AAR wheel arrangement system, 80 brackets, 57 color, usage in model design, 99 114–116 aerodynamics, 100 BrickLink classification system, 6 connections pantographs, 102 anti-studs, 49 BrickLink website, 4–5 bars and clips, 48, 50 power and control, 94–98 articulated bogies (Jacobs bricks, 46 “illegal”, 50 prototype, 110–111 trucks), 84 geometry of, 52 “legal”, 50 roofs, 101 axles headlight, 53–54 offset, 58–61 scale, 72–78 articulating, 81 light, 25 studs and anti-studs, 49 second draft, 113 on BR 10 steam engine, 128 with studs on the side, 55 Technic, 51, 55, 57–58 setting constraints, 111 weighted, 25 designing models, continued fixed axles, 81–82 Hoffmeyer, Scott, 106 powered rails and, 94–95 Siemens Vectron electric Fleskes, Ben, 90 HTF (hard to find) label, 6 Power Functions Era, 36, locomotive, 116–123 flexible design (steam engine), 91 Hurbain, Philippe “Philo”, 39 95–96 steam engines, 88–94 My Own Creations (MOCs), 2. See G I tracks, 78–84, 103–107 also designing models Gale, Michael, 73 “illegal” connections, 50 underframes, 102–103 geometry of bricks, 52 Inter-City Express, building N windows, 100 German Regional-Express, instructions for, 135–179 Nanty, Alban, 107 Dideriksen, Erling, 53 114–116 internet. See online resources narrow gauge track, 43 doors Gray Era NPU (nice part usage), 68–69 designing, 100–101 J bases, 24 Gray Era, 25 Jacobs trucks (articulated O buffers, 25 on Siemens Vectron electric bogies), 84 offset connections, 58–59 couplings, 25 locomotive, 120–121 jumper plates, 59, 61 in one direction, 59–60 doors, 25 driver’s cab in two directions, 60–61 light bricks, 25 L on BR 10 steam engine, 130 Olson, Eric, 105 power sources, 20–21 leading axles, 89, 128 designing, 100 online resources, 3 remote-controlled “legal” connections, 50 on Siemens Vectron electric 4D Brix, 106 accessories, 23 LEGO Train Summit, 32 locomotive, 118–120 Big Ben Bricks, 90–91 today’s perspective, 25–26 LEGO website, 4 drivetrains, 39–40, 96–98 BlueBrick (software), 107 tracks, 22–23 L-gauge scale, 73–74 driving wheels (main drivers), 88, BrickLink, 4–5 trucks, 24 light bricks, 25 126–127 Brickset, 5–6 weighted bricks, 25 lubricant, 99 BrickTracks, 106 E wheels, 24 M LEGO website, 4 electronic whistle system, 14 windows, 25 magnet couplings, 35, 87 Trained Bricks, 94 Element ID, 4 H main drivers (driving wheels), 88, elements. See also bricks; building P hand-operated switches 126–127 techniques pantographs Blue Era, 16 Make and Create theme, 33 bars, 48, 50 9 Volt Era, 30 Gray Era, 22 Mathis, James, 32, 78 bricks, 46 designing, 102 hard to find (HTF) label, 6 mechanical stop signal, 14 connections, 49–51 pistons headlight bricks, 53–54 microscale models, 78 Element ID, 4 on BR 10 steam engine, 128 90° SNOT method, 54 microstriping, 64–66 minifig accessories, 48, 68–69 Trained Bricks, 94 180° SNOT method, 54 MILS (Modular Integrated naming, 6 plates, 47 hinges, 57–58 Landscape System), 107 with odd dimensions, 62–63 90° SNOT method, 56 history of LEGO trains, 10–11 minifig accessories, 48, 68–69 plates, 47 180° SNOT method, 57–58 9 Volt Era, 26–31 minifig scale, 73 slopes, 47 jumper, 59, 61 Blue Era, 12–19 MOCs (My Own Creations), 2. See tiles, 48 polarity switch, 37, 95–96 Gray Era, 20–26 also designing models wedges, 47 pony-ear technique, 57 Hobby Train set, 32–33 Modular Buildings series, 76, 101 wheels, 49 power and control LEGO Train Summit, 32 Modular Integrated Landscape Erling bricks, 53–54 motors and powered rails, Monorail, 42–43 System (MILS), 107 Exclusive series, 76 94–95 narrow gauge track, 43 Monorail, 42–43 Power Functions drivetrain, Power Functions Era, 36–42 motors F 96–98 RC Era, 33–35 9 Volt Era, 28 Fetsko, Mike, 105 Power Functions motors, Hobby Train set, 32–33 Blue Era, 12 finger hinges, 58 95–96 Gray Era, 21 SBrick receiver, 98 232 Power Functions Era, 36–38 minifig scale, 73 studs not on top. See SNOT (studs Jacobs trucks, 84 battery boxes, 40–41 scaling by wheel size, 74 not on top) building Siemens Vectron electric control units, 40 of traditional model trains, technique locomotive, 121–122 drivetrains, 39–40, 96–98 72–73 Swiss Electric Locomotive Be 6/8 U motors, 38–39, 95–96 sets, naming, 6 “Crocodile” undercarriage (on BR 10 steam today’s perspective, 42 Shupp’s Brick Train Stuff, 91 building instructions for, engine), 125–127 tracks, 41 Siemens Vectron electric 186–213 underframes, 102–103 wheels, 41 locomotive, 116–123 Power Functions drivetrain in, power sources simple gondola, building 39–40 V 9 Volt Era, 27 instructions for, 180–185 switches VDEV/VMEV/UIC classification, 80 Blue Era, 12–15 single-purpose elements 9 Volt Era, 29 vintage passenger car, building Gray Era, 20–21 (9 Volt Era), 30–31 Blue Era, 16 instructions for, 214–227 Power Functions Era, 38–41 slopes, 47, 118 Gray Era, 22 W RC Era, 34 SNOT (studs not on top) building T wedges, 47 Siemens Vectron electric technique Technic Flex system, 93 weighted bricks, 25 locomotive, 122–123 90° method, 54, 55–57 Technic plates, 57–58. See also wheels, 49 push trains, 12 180° method, 54, 57–58 plates 9 Volt Era, 30 brackets, 57 Q tender, 130–131 Big Ben Bricks, 90–91 bricks with studs on the quartered driving wheels, 92 textures, 67 Blue Era, 17 side, 55 tiles, 48 Gray Era, 24 R headlight bricks, 53–54 90° SNOT method, 56 Power Functions Era, 41 RC Era, 33–34 plates, 56 filling gaps with, 58 replacing rubber wheel magnet couplings, 35 pony-ear technique, 57 tracks, 78–79 treads, 35 power sources, 34 Technic plates and hinges, 9 Volt Era, 28–29 scaling by wheel size, 74 today’s perspective, 35 57–58 Blue Era, 15–16 steam engine, 89–91 tracks, 34–35 tiles, 56, 58 design and layout, 103–107 wheel notation, 80 receivers windows, 56 fixed axles, 81–82 whistle system, 14 Power Functions Era, 37 spoked wheels, 89 Gray Era, 22–23 Whyte notation, 80 SBrick receiver, 98 steam engines, 88 narrow gauge, 43 windows RECs (Reverse Engineering BR 10 steam engine, 123–131 Power Functions Era, 41 angled, 65 Challenges), 68 flexible design, 91 RC Era, 34–35 Blue Era, 18 remote-controlled units rods and cylinders, 92–94 trucks, 82–84 designing, 100 Blue Era, 16 wheels, 89–91 wheel notation, 80 Gray Era, 25 Gray Era, 22, 23 Steam Engine BR 80 (online bonus trailing axles, 89, 128 SNOT technique for, 56 rods, 92–94, 128 building instructions), train direction switch, 14 roofs, 101 228–229 Trained Bricks, 94 straight tracks S transformers, 14 9 Volt Era, 29 SBrick receiver, 98 trucks, 82–83 Blue Era, 15 scale, 72–73 Blue Era, 18 Gray Era, 22 6-wide, 75–76 connecting to train base, studless elements, 51 7-wide, 76–77 83–84 studs, 49 8-wide, 77–78 Gray Era, 24 L-gauge scale, 73–74 233.
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