Steam engine base

It is not easy to make a steam engine in Lego, since it is impossible to connect rods to the wheels (especially not with the strict demands that Eric Brok places on the construction, under 'Steam locomotive/Mechanics'!). Here is a base that allows this; the only problem is that it cannot pass switching points... Power your design by putting the motor under the coal tender (an idea by Eric Brok).

train picture (GIF)

The wheels I use are just the flanges of the wheels that were mostly use in the Model Team sets, in 1996 or so. In LEGO TECHNIC(r), try set 8244 or 8210.

I hope it is clear from this picture that all wheels are connected by gears z8 and z24. When assembling, leave a gap of about 2 mm on the axles (lower left drawing) so that the axles can slide to adapt to the curves in the track. (That is also why I have not connected the middle wheel to the rod.)

980226

email: leo@science.uva.nl