Tools and materials
You need the following materials in order to make the locomotive fully functional. Suggestions are provided where you can acquire these, but they should be generally available and very cheap. I would still strongly suggest that you try to find these parts from old devices rather than buying new ones.
If you have never worked with soldering, there are great videos on YouTube to show you the basics. That should be just enough to acquire a skill to get this done.
There are also dedicated videos with each Loligrad build so you should be covered.
- Motor - You need this to run the locomotive. You should use one from an old CD ROM. It should be the one which opens and closes the CD tray. Ask your friends arround if they have one. Worst case scenario you can buy one. Look for RF-300CA ~24mm x ~12mm with shaft height 6-7mm and shaft diameter of 2mm. These dimensions do not have to be exact, they can vary by +/- 0.5mm. Look on
There are two speeds of this motor available. One is around 7000rpm at 6V (6000-7500rpm) and the other around 12000rpm at 6V (10000-14000rpm). Speeds vary around these values, but in general you should use the slower one around 7000rpm.If you use the faster one the train might derail from time to time. Also the batteries will drain faster and headlight might glow dimmer. Use the faster motor (stronger) only for big trains (10+ wagons).AliExpress. - Magnets 6mmx3mm 2pcs - You will need these to make connectors. Locomotive needs 2. They are pretty cheap, especially if you buy in bulk. Check out on AliExpress.
- Flat cable - You will need this for wiring the vehicles. Try to look for old used IDE flat cables. I have tons of them in my PC scraps. If you do not have any ask your friends or search on the internet for "used IDE flat cable". Worst case scenario, you can buy cheap ones from AliExpress. We do not need to much wire from a flat cable, so one IDE flat cable will provide wiring for a lot of wagons and locomotives.
- OPTIONAL - LED - You will need 6v 2835 4000K LED for the headlight if you want to integrate it. These can sometimes be salvaged from an old LED light bulb because when a light bulb dies it is usually due to one or few LEDs. If you want to salvage one from an old light buld there are a bunch of videos on YouTube on how to take them off. However, light bulb LEDs are sometimes 6volt and sometimes 9volts or more. The voltage for the locomotive might be too low for some. If you cannot salvage one, you can get some onAliExpress for cheap.
- Screws - You will need around 10 screws to assemble the reductor, fit it into the chasis and fit the roof on the chasis. You can really play arround and find whatever fits here. Plenty of electronics have little screws and you don't need them to be identical. Just for reference I salvaged 6mm x 1,8mm. Worst case scenario, you can buy an assortment from AliExpress.
- Lead weights - You need a total of 340grams. That is 200gram for the front and 140gram for the back of the locomotive. I use fishing weights (sinkers) 20gram each. Actually you can use whatever you want. The goal is to put extra weight to the locomotive to increase traction for a large number of wagons or for inclines.
- Super glue
Aside from usual tools used for 3D printing, here is a list of additional tools you will require to make the locomotive:
- Soldering iron - I would recommend 30W or less. Anything over 30W might burn your components. Also awoid bying cheap ones. It is not that expensive anyway and I would recommend my childhood favourite Weller. Take a look on Amazon.
- Solder wire - a little bit of soldering wire is necessary. I would recommend lead-free flux-core (rozin-core) solder wire. You do not need a large quantity. Any small spool will do. If you know someone who works with electronics you can ask for a little bit because you do not need much. If not, you can check out on Amazon. I wouldn't recommend buying from AliExpress in this case.
- Small phillips screwdriver - I use Stanley's 6 piece screwdriver set for years :) You can check it out on Amazon (look for a small yellow box with 6 small screwdrivers).
- OPTIONAL - Thin tweezers - makes life easier when assembling connectors.
- OPTIONAL - Wire stripper - This will make connector assembly significantly easier. I suggest you get a cheap clamping one from AliExpress.
Build instructions
Building the locomotive involves printing and cleaning parts, wiring and asswmbly.
Instructional videos will show a recommendation for slicing parts. But you can also find a better way while you build your own.
If you have never worked with soldering, there are great videos on YouTube to show you the basics. That should be just enough to acquire a skill to get this done.
There are also dedicated videos to wiring here so you should be covered.
Weights are used to make the locomotive heavier in order to provide better traction and stability. Propper weight displacement is very important. My recommendation (as you will also see in the tutorials below) is 200grams for the front and 140grams for the back of the locomotive. Of course, you can play arround the weight and see if you find something even better. However keep in mind that the front of the locomotive needs more weight than the back to keep the front wheel carriage on the track.
For a full reference of necessary materials and tools, go to Tools & Materials.
Chasis
Files
Part list
- 1 x chasis
- 1 x headlight
Important notes
- PLA recommended
- do not place more supports than necessary
- no brim

General parts
Files
Part list
- 4 x bumper-cap
- 1 x casing-left
- 1 x casing-right
- 2 x drive-actuator
- 2 x drive-connector
- 4 x drive-wheel
- 1 x front-wheel-carriage
- 1 x g1
- 1 x g2
- 1 x g3
- 1 x g4
- 2 x g5
- 1 x hidraulic-carriage
- 1 x roof
- 2 x wagon-wheel
- 1 x wagon-wheel-axile-sleve
- 1 x weight-lid
Important notes
- PETG recommended
- pay attention that all parts are perfectly level with the print bed while slicing
- you don't have to print all general parts at once
- avoid brim

Axiles
Files
Part list
- 2 x drive-axile
- 1 x wagon-wheel-axile
Important notes
- PETG recommended
- no supports
- with brim

Connector
Files
Part list
- 1 x connector-body
- 1 x connector-cap
Important notes
- PETG recommended
- connector body should be placed on the side
- do not go to far with supports
- no brim

Tyres
Files
Part list
- 4 x drive-tyre
Important notes
- TPU recommended
- print all at once
- no supports
- no brim

Assembly





