Making Custom Trains
Making a Stand Up Train
How to make a close rendition of a stand up type train from a sit down looping train. Items needed to do the modification are: a sit down looping train, metal wheels, drill and 1/16th drill bit, Dremel tool with sanding head and cutting blade, (14) # 2 - 56 x 3/4 inch screws, 9 mm long metal pins (rail connectors work) and 8 mm long stand pipes made from 1/8th x .014 round aluminum pipe.
Below is a description and photos of how I made the modifications to make the stand up train.
1. Are all the things I used to make the trains. 2. Is bottom of a seat section needing a little work.
3. I sanded the bottom of outside seats because there are dimples in the bottom. 4. Drilled holes in bottom of outside seats about 2.5 mm deep, I used the middle screws to line up the holes.
5. Inserted pins, I cut them from a rail connector as they are the right size, cut them down to about 9 mm long. 6. Cut the stand pipes to 8 mm long. 7. Then using the 3/4 inch screws and the
 8 mm stand pipes I assembled the train. 8. Finished car and photos below of the finished car.
Click all the photos for a larger view.
These are the various sections of different types of modifications shown below:
 Make a Floorless from a Sit Down Train, Make a Floorless from a Dive Train,
Make a Stand Up Train, 10 Seat to 8 Seat Dive Train Conversion,
 Make a Flying Train,
Making a Floorless Train from a Dive Train
Making a new color set in a Floorless train from a couple of Griffon Trains. You will need 3 Griffon Statix trains to make a 7 seat floorless train. A Dremel cutting tool and a cutting disk, a screwdriver and metal wheels. First disassemble the Griffon trains and prepare to work. Remove the seat section and cut the last 3 seats from each side of the black seat section. You need to use the middle section as it has the    necessary screw holes. Cut the restraints into sections of 4 you will have some left overs. Get all the pieces setup and assemble the new floorless train.
Below are photos and description of how to transform a Griffon train into a floorless train.
1. A Griffon dive train before work begins. 2. Disassemble the train. 3. Unscrew the seat section from its base. 4. Cut the seats removing 3 from each end use only mid section as it has the screw holes needed.
5. Cut the restraints to make a section of 4. 6. All the pieces ready for reassembly.
 7. Reassemble the train. 8. The finished car section of the train.
Click all the photos for a larger view.
Making Custom Trains
This section is for various trains that I have created with the Coaster Dynamix model system trains.
Below are photos and descriptions of how to create various trains.
Some have asked about modifying a 10 seat dive train to an 8 seat dive train. The modification is very easy to do and produces a very realistic train. You will need several things to make the MOD: one Sheikra train, a cutting device like a Dremel tool with cutting wheel, small screw driver and some time. First thing is to disassemble the train to make working on it easier. Once you have the train apart its time to make some cuts.  WARNING.. DON'T cut 2 seats off one side of the train. You must cut one seat and one restraint from each side. If you don't you wont be able to screw the seats back on or the restraints will not hold down properly. You will notice that the blue base has in inside wall, when you cut you want to leave the outside wall so that the end will be solid. Cut the ends and clean up the left over with an Xacto knife or sanding head on Dremel. Once you have gotten all the cutting and cleaning done its time to reassemble the train.
Below are photos and description of how modify a 10 seat train.
10 Seat Dive Train to an 8 Seat Dive Train
1. What you need. 2. Taking the train apart. 3. All the various parts. 4. Ready for some cutting.
5. Cut one side of pieces. 6. Cutting the other side. 7. Solid end left after cutting and cleaning. 8. See the difference in the two seat sections, one is an 8 seat section and the other original 10 seat section.
9. Reattach the seats. 10. Install bottom section. 11. 8 and 10 seater. 12. Finished 8 seat train.
Click all the photos for a larger view.
Making a Floorless Train from a Sit Down Train
I wanted a new color pattern in a floor less train so I decided to do some modification to an existing Apollos Chariot Statix Train. I used a Dremel with a cut off blade, a screwdriver for taking a part the train and an X-acto blade to make marks in the plastic to cut by. First disassemble the train, mark the train and make the cuts in the plastic. Reassemble the car with metal wheels and you are ready to run the train.
Below are photos and description of how to transform a sit down train into a floorless train.
1. A sit down train before work begins. 2. Removing the restraint.
3. I used an X-acto blade to make marks in the plastic for cut lines. 4. White lines show where to cut.
5. Cut one side of the base piece. 6. Cut the other side of the base piece.
 7. Reassemble the train. 8. The finished car section of the train.
Click all the photos for a larger view.
Make a Flying Train
So you have an interest in building a working flying train. I would suggest just using some glue and glue your seat section up to the top of train. Glue will work and hold for a while but it does not hold forever. I decided to make a modification that is more permanent.   WARNING!  There are a lot of problems that can occur while making the modifications. DO NOT TRY THIS unless you are very good with small drills, drill press, tiny screws and no tolerance for error.   Now if you have decided you want to try this here is what I did and how I did it. First things you will need are, cutting tool, drill press, a 1/16 th drill bit and a 3/32 nd drill bit (Dremel # 4 bit I think), the train you want to modify, 1/8 th inch wood dowel, screwdriver,
14 SCREWS ( 0 - 80 x 5/16 inch )  and lots of time. You begin with cutting the seat section, I chose to cut the top seat flush so that I can use a spacer or you can just cut the seat section off at a lower height and leave part of the top of seat. Take top of train section and now drill a hole with the 1/8th drill bit between the fins. Placement of screw hole is most important and needs to be in center between the fins. Next take the 3/32 drill bit and screw some pilot holes in the back of seat sections. You need to make them all the same or the seats will hit each other when completed. I used a set of sit down seats as they have a larger back to screw into with more room to work with. I then cut some of the wood dowels for spacers and drilled out the center for the screw  to go through. You may also need to modify the bottom of the wheel assembly with a sanding head as that part of the wheel assembly may hit the screw so you may need to modify it.
 WARNING!  This works but there are a lot of things that can go wrong with this modification. I do not suggest doing this to your train and I make no claims that this will work or that you will end up with a working flying train. This simply is what I did and with a lot of work and craftsmanship you can make one yourself.
 I still suggest you simply cut and glue your inverted seat section to the upper part of the train.
Below are photos and information on how to create a flying train.
1.  Things needed.  2. Cutting the seats off.  3. Cut off top section.  4. Flip over ready do drill.
5.  Drill between the fins.  6. Drill pilot holes.  7. Cut & drill spacers.  8. Sand for adjustment.
13.  Ready to reassemble.  14. Screw together.  15. Finished car section.  16. Finished train sections.
Click all the photos for a larger view.
9.  Wheel assembly.  10. Ready to Sand.  11. Sanding.  12. The finished section after sanding.
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