The code complexity shouldn’t be an issue. It rather looks like you have a bad connection either because of interference or a faulty device. I’ll try to reproduce your setup here and see if I have the same issues if I use a linear motor. (I currently only have a setup with train motors, but they work fine with a complex setup)
I have recreated your program and connected a brand new motor and controller to my iPad and it runs flawlessly, however I cannot test it under the same load (none of my trains are as heavy as the orient express) I think there are a few possible scenarios: 1. Under load the motor overheats and the battery box disconnects; or 2. Your battery box is defective; or 3. Your batteries don’t provide enough power; or 4. your controller is defective. To further test this you should first run with new non rechargeable batteries and without load (e.g. disconnect the motor from the wheels or lift your loc up so the wheels can turn freely without load.) If that works try it with a minimum load (e.g. only the motor on a minimal build) and slowly increase the load (build the locomotive back up) until it stops working. If you have another battery box and controller swap them to see if it makes a difference. In each step you try to eliminate one factor (load, battery power, defective hardware). The powered up system is designed for 9v DC through 6 batteries and 6 conventional rechargeable batteries only deliver 7.2V. For 9v from 6 rechargeable batteries you need Lithium batteries. Also the default configuration for the linear motors paired with the controller is to only turn as long as you keep the button pressed. This is because that motor is not intended to drive a train but to control for instance a steering wheel in a technic build.
Wow! I really appreciate you taking the time to do this! I don’t think it’s the batteries, they’re brand new - and they’re regular batteries (not rechargeable ones). I also don’t think it’s the controller, but I can’t be certain. I haven’t considered the first scenario you suggested, but I doubt it’s actually overheating because when I only use the iPad the system works flawlessly. The most likely case (I think), is that the battery box is defective. I’m going to run these tests and I’ll get back to you about this! I unfortunately don’t have another motor or battery box, so I’ll just have to take apart the orient express and try it. And that bottom paragraph is interesting to note as well, but if that’s the case then why could they offer instructions for motorizing the crocodile locomotive and use the exact same components and have it run continuously and perfectly fine? I don’t expect you to have the answers, but this is something LEGO should have made more clear. Once again, thank you for taking the time to do this, I really appreciate it! And I’ll be sure to respond to this comment once I run the tests!
@@ChrisBricks02 The crocodile set is two kilograms or approximately 4 pounds lighter (according to Bricklink, others report different numbers), so it doesn’t need as much power as a motorised version of the orient express. They also only support it with the app, not with the remote because the remote will not drive the motor with continuous power. There are different ways to motorise the orient express, the best running options I have seen all used two motors, there is no officially supported instruction for motorising the orient express.
I was aware that LEGO didn't offer official instructions to motorize it, but seeing as everyone else was able to get it running, I figured I could do the same. My main problem is that I'm stubborn and want to be able to use the remote instead of an app everytime I want to change the speed. The battery box might be faulty (which could also be the problem, as we discussed), but I'm awaiting a response from customer service, so hopefully they're able to help solve the issue (or confirm that my battery box and/or other components are faulty)
This turns out to be a much bigger challenge than I expected. Sorry to see how frustrating it is, but thanks for sharing your struggle with us. I also agree that it's a missed opportunity on LEGO's part unfortunately.
I’m glad you’ve decided to follow along! Hopefully I can figure this out soon, but if I don’t get it to work, I won’t make another video about it. If I do get it to work, I’ll be sure to make it a more tutorial style video and hopefully it can help anyone that is looking to motorize the orient express!
Sorry that the code didn’t work, I’m glad you figured out a solution with the crocodile controls though. I stopped using my controller once I made the code for my subway so I didn’t know for sure if you could get the remote to work or not.
I contacted customer support with a detailed description of what's going on, so hopefully they can help! (Or at least confirm my sneaking suspicion that the battery box is faulty). Thank you again for showing me the PDF, that helped a ton!
9V is nice for train setups if you know what you’re doing, but for kids who just want to play I think the Powered Up system is easier to get started. There are always third party alternatives for the AFOLs, but if you’re a LEGO purist then there’s not really an option except spending a fortune on Bricklink to get second hand 9V.
@@Essie-fm3vr also 9v won't work here for the OE on its own. Someone tried and it couldn't budge because the pistons. The TH-camr had to literally REMOVE the entire underside and swap to the 9v motor to get it to run but even then the connection between the tender and the engine that comes in the set is too too too short to handle curves.
One day I would love to do that as well, but unfortunately it's just so expensive nowadays, especially if you're trying to be a LEGO purist and not use third party solutions that are out there
That programming you did looks very complicated! Well done for figuring it out. Could it be the switch track that's causing the problem? Maybe it's losing connection as it passes over it. I've only ever used the App to run the trains. When I motorised the streetcar I used the Train Motor and that's what I hope to use in the Orient Express too. I'm not sure if it will work. Hopefully someone out there will be able to help you 😊
I've had a number of comments giving help, and I'm awaiting a response from customer service, so hopefully some of the help actually works! It's not the switch track I don't think, whenever I just use the remote or just use the app the train goes over it no problem, I simply extended the coupling between the locomotive and tender just to give the engine a bit more wiggle room to make it around LEGO's tight radius curves
Another example of "technological progress" being completly ridiculous and is actually steps back. Powerfunctions worked like a charm. If it aint broken , dont fix it.
I agree - I don't mind the idea of ditching infrared and going for bluetooth, but to make it dependent on an app and not having simple functionality on a controller really misses the mark
the big issue is that the orient express was not made to be powered up and although I saw a lot of vids about upgrading it to be powered it is never perfect. But good effort though.
I saw that there was no official instructions for motorizing it, and I saw everyone else online trying it, so I assumed it wouldn't be that difficult to do the same. To get the train running, there isn't any issues (as seen in the videos about it). Keeping it running though, that's a different story. Mostly because I'm just stubborn and want to use the remote instead of using an app everytime I want to change the speed of the train
The issue isn't that it wasn't designed to run on track. Lego made it so you could do it (otherwise they would NOT have made the tender the exact space and even a little door for the battery box and cable to run through.) they say it's the coaches being heavy when it's not that entirely. This has already been completely debunked when the set came out as the freight train set from 2022 or so, is ABLE to pull both coaches at full speed no issues and is almost the same weight as the entire OE in its own set. The issue that prevents the OE from running well is the pistons and the super super super tight connection between the tender and the engine. The tender is also too light even WITH the added weight of the battery box and batteries. It needs more weight otherwise it starts getting lifted up when it's not supposed to. As for the pistons it's not them turning on their own that's the issue, it's the connection under the sides where the front connects to the pistons where it's supposed to go back and forth. There's too much friction so it ends up locking.
@@Essie-fm3vr it's not The battery box. I've got my OE motorized and running extremely well on my layout and I can say it's the pistons (mainly the 2 spots that are supposed to slide back and forth as the wheels turn. The axle on them has too much friction, causing the train to lock up unless through force (like the L motor is doing) they also catch up under the propeller blades that are used as covers. The combination of this and the fact that the weight is mismanaged (good weight in the back and middle, but not enough in the first half) cause the battery to have a hard time and Lego motors do have a safety thing inside them where they will choke the speed of the motor when stress happens to the battery (when it blinks orange it's saying some stress but can manage, when it shows red blinking it's telling you that it's critical stress.)
@gta71000 I tried running the orient express without the coaches, and also lifted in the air to avoid any friction from everything (even uncoupled the linkages on the wheels so it was just the back wheels turning, and nothing else) - every single time, no matter the circumstances, when I was using all three components (the battery box, remote control, and the app), the battery box disconnected from the app and turned itself off. I'm in the middle of a conversation with customer support, so hopefully they can fix my issue. The battery box never once blinked orange or red to indicate it was under any stress, so my theory is that my battery box is faulty, but I can't say for certain until I talk more with customer service. And for reference, I changed out the coupling between the tender and the locomotive and made it longer, so that's not in consideration anymore as to why the train has problems running on my layout.
I use the Crocodile as the locomotive for my city now… Since that set didn’t have coaches I thought it would work well
The code complexity shouldn’t be an issue. It rather looks like you have a bad connection either because of interference or a faulty device.
I’ll try to reproduce your setup here and see if I have the same issues if I use a linear motor. (I currently only have a setup with train motors, but they work fine with a complex setup)
I have recreated your program and connected a brand new motor and controller to my iPad and it runs flawlessly, however I cannot test it under the same load (none of my trains are as heavy as the orient express) I think there are a few possible scenarios: 1. Under load the motor overheats and the battery box disconnects; or 2. Your battery box is defective; or 3. Your batteries don’t provide enough power; or 4. your controller is defective. To further test this you should first run with new non rechargeable batteries and without load (e.g. disconnect the motor from the wheels or lift your loc up so the wheels can turn freely without load.) If that works try it with a minimum load (e.g. only the motor on a minimal build) and slowly increase the load (build the locomotive back up) until it stops working. If you have another battery box and controller swap them to see if it makes a difference. In each step you try to eliminate one factor (load, battery power, defective hardware). The powered up system is designed for 9v DC through 6 batteries and 6 conventional rechargeable batteries only deliver 7.2V. For 9v from 6 rechargeable batteries you need Lithium batteries.
Also the default configuration for the linear motors paired with the controller is to only turn as long as you keep the button pressed. This is because that motor is not intended to drive a train but to control for instance a steering wheel in a technic build.
Wow! I really appreciate you taking the time to do this! I don’t think it’s the batteries, they’re brand new - and they’re regular batteries (not rechargeable ones). I also don’t think it’s the controller, but I can’t be certain. I haven’t considered the first scenario you suggested, but I doubt it’s actually overheating because when I only use the iPad the system works flawlessly. The most likely case (I think), is that the battery box is defective. I’m going to run these tests and I’ll get back to you about this! I unfortunately don’t have another motor or battery box, so I’ll just have to take apart the orient express and try it.
And that bottom paragraph is interesting to note as well, but if that’s the case then why could they offer instructions for motorizing the crocodile locomotive and use the exact same components and have it run continuously and perfectly fine? I don’t expect you to have the answers, but this is something LEGO should have made more clear.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to do this, I really appreciate it! And I’ll be sure to respond to this comment once I run the tests!
@@ChrisBricks02 The crocodile set is two kilograms or approximately 4 pounds lighter (according to Bricklink, others report different numbers), so it doesn’t need as much power as a motorised version of the orient express. They also only support it with the app, not with the remote because the remote will not drive the motor with continuous power.
There are different ways to motorise the orient express, the best running options I have seen all used two motors, there is no officially supported instruction for motorising the orient express.
I was aware that LEGO didn't offer official instructions to motorize it, but seeing as everyone else was able to get it running, I figured I could do the same. My main problem is that I'm stubborn and want to be able to use the remote instead of an app everytime I want to change the speed. The battery box might be faulty (which could also be the problem, as we discussed), but I'm awaiting a response from customer service, so hopefully they're able to help solve the issue (or confirm that my battery box and/or other components are faulty)
That’s a lot of work! Once I figure out 9 volt, I might try programming lol. Great video 👏
Thank you, and best of luck to you!
This turns out to be a much bigger challenge than I expected. Sorry to see how frustrating it is, but thanks for sharing your struggle with us. I also agree that it's a missed opportunity on LEGO's part unfortunately.
I’m glad you’ve decided to follow along! Hopefully I can figure this out soon, but if I don’t get it to work, I won’t make another video about it. If I do get it to work, I’ll be sure to make it a more tutorial style video and hopefully it can help anyone that is looking to motorize the orient express!
Sorry that the code didn’t work, I’m glad you figured out a solution with the crocodile controls though. I stopped using my controller once I made the code for my subway so I didn’t know for sure if you could get the remote to work or not.
I contacted customer support with a detailed description of what's going on, so hopefully they can help! (Or at least confirm my sneaking suspicion that the battery box is faulty). Thank you again for showing me the PDF, that helped a ton!
They should of never got rid of 9 volt
9V is nice for train setups if you know what you’re doing, but for kids who just want to play I think the Powered Up system is easier to get started. There are always third party alternatives for the AFOLs, but if you’re a LEGO purist then there’s not really an option except spending a fortune on Bricklink to get second hand 9V.
@@Essie-fm3vr also 9v won't work here for the OE on its own. Someone tried and it couldn't budge because the pistons. The TH-camr had to literally REMOVE the entire underside and swap to the 9v motor to get it to run but even then the connection between the tender and the engine that comes in the set is too too too short to handle curves.
I know this wasn’t your intention but I think you just sold me on investing in the 9v system.
One day I would love to do that as well, but unfortunately it's just so expensive nowadays, especially if you're trying to be a LEGO purist and not use third party solutions that are out there
That programming you did looks very complicated! Well done for figuring it out. Could it be the switch track that's causing the problem? Maybe it's losing connection as it passes over it. I've only ever used the App to run the trains. When I motorised the streetcar I used the Train Motor and that's what I hope to use in the Orient Express too. I'm not sure if it will work. Hopefully someone out there will be able to help you 😊
I've had a number of comments giving help, and I'm awaiting a response from customer service, so hopefully some of the help actually works! It's not the switch track I don't think, whenever I just use the remote or just use the app the train goes over it no problem, I simply extended the coupling between the locomotive and tender just to give the engine a bit more wiggle room to make it around LEGO's tight radius curves
Another example of "technological progress" being completly ridiculous and is actually steps back. Powerfunctions worked like a charm. If it aint broken , dont fix it.
I agree - I don't mind the idea of ditching infrared and going for bluetooth, but to make it dependent on an app and not having simple functionality on a controller really misses the mark
the big issue is that the orient express was not made to be powered up and although I saw a lot of vids about upgrading it to be powered it is never perfect. But good effort though.
Given the behaviour I rather think it is an issue with a faulty battery box, since it seems too loose the connection.
I saw that there was no official instructions for motorizing it, and I saw everyone else online trying it, so I assumed it wouldn't be that difficult to do the same. To get the train running, there isn't any issues (as seen in the videos about it). Keeping it running though, that's a different story. Mostly because I'm just stubborn and want to use the remote instead of using an app everytime I want to change the speed of the train
The issue isn't that it wasn't designed to run on track. Lego made it so you could do it (otherwise they would NOT have made the tender the exact space and even a little door for the battery box and cable to run through.) they say it's the coaches being heavy when it's not that entirely. This has already been completely debunked when the set came out as the freight train set from 2022 or so, is ABLE to pull both coaches at full speed no issues and is almost the same weight as the entire OE in its own set. The issue that prevents the OE from running well is the pistons and the super super super tight connection between the tender and the engine. The tender is also too light even WITH the added weight of the battery box and batteries. It needs more weight otherwise it starts getting lifted up when it's not supposed to. As for the pistons it's not them turning on their own that's the issue, it's the connection under the sides where the front connects to the pistons where it's supposed to go back and forth. There's too much friction so it ends up locking.
@@Essie-fm3vr it's not The battery box. I've got my OE motorized and running extremely well on my layout and I can say it's the pistons (mainly the 2 spots that are supposed to slide back and forth as the wheels turn. The axle on them has too much friction, causing the train to lock up unless through force (like the L motor is doing) they also catch up under the propeller blades that are used as covers. The combination of this and the fact that the weight is mismanaged (good weight in the back and middle, but not enough in the first half) cause the battery to have a hard time and Lego motors do have a safety thing inside them where they will choke the speed of the motor when stress happens to the battery (when it blinks orange it's saying some stress but can manage, when it shows red blinking it's telling you that it's critical stress.)
@gta71000 I tried running the orient express without the coaches, and also lifted in the air to avoid any friction from everything (even uncoupled the linkages on the wheels so it was just the back wheels turning, and nothing else) - every single time, no matter the circumstances, when I was using all three components (the battery box, remote control, and the app), the battery box disconnected from the app and turned itself off. I'm in the middle of a conversation with customer support, so hopefully they can fix my issue. The battery box never once blinked orange or red to indicate it was under any stress, so my theory is that my battery box is faulty, but I can't say for certain until I talk more with customer service.
And for reference, I changed out the coupling between the tender and the locomotive and made it longer, so that's not in consideration anymore as to why the train has problems running on my layout.