Mining Cornwall

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The Cornwall Peninsula in the very south of the United Kingdom is famous for its pasties, beaches, cider, and – at one time – mining.

This began with silver and tin, plundered by the Romans, and ended with coal, plundered by the Government.

Mines were a combination of dangerous ‘pits’ and open cast, with the latter exploited by enormous mechanisation in later years. This is one such machine from the time, the 390-ton Ruston-Bucyrus 195-B electric rope shovel.


Recreated in 1:28.5 form, this spectacular replica of the Ruston-Bucyrus 195-B comes from recent bloggee Beat Felber, to work alongside his Terex 33-11C mining truck.

Like his previously featured Terex, Beat’s electric rope shovel is packed with electronics to bring it to life, with four Power Functions motors driving the tracks, two the swing motion, another the main winch, and an eighth the dipper handle. No, we don’t know what a dipper handle is.

Finally two CaDA micromotors power the bucket door release and motorised access ladder, there are two sets of LEDs lighting the model, and the whole lot is controllable remotely via twin SBricks.

It’s a hugely impressive feat of engineering, with lots more of the model to see at Beat’s ‘Ruston-Bucyrus 195-B’ Flickr album – where it’s pictured alongside the Terex 33-11C with which it would have worked mining Cornish coal.

Grab a pasty and a cider and head to 1980s Cornwall via the link above.

An Even Bigger Accident

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As has been well documented on this website, Ford Mustangs crash. A lot. Thus Ford have given their seventh generation Mustang an extra 330bhp… Right.

Cue this superb brick-built replica of the Ford Mustang GTD by Flickr’s SP_LINEUP, which recreates the 815bhp special edition ‘stang brilliantly, and is probably rather easier to repair when it’s inevitably binned into a bus shelter.

3D-printed wheels, opening doors, a detailed interior, and fantastically intricate bodywork all feature, and there’s more to see of SP’s superbly presented GTD at his photostream via the link above.

A V10 Tip

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TLCB top tip; want a rear-wheel-drive Japanese V10-engined icon but can’t afford a Lexus LFA? Get yourself a 1970s Isuzu truck!

Yes the Isuzu V10ss had a V10 engine under the curvy cab, providing the power for all sorts of heavy duty applications across Asia.


This spectacular replica of the classic Japanese truck comes from previous bloggee TsungNing Lee, who has recreated the V10ss beautifully.

There’s working steering, a functional tipper, a tilting cab, and of course a brick-built V10 engine. Take our tip and visit Tsung’s ‘Isuzu V10ss Truck’ album for more stunning imagery.

If You’re Going to San Francisco

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For those who come to San Francisco
They’ll find bricks placed with care everywhere 

On the streets of San FranciscoCars and vans will climb hills into the air

The improved lyrics of 1960s hippy nonsense, prompted by this fantastic diorama published by Brickleas of Flickr, who – with his fellow collaborators – has captured the spirit of ‘60s San Francisco wonderfully in this epic diorama.

Beautiful detailing abounds and you can go to San Francisco via the link above. Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.

Astronomy Alphabet

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Star Wars’ Rebel Alliance, much like Mercedes-Benz, name their products based on ‘Sesame Street’s Letter of the Day.

Thus today we have an H-Wing, so called because it looks almost nothing like an H. But it does look cool, which is why it’s here, and you can see more courtesy of Thomas Jenkins via the link.

Lime Crush

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It’s been a quiet week here at TLCB Towers. Elves have returned, creations have been published, and no-one’s been squashed at all. Until today.

This enormous lime green machine is a 1980s Terex 33-11C, actually one of Terex’s smaller mining trucks, and one that was used extensively in Britain’s open cast mines.

It comes from Flickr’s Beat Felber who has not only expertly recreated the 33-11C’s exterior, he’s fitted his spectacular creation with remote control drive, steering, and tipping, courtesy of an SBrick programmable Bluetooth controller and a suite of Power Functions motors.

Being a mining truck of course, Beat’s Terex is much too slow to run over any TLCB Elves, but the Elf that found it took great care loading it up with gravel from the pot plant in the corridor, reversed slowly up to some of its unsuspecting colleagues, and promptly tipped the load on top of them. And then ran them over. Sigh.

Points for Elven ingenuity we suppose. Anyway, whilst we tidy that up you can check out more of Beat’s superb Terex 33-11C at his Flickr album of the same name. Click the link above to take a look.

DAF-ish

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When is a DAF not a DAF? When it’s a GINAF. No, us neither, but this is indeed a GINAF, specifically a M3132-S 360 ATI, which admittedly sounds like a washing machine.

It comes from DAF-building specialist Arian Janssens, who has captured the enormous three axle hook-lift / tipper / crane / trailer arrangement superbly.

Multi-axle steering, a working crane, removable tipping container and hook-lift all feature, and you can see more of this giant GINAF on Flickr via the link.

Z Tune

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This might look that Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34), but it’s actually way more special.

Fitted with a carbon fibre bodywork and a 500bhp engine by Nissan’s own NISMO motorsport arm to celebrate their 20th anniversary in 2005, just 19 NISMO Z Tune GT-Rs were built, all in silver. Which is why we have a blue one…

Still, it does look tremendous, coming from previous bloggee SP_LINEUP, who has recreated the rarest of all the R34 GT-Rs brilliantly in brick.

You can take a closer look at SP’s photostream, where the GT-R NISMO Z Tune and many more models besides are available to view via the link above.

Agricultural Abduction

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“I’m tellin’ you man! I saw it with my own eyes – hovering in the sky like an… uh, I don’t even know what. But it was right over there! And I ain’t even started drinkin’ yet!”

Grab your ‘Welcome to Earth!’ sign and head to the location of the definite sighting with Grant Decker via the link!

Blue and Yellow*

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There are few things cooler than a red (they were all red) Ferrari F40. But if that thing is a blue and yellow F40 racer, that’d do it.

Cue Lachlan Cameron’s spectacular Technic Ferrari F40, which appeared here in road-going form back in 2023, and has now been built – courtesy of Lachlan producing instructions for his models – in a brilliant blue and yellow racing livery by another builder.


Xiao Baiya is behind the F40’s stunning conversion from road car to racer, which includes custom 3D-printed wheels with brakes behind them, and of course the epic decal work required to transform the model into the 1996 Team Ennea Ferrari F40 Le Mans contender.

There’s much more of the F40 to see at its original designer’s photostream, and you can check out our interview with Lachlan Cameron via this bonus link.


*Today’s excellent title song.

Stripes on the Streets

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‘Street takeovers’ don’t happen in our home nation. Partly because we don’t have a grid system giving wide intersections, but mostly because an economy hatchback isn’t really the right tool.

Americans of course have it much easier, with vehicle-based douchbaggery in reach for all thanks to a plethora of cheap, powerful, but crap sedans. Cue Mihail Rakovskiy’s splendid Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, which you guarantee on any given night in America will be doing donuts in the middle of a four-lane junction.

Mihail’s Model Team version captures the real Camaro superbly, with a highly detailed engine bay, interior and drivetrain, opening doors, hood and trunk, and a pair of racing stripes that add at least 50bhp.

There’s lots more of the model to see at Mihail’s ‘Lego Chevrolet Camaro ZL1’ album, and you can close a street to do a poorly executed donut via the link above.

Stingray

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It’s 1973, the US President is engulfed in scandal, and the US are supporting an Israeli war in the Middle East causing a global energy crisis. Thank goodness things like that don’t happen now…

Anyway, back to ‘73 and this, the gorgeous ‘C3’ generation Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.


Surely one of best American car designs of all time, this C3 Corvette comes from Ciamoslaw Ciamek, who has captured it brilliantly in Speed Champions form.

Building instructions are available and there’s more to see at Cismoslaw’s photostream. Click the link above and head back to an era with no similarities to today whatsoever…

More is More

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When it comes to cars, we’re ‘less is more’ people. Subtlety and understatement are the order of the day. For TLCB Elves however, more is definitely more. Which means they’re very excited by this Classic Space ‘Wayfarer’ spaceship, which is absolutely bursting with ‘more’. Flickr’s Gaurav Thakur owns the hands that have packed an enormous array of spacey things into, onto, and underneath the ship, and there’s even more ‘more’ to see at their photostream. Take a look via the link above.

Porsche Pair

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It’s a Porsche sort of day here at TLCB, with two more joining the prior proper Porsche.

These two Speed Champions Porsches come from their endurance stable, bookending it across half a century.

Built by previous bloggee SFH_Bricks, there’s more to see of the 1975 917KH and 2025 963RSP on Flickr, and you can take a closer look via the link above.

A Proper Porsche

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Porsche are in big trouble. Despite the success of their EVs (and perhaps because of it…), Porsche are currently undertaking a rapid de-electrification of their future models. Because whilst a tax-avoiding businessman may want his luxury sedan to be electric, the sports car customer wants an engine. Cue a 92% drop in Porsche’s operating profit and a knock-on effect elsewhere in the Volkswagen empire, as the cancellation of Porsche EV platforms hits other brands.

But fear not readers, because today we have a real Porsche. Open-top, combustion-powered, rear-wheel-drive, and the only thing the battery does is start the engine. This is of course a 1950s Porsche-Diesel tractor.

Built by MP LEGO Technic Creations, this gorgeous recreation of the vintage Porsche features working steering, a single-cylinder piston engine connected to the rear wheels with a selectable power-take-off, a high/low gearbox, and a functional rear hitch.

Both constructed and presented beautifully there’s lots more of MP’s wonderful model to see on Flickr, and you can get back to a proper Porsche via the link above.