01232

   that large scale BR01 in the upper folder didn't fit on my
12V track layout. So in 2014 I built this smaller one in a
design typically for post-war Deutsche Bundesbahn.
  It is 49 studs long and roughly 7 wide and driven by a motor
type I in the tender (supplied with a MOTRAXX XTRAIN 263 as an
exchange for the old Buehler motor). The wheels are 70ies spoke
wheels milled to be thin enough to meet 5.4 wide. The second and
the fourth axle is driven by the motor and equipped with silicone
rubber tires. The first wheel is just fake and the third wheel is
hold from outside in its brass axle. The tender also carries 100g
lead ballast to bring all this power to the rails. It makes my
4% slope with a long train easily and works fine on the decoupler
unit.
  The pacific drive (2C1 = 4-6-2) uses 70ies and Big Ben wheels.
It is the same construction as in my 10002 and 18201: All the
wheels make up a small train and the engine is put loosely on
two points on this train, the aft point free to slide longitu-
dinally (and vertically to prevent derailing on rough tracks or
entries and exits of slopes). This minimizes obstacle clearance
to the left and right of the tracks. Besides the center of gravity
moves to the inner of curves, so you can go through curves at full
speed and I tell you those old 12V motors are damn fast...
  To minimize the distance between locomotive and tender, the
hook is longitudinally slideable and pulled close by a rubber
ring. The red platform in front of the tender touches the loco-
motive when driving forward. It has rounded edges (6091) to make
this all go smoothly across switches. When driving backwards,
the slideable hook limits the distance between tender and loco-
motive to 2 studs (the rubber ring cannot be so tight, that it
holds the drag of the complete train being pulled.).
  The customized rods are from 1mm red polypropylene trash. LEGO
used the same plastic for the rods of the grey era. It is more
elastic and stable than ABS. Meanwhile I produce those rods quite
quickly as I build a milling machine, that copies a given template.