Tag Archives: Train

LEGO trains have been for sale since the 1960s, and LEGO fans have been creating their own custom layouts with LEGO bricks ever since. Whether you enjoy 4.5-volt, 12-volt, 9-volt, RC, or Power Functions LEGO trains, and whether or not you have an opinion about 8-wide, 9-wide, or some other scale, you’ll find lots of gorgeous engines and rail cars right here on The Brothers Brick.

Okay, now you can put up the tree

I’m a firm believer that the holiday season seems to creep into our lives sooner and sooner each year. Though many are delighted to lean into it, I reserve myself to celebrate Christmas only after Turkey day has passed. Now that it has, I think it’s fair to put up the tree. This year I might take after builder Peter Carmichael and go with a fancy, fake one. The secret to a good plastic tree is the texture of the bristly branches, which the builder has achieved with a ton of three-pronged stem pieces. Subtle but elegant decorations of gold keys and white garland with lights give character to the tree. Capping it off is a delightful, translucent blue snowflake.

LEGO Motorized Christmas Tree

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All aboard as this train glides through an icy scene

Pieter Post has created this immersive diorama in which a powerful locomotive, drives through a frozen landscape. The colour palette of sand blue and white emphasise the frigidity of the scene while hints of earthy tones through the tundra suggest the ground is gradually thawing. The train is also built to be fully functional and even features working lights. Flexible pipes are applied along the body of the train, in order to create some of the more angled tubular details. The train is escorted by a bubbling cloud of steam which uses a variety of rounded pieces to portray the odd and random shapes of the vapor. The claw pieces on the bridge represent icicles dripping down onto the smooth, frozen riverbed below. The deer in the corner has accurate proportions thanks to Harry Potter wands used for its scrawny legs.

Pieter has succeeded in creating a train that is accurate to its real-life counterpart and surrounded by a beautifully constructed landscape. Love Trains? You can check out more of our articles on engaging locomotives, here.

A monochrome steam machine

The Mogul steam locomotive, also known as the “2-6-0”, is a pretty classic-looking train especially for model or toy trains. František Hajdekr fashioned a sleek looking light grey LEGO 2-6-0 in monochrome, and it is certainly a beauty.

The 2-6-0 / Mogul Steam Locomotive (MOC)

While most LEGO train are built to run on track, this train does not, but there is an upside to that because in this build Hajdekr uses technic pulley wheels in combination with gears to render locomotive wheels and these are pretty aesthetically pleasing choices. I think the fez piece in black flipped upside down for the chimney was also a clever use of parts. The brick-built train tender hauled by the engine contains many different types of black LEGO elements serving as the fuel source for the engine – coal. With all the right parts and pieces, this build is ready to go full steam ahead.

An American in Amsterdam

Don’t miss the train! This LEGO train creation by Ervvin makes me want to buy the next ticket available for a ride.

NS1202 [2]

In post-World War II Europe, the United States committed billions of dollars to help people resume ordinary lives. Part of that went to rebuilding Europe’s largest transportation network, the railway. This engine here is an NS1200 series electric locomotive, with components built in the United States and shipped to the Netherlands to create the electric powerhouse that helped move the Netherlands on the path to reconstruction.

You have to love this design, no question about it. It’s very smooth yet leaves room for all the little details like vents and wires. The use of minifigure skis on top of the connecting vanes was incredibly insightful.

Next time you’re in the Netherlands, make sure to stop by the National Rail Museum in Utrecht to get a look at one of the last of these engines still in operation!

Take the Train to Cakeville

Is your 5-year-old into steam trains as much as he is into LEGO? Builder Alexander (aka narrow_gauge) combines both of these passions into his LEGO steam engine cake.
Woolshed Flat

Though you can’t eat it, this creation makes me shiver with delight just looking at it. From the wood bottom border to the shrubbery and birdlife, everything is detailed inexactness. As far as technical work goes, Alexander doesn’t hide any of his capabilities as a LEGO railroad engineer. It’s great to see the train wheels actually on the track as it curves around the hillside. Very few builders take on an original railroad track design, and this one is flawless.

And look! There’s even a bridge! Builds like this keep kids into both trains and bricks their entire lives. Woolshed Flat

 

We’ve trained for this.

Recently, we’ve featured quite a few LEGO builds based on the 9V Train Track switch element. Those were some mighty fine builds. Some might even call them transformative. But Librarian-Bot has taken the idea of “Train Switches” in an unforeseen direction with Switchback. This sinister-looking Decepticon is ready to take you for the last ride you’ll ever go on. I particularly like the way the hands are constructed – they add a delicate, almost surgical feel to an otherwise bulky robot.

Switchback

In train mode Switchback completely hides any robotic nature – and even works on standard LEGO track. It’s a sharp-looking engine build that makes good use of tile and curved slope elements to provide just the right level of real-world detail.

Switchback

If you’re ready for even more Transformers goodness (and badness) be sure to check our archives!

LEGO 10277 Crocodile Locomotive [Review]

The latest LEGO set to be released under the Adult Portfolio theme (previously known as the Creator Expert line) is the Crocodile Locomotive. LEGO has been making trains and locomotives all the way back from 1965 and since then it has given life to die-hard fans that gather around communities and clubs that that focus on this single theme. Trains and locomotives, without a doubt, is an evergreen theme that has evolved in many forms and I dare say that its featured every single year since the beginning of its first introduction regardless the sub-theme it may appear in, from the tiniest polybag to the generic City sets, or even tie-ins from the Harry Potter franchise. After a 7-year hiatus of a serious train release, we take a look and share our thoughts on the latest Crocodile Locomotive theme consisting of 1271 pieces and priced at US $99.99 | CAN $149.99 | UK £89.99

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TBB cover photo for August 2020: A station worth visiting

This month’s cover photo, from Pieter Dennison, is a model of the Dunedin Railway Station in New Zealand. From the tower to the topiary garden, this scene captures all the nuance found in the Dunedin Railway Station, reportedly, one of New Zealand’s most photographed buildings. If you’d like to learn more about this build, read our previous coverage of this LEGO Dunedin Railway Station that Pieter spent five years building.

Dunedin Railway Station

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Enjoy the romance of rail travel aboard the JNR 583-series limited express EMU

Introduced in 1967, the Japan National Railways 583-series of electric multiple units (EMUs) served long-distance travelers for 40 years, with the very last rolling stock finally withdrawn in 2017. Riding in these was nearly as exciting as traveling on the Shinkansen bullet trains, though certainly not as fast. Japanese builder Orient R. Minesky (also on Flickr) has recreated this iconic and historic train in LEGO, in its original dark blue and cream JNR livery, prior to privatization and breakup into regional railways in 1987. Presenting the train photographed on a cement wall from a low angle, with LEGO electric lines against a real-life background, makes it seem like the train is clattering toward you at speed.

See the detailed interior of this LEGO JNR 583-series train

The LEGO 12-volt train era rides (around) again

LEGO train track used to be blue, but 40 years ago the Grey Era started, and Holger Matthes built this beautiful and functional Roundhouse “Bamberg” with some very modern parts and techniques, but still perfectly in the style of those classic 1980-1987 sets.

LEGO 12 V Roundhouse – front panorama view

See more of this LEGO roundhouse, including a video!

All aboard at Dunedin Railway Station

During my two trips to New Zealand for work, I never left the North Island, and the beautiful cities and countryside of the South Island have eluded me, so I’m always grateful when I get to travel somewhere new via LEGO bricks. Peter Dennison lives in the lovely city of Dunedin, and has spent the past 5 years building a huge diorama featuring the historic railway station on Anzac Square.

See more of this iconic New Zealand train station

What’s that element? Plate with a triangular shaped bar [Feature]

LEGO Train-heads, yes, you’re probably beaming ear-to-ear with pride that you are well aware and know the use of this particular piece. For the rest of you who’s wondering, it’s not too late to extend this little mystery a little longer, take a guess on HOW exactly it’s used in train sets? Still pondering and wondering? Let’s cut to the chase, you’re here to get answers. Read right on to find out.

Click to find the answers you’re looking for