Monthly Archives: August 2019

LEGO Train News, Models, Products

Review: 71044 Disney Train and Station

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It’s a seldom opportunity that we are able to review a new official LEGO train set here on Brick Model Railroader. But, at long, last, we have again been blessed with a new train, even if it has a well-known mouse at the throttle and his friends in tow. Regardless, a new train is a new train, which, I think, is cause for celebration. Further still, this set happens to include a steam locomotive.

I’ll be providing as in depth of a review as I can, detailing the build, some of the interesting techniques and features I caught, and finally I’ll offer some of my own thoughts on the set as a whole. This is going to be a pretty lengthy article.

The full set.

I should say here before getting too far into anything. Brick Model Railroader was not offered a set to review. We were aware of it’s existence at the same time the rest of the world was, even though we’re the only dedicated LEGO train news website around. We would have asked for it, but we cannot request to review sets that we don’t know exist. While annoying, our spirits are not dampened. I personally went to my local LEGO store after work on Wednesday, August 21st and picked up a copy of this set and began building it that night with the intention to write this review from a train modeler’s perspective.

71044 Disney Train and Station is available now online and in your local LEGO store for VIP members and will be available worldwide on September 1st, costing $329.99 USD, $379.99 CAN, £299.99 UK, €329.99, and 2499 DKK.

Without further delay, let’s dive in.

Continue reading Review: 71044 Disney Train and Station →

Building Techniques, Model Design, Products

Alternatives to the LiPo Battery Box

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Now that it turns out that TLC has officially phased out the Li-Po battery packs for PF, I’m wondering how we as a community are going to power our PF motors from now on. The ‘easiest’ way would obviously be to switch to PUP (not really, because of the exact same lack of LiPo boxes available), but for people like me, who still have a bunch of M and L motors laying around, this isn’t an option. 

So, what are the options in the mean time? Well, after some discusion over at the EB Train Tech forums, we concluded there are several solutions currently out there:

  • Batteryboxes with regular recharchable batteries
    Annoying because you have to dissasemble the whole thing all the time. However, the most sustainable solution since you can keep on changing batteries. Even my old 9V boxes still work perfectly fine, so the same will most probably happen with these.
  • Buwizz with build-in remote
    Not the ideal step if you for example want light & sound and thus want to include a PFx Brick, or if you are totally hooked on SBrick or the Lego IR receiver
  • Modding your existing PUP, PF or even 9V boxes and installing a LiPo pack in them yourself.
    A solution for the few of us with the proper knowledge of electronics. More difficult than you would think, since you would also need to include protection circuitry to keep the LiPO cells from running down too low and overcharging
  • FX Track Sytem
    Only being released in 2020 and a whole different ballpark to begin with.
  • Our well known clone friends from China
    The ‘clonebrand that shall not be named’ is currently producing Li-Po battery packs that look almost 1-on-1 like the TLC Li-Po packs. However, officially they should be shutting down after the raid, so is this really sustainable? Also, in a matter of ethics: Are we really willing to sponsor them? (in this case I’d say yes, since TLC decided to ditch the Li-Po PF battery pack, so there’s no alternative anymore)  

So, what are your thoughts? Have we forgotten any that deserve some attention, and what are your experiences with the different solutions that are currently out there?