The Old Workhorse

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Lego Traction Engine

The Lego Car Blog is normally full of Porsches, hot rods and fighter jets, but not today! Today we’re bringing you something much classier. And much older too…

Traction engines were the tractors of the late 1800s-early 1900s, effectively self-propelled steam engines for the roads that could pull immense loads. Very slowly, but immense loads nonetheless. The arrival of the internal combustion-engined tractor saw traction engine use decline massively, but many do still survive to this day. In fact this TLCB writer passed one close by to TLCB Towers recently that was comfortably towing both an enormous wooden caravan trailer and a Land Rover Defender behind that. Very slowly.

This superbly rendered turn-of-the-century traction engine comes from newcomer Bricked1980, and whilst it’s not our normal fodder we absolutely love it! Constructed in LEGO’s newer hues of dark green and gold, Bricked’s model features authentic chain steering, a spinning flywheel, much plumbing accoutrement, and a drawbar trailer full of assorted old-timey stuff. Which it will pull, very slowly.

Suggested to us by a reader there’s much more to see of Bricked1980s brilliant mini-figure scale traction engine design at both Eurobricks and Flickr, where you’ll also find a link to the model on the LEGO Ideas platform.

 

Lego Traction Engine

Old Tip

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Lego Vintage Truck

This delightful vintage tipper truck was discovered by one of our Elves on Flickr today. It comes from Versteinert MOC and it’s packed with brilliant detailing, including chassis details normally overlooked at this scale, such as an exhaust, spare wheel, gas tank, prop-shaft and even a differential casing. There’s a whole lot more to see at Versteinert MOC’s Flickr album – take a look via the link above.

Lego Vintage Truck

Hip to be Square

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Lego Semi Truck

This might be the squarest thing we’ve seen since the last Brothers Brick report from Brickfair. However, contrary to that it is somehow also rather cool. This lovely 6-wide cab-over-semi (or just a normal truck to European readers) comes from prolific bloggee de-marco of Flickr. As is usual for his builds, cunning SNOT (Studs Not On Top) techniques are used throughout, and if you’re wondering how you can build models like this one de-marco has made instructions available so you can see for yourself! Click the link above to check out the model in de-marco’s photostream where you can also find a link to the instructional video.

Friend in Me, You’ve Got

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Lego Friends Y-Wing

As regular readers of this site will know, we’re not a blog that fully appreciates the wonders of the Star Wars franchise. Not so today, as this LEGO Friends Star Wars mash-up is the stuff dreams a made of! Flown by Rebel Alliance pilot Emma, with a gunner and an all-important on-board pet, Tyler Sky (aka Bricksky)’s ‘BFF Y-Wing’ is ready to defend Heartlake City from the forces of the Dark side.

Lego Friends Y-Wing

Ingenious details are in abundance throughout the model, and Tyler has even built a hanger for BFF Y-Wing maintenance and Heartlake City Rebel Alliance tea parties. Join the fight against the Dark Side and make new Friends via the link to the BFF Y-Wing album above!

Lego Friends Star Wars Y-Wing

Race to Mount Everest

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Lego Air Balloon

LEGO’s late ’90s Adventurers series with Johny Thunder was one of this writer’s favourites. What was basically an unlicensed Indiana Jones theme, archaeologist ‘Johnny’ travelled around the world in search of unique and wonderful artefacts whilst trying to outwit his nemesis Sam Sinister and Baron von Barron, all the while being chased by rolling boulders. This lovely flashback to the theme comes courtesy of Flickr’s Markus Rollbühler and Grant Davis who have constructed not only a brilliant hot air balloon and classic bi-plane, but also the backstory to accompany them. Join the adventure by clicking here.

Missed You Like Crazy

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Lego Crazy Engine Racers

The Lego Car Blog Elves are most perplexed today. Somewhat unbelievably, seeing as these builds could almost have been made for them, they missed this unique collection of ‘Crazy Engine’ racers by yu chris. We have a reader to thank for their appearance and you can see more of each crazy cartoon contraption on Flickr via the link above.

Benzina Supercortemaggiore

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Lego AGIP Gas Station

Things always sound cooler in Italian. This glorious 1960s gas station comes from Master MOCer Andrea Lattanzio aka Norton74. It’s a mini-figure scale replica of one of AGIP’s modernist gas stations that were built across Italy, with curved glass walls, sloping roofs, and a six-legged dog on a stick in the forecourt. Andrea has recreated the structure beautifully, including all the paraphernalia to be found in at Italian gas station in the ’60s, plus a superb period-correct OM Leoncino tanker. There’s a whole lot more of the build to see at Andrea’s Flickr album by clicking this link, plus you can read his interview here at TLCB as part of the Master MOCer series via the link in the text above.

Lego AGIP Gas Station

To the School Gates!

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Lego Post-Apoc Truck

The school run around The Lego Car Blog Towers is getting ridiculous. A sea of Land Rover, Volvo, Mercedes and Audi SUVs, you’d think the school gates were on the top of a mountain pass, not the middle of suburbia. Still, nothing but the best for little Alicia and Noah.

With the current race to the bottom of the automotive barrel it surely won’t be long before vehicles like these start turning up ensure that children can be safely transported to their colouring lessons. Which we’re all for of course – if it means the bloody Audi Q7 is no longer top dog on the school run.

First up to do battle at the school gates is the model above, a wonderful post-apocalyptic truck by TLCB newcomer Versteinert MOC. With a gun on the roof, knight’s shields for a front bumper, and machetes for front fenders, not even a Mercedes G-Wagon will intimidate this school-run Mom.

Today’s second creation eschews offensive weaponry for defensive protection. Faber Madragore‘s ‘racing buggy’ includes a full roll cage and nudge bar, plus working steering and pendular suspension, all at mini-figure scale. There’s no room for Noah’s backpack – or even for him – but Safety First!

There more to see of each build on Flickr. Join the school run madness via the links above!

Lego Off-Road Buggy

Super Fun

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Lego Superhero Dodgems

Where do superheroes go in their time off? The fun fair of course! Flickr’s Kale Frost has built a customised dodgem for five beloved* comic book characters. Will the Flash be able to handle a top speed of 6mph? Will Batman and Catwoman finally get it on behind the candy-floss machine? Click the link above to head to the fair and find out!

Lego Bumper Cars

*Plus Robin.

Rocky Balboa

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Lego Off-Road Muscle Car

Turning a classic muscle car into a rock crawler should be an abomination, but it just… works. This magnificent slice of muscular yellow rockery comes from TLCB regular de-marco and we absolutely love it. With classic Town spring suspension and cunning SNOT techniques throughout, de-marco’s 5-wide ‘Off-Road Muscle Car’ is well worth a closer inspection. You can even build it for yourself as there are instructions available too! Head over to Flickr via the link above to go ringside.

Lego Off-Road Muscle Car

Hand Job

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Lego Technic Crane

Casual readers of TLCB would be forgiven for thinking that this site only likes motorised remote control Technic creations. However whilst we certainly do appreciate a decent Power Functions model, there’s something charming about a good old-fashioned hand-cranked creation.

Newcomer jwarner’s mobile crane is just that, with no less than six hand-powered functions, including four-axle steering, boom extension and raising/lowering, winch operation, superstructure rotation, and working outriggers.

There’s more to see of jwarner’s build at both Flickr and Eurobricks. Click the links to make use of idle hands.

Googly-Eyed Bastard

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Lego Ekranoplan

Today’s, er… amusingly named creation comes from Tammo S of Flickr, and whilst we’ve used Sci-Fi in the tags, there is more truth in this remarkable design than meets the googly-eye.

Developed by the Soviets during the cold war, Ekranoplan ground effect vehicles occupied a weird space between ship, hovercraft and aircraft, whilst being none of them. The mightiest of these, and one that remained secret from the West for years, was the Lun Class Ekranoplan. It measured over 70m in length and was powered by eight Kuznetsof turbojets producing a combined 28,000lbf of thrust, enabling it to travel at almost 350mph for over 1,000 miles, skimming at just 10ft above the water.

Tammo S’s ground effect vehicle is slightly jazzier than the secret Soviet monster, and looks to be a great way to travel if you’re a LEGO mini-figure! Head over to Flickr via the link above to see more of Tammo’s fictional version of one of the world’s weirdest vehicles.

Godzilla’s Grandfather

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Lego Nissan Skyline GTR

Nissan’s GTR hasn’t always been a 600bhp all-wheel-drive supercar killer. In fact the GTR started life simply as the sporty variant in the humble Skyline range of mid-size sedans. Powered by a 160bhp two-litre inline-6 the original 1970s Skyline GTR was quick enough in its day and it became a successful racing car in Japan and beyond.

This lovely Speed Champions style creation depicts the second generation Skyline GTR built from 1973, of which just 197 were made before the oil crisis put an end to production and the GTR nameplate was hibernated until 1989.

Legomasino is the builder behind it and he’s recreated the 1974 Nissan/Datsun Skyline GTR beautifully. Head over to Flickr via the link above to see more of Legomasino’s superb images.

Lego Datsun Skyline GTR

Off-Road-Rod

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Lego Tank Rod

If The Lego Car Blog Elves were to design a car, it would probably look a lot like this.

Flickr’s Redfern1950s is a favourite here in the office for his wonderfully whimsical cartoon creations. This is his latest, which – somewhat unnervingly considering the sentence above – is loosely based on a real-life vehicle.

With independently powered tracks providing remote control drive and skid steering the Elves were most excited by its arrival at TLCB Towers. Until it ran them over of course, but frankly they should have known that was going to happen by now.

There’s more to see of Redfern’s delightful ‘RC Off-Road Hot Rod’ at his photostream – click the link above to make the jump!

Lego Tracked Hot Rod

2,733

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Lego Porsche 911

Jonathan Elliott’s brilliant Porsche 911 design has appeared here before, but a shot showing it in three variants – including a gorgeous new Singer-esque commissioned piece – was too good to pass up! Plus today’s title gives us a tenuous link to this. See more on Flickr by clicking here.