Lego Train Projects | Book Review

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We can be accused of many things here at TLCB, but not reading isn’t one of them. The mass of emailed complaints our inbox receives don’t read themselves…

Requests for building instructions also land here with frequency, and as such a whole industry has sprung up to provide the online Lego Community with step-by-step directions to build all sorts of creations, from realistic real-world supercars to tiny micro models. Today we have another addition to this increasing pool of instructional resource, thanks to Charles Pritchett and the guys at No Starch Press, this is ‘Lego Trains Projects‘.

Running to 200 pages, ‘Lego Train Projects’ brings seven rather lovely train creations to life via step-by-step building instructions, with everything from a coal hopper to a hefty diesel locomotive. Each is compatible with LEGO’s own 6-wide train system, and matches their more advanced models – such as the 10020 Santa Fe Super Chief – for detail, only without the need for stickers.

Whereas previous No Starch books have offered small descriptions or backstories to the builds within them, there’s little pre-amble here, as Charles gets straight down to the building steps. A title page for each model displays the number of pieces, whilst a bill of materials (aka a parts list) and alternative colour suggestions finish each section.

The instructions themselves are fantastic, equal to LEGO’s own with clear steps, sub-assemblies, additions to each step highlighted in yellow, and probably a touch more complexity. The models aren’t necessary more complicated than the more advanced of LEGO’s own offerings, but they do pack in a variety of techniques that are probably above those within the grasp of the average builder, thus ‘Lego Train Projects’ could be a worthwhile educational aid for those wishing to up their game beyond basic studs-up construction.

The result is a set of train-based models that will up the realism of most layouts considerably, and which can be easily tailored to suit the preferred colours of the owner, with our favourite of Charles’ seven designs probably being the milk tanker, which could easily be converted to an Octan tanker if you prefer petrol over cow juice by simply switching the coloured rings.

Verdict

As we’ve become used to with No Starch Press publications, the quality of both print and paper is superb; ‘Lego Train Projects’ not only looks great, it feels great too, with a soft matte cover and beautifully crisp pages within. Whilst we personally don’t always understand the need for building with instructions, if you’re looking to use them to build yourself some really rather lovely train creations, they don’t come much better than this.

★★★★½

No Starch Press

Dog Years*

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This is an M8 Greyhound 6×6 Light Armoured Vehicle (or something close to it, as builder Robson M doesn’t specify!), built by Ford in the 1940s for Allied troops during World War 2.

The British, who like naming their military hardware after animals and the weather, gave it the ‘greyhound’ name, as it could sustain 55mph on reasonable roads, which was very quick for the time. And – at least in this one’s case – it was grey.

Much like a real greyhound though, the M8 wasn’t particularly well armoured, especially underneath, and nor was it very good off-road, despite being a 6×6. However it was useful enough that 8,500 were made, and – again like its namesake dog – many found new homes after being retired from their first military owner, with some M8s still in service around the world as late as the 2000s!

This neat Town scale version captures the M8 Greyhound rather well, with Robson using a few custom decals and a custom machine gun mounted on top to add to the model’s realism. There’s more of Robson’s build to see at his photostream – click the link to make a visit to the dog track.


*Today’s lovely title song.

Gemera

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The Koenigsegg Gemera – the brand’s first four-seater – hasn’t been released yet, but has already generated a fair bit of interest thanks to a 2.0 three-cylinder engine that is supposed to make a scarcely believable 600bhp. Of course we’re in the age of electrification now though, so that’s not all the Gemera has, with three electric motors boosting the total power to a claimed 1,600bhp.

Normally at this point we’d lose interest, as we do with every hypercar concept proclaiming ridiculous performance figures, however Koenigsegg do have a habit of building what they say they will, making the Gemera concept really very interesting indeed.

We have a while to wait until we learn how realistic Koenigsegg are being, so until then here’s a Speed Champions version of the wild 1,600bhp hyper-sedan from previous bloggee Gerald Cacas, who has captured the 2020 concept car beautifully, even matching its real world colour scheme.

There’s more to see of Gerald’s model at his Koenigsegg Gemera album on Flickr – click the link above to make the jump.

Liebherr Again

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With over four thousand pieces, seven electric motors, and the new Control+ bluetooth receiver, LEGO’s enormous 42100 Technic Liebherr R 9800 Control set is a great place to start if you want to build a B-Model. So much so that previous bloggee Eric Trax has actually built two. Following his Bobcat skid-steer loader that appeared here earlier in the year, Eric has constructed another alternate from only the pieces found within the 42100 set; this spectacular Liebherr PR776 bulldozer.

Packed full of working functionality including remote control drive, steering, accurate blade and ripper mechanisms and a highly detailed exterior you’d be hard-pressed to know that Eric’s ‘dozer is a B-Model. Best of all Eric has made his design ridiculously accessible if you own a 42100 set and you’d like to build it for yourself, with downloadable instructions, sticker sheet, and even a BuWizz profile that you can add straight to your own third-party BuWizz app to control it. There’s lots more to see of Eric’s incredible B-Model build at his ‘Liebherr PR776’ album on Flickr and the Eurobricks forum, where links to all of the above can be found – click the links in the text to take a look!

Black Ace

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This is the Grumman F-14A Tomcat, as flown by the U.S Navy’s Strike Fighter Squadron 41, the ‘Black Aces’ until he mid-’00s before being superseded by the F-18 Super Hornet.

First flying the in the early ’70s, the F-14 is a twin engine variable-sweep wing fighter that saw deployment in Kosovo, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq, and is – somewhat oddly – still in service with the Iranian Air Force today, despite the U.S destroying its retired aircraft to prevent spare parts ending up in Iran.

This spectacular replica of the F-14A resplendent in ‘Black Aces’ markings is the work of Jonah Padberg (aka Plane Bricks) of Flickr, who has recreated the supersonic fighter in breathtaking detail.

Featuring working flaps, ailerons, elevators, rudders and air brake, plus an opening canopy, functions landing gear, and an array of explody things slung underneath, Jonah’s F-14A is so realistic we wouldn’t be supposed if Iran try to buy it for spare parts. Which they can do, as Jonah is making his model available for purchase in kit form!

There’s more of Jonah’s incredible Grumman F-14A to see on Flickr, including detailed photos of the underside and all the explody things too. Click the link in the text above to visit Jonah’s photostream, where a few Iranian aviation maintenance people may also be snooping about…

Three-Way

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This is a Hako Multicar, a common sight on European city streets, and with a fairly rubbish name until you realise how literal it is. The only surviving nameplate from the East German IFA, Multicar have been building small versatile platforms for over eighty years, with everything from floor buffers to armoured military vehicles emerging from their German factory.

However, even a single Multicar model can be multiple, er… cars, as proven here by this superb Technic Multicar 4×4 built by Sthrom (aka Blaz62). Like Multicar’s real vehicles, Sthrom’s creation is capable of switching between several purposes, with a single chassis and cab able to be equipped with multiple attachments.

Sthrom’s Multicar chassis is filled with proper Technic functionality, including all-wheel-steering, all-wheel-suspension, and all-wheel-drive with locking differentials, hooked up to an in-line 4-cylinder engine underneath the tilting cab. The front of the cab is fitted with a multi-purpose mount, allowing a range of equipment to be attached, whilst at the rear and even broader range of machinery can be added.

Sthrom’s model can be deployed to three different uses, with a mobile crane/cherry picker (often seen deployed for street light repair), a container truck/skip lorry, and a snowplough with grit spreader. Each attachment includes a wealth of realistic functionality, all operating mechanically via hand-operated linear actuators, levers, and bevel gears.

It all adds up to being one of our favourite Technic creations of the year, and there’s loads more to see of the Sthrom’s Hako Multicar, including the chassis and each attachment separately, at Bricksafe, the Eurobricks forum, and via the excellent demonstration video below.

YouTube Video

Brick Bull

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Lamborghini, like Volkswagen’s other brands Audi, Porsche, Ducati, and… er, Volkswagen, are now officially partnered with LEGO. Unfortunately so far the cars they’ve chosen to recreate in the brick are the butt-ugly Urus and a hypercar we’ve never heard of. We’d much rather see an Adventador set, particularly if – like today’s model – it’s orange.

Suggested by a reader this is David Elisson‘s Lamborghini Aventador and it is almost ridiculously accurate for its size. A myriad of complex techniques have been deployed to recreate the Aventador’s wild shape (just look at that windscreen surround!) and it is – as you can see here – really very orange indeed.

There’s more to see of David’s stunning Speed Champions Lamborghini at his photostream – take a look via the link above.

Frieghtliner

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This slab of white enormity is a Frieghtliner FLA 9664, and it comes from Michael217, who has managed to combine the best of Model Team and Technic building styles into one superb creation.

The chassis is constructed from modern studless Technic, with a complete remote control drivetrain consisting of two XL Motors for drive, an L Motor for steering, and a Medium Motor to power the tilting cab hidden within it.

The lifelike Model Team exterior is matched by an accurate engine and a brilliantly detailed interior behind open doors, with all hatches inside opening too, and there’s more to see of all of that at Michael’s expansive Frieghtliner FLA Bricksafe gallery and at the Eurobricks forum by clicking here.

A Sight to Behold(en)

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This is a Holden Torana A9X, Australia’s late-’70s muscle car and dominator of the Touring Car Championship. The ‘A9X’ option added the race V8 motor usually reserved for the sedan to the hatchback body style, with just 100 units produced in this combination. Now worth around $500k AUS, the Torana A9X is a ridiculously sought-after car, but fortunately we have one today that’s far more attainable.

Built by TLCB Master MOCer Lachlan Cameron (aka Lox Lego) as commissioned model, this stunning Technic recreation of the Torana A9X captures the real ’70s muscle car in spectacular fashion, with a full remote control drivetrain and BuWizz bluetooth brick, LED lights, accurate live axle rear and torsion beam front suspension, custom chrome pieces, opening doors, hood and trunk, and – of course – a replica of the A9X’s famous five-litre V8 engine.

It’s one of our favourite cars of the year so far and there’s plenty more to see of Lachlan’s incredible creation his ‘Holden Torana A9X’ album on Flickr and the Eurobricks discussion forum. Click the links above to set the lap record at Bathurst in 1979.

Silver Bird

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American Airlines have a great paint scheme. Both retro and futuristic, their shiny silver overlaid by a tri-colour stripe is surely one of the best liveries in the industry. This particular TLCB Writer was most excited to get on an AA aircraft for the first time, newly painted in the shiniest of silvers, before realising the interior was last refreshed in the American Civil War. It was a l.o.n.g flight…

Perhaps that’s a metaphor for much of American produce; shiny on the outside, shit underneath. Anyhoo, equally shiny, yet wonderful underneath too, is this spectacular Boeing 757-200 airliner from Flickr’s BigPlanes, complete with the iconic American Airlines livery and a fully-fitted mini-figure interior.

BigPlanes’ 757 also features beautifully working landing gear, moving flaps, and lighting, which – admittedly – worked fine on this writer’s real-world American Airlines flight, but the interior wasn’t a patch on this! There’s much more to see of BigPlanes incredible creation at his ‘American Airlines Boeing 757-200‘ album; click the link to head to the departure gate, before wishing you’d flown Virgin Atlantic instead.

Galactic Redux

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LEGO’s 928 Galaxy Explorer from 1979 has become something of a legend, being recreated endlessly by countless members of the Lego Community. Here’s another, and it’s done so well we’re forgetting we’re supposed to be a car blog for a bit.

Built by Flickr’s Tim Goddard, this Neo-Classic Space ‘Galactic Explorer’ is a spectacular mesh of superb building techniques, complete with motorised landing gear, a working rear hatch, and a smiling Classic Spaceman at its centre.

There’s more to see of Tim’s brilliant 928 redux at his photostream – click the link above to make the jump to a future version of the future in 1979.

We’re Going to Need a Bigger Gun…

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Following Mars Corp.’s hunt for dog food ingredients earlier this week, it seems that sources of cosmic meat require slightly more firepower to harvest than originally anticipated.

Cue the ‘Ares Long Range Artillery Platform’, armed with a twin railgun, twelve ‘hammer’ missiles, and a triple-barrel machine-gun. We suspect the meat won’t even need to be mushed up (or whatever the dog food term is) once the Ares has done its thing…

Like the previously featured ‘Mars Corp. Hermes Mobile Command Centre’, Flickr’s BobDeQuatre owns the mind behind this and there’s more to see at his photostream by clicking here. Din-dins!

Build-A-Bronco

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Ford’s new 2020 Bronco looks right in a way that Land Rover’s new Defender just doesn’t. Who’d have thought that, after Ford mis-managed Land Rover (and Jaguar, Volvo, and Aston Martin…) into the ground only a decade or so ago, before bailing on all of them.

Anyway, Ford seems to have nailed it with their homage to their own classic nameplate, and fittingly today’s bloggee LoMaC has nailed his homage to Ford’s, er… homage.

Capturing the 2020 Bronco in Technic form, LoMaC’s recreation features working steering (by both the wheel and HoG), independent front and three-link rear suspension, a working engine, opening doors, hood and trunk, plus a detailed interior with adjustable seats.

We think the new Ford Bronco would make a fine official LEGO set (which maybe is on the cards with Ford and LEGO’s fruitful partnership), but until then you can build LoMaC’s brilliant Bronco for yourself, as building instructions are available!

Head to LoMaC’s Ford Bronco Bricksafe gallery to see all the images and to the Eurobricks forum for full build details and that link to building instructions.

Website of the Month | Bricks Garage

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OK, we can’t even remember the last time we featured a Lego website, and we’re not going into TLCB Archives to check, what with there being a band of feral Elves in there somewhere. But no matter, because even if this should more accurately be titled ‘Website of the Year’, ‘Bricks Garage‘ would still qualify. Because, thanks to Bricks Garage, you can now build the very best Lego car designs anywhere in the world for yourself!

Yes, TLCB Master MOCer – and probably the best known vehicle builder of them all – Firas Abu-Jaber, has released the instructions for his incredible creations for download, so that you can recreate his astonishing Lego cars at home.

Fifteen of Firas’ models are available via the new Bricks Garage site, each with downloadable PDF building instructions, a BSX parts list (allowing an import directly into Bricklink), and a CSV file for Rebrickable.

Models include the legendary Nissan Skyline R34, iconic Ferrari Testarossa, wild Pagani Zonda, and – perhaps our favourite – Firas’ beautiful Ford GT (above), a model that featured on the world famous Top Gear website.

Some of Firas’ newer creations are available too, including his brilliant alternates for sets such as the 10265 Creator Ford Mustang, with instructions for three superb B-Models in one bundle, with a current sale price of $25.

Many of the instructions for Firas’ models are currently on sale as part of Bricks Garage’s launch, with further savings available for multiple purchases.

If you’d like to add some truly world-class creations to your collection (and perhaps learn a few tips on how to design models like these for yourself), take a look at the Bricks Garage Shop via the link below, choose from the list of amazing creations on offer, and bring one of the most iconic real-world vehicles to life in Lego form at home!

Click here to visit the Bricks Garage Shop

Mars Corp.

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It’s sometime in the future, and the Mars Corporation seems to have branched out a little from making Skittles, Pedigree dog food, Dolmio, and, er… Mars bars. At least according to Flickr’s BobDeQuatre.

Able to carry a crew of six on long-range missions, the ‘Hermes’ mobile command centre also features a hefty rotating turret that is apparently for ‘defensive firepower’, although we like to think it’s for acquiring the ingredients for dog food. Head to Bob’s ‘Hermes’ album on Flickr to join the hunt find out more.