The Portland's TriMet "MAX" Commuter Train
last updated 9-22-99
(33k) - Real picture of MAX found on the TriMet home page
GENERAL: This model is uses an extremely large number of the treasured train windows; 24 normal white and 16 narrow white . The doors are inset by 1/2 stud and accented with gray plates on the top and bottom to delineate them. The front window is held in place by "tilting bearing hinge" and tilted inward to match the angle of the extreme slope. The end trucks do not have couplers but provide a clean front style. The inset roof is a detail that mimics the real train and adds relief to the roof, gray boxes on the roof are air conditioner units.
ARTICULATION: The train is made up of three separate sections. Both main sections are identical and have only one two axle truck each. The truck-less end of the main sections rest on a small platform of tiles that are attached to the motor truck of the center section. The three sections are held together by rubber bands (LEGO brand, of course) via the pins on the roof. Having them on the roof makes for easy assembly & disassembly for both setup on the track and for transport. I first used the rubber band technique for my EP2 engine (www.PNLTC.org), but saw this technique of "close" coupling coaches on James Mathis's BOB train. Matt Bates has leaked that he has created a "close" coupling mechanism using the spring parts from the LEGO set 4559 (they hold the crossing gates in place) and magnetic couplers. When I figure this out I may adopt this technique (sorry James).
VESTIBULE: Part of an articulated and "close" coupling design is to fill in the gap created when traversing curves. Since LEGO does not make an accordion like material, creativity must prevail. I used a stack of white "notched trapezoidal plates" (I don't have enough free "skew-bricks" in white) topped with a "dual-tapered sloped brick" airplane nose and the same "angular cockpit bottom" on the bottom. This stack is hidden when the train is on a straight away but when traversing a curve they are exposed, filling the otherwise annoying gap. The great part is that the skew-brick stack forms an angle that splits the difference between the main sections and the center section, giving the appearance of a continuous side. I also continued the color stripe across the normally hidden end(s) to create the illusion of a continuous side. Actually, only the main sections has the stripe as of this writing, however I hope to continue the stripe across the center section as well. This technique can also be expanded by carrying a color scheme through the skew-brick/plate stack.
MOTOR TRUCK: This model also uses a technique from James Mathis used on his BOB train to help hide the motor. The black side pieces that are specific to the motor truck are not used. I hung two "1x1 headlight" pieces from the side walls of the center section and added the 1x8 white tile on its side. For some detail (and strength) I connected to the bottom of the two 1x1 "headlight" pieces the top of a white "tilting bearing hinge". The sole connection between the motor truck and the center section vestibule is the gray technic plate that receives the technic pin from on top of the built-in bogie plate.
(brick pictures from Auczilla URLs)
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