 | | | | | |
Greetings-
I guess this is my informal return to the Lego community :) I have a
question. Does anyone know how to connect multiple monorail setups? There is
the two cars, and then the motor, and that's it. I would like to see a longer
monorail. Is there a way to take the trucks off the bottom and attach them to
a different piece, so theoretically someone with a lot of trucks can make a
big monorail? I want a long modular canister monorail for Zacktron. Large
octagonal canisters (8 studs wide on the floor) can be lifted off of the cars
and rearranged inside to hold passengers or cargo.
Thanks!
PS - Look for Zacktron and the Webring completely refurbished in a few weeks!
-Tim
http://trc.osiriscomm.com
======== Posted via the LUGNET discussion group web interface ========
http://www.lugnet.com/news/ Search, Read, Post, or Watch Traffic
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| |
|
Tim Courtney writes:
> Greetings-
> I guess this is my informal return to the Lego community :) I have a
> question. Does anyone know how to connect multiple monorail setups? There is
> the two cars, and then the motor, and that's it. I would like to see a longer
> monorail.
See the site of James Mathis for a three car monorail done in a very clever way
with springs and the technic link.
Coupling including multiple motors gets much harder since you have to do
reversing quite carefully. This is an ideal application for an RCX, controlling
two reversers in a sequenced fashion to reverse both motors simultaneously.
> Is there a way to take the trucks off the bottom and attach them to
> a different piece, so theoretically someone with a lot of trucks can make a
> big monorail? I want a long modular canister monorail for Zacktron. Large
> octagonal canisters (8 studs wide on the floor) can be lifted off of the cars
> and rearranged inside to hold passengers or cargo.
Good question. Anyone?
++Lar
======== Posted via the LUGNET discussion group web interface ========
http://www.lugnet.com/news/ Search, Read, Post, or Watch Traffic
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| |
|
Larry Pieniazek writes:
> Tim Courtney writes:
> > Greetings-
> > I guess this is my informal return to the Lego community :) I have a
> > question. Does anyone know how to connect multiple monorail setups? There • is
> > the two cars, and then the motor, and that's it. I would like to see a • longer
> > monorail.
>
> See the site of James Mathis for a three car monorail done in a very clever • way
> with springs and the technic link.
That's really neat! I've seen the site before, but without half the things he
has there now. The station is truly breathtaking!!!!
> Coupling including multiple motors gets much harder since you have to do
> reversing quite carefully. This is an ideal application for an RCX, • controlling
> two reversers in a sequenced fashion to reverse both motors simultaneously.
Being that I'm neither a train enthusiast or an RCX programmer, I don't know
what will become of this. But I am trying to get an internship at the Lego
design facility in Enfield this January through a program with my high school.
:)
> > Is there a way to take the trucks off the bottom and attach them to
> > a different piece, so theoretically someone with a lot of trucks can make a
> > big monorail? I want a long modular canister monorail for Zacktron. Large
> > octagonal canisters (8 studs wide on the floor) can be lifted off of the cars
> > and rearranged inside to hold passengers or cargo.
>
> Good question. Anyone?
Wel, I guess that I realize it has to navigate hills as well, my original idea
should be scratched. Then again, now I want about two more monorails,
straight track galore, and tons of 2x2 white roof pieces and their inverted
counterparts.
-Tim <><
http://trc.osiriscomm.com
======== Posted via the LUGNET discussion group web interface ========
http://www.lugnet.com/news/ Search, Read, Post, or Watch Traffic
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| |
|
Larry Pieniazek writes:
> Tim Courtney writes:
> > Greetings-
> > I guess this is my informal return to the Lego community :) I have a
> > question. Does anyone know how to connect multiple monorail setups? There • is
> > the two cars, and then the motor, and that's it. I would like to see a • longer
> > monorail.
>
> See the site of James Mathis for a three car monorail done in a very clever • way
> with springs and the technic link.
I took this 3-car monorail with me to the PNLTC event in Seattle over the
weekend 26-27 September. Traversing the club's monorail layout revealed an
unfortunate design weakness in the 'homemade' coupling with springs and the
technic link. I use a 1x2x1 thin wall piece (L-shaped and one brick tall) to
hold the end car 'up' off the track. Well, on the layout, this piece would get
forced off from its connection the the model after several laps of twisting,
turning, climbing, and descending. I had not had any problems with the design
to that date; but, I must admit that I had never tried to run it for that long
nor through such a number of ascents and descents.
The 3-car monorail derailed as it crested the 'bridge' over a gap in the center
of the tables. It fell from about stomach to chest high all the way to the
concrete floor! :-( But, :-), the only piece to break was a 2x2/1x4 plate
hinge. The little peg that holds the two halves together partially broke.
I was very surprised that the monorail 'official' coupling joints didn't
break- thank goodness!
Chalk another one up for greater and more extensive 'play-testing'!
I have not yet done more testing on the coupling, nor have I had a chance to
re-design the coupling to elimate this flaw.
I look forward to a re-design if any one should try to work from the images I
posted for the 3-car monorail. Or, if you should come up with a different
design, I'd love to see it!
All the best.
later,
James Mathis
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| |
|
James Mathis writes:
> The 3-car monorail derailed as it crested the 'bridge' over a gap in the • center
> of the tables. It fell from about stomach to chest high all the way to the
> concrete floor! :-( But, :-), the only piece to break was a 2x2/1x4 plate
> hinge. The little peg that holds the two halves together partially broke.
> I was very surprised that the monorail 'official' coupling joints didn't
> break- thank goodness!
>
> Chalk another one up for greater and more extensive 'play-testing'!
>
> I have not yet done more testing on the coupling, nor have I had a chance to
> re-design the coupling to elimate this flaw.
>
> I look forward to a re-design if any one should try to work from the images I
> posted for the 3-car monorail. Or, if you should come up with a different
> design, I'd love to see it!
Or Lego could come out with monorail cars with connectors on both ends, and
more powerful motors :)
Hopefully things will work out for me to get a two week internship at TLG this
January. I have several concepts I would like to build if I get the
opportunity to, and I will definitely see about making a longer monorail.
Ok, now I have my trusty old Futuron monorail with me, and will try
something. YES!! If you take the wheels off the bottoms, you can plug them
into technic plates with holes in the middles of them. Get a lot of wheels
and make your own car connectors. You can even make wider cars....
This solves the problem. Hook your monorail cars together with ball in socket
connectors and use normal plates and make your own. :) Now, hooking up the
motor..... :|
-tim <><
http://trc.osiriscomm.com
| | | | | | |
