SOMEWHERE ON A SECLUDED BRANCH LINE...

Most of today's trains are pulled by either diesel or electric locomotives. The era of steam power is long gone, and it is rare to find steam locomotives running on the mainlines. However, there are a few special places where steam power reigns quite freely. These are heritage railways, and although most of their operations involve excursion trips for tourism, there are a few rare occasions in which a steam engine is used to do real revenue work.

Today, a short train will run up the quiet branch line, pulled by the biggest engine owned by the heritage railway. Originally known only by its number, the engine has been given a name in preservation: The Onyx Cosmos, based to its dark paint job with golden accents. Enthusiasts have come to see the Onyx Cosmos in action, thought only around half will be riding the train. The rest are here with their cameras to take photos and videos of the journey, with a few racing the train by road to capture footage of it running by.

DESIGN PROCESS

This build was inspired by the concept of heritage railways, particularly heritage lines with small, remote stations along them. I've been to a few such places, and there's often little more than the platform, some seats, and a small building for the ticket office. But even such simple structures can have an endearing charm to them.

The steam locomotive and carriages are based on later models from Japan, specifically the kind used for express passenger trains in the past. I also took inspiration from early electric toy trains, giving both locomotive and carriages truncated proportions while still decking them out in recognizable details from the prototypes. I think this makes for a nice compromise in style given the size limits of available wheel parts.

The locomotive can be motorized in two different ways. Personally, I prefer to power the engine with a motor transmission turning the drive wheels on the engine. However, there is also the option to put standard a train motor in the tender for those who prefer that method. This method is also recommended for electric metal rail users.

The name Onyx Cosmos was based on the naming conventions used in some previous train sets, consisting of a precious gem, mineral, or metal to describe the color of the locomotive and an object related to the sky. The latter part of the name is also reflected in the golden stars on the smoke deflectors and the "shooting star" logo on the front and rear of the train.

BUILD STATS:

Parts:
- Engine = 717
- Tender = 494
- Coach Car = 369
- Observation Car = 371
- Station = 405
Lengths:
- Engine = 33.5 studs
- Tender = 22.5 studs
- Engine + Tender = 58 studs
- All Cars = 43 studs
- Whole Train = 144 studs
- Station = 81.4 studs
Widths:
- Whole Train = Mostly 8 studs, 9.6 studs at handlebars
- Station = 18 studs
Heights:
- Engine = 12 studs rail to chimney, 12.4 studs overall
- Tender = 11.3 studs rail to coal, 11.7 studs overall
- All Cars = 11.1 studs rail to air vents, 11.5 studs overall
- Station = 14.8 studs
Functions and Features:
- Runs on R40 curves
- Fully decorated interior for cabs, carriages, and station office
- Removable roofs for interior access
- Powered-Up Requirements:
  - Option 1: Engine + 1 Hub + 1 Large Motor + 1 Light
  - Option 2: Tender + 1 Hub + 1 Train Motor