LEGO, who else is a builder?

[Alemino]

in another post i see that my Tour Eiffel in LEGO and then others are generating some great Feedback

 

so to not goo off topic there, let's discuss about LEGO here..

Who else is also a LEGO builder or fan?   :)

 

I'm even if not a kid anymore i still enjoy build LEGO, specially when sculptures or representing something real. (all LEGO kits not self made or designed)

 

So in the picture, on the right behind the old LEGO tour Eiffel 

in the front:

A LEGO Technic excavator (with motors to move it around with remote control), The Maersk Triple E cargo ship and in the back a Space shuttle 

i think all of them now retired..

 

of course LEGO train Pictures will follow ( not Japanese sadly)

 

 

[kvp]

I mostly like to build trains but also have to build stations for them to participate in exhibitions. My rather chaotic folder with plans, meetings and exhibitions mixed together: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?m=kvp

 

A few highlights:

last year's Temofeszt in the Hungarian Railway Historical Park: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=549573

a smaller exhibit this spring with some of my older trains (mixed with the trains others) and a new (older) station: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=554395

a few better pictures taken for a short series in a printed Hungarian railway modelling magazine: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=505583

and some of my japanese Lego trains a few years ago with a more rural japanese station: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=534263

 

The trains are built in the scale of 1:42 (8 wide) with a length compression of 0-20%, so they are not shorties like most Lego trains. This means the track gauge and the height of the minifigures are more accurate.

 

[Welshbloke]

Yep, I've been restoring my and my brother's childhood Lego (impressively few missing pieces considering some of it is over thirty years old, and including some rarities like the Airport Shuttle monorail) and also buying/restoring a few sets I wanted at the time but couldn't afford. Here's my set of Lego Technic cars from the '80s and '90s, assembled over the past three or four years:

 

 

None of these came as a complete set. The 8880 Supercar came as part of a box of a few kg of Lego via ebay, which contained most of the parts for this and an 8862 Backhoe Grader. The backhoe is now complete but the car is missing a couple of exhaust pipes, they're not particularly noticeable though and have no impact on the functions. The 8860 and 8865 are both complete, and came from a mix of kilo lots of mixed Technic and a parts order to Lego for anything missing. Since taking that I've used the same technique to produce the very first Auto Chassis, 853/956 from 1978.

 

At the moment I have most of the parts for the sought-after 7740 Electric Inter-city train set, which is based on a DB Br.103 and a couple of Trans Europ Express coaches. Unfortunately the 3kg lot didn't include most of the wheels, couplings, rails or motor so it's going nowhere for the time being. I do have all but three of the unique or rare parts from the set though, the missing pieces are fairly common. It may be a while before I finish it, as Japanese N has grabbed my wallet at the moment...

[JR 500系]

 

I'm even if not a kid anymore i still enjoy build LEGO,

 

Hey who says Lego are only for kids?  :P

 

There is a term called AFOL, or Adult Fans Of Lego... I used to be one... until... Well it's a long story...

 

That is a nice Yamanote Line kvp san! Very accurately built! Kudos!

 

I used to build, but I gave them up altogether including my large box of spare parts that I used to build stuff with...

 

Now i'm just left with my RC trains, 9V trains and IR trains... Still as a train fan I couldn't bear to let them go... And a small section of creator buildings and some other small and cute cars.  

 

I also keep my construction team... Cause they relate very closely to what I do...  :)

[NuclearErick]

I always played LEGO, back in the 90s i always dream to buy the Technic Sets during my teenage years but was and it is expensive right now... so why now try to buy thoses sets

They are a 20 year old sets and is a petty good shape i didnt only tested the motor of the 8480 set but the others are complete and not a single white piece is yellowish

 

I forgot the set 8808 and 42000 to take pics, back in Brazil i think i do have the Sets 8808, 8280, 8235 i just hope my parents did thrown in the trash can :(

Also i had the 8386 Ferrari F1 1/10 Set but i gifed to my cousin's son

 

My wishlist right now is: 8485, 8839, 8868, 10177 Boeing 787 and 10181 Eiffel Tower

[Welshbloke]

I've also been gathering the "Arctic Action" and "Rally" sets from the Technic range.

 

At that time Lego didn't usually have multiple Technic sets on the same theme, so these were unusual. I had the Snow Scooter from new, and managed to get hold of the Polar 'Copter and the Arctic Rescue Unit more recently, although the latter has a few yellowed or chewed parts and the chopper pilot is missing.

 

The Rally sets are much the same. I have all three thanks to a mix of kg bags and having bought a mostly-complete Rally Support Truck minus driver. Current status is that all three vehicles are recognisable, but I need four of the round tiles with grille pattern, a figure, and a couple of red helmets to complete them.

[Martijn Meerts]

I don't have any Lego really... I still like the stuff, but not as much as when I was a kid. My main issue with much of the modern Lego is that there are too many special bricks. Things might look smoother with them, but I just prefer the older approach I guess.

 

That said, Lego Technics, Mindstorms and the trains are hard to resist, even though I have managed to resist for now :)

[Alemino]

somebody here is going to kill me,,,or at least rob me  :confused5:  :icon_blackeye:

Tour Eiffel  (occupied by Star Wars Minifigures)

Boeing 787 Dreamliner ( with a Steam Train underneath, better pic later)

Star Wars Imperial star Destroyer ( with some H0 trains)

 

i'm more a collector of LEGO than builder by my own fantasy..

 

[Das Steinkopf]

I have been building for about the last 14 years, I started off with some City stuff when my son was born and got into LEGO Trains when the Santa Fe Super Chief came out in 2003, I am a founding member of SLTC (Sydney LEGO Train Club) and have been building MOC's fairly extensively over the years mainly based around a fictitious nation I created called Legodtenstein. My main focus has been on the LBB (Legodtenstein Bundes Bahn) the railway of the fictitious nation, most of the trains are inspired by Swiss, German and Austrian prototypes, I have featured on a number of AFOL sites including The Brothers Brick and Eurobricks. I was into British model railways for quiet a number of years doing OO Gauge Great Western Railway before delving into LEGO trains, I now find myself sliding back into traditional model railways but this time doing modern era Japanese. As pointed out before I have a Flickr account with a decent number of photos, here is a picture of one of my current projects which is having a slight hiatus due to my latest interest, hopefully I will pull my finger out soon to finish but it is part of a larger project.

 

 

 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/david_stannard/albums

Edited September 17, 2015 by Das Steinkopf

[Welshbloke]

That wouldn't be one of the Star Wars Planets as the tank on the water tower, by any chance?

[kvp]

LEGO sets are okay but when you learn how to craft MOC's (My Own Creation) that's when the fun really begins, mind you it does take up a lot of space compared to N Gauge. I have been building trains for a number of years but have recently been swayed back to traditional model railways after visiting Japan, here is a link to my albums and there are also a lot of photos that have not been attached to albums as well. https://www.flickr.com/photos/david_stannard/albums

If you try to build them more to scale, then it really starts to be large. With around 50 cm (half a meter) for a single coach, trains get pretty long pretty fast. (a 11 car yamanote line set would be 5 and a half meters long, with a full shinkansen around 10 meters) Surpisingly they are not more expensive than normal off the shelf european H0, but take up 8 times as much space. (64 times as N) At least the curves are small (18 meter in scale), which makes them together with the turnouts the biggest challenges for those who are building working trains.

[Das Steinkopf]

That wouldn't be one of the Star Wars Planets as the tank on the water tower, by any chance?

Well spotted it certainly is, it was about the only elelement that I could find that could do the job.

 

 

If you try to build them more to scale, then it really starts to be large. With around 50 cm (half a meter) for a single coach, trains get pretty long pretty fast. (a 11 car yamanote line set would be 5 and a half meters long, with a full shinkansen around 10 meters) Surpisingly they are not more expensive than normal off the shelf european H0, but take up 8 times as much space. (64 times as N) At least the curves are small (18 meter in scale), which makes them together with the turnouts the biggest challenges for those who are building working trains.

I have to agree with you about scale, I tend to build using selective compression and treat it like a toy train when it comes to size but treat it like a model when it comes to detail, I have long argued that if you want to try and build an exact scale model which is similar to O Gauge or Gauge 1 you may as well switch to traditional model railways. The curves are one of the biggest killers given there is only the one very tight radius available, you can make larger radius curves using angled straight track sections aka straight curve technique or you can use 3rd party elements such as ME Models track to do it. Both of those techniques I don't use as I don't like how the trains run on straight curves as the trains tend to have a jerky motion when they hit where the joints are, also the joints are an issue with electrical conductivity when using 9v track, as to 3rd party elements I don't use them as I want to show what is possible using just LEGO parts. Edited September 18, 2015 by Das Steinkopf

[kvp]

 

I have long argued that if you want to try and build an exact scale model which is similar to O Gauge or Gauge 1 you may as well switch to traditional model railways.

This is why i also model in N (and a bit in Z), but Lego has three great advantages:

-The first is clean and easy assembly that can be done while sitting at a desk with no cleanup required afterwards (Tomytec and Bandai models have this too!) and if you don't like something, you can just start over with the same parts.

-The second is price. You can build anything you imagine relatively cheaply and very fast without 3D printing, wood or metal working and only minimal engineering knowledge is required. Scratchbuilding in other scales is much harder. (i tried it in Z and it's way too hard)

-The third advantage (if you take your models to exhibitions) is cheap repairs as most damaged models can be fixed by swapping a few standard parts and reassembling them. Considering how many of my Lego trains got into accidents (from kids grabbing them to derailments or flying right off the table) or just had some moving parts wear out and what would happen in these cases with an N or 0 scale model, then i think Lego is a less stressful thing to exhibit, especially at shows with lots of kids, multiple train drivers and no glass wall between the visitors and the layout.

 

On the other hand, most people build scale shorties from Lego. This is very similar to the Bandai shorties and most factory sets are shorties (except the ones made for adults and sold as models, like the lner tornado /emerald night/ and the sncf tgv /horizon express/ and most of the 80ies sets). The result is that most Lego train builders also create shorties to match the factory sets. The funniest example was an adult lego fan, who built a nice small layout for his shorties and then tried to run the lner steam locomotive on it. It didn't fit, as the cab is 7 wide and the locomotive is 8 with all the rods, since it's an exact scale model. (and sold as one) I always look for the exhibition photos of the japanese Lego builders and they also have beautiful 6, 7 and 8 wide rolling stock. With the more prototypical size, you can get better details more easily as the size of the parts remain the same.

 

Btw. i didn't really want to build Lego train models, at least not after i turned 15 and packed away all my Lego. As an adult i just created on my workplace computer a few designs of a locomotive + 2 car push-pull set in LDD (in 8 wide, scale correct) and uploaded the pictures to the Hungarian forum of a local Lego club. Then the club leader talked me into building just that single train, without buying tracks or anything. I built it and showed up at a meeting and started running it on the test tracks. (everybody tought it was a static model since it was huge compared to everyone else's) I was invited to an exhibiton, where i managed to meet with another builder, who built a scale correct 4 car emu and were also invited. Then it turned out we needed longer tracks for the larger trains... After several clubs and lots of members joining and disappearing (usually around marriage, to show up a few years later with kids and more Lego), the Lego train builders get invited to several shows a year (more than i can attend) and last time there were 4 Railjet trains on the layout (just this single type, in 3 different liveries), each one with correct number of coaches, full scale and built by different people (the youngest is 12). It turns out, there are similar scale correct clubs/builders in Germany, Poland, France, Belgium, UK and of course the USA. And if we had to scratchbuild everything in the quite similar 0 gauge, then i think none of us would have a single train running.

Edited September 17, 2015 by kvp

[Das Steinkopf]

This is why i also model in N (and a bit in Z), but Lego has three great advantages:

-The first is clean and easy assembly that can be done while sitting at a desk with no cleanup required afterwards (Tomytec and Bandai models have this too!) and if you don't like something, you can just start over with the same parts.

-The second is price. You can build anything you imagine relatively cheaply and very fast without 3D printing, wood or metal working and only minimal engineering knowledge is required. Scratchbuilding in other scales is much harder. (i tried it in Z and it's way too hard)

-The third advantage (if you take your models to exhibitions) is cheap repairs as most damaged models can be fixed by swapping a few standard parts and reassembling them. Considering how many of my Lego trains got into accidents (from kids grabbing them to derailments or flying right off the table) or just had some moving parts wear out and what would happen in these cases with an N or 0 scale model, then i think Lego is a less stressful thing to exhibit, especially at shows with lots of kids, multiple train drivers and no glass wall between the visitors and the layout.

 

On the other hand, most people build scale shorties from Lego. This is very similar to the Bandai shorties and most factory sets are shorties (except the ones made for adults and sold as models, like the lner tornado /emerald night/ and the sncf tgv /horizon express/ and most of the 80ies sets). The result is that most Lego train builders also create shorties to match the factory sets. The funniest example was an adult lego fan, who built a nice small layout for his shorties and then tried to run the lner steam locomotive on it. It didn't fit, as the cab is 7 wide and the locomotive is 8 with all the rods, since it's an exact scale model. (and sold as one) I always look for the exhibition photos of the japanese Lego builders and they also have beautiful 6, 7 and 8 wide rolling stock. With the more prototypical size, you can get better details more easily as the size of the parts remain the same.

 

Btw. i didn't really want to build Lego train models, at least not after i turned 15 and packed away all my Lego. As an adult i just created on my workplace computer a few designs of a locomotive + 2 car push-pull set in LDD (in 8 wide, scale correct) and uploaded the pictures to the Hungarian forum of a local Lego club. Then the club leader talked me into building just that single train, without buying tracks or anything. I built it and showed up at a meeting and started running it on the test tracks. (everybody tought it was a static model since it was huge compared to everyone else's) I was invited to an exhibiton, where i managed to meet with another builder, who built a scale correct 4 car emu and were also invited. Then it turned out we needed longer tracks for the larger trains... After several clubs and lots of members joining and disappearing (usually around marriage, to show up a few years later with kids and more Lego), the Lego train builders get invited to several shows a year (more than i can attend) and last time there were 4 Railjet trains on the layout (just this single type, in 3 different liveries), each one with correct number of coaches, full scale and built by different people (the youngest is 12). It turns out, there are similar scale correct clubs/builders in Germany, Poland, France, Belgium, UK and of course the USA. And if we had to scratchbuild everything in the quite similar 0 gauge, then i think none of us would have a single train running.

In many ways I see it as the ultimate in scratch building, if you want to change colours switch the parts over to that colour, if you don't like the look or would like to make additions or adjustments just switch or add parts, there is also the plus that it is easy to repair if you have an accident. The only downsides I see is the space required for a layout as I have exhibited a number of times and it is impossible to set up a full layout at home, there is also the amount of parts required if you want to build a full brick layout, I have at least a million parts in my collection.

 

I thought that you may have been a member of HUNLTC after seeing some of the photos you have put up, also I see you know Ashi how you mentioned his trains, I have seen a lot of his work over the years especially his Stadler Flirts.

Edited September 18, 2015 by Das Steinkopf

[kvp]

 

I thought that you may have been a member of HUNLTC after seeing some of the photos you have put up, also I see you know Ashi how you mentioned his trains, I have seen a lot of his work over the years especially his Stadler Flirts.

Yes, we were both funding members, but the club split to three parts based on commercial interests versus taking part in exhibitions:

-professional exhibitors with mostly factory sets and business contracts for pr events (they kept the registered name)

-hobby Lego fans (we moved to MLVK = Magyar Lego Vasut Klub = Hungarian Lego Railway Club), mostly going to large scale Lego and general model railway exhibits

-and the third group of 'i had enough, leave me alone', which is sad but completly understandable

 

Ashi is the current organizer of the MLVK club and the most well known hungarian non professional Lego train builder. During the official inauguration of the new Flirt fleet, his blue/white Lego Flirt was on a table behind the dignitaries right next the real one. And he is actually a hobby builder as normally he is working at the Eotvos Lorand University as a geology teacher.

 

ps: If you make a hobby club, always make sure it stays non profit and never allow members to try and make a living out of it, as soon you'll have confliciting interests with doing it as a hobby versus making enough money for a living.

 

 

In many ways I see it as the ultimate in scratch building, if you want to change colours switch the parts over to that colour, if you don't like the look or would like to make additions or adjustments just switch or add parts, there is also the plus that it is easy to repair if you have an accident. 

Actually i've rebuilt my first locomotive (a V43 B-B AC electric) 3 times, each time making it slightly better. The 4th rebuild is happening right now, but it's just a pantograph and roof update, so it's not a full rebuild, like when i changed the shape of the mainframe. Besides that it had 2 serious accidents so far, one that ended with a demolished driver's cab on one end. (reason: frontal collision with an rc controlled taurus during an exhibition that didn't obey the ats) Let's not think about if same thing happened with my N scale ED75...

[Das Steinkopf]

Yes, we were both funding members, but the club split to three parts based on commercial interests versus taking part in exhibitions:

-professional exhibitors with mostly factory sets and business contracts for pr events (they kept the registered name)

-hobby Lego fans (we moved to MLVK = Magyar Lego Vasut Klub = Hungarian Lego Railway Club), mostly going to large scale Lego and general model railway exhibits

-and the third group of 'i had enough, leave me alone', which is sad but completly understandable

 

ps: If you make a hobby club, always make sure it stays non profit and never allow members to try and make a living out of it, as soon you'll have confliciting interests with doing it as a hobby versus making enough money for a living.

Sadly I know exactly where you are coming from with this, the same thing happened down here as well, we had some people who were using the train club as a recruiting platform for a general AFOL group to the detriment of the train club, we were getting more people joining but less people helping with the layouts. There was also the commercial aspect were those same people pushing for the growth of a general AFOL group were also commiting the group to do exhibitions to make money, some of them also have stores that are set up at exhibitions to make them more money. For me personally I am into a hobby for enjoyment and relaxation as well as having a creative outlet, when you turn the hobby into a business it becomes a job and then you end up losing the reason why you are in the hobby and that is to have fun.

[Densha]

I have some Lego trains, tracks and accompanying structures like station buildings. I don't know the exact set numbers and names on the top of my head, but there is a 9V white-green express train, a RC white-red ICE-resembling HST and a RC green electric loco with freight train. They are only stored somewhere and I haven't touched them for years. Maybe I should dig them up sometime.

[Das Steinkopf]

I have some Lego trains, tracks and accompanying structures like station buildings. I don't know the exact set numbers and names on the top of my head, but there is a 9V white-green express train, a RC white-red ICE-resembling HST and a RC green electric loco with freight train. They are only stored somewhere and I haven't touched them for years. Maybe I should dig them up sometime.

Hello Densha, the set numbers are 4511 for the 9v Express Train, 7897 for the IR ICE and 7898 for the IR Cargo train, I bought two of the 7898 sets and reduced them to parts, the only thing I kept was the coal hoppers of which I built another ten as they looked like European styled 4 wheel coal hoppers. Set 7897 was somewhat a failure as LEGO had subcontracted Flextronics a Singaporean company to do the bulk of its production at the time, the nose piece had a major fault in the mold which left a gap between the side of nose piece and the rest of the train body, this as well as a number of other poor quality control issues forced LEGO to terminate it's contract with Flextronics.

 

Here is what happened to the parts of one of the locomotives from 7898.

 

[Welshbloke]

That looks good - inspired by the German/Austrian Crocodile Lego made as a factory model in the '90s?

I have that one, complete and with the instructions. Also the "Hobby Train" kit they made at the end of 9v production which included instructions for a Swiss Crocodile.

 

I understand that the first remote controlled Lego trains weren't particularly good, but didn't know about the Flextronics part. The Power Functions motors they sell now seem much better, and are integrated with the Technic motors which gives you some nifty options. I'm sorely tempted to have a go at building a working model of the Fell Diesel-Mechanical Locomotive, which used a series of differential gears to couple between one and four engines to the wheels. One engine would be started for shunting, then more would be started and coupled to the drivetrain when more power or speed was required. In Lego form I'd put a differential between two motors then use the crown wheel of the diff to drive the wheels, giving continuously variable speed and direction.

Edited September 19, 2015 by Welshbloke

[kvp]

I think that's the narrow gauge RhB crocodile (running on 9V+RC motors), as the other prototypes had a wide enough nose to fit the main traction motors. (the RhB one has those bumps on the sides) Lego had quite a few factory sets with crocodiles. The 9V red was actually the austrian OBB crocodile, the RC variant is the german short nose and the hobby train set has the swiss one.

 

The two RC sets had rather weak motors (50% power of the 9V system) and the nose had a small gap on both sides that was a tool manufacturing error. The PF system is a combined train/technic/creator/educational electrical system with IR remotes and even an USB computer interface. If you add a PF train motor (with an adapter cable) to your RC set (keeping the base and the remote), it not only gets 220% stronger, but eats batteries half as fast. Another classic trick is to power a PF motor off the light output of a 9V motor resulting in a 9V compatible B-B configuration with more than double the pulling power a lone 9V motor. (9V motor - 9V cable - 9V to PF cable - PF motor) You can also add PF led head and interior lights to all 9V, RC and PF sets.

 

Currently Lego produces most parts in either China (still bad in quality, mostly minifigs, accessories and some parts) and Hungary (all Duplo and many bricks). In the recent years Hungary has became a safe backup country for plastics as even Maerklin and Viessman retreated from China to Hungary, but most german vehicle plastics (dashborads, side panels, etc.) are manufactured either here or in Poland.

[Densha]

Dug up some stuff today. A crappy creation I put together from parts of all my Lego trains:

 

I really don't like the custom front of the 7897. It's just too flexible, doesn't fit correctly and, last but not least, ugly.

[Das Steinkopf]

That looks good - inspired by the German/Austrian Crocodile Lego made as a factory model in the '90s?

I have that one, complete and with the instructions. Also the "Hobby Train" kit they made at the end of 9v production which included instructions for a Swiss Crocodile.

My locomotives are all freelance builds inspired by actual designs, the LBB Be 6/6 is a mash up of a number of crocodile designs including the RhB Ge 6/6, OBB 1189 Class and the OBB 1020 Class, the LEGO 9v 4551 is based on the OBB 1020 Class which was also the DR E94 Class, the 4551 set is one of the most sort after LEGO trains and sells for a small fortune if you have a complete set.

[JR 500系]

 the 4551 set is one of the most sort after LEGO trains and sells for a small fortune if you have a complete set.

 

 

Lego tends to be a very profitable investment... Rare sets like this, along with the BNSF and Santa Fee or the emerald Nights can fetch crazy prices in the after market and still have potential buyers...

 

The modular buildings are even more expensive... The first Café Corner is easily fetching a whopping US$1000 for a MISB set...

 

Which was primarily the main reason why I quit Lego as it was becoming more and more like an investment and we get so many people only out to make profits for themselves more than sharing the hobby interest...

[kvp]

I just build mocs and if there is a new set once in a while i like, i buy it. This means i don't collect all sets and i even modded the horizon to look exactly like the original tgv. (bogie rebuilds on the end cars, jackobs bogie in the middle, head and tail lights, etc.) I even have a metroliner in an acela configuration (head, business, diner, coach, head) built from various used parts and the power heads lost their baggage doors and passenger sections as the originals don't have any either)

[Das Steinkopf]

Lego tends to be a very profitable investment... Rare sets like this, along with the BNSF and Santa Fee or the emerald Nights can fetch crazy prices in the after market and still have potential buyers...

 

The modular buildings are even more expensive... The first Café Corner is easily fetching a whopping US$1000 for a MISB set...

 

Which was primarily the main reason why I quit Lego as it was becoming more and more like an investment and we get so many people only out to make profits for themselves more than sharing the hobby interest...

I have quite a large number of sets but they all get pulled down to make other ones, I do have a number of the Cafe Corner series sets including Cafe Corner, Green Grocer, Pet Shop and two of the Grand Emporium which I hope to build a bigger version of, I also have a fire station but it was reduced to parts.

 

I don't buy them as an investment as I like to build and I can't stand collectors they do my head in with their childish attitude and must have mentality, the ones I can't stand the most are the "why doesn't LEGO make this" mindset, LEGO is designed to be made into anything that you want to make it just takes some imagination and creativity, but sadly there are those idiots out there that can't grasp that concept. I agree with you also that greed has taken over the AFOL community as there are a lot of people who have got into it as they see it as a way of making a fast buck, a lot of this tends to be people who have recently got involved in the hobby, there are some more longer term members of the community like that as well but not as many as the new crowd.

Edited September 21, 2015 by Das Steinkopf