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Thomas the tank engine. TTTE.


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What's not pretty about it? I think this is super clean and tidy for a once-off board!

 

Michi.

 

Yes, That's pretty neat work............ It's when you have to re-work it a few times to get it operational that it gets messy ;)

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Yes, That's pretty neat work............ It's when you have to re-work it a few times to get it operational that it gets messy ;)

Re-work? What's this re-work business?

He says nervously.

 

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I wonder?

I need to get power through the track to the engine, which was originally battery powered? Something to think about.

 

That's a very cool idea! :)

 

I assume the plan is to have a train running on that. I'm wondering what a death save will do to it. You might have a few derailments…

 

Getting power to the tracks should be easy. Run wires to the tracks either in the apron area or in the top right or left corner where you can conceal them. A cheap power supply from eBay should work if you can't use power from elsewhere on the playfield.

 

Michi.

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I played this silly game with a large train going around the roof of my man cave.

 

In my case, it was plastic rail with a battery powered train but it was at least remote control.

 

IF, you decided to go with the feature, I would save a lot of trouble and go steel rail and a conventional train.

 

Battery powered means you need to at least re-charge it and that means a dedicated charging area on the track where wires from a charger can come in contact with the train.

 

In my case I had this area in the bar's false ceiling but seriously it was a pain maintaining the switches to get the train to stop exactly where it needed to for the charging to be automatic and I wished I just went a normal electric train with metal rails.

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I'm stuck with the cheap $15 battery operated trains unfortunately the metal rail trains start at $100 up to $200 each.

 

I need to put metal rails on the track and pickups on the engine (no batteries in the engine). I was thinking of either running tinned copper braid in the grooves where the wheels run and metal tyres on the wheels or do a reverse slotcar idea and have a slot down the middle of the track and braids either side of the slot on the underside of the track, this would keep the train from jumping off the rails (prefered as the trains can't derail but a lot more work). Sorry for the bad handwriting. I hope you can see what I'm thinking to do. It'll take a bit of tinkering but should work. 597dd815dcefe25979391619f9a78364.jpg

 

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On thinking about this idea, I do like it, it is, after all, a kid's machine but I would maybe go a smaller gauge train and definitely an electric train with metal rails so you have full control over it.

 

Now take this idea further and make it part of the game like an old backclass animation such as spelling out THOMAS advances the train to the next station set allong the rail and then you can have the stations awarding different awards like points, extra ball, specials etc.

 

You could use the playfield lights to energize one section of rail at a time so the train only advances on that section till say, "THOMAS" is spelt out again to advance the train on to the next station as it's section of rail is energized.

 

Once the train drives off the powered section of rail, the train will stop.

 

Game over reverses the polarity of the rails and the train reverses back to the start of the rail or just power the complete rail except the start segment ready for the train to begin the next game.

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On thinking about this idea, I do like it, it is, after all, a kid's machine but I would maybe go a smaller gauge train and definitely an electric train with metal rails so you have full control over it.

 

Now take this idea further and make it part of the game like an old backclass animation such as spelling out THOMAS advances the train to the next station set allong the rail and then you can have the stations awarding different awards like points, extra ball, specials etc.

 

You could use the playfield lights to energize one section of rail at a time so the train only advances on that section till say, "THOMAS" is spelt out again to advance the train on to the next station as it's section of rail is energized.

 

Once the train drives off the powered section of rail, the train will stop.

 

Game over reverses the polarity of the rails and the train reverses back to the start of the rail or just power the complete rail except the start segment ready for the train to begin the next game.

That's not a bad idea. I'll give it some thought. I was just going to have it do a loop when you spell "Thomas The Tank Engine" on all the playfield lights.

Cheers Trev

 

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Testing an idea for putting power to the track. The trains seem to run over the braid easily without derailing. I wonder if I can get the glass very close to the top of the engines it might help stop derailments when the machine is knocked? The bridges aren't going on the pinball machine.

I now need to figure out how to get power from the track to the motor in the engine. I was thinking of two lightly sprung wires fixed under the engine that rub on the braid? This will be a lot simpler than the other idea.

.f7a241138b5e2ec2a1a92a23fe6a484e.jpg8d738f9646ec14ef824139028a6d58b3.jpg

 

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http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/thomas-with-annie-and-clarabel-ready-to-run-ho-scale-train-set/272755906525?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20140106155344%26meid%3D3d13947b0e5a43aa838e3de2f5826c25%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D172747886949

 

Cheap for that cute kid of yours Trev.

 

Buy today and you'll have it by Sat. 22 Jul. and Wed. 26 Jul.

 

Sometimes it is best to spend more to save on dramas but then again you can just dump the idea too.

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http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/thomas-with-annie-and-clarabel-ready-to-run-ho-scale-train-set/272755906525?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20140106155344%26meid%3D3d13947b0e5a43aa838e3de2f5826c25%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D172747886949

 

Cheap for that cute kid of yours Trev.

 

Buy today and you'll have it by Sat. 22 Jul. and Wed. 26 Jul.

 

Sometimes it is best to spend more to save on dramas but then again you can just dump the idea too.

Agreed but we're planning on getting him that stuff when he's a bit older if he's still interested.

 

 

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I wonder?

I need to get power through the track to the engine, which was originally battery powered? Something to think about.a407bdc34974e7b84bd5ecc21754504d.jpg

I really need to clean the shed.😁

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Wow .. I didnt realise you were going to have a train running on a track on the playfield :cool: This thing will be awesome .. Kids will drool over it for sure :D (Big kids too LOL)

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That will prove to be a bugger to rescue a stuck ball or a rubber replacement. The train will derail when you lift the playfield.

If you go this way why not "N" scale. N scale is tiny Trev.

 

https://www.ebay.com/sch/items/?_nkw=thomas+the+tank+engine+n+scale&_sacat=&_ex_kw=&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo=&_udhi=&_sop=12&_fpos=&_fspt=1&_sadis=&LH_CAds=&rmvSB=tru!

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It shouldn't be too much of a problem. The track will be slighty wider so it'll sit over the shooter lane more and won't cover as much of the playfield. I'm waiting for a few more bits of track to arrive before I decide on the final design. I like the toy look of the trackmaster (battery) trains too it's what my son plays with all the time.

Cheers Trev

 

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Can't wait to have a crack at this at pin fest :-)

 

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I hope I can get it finished in time.

It's my kind of game, very simple. Complete a word get a bonus. Complete all the words and the train runs around the track and you collect all the bonuses, you get the bonuses again when the ball drains. Pop bumpers will just add to your score and there are three switches behind rubbers that'll just play sounds

A simple game from a simple designer.😆

It's for toddlers, they don't care about deep rule sets they just want to press flipper buttons.😁

By the way the sound board arrived today so I mounted it on the Fat Controller board along with the amplifier just a bit more wiring to go.

Cheers Trev dd34d46b33e92589dafe6fe9b0427c5f.jpg

 

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Gee that sound board is tiny. How did it go for you?.

 

Any chance of doing a vid demonstrating it?.

I haven't had time to try it out yet. Maybe Wed or Thurs. Yeah I'll do a video when I get it working. Yes it's tiny.

Cheers Trev

 

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http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/thomas-with-annie-and-clarabel-ready-to-run-ho-scale-train-set/272755906525?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20140106155344%26meid%3D3d13947b0e5a43aa838e3de2f5826c25%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D172747886949

 

Cheap for that cute kid of yours Trev.

 

Buy today and you'll have it by Sat. 22 Jul. and Wed. 26 Jul.

 

Sometimes it is best to spend more to save on dramas but then again you can just dump the idea too.

 

This is the way to go.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

I haven't had time to try it out yet. Maybe Wed or Thurs. Yeah I'll do a video when I get it working. Yes it's tiny.

Cheers Trev

 

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I think you have underestimated the audio. But still interested to hear your reports on it.

 

The train/plastic track/braid is not a good idea.

 

The braid will cause the train to derail (The wheels are running ON the braid) because the slots will not be deep enough.

 

Your electrical contact with the braid will be poor - Resulting in the train surging/slowing erratically.

(How are you planning on driving the train & How are you going to detect it's position/station?)

 

 

However - Don't be discouraged by my comments - It's your project to do as you please ;)

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This is the way to go.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

 

 

I think you have underestimated the audio. But still interested to hear your reports on it.

 

The train/plastic track/braid is not a good idea.

 

The braid will cause the train to derail (The wheels are running ON the braid) because the slots will not be deep enough.

 

Your electrical contact with the braid will be poor - Resulting in the train surging/slowing erratically.

(How are you planning on driving the train & How are you going to detect it's position/station?)

 

 

However - Don't be discouraged by my comments - It's your project to do as you please ;)

 

Ok firstly please forget about the expensive trains it isn't going to happen. I just cant afford it, just four trains and coaches would cost $400 - $600 not the $60 I'll be paying, and I want the machine to look like the toys my son currently plays with. If I was building a pinball for adults it might be different but this is primarily for my 3 year old son and he loves his trackmaster trains.

Secondly. With the track, slot cars run on braided track and have done so for many years with no conductivity issues, the trains will be weighted and I've tested the depth of the track and the trains run fine without derailing, this was a concern for me too so I tested the idea and it worked ok, the braid is quite thin and I very much doubt that the machine will move much during gameplay with a 3 year old playing. The glue to hold the braid down is a high viscosty contact adhesive that won't wick into the braid.

The train will just have one microswitch to tell it where to stop and will be mounted under the track to operate on the underside of the loco and will take minimal pressure to operate, much like a rollover switch, which might be an option. I might think about the multiple station idea at a later date.

Power will be supplied via an Arduino controlled relay at low voltage so the train doesn't fly off the track on the bends.

Audio, yes this has yet to be proven. The board has limitations and the amplifier is small. I have contacted the designer asking about triggering modes and while some other boards allow mixed modes this one does not it's one mode only from the 5 available.

While I appreciate the comments we seem to be going over the same ground. I do test my ideas before committing them to the machine, this is why things change often. It's a learning and experimental process and I'm always interested in hearing constructive ideas.

Discouraged, never. It's all good.😉 Stubborn is my middle name.

As an aside, unless someone drops out from Pinfest the machine will not be there this year as the room is full already and I wouldn't expect anyone to drop out just for this.

Cheers Trev

 

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