Discussion
So I've been sort of getting back into model railways over the last year or so, just playing around with some Hornby/Lima OO stuff at home. No serious layout or anything really.
I've also been quite keen to get into some Lego building. Recently bought my daughter a few sets of bits and bobs and loved building them up for her. There seems to be quite a mature railway range as well which I'm really keen to look at more.
From what I can gather, Lego trains were traditionally electric 9v with pickup from the track. In more recent years, the range has moved over to plastic track and onboard batteries with remote controls. Is it possible to convert the older train models to run from the battery packs and remote control (Powerfunctions)?
I'm quite keen to build some sort of garden railway and did originally have ideas to use OO scale but now I'm looking at using Lego with plastic track from ME Models (for larger radius curves) for simplicity and the enlarged scale, but dont want to be limited to a small range of more recent models.
Anyone here have a lego layout?
I've also been quite keen to get into some Lego building. Recently bought my daughter a few sets of bits and bobs and loved building them up for her. There seems to be quite a mature railway range as well which I'm really keen to look at more.
From what I can gather, Lego trains were traditionally electric 9v with pickup from the track. In more recent years, the range has moved over to plastic track and onboard batteries with remote controls. Is it possible to convert the older train models to run from the battery packs and remote control (Powerfunctions)?
I'm quite keen to build some sort of garden railway and did originally have ideas to use OO scale but now I'm looking at using Lego with plastic track from ME Models (for larger radius curves) for simplicity and the enlarged scale, but dont want to be limited to a small range of more recent models.
Anyone here have a lego layout?
Edited by MysteryLemon on Thursday 6th August 12:24
I would seriously reconsider using lego track in the garden - a couple of years of UV + weather and it would probably disintegrate. Plus the newer power functions are IR based, and tend not to work in strong sunlight IME.
In terms of converting the older trains I think the new power packs are the same size as the originals, just with better motors, so the main problem will be finding space for the battery pack & wiring.
I did think that but people often run plastic based (sleepers) track of other scales and systems outside without much problem.
The plan was to have a permanent base (cement) for the bed and then lay the track on top and actually ballast with real stones to keep it in place. That way, the track could quite easily come up through the winter when it would get very little use.
Something for me to think about anyway.
The plan was to have a permanent base (cement) for the bed and then lay the track on top and actually ballast with real stones to keep it in place. That way, the track could quite easily come up through the winter when it would get very little use.
Something for me to think about anyway.
That's garden railway stuff designed for external use. See lgb.com and https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=mark+found+garde...
shouldbworking said:
Many moons ago (late 80s) I had the space lego monorail and also a traditional one and I seem to think these were powered by a 9v battery in the train. I could be wrong.
Yes, this is correct for the space monorail, you get a 9V battery box, which is used in all the space "light and sound" kits, iIt is built into one of the trains. The motor sits between the train carr. It is mounted vertically to drive a gear wheel that picks up a toothed rail that runs along the middle of the track.The new technic motors run off 6 1.5V AA batteries in series, so also 9V.
Edited by blinkythefish on Friday 21st August 13:49
Mr_C said:
Is the track not the same as O gauge? Could you not run the Lego train on that in the garden and keep the Lego track for indoor use?
Unfortunately not - O is 32mm, Lego is 38mm http://www.holgermatthes.de/bricks/en/train-system...G is 45mm so the Lego track is almost exactly mid way between the two most common garden railway gauges
Gauge is the distance between the inside edges of the rails http://www.anticsonline.co.uk/1999_1_17906.html
Note Gauge is not the same as scale, HO & OO have the same track gauge (16.5mm) but different scales, G & 1 are both 45mm but 1 is 1:30 standard gauge & G is 1:22.5 meter gauge (but used for others from 1:19 to 1:24). Interestingly most UK outline garden railways are 16mm (1:19) narrow gauge running on either O (32mm) or 1/G (45mm) track.
MysteryLemon said:
From what I can gather, Lego trains were traditionally electric 9v with pickup from the track. In more recent years, the range has moved over to plastic track and onboard batteries with remote controls. Is it possible to convert the older train models to run from the battery packs and remote control (Powerfunctions)?
Old lego trains were 12v with a third rail arrangement like Marklin model railways. I think there was an even older system that was battery powered. My cousin had a red intercity type train that worked on 12v, was so jealous! I remember the 9v/2 rail system coming in in the early 90s as that was when I was mad about lego as a kid and used to get the Lego club magazines 
My old Lego trains from the late 70s/early 80s (with the blue rails) were battery powered (a hulking great two-axle motor block as the core of the loco, with a short umbilical connection to a battery tender). Then they changed to grey rails with power conductors (both +ve and 0v) mounted centrally between them. And now they've gone back to battery power...
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