Answers.Body: <p>I'll assume you mean the most recent Hogwards express but this applies to most trains: </p>
  
  <p>The simplest way to motorize most Lego steam engine sets that weren't made for motorization is to rebuild the coal car to sit on the train motor and contain the battery box. This typically results in a somewhat oversized coal car, but it's not ridiculously sized. If you are using the new Powered Up components, you don't need an IR sensor and you're done with just the battery box and motor. If you're using the older IR Power Functions you need to place the IR sensor somewhere: this typically involves rebuilding part of the locomotive. If you have the Power Functions train motor, but don't want to use the IR sensor, you can use the rechargeable battery box which has a built-in speed control switch. The downside is you have to catch the moving train to turn it off.</p>
  
  <p>Building a powered self-contained locomotive is challenging as most steam locomotives are not wide enough to conceal a battery box, and the train motor isn't well suited to the typical spacing of the steam engine train wheels. Not to mention that its speed assumes small train wheels, so the larger wheels will spin as fast, but because of the larger diamter, the train will be faster. It's possible, but tricky, to build a steam engine where the front wheels use the train motor: I did it, but there are serious technical challenges to making it run reliably. I ended up having to switch the large wheels from a "flange, no-flange, flange" driver configuration to a "no-flange, flange, no-flange" configuration, so that the locomotive could go around corners.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-06-10T10:29:16.550Z
Answers.Text: Great stuff thanks for the help I think I might have to change my plans a little 
Answers.UserDisplayName: joedub 55
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-06-10T12:56:38.670Z
Answers.Text: @joedub55 Go on and click the checkmark next to the answer to mark it as accepted.
Answers.UserDisplayName: mindstormsboi
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-06-09T21:06:00.277Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2020-06-09T21:06:00.277Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Mr. Shiny and New 安宇
Body: <p>Can a Power Functions motor be fitted into the LEGO "Hogwarts Express" train? I have a spare motor and battery box and would like to fit them into this train.</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-06-08T18:21:12.427Z
Comments.Text: There have been several Hogwarts Express trains released by LEGO. Which one you are looking to motorise?
Comments.UserDisplayName: Alex
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-06-09T07:35:21.257Z
Comments.Text: One of the many sets released (10132) even comes motorised.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Henrik supports the community
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-06-09T08:45:14.523Z
Comments.Text: joedub55, can you please give us either the number or a photo of the set? There are [seven](https://brickset.com/sets?query=hogwarts%20express) (ok, really 6, since the [microscale one](https://brickset.com/sets/40028-1/Mini-Hogwarts-Express) is out of the question) that it could be. Or rather 5, since [10132](https://brickset.com/sets/10132-1/Motorised-Hogwarts-Express) is also [sold with a rail pack](https://brickset.com/sets/65524-1/Motorised-Hogwarts-Express-super-pack). And since that one is already motorized, there are really 4 options left: 75955, 4841, 4758 and 4708.
Comments.UserDisplayName: zovits
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-06-09T16:28:03.083Z
Comments.Text: I don't think we have to close the question *right now*, we can just wait another day and if still no response then we can tell if all 5 Hogwarts variations can be motorized with PF. That means we can still answer the question, right?
Comments.UserDisplayName: mindstormsboi
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-06-09T19:24:35.643Z
Comments.Text: @mindstormsboi Closing it now would prevent answers about a set OP didn't have in mind. We can always reopen when it is really answerable.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Mołot
Tags: <trains><power-functions>
Title: Can the Hogwarts Express train be motorised?
UserDisplayName: joedub 55
ThreadText: # Can the Hogwarts Express train be motorised?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2020-06-08)
  
  Can a Power Functions motor be fitted into the LEGO "Hogwarts Express" train? I have a spare motor and battery box and would like to fit them into this train.
  
  **Tags:** trains, power-functions
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: There have been several Hogwarts Express trains released by LEGO. Which one you are looking to motorise?  
  > **username_2**: One of the many sets released (10132) even comes motorised.  
  > **username_3**: joedub55, can you please give us either the number or a photo of the set? There are [seven](https://brickset.com/sets?query=hogwarts%20express) (ok, really 6, since the [microscale one](https://brickset.com/sets/40028-1/Mini-Hogwarts-Express) is out of the question) that it could be. Or rather 5, since [10132](https://brickset.com/sets/10132-1/Motorised-Hogwarts-Express) is also [sold with a rail pack](https://brickset.com/sets/65524-1/Motorised-Hogwarts-Express-super-pack). And since that one is already motorized, there are really 4 options left: 75955, 4841, 4758 and 4708.  
  > **username_4**: I don't think we have to close the question *right now*, we can just wait another day and if still no response then we can tell if all 5 Hogwarts variations can be motorized with PF. That means we can still answer the question, right?  
  > **username_5**: @mindstormsboi Closing it now would prevent answers about a set OP didn't have in mind. We can always reopen when it is really answerable.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2020-06-09. Score: 3 | Accepted answer
  
  I'll assume you mean the most recent Hogwards express but this applies to most trains:
  
  The simplest way to motorize most Lego steam engine sets that weren't made for motorization is to rebuild the coal car to sit on the train motor and contain the battery box. This typically results in a somewhat oversized coal car, but it's not ridiculously sized. If you are using the new Powered Up components, you don't need an IR sensor and you're done with just the battery box and motor. If you're using the older IR Power Functions you need to place the IR sensor somewhere: this typically involves rebuilding part of the locomotive. If you have the Power Functions train motor, but don't want to use the IR sensor, you can use the rechargeable battery box which has a built-in speed control switch. The downside is you have to catch the moving train to turn it off.
  
  Building a powered self-contained locomotive is challenging as most steam locomotives are not wide enough to conceal a battery box, and the train motor isn't well suited to the typical spacing of the steam engine train wheels. Not to mention that its speed assumes small train wheels, so the larger wheels will spin as fast, but because of the larger diamter, the train will be faster. It's possible, but tricky, to build a steam engine where the front wheels use the train motor: I did it, but there are serious technical challenges to making it run reliably. I ended up having to switch the large wheels from a "flange, no-flange, flange" driver configuration to a "no-flange, flange, no-flange" configuration, so that the locomotive could go around corners.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Great stuff thanks for the help I think I might have to change my plans a little   
  > **username_4**: @joedub55 Go on and click the checkmark next to the answer to mark it as accepted.  
  
  ---
  
  