Motorizing the LEGO Crocodile Locomotive!

A few weeks ago, I decided to open my sealed box of LEGO 10277:  Crocodile Locomotive.  I had been holding onto the set for awhile now because I was conflicted about building it.  On the one hand, I have a large LEGO train/city display and I wanted to incorporate a more interesting engine into my layout (the Crocodile Locomotive certainly looked cool on the box images).  On the other hand, all of my trains are motorized and the Crocodile Locomotive doesn't come with a motor in the box...and to motorize it with all of the necessary bits and bobs would end up costing nearly as much as the set itself did.  I couldn't justify that expense and so the box sat on my shelf - at least until a couple of weeks ago!

So what changed my mind?

I decided I could work around the motor issue if instead of motorizing the actual set, I could build a motorized "cargo car" that would (hopefully) push the Crocodile Locomotive around the track instead.  

Even better, I realized that if used the Crocodile Locomotive on my existing electric 9V track, I could simply use a motorized wheel base and make the entire thing work!  A quick purchase of a used 9V train engine block and I was off and running to make myself a moving Crocodile!

I ended up building a quick little tan & lime green "hopper" card using the motorized base (notice the metal wheels).  That little car has just enough oomph to push the Crocodile Locomotive around the track while simultaneously pulling another couple of train cars behind it!

The custom Jurassic Park is still a work in progress but the rest of the city is looking good!

I still have a lot of work to do on my LEGO layout but at least now I've got another fun engine to drive around the tracks!  Actually, if I'm being honest so far it's been my (almost) five-year-old son who's done all of the driving of the Crocodile Locomotive.  He loves that thing and so my decision to open the set and build it has definitely been worthwhile!