The LEGO City Classic Beach Tram (Set 60506) is a beautiful, classic-looking set. But let’s be honest—it’s even better when it actually moves!
The challenge with motorizing a small streetcar like this is usually space. Standard LEGO motors and battery boxes are bulky and would completely gut the interior. In this guide, I’ll show you how to use Circuit Cubes to create a hidden, high-performance motor upgrade while keeping 100% of the interior space intact.
Why Circuit Cubes?
Unlike the massive LEGO battery boxes, Circuit Cubes are tiny, Bluetooth-controlled, and—best of all—rechargeable. They allow us to hide the entire mechanism under the floorboards of the tram.
What You’ll Need
To follow this mod, you’ll need a few specific parts (linked in the full video description):
- Circuit Cube Bluetooth Box & Small Motor
- Two Large Technic Beams: These are essential for keeping the chassis rigid once we remove the original underpinning.
- Half-Length Technic Pins: The motor won’t accept standard long pins, so these are a must-have for a flush fit.
The Step-by-Step Mod
The process involves a “tear-down and rebuild” of the tram’s base.
Time needed: 30 minutes
- Chassis Prep
Remove the existing Technic plates. We replace these with our longer beams to ensure the tram doesn’t sag under the weight of the new motor.
- Motor Placement
I used a straightforward gear setup. While you can experiment with the positioning, I found a central mount provides the best balance.
- Hiding the Tech
One of my favourite features of this build is how accessible the power switch is. By making the front “buffer” section a removable chunk, you can click the battery on and off in seconds without taking the whole tram apart.
🖼️ Gallery
The Result: An “Invisible” Motor
The end result is a tram that looks exactly like the official set from the outside. There are no bulky wires or huge boxes in the windows. In fact, if you look inside, the interior is completely empty—ready for your minifigures to take a ride to the beach!
Final Thoughts
This was such a fun upgrade to build. It has plenty of torque to get around a standard LEGO track and the Bluetooth control via phone is incredibly responsive.
Watch the full step-by-step assembly here: LEGO Beach Tram Motorised Tutorial
🧱 PARTS & MODIFICATION REQS:
- LEGO City Classic Beach Tram (Set #60506)
- Circuit Cubes Bluetooth Motor Kit / Micro Motor
- Bricklink LEGO Track & Technic Axles / Gears
- If you need help, here’s my video on how to import a BrickLink list
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📝 Video FAQs
Yes, the LEGO City Beach Tram (Set 60506) can be motorized, but standard LEGO Powered Up or Power Functions motors are too large to fit without ruining the aesthetic. It is best motorized using micro-motors like Circuit Cubes, which fit invisibly inside the tram’s narrow chassis.
Circuit Cubes are ultra-compact electronic blocks designed to integrate seamlessly with standard LEGO studs and Technic bricks. They use a rechargeable Bluetooth battery cube and micro-motors to power small-scale LEGO vehicles, trains, and custom MOCs that lack space for official LEGO battery hubs.
To motorize the LEGO Beach Tram, you need the official LEGO City Beach Tram set (#60506), a Circuit Cubes Bluetooth Motor Kit (or Micro Motor + Battery Cube), standard LEGO train tracks, and a few basic Technic gears or axles for torque transfer which are linked above.
Circuit Cubes Bluetooth Motor Kit / Micro Motor
Bricklink LEGO Track & Technic Axles / Gears
Yes. When modified with custom wheel sets or low-profile drive assemblies, the Beach Tram fits and runs smoothly on standard plastic LEGO train track layouts.
Standard LEGO Powered Up motors and AAA battery boxes require at least 4 to 6 studs of height and depth, which exceeds the low-profile interior dimensions of the Beach Tram. Circuit Cubes solve this by using micro-components that occupy a fraction of the volume.
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