Tag Archives: Railroad

About BMR, Products

ANNOUNCING the EMD SD40-2 Premium Instructions

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Model Design by Chris Stone

It’s been a long time coming, but the day is finally here. Today we are releasing our Premium Instructions for the EMD SD40-2 Diesel Locomotive. Available now in the Brick Model Railroader Store. And we have a few special surprises in store for you too. But first, let’s take a look at the model.

EMD SD40-2 Premium Instructions

Norfolk Southern model in the “Horse Head” paint scheme with optional parts shown.

The EMD SD40-2 is a 3,000-horsepower (2,200 kW) C-C road switcher diesel-electric locomotive built by EMD from 1972 to 1989.

The SD40-2 was introduced in January 1972 as part of EMD’s Dash 2 series, competing against the GE U30C and the ALCO Century 630. Although higher-horsepower locomotives were available, including EMD’s own SD45-2, the reliability and versatility of the 3,000-horsepower (2,200 kW) SD40-2 made it one of the best-selling models in EMD’s history, edged only by the GP9, and the standard of the industry for several decades after its introduction. The SD40-2 was an improvement over the SD40, with modular electronic control systems similar to those of the experimental DDA40X.

Burlington Northern model in the “White Face” paint scheme, without the stripe.

Peak production of the SD40-2 was in the mid-1970s. Sales of the SD40-2 began to diminish after 1981 due to the oil crisis, increased competition from GE’s Dash-7 series and the introduction of the EMD SD50, which was available concurrently to late SD40-2 production. The last SD40-2 delivered to a United States railroad was built in July 1984, with production continuing for railroads in Canada until 1988, Mexico until February 1986, and Brazil until October 1989. As of 2013, nearly all built still remain in service.

CONRAIL SD40-2 wearing the “CONRAIL Quality” paint scheme.

Our model of this famous locomotive has been designed by BMR Team Member, Chris Stone. Chris has done a wonderful job capturing the iconic look of the SD40-2.

For this, our first Locomotive Premium Instructions, we are trying something new. For past freight and passenger car models we’ve covered multiple variations  in a single instruction book. But the SD40-2 is a larger model and more complex than previous Premium Instructions and covering all variations and paint schemes in a single book would be impractical. So we are breaking the SD40-2 up into a series based on the railroad paint schemes we plan to offer.

BNSF in the “Heritage 2” Paint Scheme.

The advantage of this is that we can offer a better build- ing experience with parts list specific to each paint scheme. Each instruction book will be tailored to a specific railroad with details explicit to that road high- lighted on each model. 

Our instructions include options to build each railroad’s SD40-2 locomotives in several paint schemes. Also included are instructions for various optional upgrades to the model including No. 6 Wheels, Custom Fan Shrouds, and Knuckle Couplers. More on those optional parts later.

SD40-2 Instruction Books

Our SD40-2 Premium Instructions Kits contain the following:

1 professionally printed 96-124 (page count depending on railroad) page instruction book with full color instructions, part list for each of the build variations, prototype information, and building tips. The books are spiral bound for easy use while building.

1 set of black roller bearing tiles (12 tiles per kit)

2 black Brickarms Monopods used for detailing

4 black Brickarms U-Clips used for detailing.

8 Upgraded Traction Bands

All you need to provide is the LEGO bricks from your own collection. You can purchase decals to build the locomotive in one of a number of authentic paint schemes. 

The first four railroads we are offering are:

Norfolk Southern

Conrail

BNSF

Burlington Northern

In the future we hope to release more railroads. If you have a particular road you would like to see, please let us know.

Store Link to our SD40-2 Instructions

Decals for the EMD SD40-2

We also have a range of decals available for each road name.

Decals sets available for the SD40-2.

Produced for BMR by OKBrickWorks with art work by Cale Leiphart, these decals feature authentically replicated graphics for each of the road names offered.  

Decals are printed on clear vinyl. They are durable, water resistant, and easy to apply. Each decal set will complete one locomotive, and comes with extra numbers so you can change the road number to your desire.

Store Link to our SD40-2 Decal Sets

Optional Parts for the EMD SD40-2

And now about those options. We have more than just decals to add to your SD40-2 model. We have a few other items that can really bring your model to the next level.

Custom No. 6 Wheels

The real SD40-2 locomotive uses wheels that are 40 inches in diameter. In our 1:48th Scale model this scales to within 1 inch of a No. 6 (MS) size wheel. The standard LEGO train wheel ( No. 5 or S ) scales to 33 inches.

Common LEGO wheel sizes.

Our model includes instructions for using either the standard LEGO wheel, or the upgraded No. 6 wheel. For those wanting a more prototypical appearance, the No. 6 wheels give the model a great look.

No. 6 Wheel Pack for the SD40-2.
No. 6 Wheels Installed on the SD40-2 Truck.

These are custom 3D Printed No. 6 (MS) Wheels designed by Cameron Miller and produced by OKBrickworks for Brick Model Railroader.

Includes: 8 3D Printed No. 6 Flange Wheels and 4 3D Printed No. 6 Blind Wheels 

Custom Fan Shrouds

If you are looking to add a special detail to the appearance of your SD40-2 model, we are offering this Custom Fan Shroud Pack.

Fan Shroud Kit

This fan shroud upgrade kit replaces the stock LEGO parts used to represent the dynamic brake and radiator fan shrouds on the top of the model. Also included are fan decals that go under the fan shrouds for that extra detailed look.

Custom Fan Shroud kit installed on the Norfolk Southern SD40-2.

These are a 3d Printed Product designed by Cameron Miller and produced by OKBrickworks for Brick Model Railroader.

Includes: 3 Black 26mm X 6.4mm 3D Printed Fan Shrouds and 2 Black 3D Printed 26mm X 4.8mm Fan Shrouds, and 6 Fan Decals (used under shrouds).

Wheel and Fan Shroud Combo Pack

Planning to buy both the No. 6 wheels and the custom fan shrouds? We are offering a combo pack just for you.

Wheel and Fan Shroud Combo Pack

Includes: 3 Black 26mm X 6.4mm 3D Printed Fan Shrouds and 2 Black 3D Printed 26mm X 4.8mm Fan Shrouds, and 6 Fan Decals (used under shrouds)

8 Black 3D Printed No. 6 Flange Wheels and 4 Black 3D Printed No. 6 Blind Wheels

Extra Bearing Cap Tiles

Each Premium Instruction kit comes with 12 printed 1×1 round tile Roller Bearing Caps for the trucks on the SD40-2. Printed by Brick Print Studios. These tiles recreate the look of roller bearings on the trucks the locomotive. For those wanting to build additional models, we have these bearing caps available separately in packs of 12.

Bearing Cap

Replacement O-Ring Traction Bands

For this model, we recommend the replacement of the stock traction band on the RC Train Wheel with SAE AS568A0.16 Metric 1.5×42 (#35) size Rubber O-Rings for better traction and increased clearance between the track and fuel tank. These will also fit the No. 6 Train Wheel.

Eight O-rings are already supplied in each Premium Instruction Kit, but if you are building a second model, or just want to have some spares on hand, we will be selling a set of eight individually.

O-Ring Replacement Traction Bands

Knuckle Couplers

And last but not least, the SD40-2 can be outfitted with our knuckle couplers. Instructions are included with each model for using either standard LEGO magnetic couplers, or our new knuckle couplers.

Knuckle couplers shown.

The 747S coupler is used with the standard LEGO (No. 5) Train Wheels and the 743S is used with the optional No. 6 Train Wheels.

You can find all these optional parts in the store link bellow.

Store Link to Our Optional Parts

And last but not least, we have restocks of all our previous Premium Instruction models available, as well as decal sets for them and accessories.

BMR Store Link

Thank you, and we hope you enjoy the SD40-2.

The BMR Team

Contests, LEGO Train News

Contests Contests!

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Hello readers. Today we have two quick little items on some current contests going on in the LEGO® train community.

Brick Train Awards

If you haven’t been following, the Brick Train Awards is back for 2021.

The Brick Train Awards is a global virtual competition to showcase LEGO train builders around the world. The Awards where founded in 2020 and with a surprising 732 entries last year, the organization decided to run it again this year. Like previous year, the Brick Train Awards is a collaboration between LNUR, Bricks McGee and BMR. The awards are free to enter and judged by members of the LEGO® train fan community worldwide. The entries are op from 1st – 28th February 2021. The winners of this year’s awards will be announced on March the 5th.

You have one week to still get your entries in. For more info on the Brick Train Awards, follow the link below.

Brick Train Awards Website

Funny Freight Contest! Sponsored by Texas Brick Railroad

The Texas Brick Railroad is sponsoring a “Funny Freight” contest. You have nearly six months to design and build your entries – judging will take place at Brick Rodeo (Houston, TX) on Friday, July 23, and all 12 winners will be announced Saturday night.

What It’s About
    Create a LEGO railcar (or string of cars) that is . . . funny. It’s funny if it makes us laugh. Or at least grin. That’s the only definition. Parody, satire, weird historical rolling stock, plain old absurdity . .  . whatever floats your boat. Just keep it rated G or PG, since Brick Rodeo is a family event.

Prizes!!
    FIRST PRIZE – an 8-wide TBRR tank car kit designed by Edward Chang, with custom award printing. (And maybe more – we’re open to prize sponsorship, and some has been tentatively promised.)


    SECOND PRIZE – A new-in-box Brickstuff animated Metroliner billboard for your town. (And maybe more.)


    THIRD PRIZE – A LEGO “Charles Dickens Tribute,” 40410, new in box. (And maybe more.)


    BUILD BONUS – $100 in booth credit at the Brick Rodeo “Too Many Bricks” booth – for the best physical entry that is actually brought to the show. That is: If the first place winner is an actual build at the show, it will get the build bonus. If the first place winner is not at the show but the second place winner is, the second place will get the bonus . . . and so on.


    AWARD BRICKS – We’ll create a dozen “2021 Funny Freight” 1 x 8 bricks, and give one each to the top dozen people who enter.

Details
    Who can enter? – Any living human being. But no more than two entries per person, please. Judges will be asked not to vote for their own entries.


    Required info – We need the name of each entry, your own name (or a screen name), and a means of contact if you win. We will not share your info with anyone, or retain any info after the contest except the names of the winners. We do ask that if you run your entry on our track, you put an identifying sticker on the bottom so we can get it back to you.
    Scale – From 6-wide to 10-wide, as long as it runs on standard LEGO track.


    Judges – The contest will be judged by the TBRR members displaying at Brick Rodeo.


    Format: Your entry may be an actual build brought to the show (preferred!), or a photo/video of a real build, or a virtual build. Virtual images or photos should be sent to texasbrickrr@gmail.com, and should arrive by noon on Friday, July 23rd.


    Rights – You retain all rights to your entry, but we get to display images of it, and to build one for our layout if we love it.


    Awesomeness – When choosing between equally funny entries, the judges will favor real builds over any other format, and will take into account technical excellence, light, sound, and movement effects.


    Novelty – Entries must never have been displayed at a Brick Rodeo before. But this is the first Brick Rodeo, so bring out your best!

Questions?
    Send questions about the contest to texasbrickrr@gmail.com.

FAQ

Q – Can one entry be multiple cars?
A – If the joke requires multiple cars, sure, that’s one entry.

Q – Tell me more about Brick Rodeo.
A – Ten years of awesomeness, now with a new name. www.brickrodeo.com.

Q – Should I explain the joke?
A – That’s up to you. Many good jokes don’t need explaining. If your entry embodies a witticism about court intrigue in the days of Louis XIV, you’d better explain it. But often the title of the entry will be enough additional explanation.

Q – Do I need to include instructions?
A – No.

Q – Can I do a funny locomotive?
A – What do you think pulls all the funny freight?

Q – Do you have a disclaimer?
A – LEGO is a registered trademark of The Lego Group. This contest is not sponsored or endorsed by TLG.

About BMR, Products

KNUCKLE COUPLERS ARE HERE!

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Brick Model Railroader is proud to bring you our latest product. Our Brick Train Compatible Knuckle Coupler. BMR, in partnership with BrickForge, has been work- ing on a replacement for the old LEGO® 9v era magnetic train couplers. These new couplers are now available for sale in our BMR online store.

Shipping will begin Monday.

Continue reading KNUCKLE COUPLERS ARE HERE! →

Inspiration, Layouts, Model Design

Railroad Track Maintenance Part One; The Tie Gang

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By Sal Ciofani

So you’ve decided to step beyond just laying LEGO track on baseplates, so you have added ballast and reddish brown or black ties to really make your track come to life.  You might even say it is starting to less like a toy train track, and a little more like realistic model railroad track.  But even the nicest looking high speed mainline track needs good maintenance to keep it in tip top shape so trains can run quickly and safely, without risking catastrophic derailments.  We will take a look at how track is maintained to keep it looking realistic and to keep trains running safely and reliably.    

Continue reading Railroad Track Maintenance Part One; The Tie Gang →

Building Techniques, Inspiration, Layout Design

Track Detailing for Light Rail

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Article by Conrad Schlenker

In the past, we have seen great and highly informative articles from Hod Carrier and Matt Csenge on simple but good-looking details anyone can build to add detail to their track. Today, I’d like to do the same, but for a relatively unexplored genre of L-gauge modeling: Light Rail!

Light rail is a very important mode of public transportation in a lot of major cities throughout the world. Although I will be covering details that aim to replicate things found in America, hopefully this article is helpful to anyone looking to model a rapid transit railway. 

Before we get into the larger details, lets look at some simple details that don’t take many parts, but can add a lot of detail that is sure to catch any spectators eye. 

Tie Choices

            I 100% agree with the things Matt said in his 2nd article about USA Track Detailing. Ties are everything. Concrete ties are quite common on light rail systems, so here are a few ways to do them: 

Concrete ties left to right:

  • Dual block ties with no fasteners
  • Dual block ties with 1×1 plates for fasteners
  • Full concrete ties with no fasteners
  • Full concrete ties with fasteners on both sides
  • Full concrete ties with fasteners on outside only

Its also recommended that you put ballast in between a double track mainline as well. 

Trackside Signs

Whistle Board. Used at grade crossings, it alerts the driver to use the horn in order to warn motorists of the incoming train. 

Absolute speed board. Tells the driver the current or absolute speed limit of the track.

Upcoming speed board. The slant of the board indicates that the speed listed on it will be in effect when the next board arrives. 

End of Track Bumper

There are many different types and designs of end of track bumpers out there, but this one is modeled after the one used on the DART system, which is the closest light rail system to me. Rest assured, this detail will look great on any layout, and looks general enough to match other designs seen all over America. The end of track bumper is obviously used to stop a train from going too far off the rails when its going too fast. Sometimes it works better than others, as seen in an incident in a Chicago Metro station a few years ago. The bumper is attached to the rails, which is modeled by the 1×4 plates in between the ties, and the 1×2 jumpers hanging over the rails. Also modeled are the rubber pads, which are meant to soften the impact, but don’t really help much if the train is going fast enough to hit the bumper in the first place. I used 1×2 grills for these. Since these bumpers are so common on light rail / rapid transit lines, this detail will bring a lot to any layout, and is sure to catch the eye of any spectator. 

Next, we have a simple line side signal that can be found pretty much anywhere on a light rail system. Signals are necessary not only to light rail lines but any type of mainline anywhere in the world. Their job is fairly simple and works much like a traffic light on a road. It tells drivers weather or not it is safe to proceed, and if anything is occupying the right of way in front of them. The most common aspects seen on such signals is as follows: Green or clear = proceed at line speed, flashing yellow or approach medium = proceed  with caution and be prepared to stop in the next 2 signals, yellow or approach = proceed at a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour, and be prepared to stop at the next signal. There are many more aspects, meaning lots of different things, but that should give you a basic understanding on how they work. Light rail signals appear more box-like than signals found elsewhere. It is important to make sure the signal looks like it is set in concrete, hence the LBG bricks at the bottom. This also goes for crossing gates and catenary poles. Some signals have two ‘heads’ on them, which means they display two aspects at one time. The second head can easily be built under the first one if you need it.

Don’t worry, this detail is compatible with the PennLUG style of track ballasting found on L-gauge.org. Light rail lines often have to weave through small spaces to get where they need to go, so on especially tight corners an inner 3rd rail is used to make absolutely sure the train stays on the track. It’s not like the 3rd rails some of you may have heard of; it doesn’t provide power on the outside of the track, it provides stability o the inside of the track. These can be seen in maintenance bases, yards, and on the mainline, as well as be attached to either the inside or outside edge of the rail. 

            That was my last detail for this article, and although it was a short one, I hope it gave you some inspiration and jumping off points if you ever take on a project involving light rail. If you’re wondering why I didn’t talk about a catenary pole, its because the height usually changes depending on the scale of the train, and I didn’t want to create a size limitation for people who don’t build the same scale as me. 

             To all who read this far, thank you. I hope you enjoyed this brief look into the world of light rail. 

               Play well,

                       Conrad.

LEGO Train News, Models, Products

10277 Crocodile Locomotive: A Review

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Last year, Lego gave us one of my favorite battery powered train sets, 71044 Disney Train and Station. This set, while expensive (but worth it) and at times a challenging build, is still marketed with younger audiences in mind. It’s a proven formula: some kids like trains, but MOST kids love Disney. Put those two things together and you end up with a very desirable product.

I shared some thoughts on that set in an article linked above, and now I have the task of writing about Lego’s newest train again: 10277 Crocodile Locomotive. This new set is the polar opposite of the Disney train; it literally says 18+ on the front of the box, but I’ll touch more on that later. I should also say that once again Brick Model Railroader was not offered a set to review. Again, I went to my local LEGO store (with a mask and practicing proper social distancing, mind you) and purchased the locomotive, Powered Up motor, and Powered Up hub to review.

A sweet box.

10277 Crocodile Locomotive sold out very quickly online and is now backordered for a couple months. However, if you’re lucky and able to, you may still find a few on store shelves.

Let’s dive in.

Continue reading 10277 Crocodile Locomotive: A Review →

About BMR, Products

ANNOUNCING Knuckle Couplers for LEGO® Trains!

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We have a very special announcement for you today. BMR, in partnership with Brickforge, has been working on a replacement for the old LEGO 9v era magnetic train couplers. Today we are ready to officially reveal this project that we hope to have available for sale late this summer. We’ve put together a video to introduce you to these new couplers.

Now let us take a look at these couplers in greater detail.

Continue reading ANNOUNCING Knuckle Couplers for LEGO® Trains! →

About BMR, Contests, Decals, Events, Products

New BMR Store, New Premium Instructions, and Community Updates: June 2020

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Today is the big day. Brick Model Railroader is launching our new and improved online store. And we have three band new Premium Instructions for sale along with an array of new decals for each.

Our old store served us well, but we we starting to out grow it. As we added new products, it was increasingly hard to navigate and find what you were looking for. Also the look was growing stale, and our products were not being show off to their fullest potential. So one the last few weeks we’ve been moving our store over to a new platform, one full of shiny new widgets, and hopefully a much better buying experience for you.

Click Here to Check Out the New BMR Online Store

The new BMR store front.

New Premium Instructions

Continue reading New BMR Store, New Premium Instructions, and Community Updates: June 2020 →

Building Techniques, Inspiration, Layout Design, Layouts

Tips and Tricks for Layout Design

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The following article is a summary of some tips and tricks for layout designing combined with some basic facts that involve the layout designing progress. This article won’t summarize every subject which involves the designing process since there just too many. However, there will be tips and tricks for both beginner and experienced builders.

Epoch

First thing when deciding to design your layout is to figure out what epoch you want to built in. Every epoch reflects a particular time within railroading history. The idea is that you can build whatever you want, as long as it makes sense within that epoch (or one below or above), because the chance of prototypical railroading would be highest, ie. the chance that two trains, or buildings, or cars, would have been able to ‘meet’, would be the highest if we follow these rules.  For the AFOLs out there that may not be familiar with the epoch system I hope this explains:

Epoche Time period
I 1835–1920
II 1920-1949
III 1949-1970
IV 1970-1990
V 1990-2006
VI 2006-current

The epoch system is an important thing for layout building since your chosen epoch effects your entire layout. For better understanding we take a station as an example. During the Epoch III period there were different safety regulations when it comes to station’s compared to the Epoch VI period. Take platform length or height for example. Also, station designs, a “modern” design won’t match a full Epoch III layout. Details like these give your layout a lot more realism but can also act as a starting point when considering designing.

Another good example is level crossings. During the Epoch I-IV level crossings where common to see. In the Epoch VI period, especially in Europe, level crossings are becoming a thing of the past especially on main high-speed lines.

Continue reading Tips and Tricks for Layout Design →