Tag Archives: truck

Heavy Swedish Action

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It’s time for some double Volvo goodness here at TLCB, thanks to the super-talented TLCB regular Damian Z. (aka thietmaier).

Damian’s latest builds are a Volvo FH12 truck, hefty three-axle low-loader trailer, and a wonderfully life-like Volvo EC240 excavator, each of which has been both built and presented beautifully.

All three builds demonstrate stunning attention to detail, with some brilliant building techniques used to achieve it, and there’s more to see of Damian’s Volvo truck, excavator, and the trailer that allows one to transport the other at his album on Flickr. Click the link above to take a closer look.

The Other F12

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Ferrari’s F12 Berlinetta is not the only vehicle to carry the F12 moniker. Volvo Trucks got there first, way back in 1977, and – because we’re a bit weird – we prefer their one…

This beautiful 7-wide Volvo F12 comes from builder Duq, whose recreation of the classic cab-over contains some of the finest detailing we’ve ever seen at this scale, from that wonderful grille and a life-like interior to even a realistic driveshaft.

There’s more to see of Duq’s F12 at both Flickr and Eurobricks, you can check out a rather larger version of the vintage Volvo here, and you can view a model of Ferrari’s (frankly less interesting) namesake by clicking here.

Game of Bricks – Light Kit (42114 6×6 Volvo Articulated Hauler) | Review

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It’s review time here at TLCB! The guys over at Game of Bricks, makers of bespoke LED lighting kits for LEGO sets, offered us a few of their products for review, and because either a) we’re awesome, or b) this site is too incompetent to be sent sets from LEGO, this time we’re handing over to our readers!

Wojtek Hildebrandt was one of the readers to respond to the offer of a free lighting kit (via our Facebook page) the fastest, and fortunately for us he’s a throughly good reviewer too. Check out his thoughts on Game of Bricks’ lighting kit for his recently reviewed Technic 42114 6×6 Volvo Articulated Hauler set below! The answer was (b) by the way…

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They see me hauling, they lighting.

The LEGO Technic set 42114 6×6 Volvo Articulated Hauler is a big and very yellow piece of equipment that I really like and that’s hard not to notice. That is of course if there’s light outside. But what if you need to haul whatever it is you are hauling around when it’s dark? The Game Of Bricks lighting kit comes to the rescue and frees you from filling in endless Health and Safety forms so I’m glad that TLCB together with GoB came up with this review idea. The kit I got is the full version – lights and sound with remote control. How does it look? How does it sound? What about installation and control? First things first.

The package comes in a nice black box with components divided into steps and packed in separate string bags containing required wiring, boards, and LEDs as well as any additional LEGO pieces needed to install it. Depending on the version of the kit – standard, remote, or remote + sound – there are different motherboards and additional equipment like remote or speaker. There is also a user manual, but it’s not the one that gets the user through the installation. It’s rather a general description of components and how to handle them. An actual step-by-step instruction is available on the Game of Bricks website, which is mentioned both in the user manual and in the order confirmation email from GoB. For the 42114 lighting kit, it is a series of pictures showing where to put which components, how to route the wiring, and sometimes what to remove from the set and when to put it back. Some other sets get video instruction – perhaps this one will get it too at some point.

Read twice, place once.

Before you start your installation or even before you open the bags, have a good look over the entire web instructions. Twice. Game of Bricks’ pictures are usually rather clear but not as much as LEGO’s own instructions. Black wires can sometimes hide in the shadows, other times some important details can get unnoticed as there is no description to point it out – this is, in particular, the case for rear lights that have two different LED colours. Still, I was able to follow the instructions with only a minor slip so I guess everybody should be fine. But knowing what to do is one thing and knowing how to do it is another thing entirely.

Do you fancy some knitting after a day of hauling? Have I got news for you!

Installing the lighting kit is a totally different experience to building the LEGO set itself. It feels more like knitting or sewing – at least I guess so. LEDs and wires seem fragile (even if they aren’t, excuse me for not running the stress test) so be gentle and patient. Get a pair of trusty tweezers, maybe even a magnifying glass, and make sure you have a good strong light on your workplace. You’re thinking of a headlamp? Why not. It takes light to install the lights, let’s call it a “circle of light”.

As for the LEGO set, you will need to remove or collapse the side mirrors to be able to lay the hauler on the side, and some wheels will need to be temporarily removed too. The beacon can be a problem when the hauler needs to be put upside down, so prepare for that as well. I need to say it quickly became tricky to handle this heavy set with an increasing number of wires leaving less and less space to firmly grasp the vehicle without worrying. The wires are a bit springy which is both a blessing and a curse. You will need to force them to your will, but eventually, they will obey. Connectors are tiny, they need to be put into ports precisely and with a click. Motherboard, extension boards, and optional speaker are attached to the set with double-sided adhesive tape. It seems to keep things together well, even the big speaker sits firmly in place. My only fear for the future is how to uninstall the lighting kit when I’d like to disassemble the set – will I be able to put it all back together?

Anyway, slowly but surely – like the hauler stuck on the first gear – you will get to the final step of the instructions; plugging in the power source. You can choose either the battery box that’s included in the lighting kit or any power bank – power goes through a USB connector so there are plenty of possibilities. Where to store it? If only there’d be a vast free space on the rear part of the hauler… Finally, the set should be ready to shine… Continue reading →

My Other Truck’s a McLaren

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We like a good B-Model here at The Lego Car Blog. In fact we ran a whole competition around alternates during the first Coronavirus lock-down last year.

Cue previous bloggee LoMaC, who has repurposed the Technic 42123 McLaren Senna GTR set into something rather more… upright.

Loosely based on Volvo’s ‘Iron Knight’ racing truck, LoMaC’s 42123 alternate turns the sleek Senna into a racing vehicle about as far from it as it’s possible to get, with a working V8 engine, functional steering, and opening doors included.

Building instructions are available and you can find out more at the Eurobricks forum here.

Hooker

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This is a Volvo FH ‘hooklift’ truck, as built by Volvo Trucks employee and previous bloggee Sebeus I.

Sebeus’s Model Team recreation of the latest version of FH-series includes Power Functions drive and steering, flashing warning lights, and motorised lifting axle and hooklift mechanisms.

There’s more to see at Sebeus’s ‘Volvo FH’ album on Flickr, at the Eurobricks discussion forum, and via the video below.

YouTube Video

LEGO Technic H2 2020 | Set Previews

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Summertime is here at TLCB Towers, when skirts get shorter (the pedestrians outside, not TLCB staff), it doesn’t get dark until 10pm, and a select group of Elven ‘volunteers’ are fired over the walls of The LEGO Group’s HQ tasked with bringing back the second half of the year’s new Technic sets.

Those that successfully dodged LEGO’s guard dogs (who surely look forward to this biannual event), have returned with their finds which – thanks to the magic of the internet – we can share with you today! So here they are; the three brand new for H2 2020 LEGO Technic sets…

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42112 Concrete Mixer Truck

The first new addition to the Technic line up is an interesting one, being hefty eight wheel concrete mixer truck that adopts Technic’s recent more detailed aesthetic and includes a brand new bespoke mixing drum piece. Whether this giant single part is a welcome addition or is at odds with the very point of LEGO is open to debate, but the model itself does look rather excellent, with almost Model Team levels of detail yet also retaining decent Technic functionality.

The front two axles offer mechanical steering via a roof mounted gear, whilst that new mixing drum can rotate either as the truck is pushed along or via a gear on the side, allowing it to ‘unload’ its contents all over the kitchen floor. 42112 also adds a few more dark blue pieces to range, with its attractive colouring enhanced with a few neat decals, and it’s expected to cost around €100 when it reaches stores in August.

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42113 Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey

The second set to join the 2020 Technic line-up is as interesting as the first, and it adds another officially-licensed partnership to LEGO’s impressive list to date. It’s also a partnership we never expected, as this awesome looking tilt-rotor aircraft is based on the real (and amazing) Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey.

LEGO have dabbled with tilt-rotor aircraft only once to our knowledge, back with the 8082 Multi-Model Control set from 1993 (come to think of it, why don’t LEGO make multi-model sets anymore? They were great), making 42113 one of the most unusual and original Technic sets in years.

It’s also the first set to feature LEGO’s new ‘Powered Up’ battery box, which when combined with the ‘Powered Up’ Motor drives the set’s two rotors and (we hope) the tilting mechanism that converts the V-22 Osprey from helicopter to plane. An opening cargo door and working landing gear also feature, as do a few orange panels to break up the military grey.

42113 will place towards the top end of the Technic range upon its arrival (although the mid-point definitely seems to be shifting upwards), is aimed at ages 10+ (as per the 42112 Concrete Mixer Truck above), and is estimated to cost around €130 when it reaches stores later this year.

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42114 6×6 Volvo Articulated Hauler

The final new addition to the 2020 line-up is another complicated and expensive set, meaning that all three of LEGO’s H2 sets cost upwards of €100. 42114 sits at the top of the trio, costing an enormous €250. It is itself rather large though, which helps off-set some of that eye-watering cost, and it brings an old favourite back to the range; Volvo Trucks.

Often the ‘B-Model’ (which is ironic, as all three of the new sets don’t seem to offer a B-Model at all), articulated haulers have appeared a few times in the Technic range, but never on this scale. The 42114 6×6 Volvo Articulated Hauler is huge, and packed with LEGO’s latest components, chief amongst which is the Control+ bluetooth brick, which enables the set to be operated remotely via a mobile phone or other bluetooth device.

42114 includes three of LEGO’s new ‘Powered Up’ motors, which deliver the all-wheel-drive, articulated steering, and power the massive linear actuator-driven tipping bucket. High levels of visual realism are present once again, with the set enhanced by both accurate decals and a level of detail that was only present on Model Team sets not that long ago. It’s an impressive combination, and one that has created a set that looks to be both a fine display piece and gloriously playable. But it still looks mightily expensive…

42114 is aimed at ages 11+ and joins 42112 and 42113 in stores later on this year. Better start saving. A lot!

60075 Redux

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We’ve featured a few models here at TLCB that have brought an old set into the new age, however Flickr’s Thomas Selander has kinda done the opposite, taking the 60075 set from 2015 and making it rather more classic, at least in using a 1960s-’70s Volvo F88 truck as inspiration for his tipper. It’s an excellent Town build and considerably slicker than the official set it emulates, and there’s more to see at the link.

Big Man

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Remote control enormity is the order of the day here at TLCB, as today’s second creation is also packed with Power Functions motors. In fact both are, as this is two amazing models in one, with a BuWizz-controlled MAN F2000 EVO pulling a giant SBrick-controlled Tiefbettauflieger trailer (complete with LEGO’s superb 42030 Technic Volvo L350F set as load). Each is the work of Bricks_n_Trucks of Flickr and each is a stunning showcase for how realistic Lego building can get. Click the link above to make the jump to Bricks_n_Trucks’ photostream for more.

My Other Truck’s a Mack

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LEGO enormous 42078 Technic Mack Anthem set both impressed and infuriated us in equal measure when we reviewed it here last year. One of the set’s major plus points though is the huge quantity and variety of parts included, making it a superb acquisition for builders looking to expand their brick collection. Or build a C-Model…

This is mpj’s Volvo 8×4 crane truck C-Model (so called because the set already includes instructions for a rather nice B-Model), built entirely from the parts found within the 42078 Mack Anthem set – although with a few new stickers added.

Volvo Trucks own Mack Trucks (but not Volvo Cars weirdly) so there is a neat link between mpj’s model and the truck from the set. Like the original, mpj’s build features purely mechanical functions, with the outriggers, crane rotation, three-stage boom, and two-axle steering all controlled by hand.

The design also leaves around 1,000 of the 42078 set’s 2,500 parts unused, so there’s plenty left over to create all sorts of items for the Volvo’s flatbed.

There’s more to see of mpj’s excellent C-Model at the Eurobricks forum, where you can also find a link to instructions should you wish to turn your own Mack Anthem into a Volvo 8×4 crane truck for yourself. Take a look via the link above, and you can read our review of the original 42078 Technic set by clicking on the first link in the text.

F-ing Fantastic

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This phenomenal Volvo F12 truck complete with a VBA box and a Dapa drawbar box trailer was found by one of our Elves on Flickr today, and we know it’s early but this is surely already a contender for the best truck of 2020.

Built by Master MOCer and truck-building legend Dennis Bosman (aka legotrucks), this spectacularly presented build perfectly replicates the real trucks that were in use with the refrigerated transport company ‘Sties’ whose livery Dennis has expertly recreated.

Dennis’ 1:13 scale replica of the 1980s truck (making it almost 150cm in length) not only looks absolutely beautiful on the outside, it includes a wealth of features too, including a tilting cab with a fully fitted interior, and highly detailed engine and chassis, and opening cargo doors.

An extensive gallery of stunning imagery showcasing the classic Volvo F12 truck is available to view by clicking here, and you can read Dennis’ interview here at The Lego Car Blog as part of the Master MOCers series by clicking these words to discover how he creates incredible models such as this one.

Model Team Spreen

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This enormous (and beautiful) Model Team Scania T143EL 8×4/4 truck, with Spreen livery, a spectacular gooseneck trailer, and a Volvo 350F loader was discovered by one of our Elves on Flickr. It comes from TLCB favourite Dennis Bosman (aka legotrucks) and was two years in the making, with help from fellow builders JaapTechnic and the late Ingmar Spijkhoven. Not only does Dennis’ build look unbelievably detailed, there’s also an SBrick buried in their somewhere allowing this model to operate via bluetooth. There’s loads more to see of this incredible creation at Dennis’s Scania T143EL 8×4/4 album on Flickr – click the link above to take a look, and here to read his interview as part of the Master MOCers series here at The Lego Car Blog.

Volvo FMX & Palfinger PK78002 | Picture Special

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This is a Volvo FMX with Palfinger PK78002 SH crane, which is a very long nome. But then it is a very impressive model. Taking builder Dirk Klijn four years to complete, this FMX takes Lego model making to the extreme, with a level of detail and functional realism that is second to none.

Controlled by three third-party SBricks, Dirk’s creation includes Power Functions motors, pneumatics, custom LED lighting and some off-the-charts engineering brilliance.

Firstly the truck is of course remote controlled, with steering on the front axles and drive at the rear. All are suspended, as is the cab, which also tilts to reveal a highly detailed engine underneath.

Stowed compactly between the cab and the flatbed is the Palfinger crane. A trio of Technic pneumatic cylinder unfurl it beautifully, with air pressure provided by an on-board motorised compressor. Further Power Functions motors allow it to rotate, extend and winch, to pluck the assortment of buildery equipment from the truck and lower it to the ground.

Four motorised outriggers keep the truck stable when the crane is in operation, whirring outwards in unison via remote control. It’s a seriously impressive build, and one that certainly goes to the top of the creations featured here in 2019.

There’s much more to see of Dirk’s amazing remote controlled Volvo FMX with Palfinger PK78002 at his Flickr album by clicking here, where you can also find a link to watch a video showing this magnificent model in action.

Euro-Kong

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Lego Scania R490 Crane Truck

Yu Kee Liu, otherwise known as Shineyu, has become a firm favourite here at The Lego Car Blog for his beautifully engineered trucks and heavy machinery. Today we can share two of his latest, a Hong Kong style Scania R490 crane truck and a Volvo FH16 750. Both are developments of previous builds, with the Volvo first appearing here in 8×4 tractor-cab configuration, and the Scania in a 560 specification with a blue and yellow livery.

Each model contains a raft of remote control features, including drive, steering, crane operation, LED lights, and more, all contained within exteriors that blend European truck design with Hong Kong functionality in astonishing detail.

You can see the complete galleries for Shineyu’s incredible Scania 490 crane truck and Volvo FH16 750 models on Flickr. Head to Hong Kong via Europe at the links above.

Lego Volvo FH 16 Truck

Writer’s Revenge

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Lego Volvo FH16 750 Truck

Today, this TLCB Writer snapped. Enough Elven droppings on the office floor. Enough Elven fighting in the corridor. Enough Elven surgery following the Elven fighting in the corridor.

Luckily one of the Elves found a creation perfect for rehabilitating a TLCB Writer post breakdown. This huge Volvo 8×4 FH16 truck, trailer and A60H dump truck combo comes from previous bloggee Shineyu, and it’s a truly incredible feat of Lego engineering.

Underneath the wonderfully realistic exteriors of each model are a host of Technic Power Functions motors, powering the drive, steering and – in the A60H’s case – the giant dumping bucket.

Lego Volvo A60H Dump Truck

You can squeeze a lot of Elves in said bucket, and Shineyu’s A60H is powerful enough to carry them all down the corridor, (whooping with delight), towards the office entrance (still whooping), through the doors (whooping subsiding), into the car park (whooping ceased), and towards the pond (whooping replaced by panic).

The Lego Car Blog Office is a much quieter place now, and this writer can confirm that the Volvo A60H’s dumping mechanism works wonderfully. Whilst he enjoys a peaceful day at TLCB Towers you can check out our favourite creation for some time courtesy of the Eurobricks discussion forum here, and you can watch both Volvo trucks in action thanks to the video below.

YouTube Video:

Candy Crush

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Lego Technic Volvo FMX 4x4 Crawler RC

It’s been a slow (read ‘hungry’) week for The Lego Car Blog Elves. However, with their empty stomachs ‘motivating’ them it was only a matter of time before we’d have a creation to share with you.

The hungry Elf responsible for today’s find was duly awarded a meal token and Smartie, upon which something remarkable happened… the Elf ate about half of its Smartie, and it then proceeded to break the rest into pieces. Were we about to witness the first ever moment of Elven compassion and sharing? Were we balls.

The aforementioned Elf scattered the Smartie pieces opposite a curtain in the office and then scurried off. Soon several of its colleagues had sniffed out the unguarded confectionary and landed on the abandoned loot like seagulls on an open bin.

But unguarded the confectionary wasn’t, and the curtains suddenly parted as a huge white truck powered through them. The nearest Elf had just enough time to point and scream before being squashed forcefully into the office carpet, before its scavenging colleagues met the same fate.

A jubilant Elf then re-emerged, scooped up the Smartie remnants, and ran off cackling madly. Sigh. We thought they were getting bored of this.

Still, kudos the Elf in question, which had deployed some remarkable inventiveness to overcome its find’s lack of speed – which normally would have left it unable meet out any smushings.

The vehicular weapon, whilst slow, is a mighty impressive bit of kit though. Based on a Volvo FMX truck, the build features five Power Functions motors that power the four-wheel-drive system, generate air pressure for pneumatically locking differentials, and drive the centrally-pivoted steering, whilst pendular suspension with simply ludicrous articulation and oversize tyres from the 42054 Claas Xerion tractor set take care of truck’s impressive rock-crawling ability.

The build is the work of TLCB debutant dgustafsson1317 and there’s an enormous gallery of high quality images available to view on Flickr. Click the link above to see all of the Volvo FMX Crawler photos, whilst we scrape some very flat Elves out of the office carpet.

Lego Technic Volvo FMX 4x4 Crawler RC