It would seem that photographing train models is back in fashion. I usually have to wait around for ages for the right quality combination of model and photography but lately it’s been flowing. This snazzy dark red and yellow SOO FP7 is by Matt Hamann.
Peter Norman (Swoofty) and Tony Sava have been playing around with Peter’s Franken-Loco. Since the older style 9V trains (with powered track) have been retired in favour of forthcoming Power-Functions System (PFS) based designs this offers some handy insight on how to switch over earlier with the existing PFS elements.
Nnenn and Peter Morris present a challenge for those of you that love Gradius and LEGO, or who just like pointy two pronged starships.
To quote them:
Novvember is Vic Viper month! nnenn and peterlmorris invite you to try your hand at building a MOC based on the classic starfighter from the Gradius series of video games.
Join the Flickr group to check out previous MOCs and concept art. There are a few guidelines, but they’re very loose. Creativity is king. Help us make Novvember the month of the Viper!
As a longtime lover of variations-on-a-theme I’m more than happy to support them in this quest. Go build a Vic Viper!
Dan Rubin has taken a novel approach to spacecraft and produced a spaceship which is neither armed, nor human. His Emissary’s Ship uses unusual shapes and an atypical colour pallette to give an alien feel to this alien vessel. I’m particularly partial to the seamless change of symmetry from the tri-fold nose to the bi-fold rear.
After winning his freedom, Earth Golem went into business for himself, starting GOGOGOLEM Professional Movers, specializing in the relocation of castles, stadiums, shopping malls, skyscrapers, office blocks, parking garages, nuclear power stations, hotels, churches, temples, hospitals, swimming pools, apartment buildings, restaurants and factories.
I really don’t need to say anything more about Teikjoon‘s latest vignette.
Let the Con roundup begin…
Making its debut at the recent Brickish Association’s (the UK LUG) STEAM event is this fabulous hospital by Yvonne Doyle. The hospital was built as a collaboration with Steven Marshall and Pete Reid (Mr. Doyle) and is scaled to Steven’s ambulance. With a fully decorated interior (check out the wallpaper) and other lovely finishes like the detailing at the side of the windows this model really is a thing of beauty.
Jeramy Spurgeon and the team from Railbricks have been providing an excellent service for LEGO train fans for a while now and Issue 4 of Railbricks is no exception.
As with the previous issues the magazine is packed full of interesting articles including information about Brian Williams’ Royal Train, technical ideas, computerisation (DCC) of track, model instructionsm, contests and heaps more.
If you have any interest in LEGO trains, or LEGO in general, I highly recommend checking it out.
It’s been a while since I built anything I considered remotely worth blogging. I figured this one was fun enough to post as underwater attack craft seem a sadly neglected genre. The LB 13 “Bottlenose” was designed to fill a void (at least in my heart) and was inspired by Tim Zarki’s (spook‘s) SubApoc stuff.
In order to get this model posted before the universe ends I asked Matt Hamann to guest review this lovely steamer for me
Carl Greatrix recently finished this lovely addition to his layout, a British Railways 9F 2-10-0 “Evening Star” steam locomotive.The working and prototypical drivers alone make this model stand out to me. The flickering light in the furnace powered via a 9v battery box in the tender is another impressive detail. The model has some inventive parts usage as well. For example, on the tender Carl uses minifig whips to accurately depict the curvature of the ladder. Carl also used 1×3 arch bricks to keep the boiler nice and curved and within the 7-stud wide foot print and tacked on all kinds of steamy-greebles and details.
To round off the post I’d like to bring attention to this photo of much of Matt’s train stock. There’s nothing like quantity and repetition to make detailed boxes on wheels look even cooler.
I’m breaking an old rule and a brand new one here. Brothers Brick debutante Heather (Flickr) shows the boys how to do it with her super detailed Doll’s House. In break from tradition I borrowed its name for the blog post because, quite frankly, it’s awesome.
Credit to Shannon Ocean and Mastergongfu for the heads up.
A good diorama always impresses me and this is a fine example. The members of LugPol (the Polish LUG) have combined forces to present a beautifully integrated display at the Museum of Toys in Kielce. Karwik’s (Noddy) photos provide both overviews and close-ups of the details making me even more disappointed I couldn’t be there.
Train MOCs are frequently accused of being nothing but boxes on wheels. While this is usually true a little texture goes a long way as the above model indicates. See more from this builder.
Highlight this line for builder’s name: Swoofty
PS. I’m trying a little experiment at the moment and leaving out direct mention of the builder’s name (it can be found in their gallery). I think it’s nice to give us a chance to judge the model regardless of its creator.
