Martin's Monorail - Gridfinity Train V1.3

Welcome to Martin's Monorail! A fully 3D printed and customizable gridfinity train platform. Use it bring your futuristic city ideas to your desk / workshop / kitchen and carry your cargo or food around. 

 

The monorail has been designed to require minimal extra parts, and most are available on the Bambu Labs shop.

Boost MeIf you do enjoy this monorail then please can you boost it? it helps fund the R&D on projects like this and lets more people access the monorail. It will also fund the roller-coaster version of this project. 

 

Looking for a Cyberbricks version? 

Check out the new train model which uses Cyberbricks to have a remote control and swappable train shells.

A1 Mini Compatibility

This has been designed to be printable on the A1 mini but for the larger radius (required for 2x1 or 2x2 carriages) you cannot print the full 90 degree parts. Instead just print 2 of the 45degrees and 2 of the short straights. 

 

Carriages

 

• To assemble the carriage you just need 2 M5 x 10mm button head bolt and 16mm x 5mm x 5mm bearings (625ZZ). 
• Slide them on to the rail before you connect the last rail piece. 
• They are available in 1x1, 1x2 and 2x2 Gridfinity carriages. Only the 1x1 carriage works on the small radius bend.
• Included is a 1x1 and 2x2 plate for food used in the demo.

Rails

• Attach rail parts together with 2x M3 x 14mm bolts. Self tapping screws are best, but normal M3x14mm bolts will do.
• For best results, print with supports for a good edge on the rail lip. 
• The rail has a 6mm pitch gear. Every rail piece has an 18mm overlapping part on each end. 

Straight 

• A straight is 114mm long. You can also print a double straight that is 228mm long.
• A normal straight is equal in length to the small radius
• A double straight (or 2 normal straights) is equal in length to the large radius.

Bends

• The bends come in both 45deg or 90deg, with every piece having an end piece for bolting together. The 45deg bends will fit on an A1 Mini.
• There are two radius's depending on your carriage. 
• The small radius is designed for 1x1 carriages only. 
• The large radius is designed for 1x2 or 2x2 carriages. 
• There are also left hand or right hand options. These are the same, but have the opposite end cap. 

Feet / Stands

• The feet push up through the bottom of the monorail and can be secured with an M3 x 6mm self tapping screw. 
• There is also a wall amount available. 
• If you want to make your own feet, they need a cuboid of 8x16mm, and 9mm deep at the top. the M3 hole extends another 4.5mm.

Train

• The train I provided requires this motor I bought from Amazon. I will create a few more train options when more motors arrive from Bambu Labs.
• To assemble, first insert 2 16mm x 5mm x 5mm bearings (625ZZ) into the train body. 
• Next attach the Motor using 2x 2.5mm x 8mm bolts. 
• Next insert an M5 nut into "gear1" and place in the middle slot as this engages with the tooth. Insert an M5 x40mm bolt through the gear and bearings until it's tight against the end of the gear.
• Add an M5 nyloc to the other side of the gear spaced about 1mm away from the bearing. Slide on "gear2" and secure with another nyloc nut.
• Add "gear3" to the motor shaft and test the motor turns "gear1" freely.

• I added a 9V rechargeable battery under the motor and secured with hot-glue. I also added a rocker switch and a door reed switch, both secured with hot glue

Station

• To use the station, you must add a NC reed switch. This is the circuit diagram for the train:

• Underneath the word "GO" is 2 M6 x 2mm magnets. The reed switch must be the type "normally closed" so it only stops when a magnet is present underneath.
• To make the leaver, print the leaver and 2 "leaver caps" in red and green, they should push fit on. Insert the magnets and secure to the station with an M5 x 10mm bolt, leaving it slightly loose to allow it to rotate. 

Y-Splitter

• As requested, I've added a mechanical Y-Splitter to choose between two track paths. 
• Insert 6x 16mm x 5mm x 5mm bearings (625ZZ) into the frame.
• Attach the Spinner rail using 2x M5 x 30mm bolt, don't over tighten. 
• Attach the end cover using 2x M3 x 14mm bolts.
• Insert the rack gear, then finish with adding the last gear and attaching it with another M5 x 30 bolt secured in place with an M5 Nyloc nut. 

Minecraft Cart

• Requested on social media, added a minecraft cart style carriage for carrying 36mm blocks. 
• TNT shown in the images is from here: https://makerworld.com/en/models/880085-minecraft-tnt-block
• Creeper is from here: https://makerworld.com/en/models/79668-articulated-minecraft-creeper-print-in-place

 

Suspended Rail

• I've included a stand to let you suspend the rail upside-down. 
• I've also included a 2x2 carriage that lets you hold bins up to 6U high.
• To assemble the suspended carriage, attach the basket to the base using 4x M3 x 6mm self tapping screws. 
• Attach bearings using M5 x 10mm button head bolts like the other carriages.
• Attach the joiner using 2x M3x8mm self tapping screws, then you can attach the carriages together using an M5 x 10mm button head bolt.

Improvements / Feedback

Please comment any improvements & suggestions you have for the V2 of this monorail system. I am currently working to add ramps so they can go up / down hill, as well as spiral up / down but this won't be compatible with the carriages so I decided to release this as a version 1 to get feedback. 

 

 

Change Log

V1.0 - Initial release.

V1.1 - Added a Y-Splitter and additional print profiles.

V1.2 - Sorted STLs into folders & added minecraft cart carriage.

V1.3 - Added suspended rail and carriage.