The iconic LEGO brick.
Image via Wikimedia CommonsThe LEGO company continues to confound and confuse adult train fans.
Their latest move, apparently, is to replace the current magnetic coupling scheme, which uses magnets free to rotate around a horizontal axis, in a way that finesses which end is which polarity issues, mounted in a holder that is free to swivel from side to side (to allow the train cars to go around curves) and then mounted on a buffer, with a new scheme in which the magnet is apparently encased inside the buffer.
Why?
No one yet knows for sure. Speculation in the online LEGO community has it that this is to address safety concerns that might arise if young children swallow magnets... there have been reports in the media of children suffering problems when two magnets join adjacent stomach or intestinal walls and cause blockages.
How do we know this?
Seems that the new part libraries just refreshed into LDD show some new parts. You can see the images at this LUGNET post.
All in one and presumably harder to swallow by kids.
Oddly, these will probably be harder to swallow by adults too, as they make it harder to build things compared to what they replace.
Well, one more old style part to hoard, I guess, along with 9V motors and track.
PS: don't mind this Technorati Profile ... it won't hurt a bit.
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