New Monorail Track Instructions
by Mark Bellis, updated 20130102
The new Monorail concept was initiated by Masao Hidaka.
Support it on LEGO Cuusoo! http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/487
I decided to take up this concept and help to develop it for the community,
by applying engineering skills and system thinking. This includes making
track pieces and providing simple instructions to help people to get
started in this new system, hence this file.
I have preferred the plate composite solution to monorail track building.
The concept is well proven in may larger railway layouts, where a train
fiddle yard has to support scenery above, with stanchions missing so that
the fiddle yard tracks can curve round for the corners. When combined with
weight spreading techniques, plate composites 5 or 6 plates thick are strong
and stiff enough for 8-wide or wider trains to run over the top without
bending the structure.
Straight Track
The straight monorail track is 2 modules wide, 5 plates high and multiples
of 16 modules long.
For a 16M straight you will need:
4 Plate 2x8
2 Plate 2x6
4 Plate 2x3
1 Plate 2x2
2 Brick 1x2 with hole (technic beam) or with 2 holes
1 or 2 Technic peg Black 2M
8 Tile 2x2, which can be substituted with 1x2, 1x4, 2x4, 2x8 or other sizes
The track piece has 5 layers:
Layer 1 (bottom): 2 Plate 2x8 placed end to end
Layer 2: 1 Brick 1x2 with hole at either end (2)
1 Plate 2x8 in the middle
2 Plate 2x3 to finish the layer
Layer 3: 1 Plate 2x2 in the middle
2 Plate 2x6 to finish the layer
Layer 4: 1 Plate 2x8 in the middle
2 Plate 2x3 to finish the layer
Layer 5: 8 Tile 2x2
For a 32M straight the principle is extended:
Layer 3 has 2 Plate 1x2 instead of 1 Plate 2x2
Layers 1-4 each have two more Plate 2x8 (total 8)
Layer 5 has 8 more Tile 2x2
An easy way to make a 32M straight:
1. Stack 10 2x8 plates in a pyramid, each overlapping by 2x4.
2. Add 2 2x3s to Layer 2, keeping the end free.
3. Add 2 1x2s and 2 2x6s to Layer 3.
4. Add 2 2x8s and 2 2x3s to Layer 4.
5. Add 1x2 bricks with hole to each end, and a peg in one end.
6. Tile the whole length of the straight to make Layer 5.
This is the advantage compared to the original monorail:
Straights are no longer rare!
48M or 64M straights are possible but a stanchion at least every 32M is
recommended, so you might as well make more 32M ones for versatility unless
you have a big gap to bridge. Any length is possible.
Curves have been updated to improve the geometry.
For a 1/8 curve of 48M radius you will need:
36 Plate 2x2
72 Plate 1x2
4 Plate 1x1
19 Tile 2x2
2 Brick 1x2 with hole (to your preference, the same as straight track)
The 1/8 curve track piece has 5 layers:
Layer 1 (bottom): 19 Plate 2x2 in a line
Layer 2: with 35 Plates 1x2, use 18 to connect together all the Plates 2x2
from Layer 1.
This should form a 36M line down one side of the 2x2s, leaving 1M of the
2x2s exposed at each end and 38M exposed alongside the 1x2s.
Use the other 17 Plates 1x2 offset by 1M, one on each 2x2, on all but the
end two 2x2s, with no overlaps.
You should now have just 3 studs of each end 2x2 exposed and all the others
completely covered by alternating 1x2s.
Add 2 Plates 1x1 to the 2x2s, leaving the two end studs exposed.
Place a Brick 1x2 with hole on each exposed end of 2x2s.
Layer 3: Add a Plate 1x2 across the track at each end, next to each
Brick 1x2 with hole.
With 17 Plates 2x2, cover each 2x2 from Layer 1.
Layer 4: With 35 Plates 1x2 and 2 Plates 1x1, cover the respective parts
from Layer 2.
Layer 5: With 19 Tiles 2x2, cover each Plate 2x2 from Layer 1.
The resultant curved track piece should be able to be either straight or
curved in one direction.
If it will not bend, check that you haven't put Layer 4 on the wrong way round!
Flex it to the fully-curved position before installing it in a layout.
You will see that these track pieces are ripe for mass production, to build
while you think about something else!
You will need at least 8 curves to make a circuit for continuous running.
Slopes of ordinary track pieces should follow the usual Track Designer
rules of an increase in slope of 1 plate per piece. A slope of 4 plates
per curve would form a helix for spiral tracks.
30 plates (10 bricks) is the overhead clearance for a train so 32
plates is more than enough and you can reduce to 3 plates for the first
and last helical curved pieces before breaking out into straight track.
The track-over-track supports make the track slightly higher than 11 bricks
off the ground. The track is 2 plates higher because of a 2x8 plate that
fixes two 2x8 bricks together and a 2x2 plate that gives guide clearance.
The upper layer is 2 bricks higher still, to make the clearance 10 bricks
over the bottom of the lower track (25 plates with 5-plate-deep track).
The Start/Stop rail is an ordinary straight with parts added underneath.
The holder is 4 2x4 bricks, some plates and a 2x2 tile.
The slider is 2 2x8 plates with hole, some round bricks, axles to go in
the middle of the round bricks and 2x4 area of tile on the middle.
The idea is that the round section of the round bricks is hit by the
round section of the 2x3 plate with hole on the train, shifting the
train sliding part and changing the pole reverser switch position.
The vertical position of the train start/stop slider has to be mid-way
up the solebar beam that supports the wheels. This is low enough to
be out of the way of a platform but high enoguh to give clearance from
the track for the train sliding parts to be supported.
The height of the start/stop rail actuator pillars is no higher than
necessary and the tiles top is not above the top of the train solebar beam.
Effectiveness of the start/stop function depends on train speed, just
like the original monorail. It also depends on the PF pole reverser
switch as their switching points vary a bit.
The Crossing has a brick structure as its base, for plenty of support.
The central 2x2 is made from round bricks and plates, including a
4x4 round brick. Some plates with hole are used to tie in the central
axle to the brick structure to keep the top 2x2 tile well located.
In each of four branches a section tilts to either side.
The tilt is corrected by a counterweight of a 2x3 brick.
The tilt axis is an axle through a number of bricks 1x2 with hole.
The part closest to the centre uses a droid body brick because it
needs both the round section and smooth vertical slide capability.
A 5M studless beam is used to tie the tilting part together.
Round plates and tiles are used to help the train move between the
straight and tilting sections.
The tilting part furthest from the centre overlaps the lower straight
section. This keeps the inlet tilting part straight so that the train
does not deviate from the centre on approach to the crossing.
Performance is OK at all Power Functions speed settings. A light train
may jump occasionally if a pair of guides catches the returning tilting
track sections but the forward progress of the train is not impeded.
Each Slope uses 2 standard modules at each end.
Each standard module has 2 clip-bar hinge interfaces and a locator
and is topped with a 2x4 tile.
The end piece and long slope piece have the same interfaces.
The end pieces have the usual brick 1x2 with hole and are topped
with 2x4 tiles.
The long slope piece can vary in length for different slope heights:
48M for 5 bricks
80M for 10 bricks
112M for 15 bricks
144M for 20 bricks
etc..., adding 32M or 33M for each increase of 5 bricks.
Custom heights are possible but it's best to make each slope a multiple
of 8M or 16M long unless you are happy with custom straight lengths too.
A number of jumper plates and SNOT bricks are used to locate the hinges
and locator precisely in order to achieve the change of slope whilst
keeping the vertical load resistance strong enough. The load resistance
to a heavy train is geared so that the fulcrum is the locator and two
hinge interfaves would have to pull apart. The load resistance upwards
has the lower hange as the fulcrum so only one hinge would have to pull
apart as the locator has no grip.
Horizontal load resistance is not as strong but was improved when a
second hinge interface was added. Not a lot is needed as baseplates
should locate the stanchions and set the track geometry.