Steam Powered Velocipede

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The current craze for e-bikes shows that mankind’s propensity to make literally everything lazier continues unabated. However we’re not new in our quest to eradicate all forms of exercise, as back in the late 1800s our forebears had the same idea, first creating the ‘steam powered velocipede‘ which we want based upon its name alone, and later strapping a steam engine to a penny farthing, to eliminate all that inconvenient pedalling. Remarkably they worked too.

Cue TLCB Master MOCer and all-round Technic-building genius Nico71, who has created his own ‘steam’ powered bicycle (or velocipede as we shall now call it), equipped with a single cylinder Lego Pneumatic Engine, that – when fed with ‘steam’ (compressed air) – powers the velocipede through a two speed gearbox.

Every element of Nico’s machine is LEGO, including an ingenious design that genuinely ‘throttles’ the amount of air entering the engine controlled via a handlebar-mounted lever, a flywheel for maintaining the engine’s smoothness, and a working rear brake.

It’s all preposterously clever and best of all Nico has made instructions available so that you can build you very own Steam Powered Velocipede at home, which we genuinely might do! Head to Brickshelf to see all the imagery, Nico’s excellent website for full details and building instructions, and you can watch this remarkable contraption in action via the video below.

YouTube Video

 

Speed Week

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Bonneville’s Speed Week is approaching, assuming Coronavirus doesn’t put the brakes on, where vehicles of all shapes and sizes will take the famous salt flats in pursuit of speed.

Flickr’s 1saac W. pays homage to one of the automotive world’s greatest spectacles with his marvellous ’32 Ford. Neat building techniques and excellent photography are obvious to see and there’s more of the model available at 1saac’s photostream via the link above.

C-Plane

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The prizes from TLCB’s Lockdown B-Model Competition are winging their way to the winners, but we haven’t seen the end of B-Model building. Tomas Vic (aka Tomik) entered several high-scoring models into the competition and has added another to his excellent back-catalogue of alternate creations.

His latest is technically a ‘C-Model’, seeing as the 42106 set upon which it’s derived already has a B-Model, but we call all alternates ‘B-Models’ here at TLCB so we don’t end up with a list as non-sensical as Mercedes’ model range.

Tomik’s rather splendid aircraft looks good enough to be a Technic set in its own right, and uses the donor set’s Pull-Back Motor to simultaneously drive both the landing gear and the propellors.

Instructions for Tomik’s build are available and you can find a link to them along with the complete image gallery on both Flickr and at the Eurobricks forum. Click the links above to take off.

Failari

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The 2020 Formula 1 World Championship has been weird. Months late, races cancelled, double-header races to make up for lost time, but no spectators, the season will probably be remembered more for Coronavirus than anything else. Well, that and Ferrari turning up in what seems to be an FSO Polonez.

Despite the 2020 SF1000 apparently being based on last year’s car and having one of most talented young drivers on the grid, Scuderia Ferrari have been awful. Currently sitting fifth in the standings behind a newly resurgent McLaren (who are finally exiting their own period of woe), and even Force India/Racing Point/Aston Martin/Stroll F1/whateverthey’recalledthisweek, with Leclerc in 7th place and multiple World Champion Vettel in 10th. Sheesh*.

The Scuderia Ferrari SF1000 at least looks rather nice, as demonstrated here by Noah_L’s superbly presented Model Team replica, itself an updated version of his recreation of Ferrari’s 2019 Formula 1 car. Give it a really hard push and might even beat the real thing.

There’s more to see of Noah’s excellent creation at his ‘Ferrari SF1000′ album – click the link to take a look, and then sit back and watch Mercedes-Benz AMG dominate the field as usual in today’s British Grand Prix, before they do the same at next week’s er… British Grand Prix. This double-header thing is going to take some getting used to…

*Still, maybe it’s karma for Ferrari’s active participation in the gradual killing of children.

Virtually Vast

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This is not a car. And nor is it even built in real bricks. But it is awesome, and rendered – as you can see – superbly. If you’re wondering ‘Why don’t TLCB feature more digital builds?’, well mostly it’s because they don’t look like this.

Designed  by L E G O Z ; ) of Flickr, this enormous (if it were real) ‘Wegener Mining Dump Truck’ joins a range of models created for the ‘Hibernia’ theme that seems to have inspired many in the online Lego Community. We’re not too sure what said theme involves exactly, but we know it’s cold.

L E G O Z ; ) addition to the Hibernia landscape was ‘built’ in Bricklink Studio 2.0, uses only actual LEGO bricks (although some are in colours yet to be produced) and features some mega detailing throughout.

Head onto the digital ice via the link above for all the stunning imagery.

Ferrari Fans, Look Away…

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If you’re a fan of Ferraris, you might want to look away now.

This is the ‘F8 Dragster’, built by ianying616 of Flickr, and underneath it was once the new 76895 Speed Champions Ferrari F8 Tributo set. It isn’t any more though, having been modified by, well… possibly TLCB Elves judging by the stripes, ridiculous engine, and unhinged bodywork. Or Mansory of course.

Fortunately – and unlike Mansory’s abominations – ianying’s creation is only in the brick, and as such we, ahem… quite like it. But we’re basically six year olds here, so that’s not a surprise.

If you’re six too, a TLCB Elf, or if you work for Mansory, you can check out more of ianying’s ‘F8 Dragster’ on Flickr – take a look via the link above.

Racy Orange

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No, not another tenuously linked Trump post* (we said racy orange, not racist orange), rather previous bloggee Zsolt Nagy (aka kodlovag)’s exceedingly orange remote control racer.

Utlising LEGO’s new Control+ bluetooth components, Zsolt’s ‘WTCC Race Car’ features two XL motors to drive the rear wheels and L motor to steer, whilst the front wheels also turn an inline 4-cylinder engine, true to most real-world WTCC racers.

All-wheel suspension plus an opening hood and doors are also included, and there’s more to see of Zsolt’s orange racer at both his ‘WTCC Race Car’ album on Flickr and at the Eurobricks discussion forum – click the links to take a look.

*We suppose it is another one now. Never mind.

Hey Joe*

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Joe (aka Tormund Giantsbane from Game of Thrones) has got himself a nice tow truck. Built by TLCB regular Andrea Lattanzio it’s also got some very nice parts usage going on. See if you can spot the swords, pirates’ hooks, meat cleavers, ice skates, and binoculars all cunningly deployed to different uses throughout the build. See more of ‘Joe’s Tow Truck’ at Andrea’s photostream via the link above.

*Today’s excellent title song

A Cool Hummer?

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If you’re a TLCB Elf, the Hummer is cool. Particularly if it’s in yellow, as a nearby one was when this TLCB Writer was growing up. However, to anyone not an Elf/Texan NRA member, the civilian Hummer is one of the most abysmal, uncool, and depressing turds ever to emit from General Motors’ soil pipe. Which, don’t forget, also produced this. And this.

However today’s Hummer is rather cool, and not just because of the setting. TFDesigns (aka Frost)‘s ‘Arctic Thunder Armoured Limo’ has been constructed for the Decisive Action contest on Flickr (as several of the models in our recent posts have been), for dignitaries to cross the frozen continent of Aptenodytes, wherever that is.

The H2-based limousine features working suspension, brick-separator front skis, opening hood and doors, and an in-built missile launcher, whilst the accompanying snowmobiles that make up the motorcade are jet-propelled, for reasons none other than jets are cool.

There’s much more to see of Frost’s Hummer H2 ‘Arctic Thunder Armoured Limo’ motorcade on Flickr – click the link above to make the jump and take a look, just avoid the missiles…

Tractorly Tragic

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These days tractors are often enormous, hugely impressive machines, however in the past they’ve tended to look… a bit shit. Tiny wheels, cabin perched up way to high, microscopic engine struggling along the road – Flickr’s de-marco has nailed it. There’s more to see of de-marco’s ‘Red Tractor T25’ at his photostream, where you can also find building instructions should you wish to recreate this slightly tragic looking vehicle at home – click the link to take a look!

Appendage

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This is not a car, but mech suits are kinda transport and this one, by Flickr’s Shannon Sproule, is too ingenious not to share. From its beehive legs, clip claws, and fishbowl helmet, to its… what is that? Er… no, it can’t be that – it’s mounted too high. It wouldn’t be. …But it sure does look an awful lot like a…

America’s Movable Fighting Man

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G.I. Joe has been the default choice for any patriotic American boy since the 1960s. This is despite him being, well… a doll, and – we suspect – boyfriend/GBFF to Barbie on the side (we’ve never seen Ken and Joe in the same room at once… just sayin’).

No matter, because when he’s not wearing a hawaiian shirt or driving a pink convertible, Ken G.I. Joe gets access to some pretty awesome stuff. Stuff like this, an articulated tank/rocket launcher device entitled the ‘Cobra Maggot’.

Built by Big Easy Bricks making their TLCB debut, the Maggot is every bit as playable as the real 1987 G.I. Joe toy, with working tracks, an accessible control room, and two rocket launcher/cannon arrangements. There’s more to see of Big Easy’s Cobra Maggot on Flickr – take a look via the link above.

Red Square

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The Swedes must have really liked straight lines in the ’70s and ’80s. Volvo of course became famed for their boxiness, but Scania were just as rigid, as proven by this remarkably upright LK 141 truck by Flickr’s Vladimir Drozd. It’s a build that’s also remarkably detailed, looking almost photo-real thanks to exquisitely smooth building techniques. Power Functions motorisation and working suspension also feature and there’s more to see of Vladimir’s red square at his ‘Scania LK 141’ album. Click the link above to head straight there.

Enhanced Bust

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Redfern1950s has given himself a lift. Published here earlier in the month, we titled Red’s rat rodded school bus after the name your Mom used ‘professionally’, and – just like your Mom – Red’s recently enhanced things to make them a whole lot more… noticeable. Jacked suspension and comically enormous tyres complete the look and there’s more to see of Red’s enhanced Busty Rusty on Flickr here.

The Duflo

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This TLCB Writer doesn’t often post Duplo creations here at The Lego Car Blog because he’s big boy and he can use the small bricks. He’s even built a 7+ set almost all by himself, Dad just had to help a little bit.

However he is posting a Duplo build (kinda) today because a) it’s awesome, and b) it’s awesome. Flickr’s Edward Lawrence has combined a Duplo van body with standard LEGO system pieces (and the surfboard from the Creator 10252 Volkswagen Beetle set) to create the ‘Duflo’, and it is, as mentioned above, awesome.

There’s more to see of Edward’s ‘Duflo’ mashup at his photostream – click the link above to make the jump!