My older boys are LEGO-nuts right now, and really want to begin building “trains with LEGOs”
I can’t swing a $200 LEGO locomotive for them right now. Anyone have any good ideas on motor blocks or other options for buiding LEGO motive power (large scale)?
I think I missed all the BMann Annie Chassis-DOH!
I’m all ears-thanks!
cale
Cale ,
The problem is (as you may know) LEGO have made it almost impossible to mate non LEGO stuff with theirs .
But LEGO , in the UK at least , sell motor blocks separately , also the wheels and track stuff .
That may be your best (or only) option , to buy it in bits rather than as a complete kit . That may , however , take part of the fun away , but it could be a better incentive in the longer term to get the kids to design a loco around what they get .
Looking in a LEGO catalogue may provide inspiration .
Mike Brit
The 200 starter set actually isn’t that bad to start off with, decent amount of track plus a running loco, 4 frequency controller
Then you can do pick a brick parts for the bogies and wheels, then make the bodies out of scratch for everything else
Cale Nelson said:
I think I missed all the BMann Annie Chassis-DOH!
I’m all ears-thanks!
cale
They still have them…look near the bottom of the page…
http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=66_69_623&sort=20a&page=4
If you want to run on #1 gauge track, probably building up a motor base with some trucks and a flat pice of acrylic. You could then glue the flat Lego base to the top and undersides of the acrylic as an attachment point for your creation.
Assuming you will be track power, Trucks that can be wired to just run with no wire up into the body would be best. USA trucks can be jumped to do this; most others can be cross wired at the truck: pick-ups to motor leads.
Leggos make great track-side service facilities too…
My kids weren’t at all interested in the lego train. They wanted STAR WARS!
StarWars is still genre of choice, but my eldest has gotten a little bored and wants to grow his building skills…he’s now 11
I think I’m gonna order an Annie Chassis and see what we can Epoxy on and let’em have at it…
we’re battery power so I need to find a spare tender minus the tank or maybe a HLW flat?
I found the motor block on Lego’s website.
http://shop.lego.com/en-US/LEGO-Power-Functions-Train-Motor-88002?p=88002&track=checkprice
Cale keep an eye out on Craigslist for legos you might get lucky.
If I remembe right all Lego motor blocks are battery powered due to the plastic track.
Nice ones , Greg .
Mike Brit
An interesting article in today’s paper .
“Criminals have cottoned on to a lucrative new commodity in the Global trade in stolen goods-LEGO”
If you have an unopened Statue of Liberty from 2000 , it’s worth £6,000 .
A lady called Gloria Haas was charged with Grand Larceny after snatching 800 sets worth £35,000 from a collector on Long Island .
And so on .
It looks as though I have LEGO the equivalent price of 4 KISS locos .
Now , if I could get someone to steal it , I could use the insurance settlement to buy more trains .
Mike Brit
Two problems with LEGO and large scale
One; the track LEGO trains use are closer to O gauge
Two; building a custom LEGO train can cost as much as a good quality LS loco and car set
As Mike says, this stuff aint cheap!
Vic - I think Cale’s idea is to build upon a LS platform, using the Lego blocks only for the superstructure. Not super expensive if you already have a good collection of blocks and a good imagination!
Jon Radder said:
Vic - I think Cale’s idea is to build upon a LS platform, using the Lego blocks only for the superstructure. Not super expensive if you already have a good collection of blocks and a good imagination!
That would work 
Check the Lego site and search Lego Forums, this past year in conversation with oldest son, they are changing the trains from track voltage… if I remember correctly.
In my PAZ album is a Lego Mill from Legoland in San Diego! Won in auction, mate remains on display at Legoland.
NOT made from Lego, but I recall that a local hobby store in Germany had a eight-foot long Shay built up out of Meccano…
tac
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