MOC: Union Pacific EMD E9

[JopieK]

The EMD trains frequent this LEGO Train Forum now and then.

Of course there is the EMD E8 Santa Fe Super Chief, but others like Tearloch already made EMD's as well!

Today I want to present my finished EMD E9 model:

A video demo can be found here:

I connected an Arduino Pro Mini to the LEGO LiPo, I also connected the normal IR receiver to the LiPo and connected the Train motor to it.

B.t.w. I ran out of gray wheels so unfortunately one gray wheel.

I use the small PF remote to enable / disable the Mars light / gyrolite (depending on the brand ;)) and the orange blinker. The Arduino uses a custom LEGO PF Remote receiver sketch and a typical 940nm IR receiver.

The left one shows the gyrating light (2 SMD LEDs), the blink light also has a small SMD LED connected to a simple (insulated) copper wire.

A peek on the inside:

The IR receivers are at the right, the small one sticks out a little bit, enough to receive IR signals.

[Hey Joe]

Hey, that's an excellent job of one of my favorite diesels and liveries. I especially like the little light on top.

The decals are excellent as well, where did those come from?

Thanks for sharing, Joe

[ronenson]

Nice model. I do kinda miss the small red stripe at the top. I think it would liven up the color scheme.

I love the arduino electronics you put it. Any more info available on that? (except for what you can find

on the arduino site)

[JopieK]

I agree on the red stripe indeed! Maybe I should lower the gray bricks by one plate and then make the tiles red. Quite difficult though since it is so tiny.

This is the source code:

/**
*  File....... LEGO_PF_DemoLEGO_PF_Demo.pde 
*  Author:   J.A.Korten
*  JKSOFT Educational
*  johan.a.korten[-at-]gmail.com
*  Technical Education Consultant for Primary, Secondary and Higher Education
*  Date:     20-05-2010
*  Version:  1.0
*
* Special thanks to:
*   - H. Bouwman, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences
*   - Walter Anderson (writer of IRanalyzer for Arduino)
*   - SuperCow, who made an excellent IR sender for LEGO PF and helped with this software also
*     he gave me his LegoPfReceiver functions (but they didn't work for me...)
*
* Tested with:
*   Arduino Duemilanove
*   IR RECEIVERS, 38Khz:
*   - VISHAY TSOP4138
*   - HERO HIM602H 
*   - VISHAY TSOP2238
*   - IRM38BL 
*   Warning: those IR components often look the same but pinnings may differ...
*   So students (and others) what can I say more than:
*   RTFDS!!! (Read The Fine Data Sheet ;))
*
* Note: This sketch and the LEGOPfIrFunctions heavily rely on the LEGO Power Functions RC 1.0 documentation bij LEGO Company, 01/2008
* LEGO doesn't endorse, sponsor or authorize this initiative, use at your own risk.
*/
#include <avr/interrupt.h>
#include <avr/io.h>
#include <MsTimer2.h>
#include "LEGOPfIrFunctions.h"

int IRpin = 2;
int statusLed = 13;
volatile int i = 0;

char dummyvar; // to get Arduinoi IDE to include core headers properly

/*
 MsTimer2 is a small and very easy to use library to interface Timer2 with
humans. It's called MsTimer2 because it "hardcodes" a resolution of 1
millisecond on timer2
For Details see: http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Main/MsTimer2
*/

// Switch on LED on and off each half second

const int led_pin = LED_BUILTIN; // 1.0 built in LED pin var
const int blinker = 7;
const int gyro_0 = 8;
const int gyro_1 = 9;
volatile boolean gyro_out;
volatile boolean doGyralite;
volatile boolean doBlink;

boolean changed = false;

// moet eeprom value worden
byte system_channel = 0;


void setup() {
 Serial.begin(9600);
 Serial.println("LEGO Power Functions IR Remote");

 LegoPFIrRxFunctions.initPfIr(IRpin);
 pinMode(blinker, OUTPUT);     
 pinMode(gyro_0, OUTPUT);     
 pinMode(gyro_1, OUTPUT);     

 gyro_out = false;
 doGyralite = true;
 doBlink = true;

 MsTimer2::set(45, flash); // 500ms period
 MsTimer2::start();
}

void loop()
{
 digitalWrite(statusLed, LOW);
 if (digitalRead(IRpin) == HIGH) {
   if (LegoPFIrRxFunctions.crunchIRData(IRpin) == 1) {
     digitalWrite(statusLed, HIGH);

     int channel = LegoPFIrRxFunctions.getChannel();
     int outputab = 0;
     int data = LegoPFIrRxFunctions.getData();
     int mode = LegoPFIrRxFunctions.getMode();
     outputab = LegoPFIrRxFunctions.getOutputAB();
     system_channel = channel; // only for debugging!!!!
     Serial.print("CH:");
     Serial.print(channel);
     Serial.print(" AB:");
     Serial.print(outputab);
     Serial.print(" mode:");
     Serial.print(mode);
     Serial.print(" data:");
     Serial.print(data);

     if (channel == system_channel) {
       if (data == 1) {
         doGyralite = !doGyralite; 
         if (doGyralite) { 
           Serial.println("Toggle Gyralite on");
         } 
         else {
           Serial.println("Toggle Gyralite off");
           digitalWrite(gyro_0, LOW);
           digitalWrite(gyro_1, LOW);
         }
         delay(1000);
       } 
       else if (data == 2) {
         doBlink = !doBlink;

         if (doBlink) {
           Serial.println("Toggle Blinker On");
         } 
         else { 
           Serial.println("Toggle Blinker Off");
           digitalWrite(blinker, LOW);
         }
         delay(1000);
       } 
     }
   }
 }
}

void flash()
{
 i++;
 //static boolean output = HIGH;
 if ((i % 5 == 0) && doGyralite) {
   digitalWrite(gyro_0, gyro_out);
   digitalWrite(gyro_1, !gyro_out);
 }
 if ((i % 2 == 0) && doBlink) digitalWrite(blinker, gyro_out);   // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 gyro_out = !gyro_out;

 if (i > 10) {
   i = 0; 
 }
}

[Pop Bumper Pete]

nice engine

[Man with a hat]

Nice train indeed. Now it is just looking for the other grey wheel I guess.

I like your stickers, as always. An maybe you could use a thin red sticker on the edge of the grey roof tiles since the red line is thin anyway and would move up the grey line a bit as well.

[ronenson]

I agree on the red stripe indeed! Maybe I should lower the gray bricks by one plate and then make the tiles red. Quite difficult though since it is so tiny.

This is the source code:

What about simply adding the red stripe as plates to the roof. Then you don't need to change a lot (optionally lower

the rest by one plate). It would also strenghten the roof construction.

Thanks for the source code, I'm not into Arduino yet, but this definitely looks quite simple to do. (Considering I do

have a background in programming). I think I'll start diving into this when I have some time.

[Rob Klingberg]

Looks like the YouTube video is private-- can you change the settings so we can watch it? Very interested to see the lighting effects in action.

[JopieK]

Looks like the YouTube video is private-- can you change the settings so we can watch it? Very interested to see the lighting effects in action.

I fixed it! I used the Timer3 for the Arduino to enable both receiving IR and blinking at the same time. Timer3 is used by Arduino for the Tone library so I can't use that anymore but the simple tone support is not that useful for trains I guess.

@ronenson: I'll do some experiments with the stripings.

[zephyr1934]

Nice train indeed. Now it is just looking for the other grey wheel I guess.

I like your stickers, as always. An maybe you could use a thin red sticker on the edge of the grey roof tiles since the red line is thin anyway and would move up the grey line a bit as well.

I would agree about that, a lego plate is too thick, but if only you knew someone with the ability to print a thin red stripe... and who had matched the lego colors... sigh (grin)

The build looks very good, but it does seem a little short to be an E9, it looks more like an F7 to my eye (especially with the two axle trucks). Still a nice looker whether it is an E or an F though.

[404404]

Nice train.

Possible brick build "thin red line" solution (assuming the line is needed just under the gray and yellow rounded slopes) :

-Move the black plates.

-Use the thin side of any of these brackets underneath the edge the roof section:

http://www.bricklink...tem.asp?P=44728

http://www.bricklink...tem.asp?P=99207

http://www.bricklink...tem.asp?P=93274

All avalible in red and lbgrey. Two in yellow, One in light gray

Try the 99207 brackets with a plate placed on the studs on "thick part" of the brackets. Should lock the roof in place. There seems to be enough clearence above the batterybox for this solution. Maybe the front part of the roof needs to be detached.

[JopieK]

That would be a good solution 404404, b.t.w. welcome to EB and the Train Tech forum (why don't you introduce yourself along the line ;)), the larger panels are a bit problematic for my PF version though since the wires won't fit than anymore (if you look closely you can see that!) so probably a stickers would not be that bad after all...

@zephyr1934: thanks for the advice! B.t.w. what do you think the Super Chief is based on?

From wikipedia, there are some options:

"The first motive power set on Super Chief-1 consisted of a pair of blunt-nosed, diesel-electric units (EMC 1800 hp B-B) designated as Nos. 1 and 1A. Santa Fe employees quickly hung the nicknames "One-Spot Twins" and "Amos & Andy" (from the popular radio show of the day) on the units, which were always paired and ran back-to-back. In a little over a year the EMC E1, a new and improved 3,600 hp (2.7 MW) streamlined diesel-electric locomotive set (one 1800 hp hood unit and the other a cabless booster unit also making 1800 hp) would be pulling Super Chief consists.

A variety of state-of-the-art locomotives (including ALCO PAs, EMD E6s, FTs, F3s, F7s, and FP45s, along with Santa Fe's only ALCO DL-107/108s and FM Erie-built units) would make their appearances on the line in the succeeding years. All wore the now-familiar Warbonnet paint scheme devised by Leland Knickerbocker of the GM "Art and Color Section" that debuted on the Super Chief-2."

[zephyr1934]

You know, I never even questioned that the Super Chief model was an F7, I guess because Santa Fe was most widely known for their fleet of F-unit Warbonnets. From this site it looks like they had over 150 F3 and F7 warbonnets and 10-20 E8's (which look almost identical to E9's). The E8/9 were about 70 ft long, had 3 axle trucks, and four port hole windows on either side. The F3/7 were about 50 ft long, had two axle trucks, most had two porthole windows (the early and mid F3's had 3 porthole windows, but as built they also did not have the fancy grill work across the top, the late model F3's are very similar to F7's). The F7's also had 4 vents between the windows, 10020 only has 3, but you can see they were aiming for that feature with the grill bricks. E8's have no vents between the windows. The rear access door behind the rear window is also characteristic of an F7. Other possible models can be eliminated because the E6 had square windows, the FT had four closely spaced porthole windows, etc..

While poking around that warbonnet site for the road numbers from 10020, it looks like there was a 27A-27C that were F3's and a 301A and 301B that were F7's.

At any rate, to my eye, the length, number of axles, and window arrangement are the most distinctive features between an F7 and E8/9.

I still like the idea of a red sticker for the stripe on your build. There are too many pinstripes on trains that are so thin that a plate is 10x times out of scale.

[KringlesBricks]

I've been meaning to post about this MOC you did. I really like how you incorporated the lights in the Loco.

It turned out to be a great engine. What cars will it be pulling?

Edited November 6, 2013 by KringlesBricks

[JopieK]

Thanks KringlesBricks, not sure about the cars yet. The UP Family days train would be a good idea but will cost quite a lot I guess ;))

@Zephyr: I think you are right indeed! I'm just recently became more involved in the history of American trains, but it is very interesting material! I will also follow your advice with the stripes. Now I need to design it when I get some time!

[zephyr1934]

There are incredible subtleties no matter where the trains are from. That is part of the fun of building lego trains: build the model, find new details you can add in, rebuild and repeat. You also gain a whole new appreciation for the prototype this way.