Category Archives: Models

This is what we’re all about. We scour the web for the best custom LEGO models to share with you. From castles and spaceships to planes, trains, and automobiles, you’ll find the best LEGO creations from builders all over the world right here on The Brothers Brick.

Glittering with gold, and a beastly shade of blue, Toa Gathu is comin’ for you

The other day I took a visit to LEGOLAND California, where they still have a Bionicle ride, along with statues of some of the Bionicles themselves, and got a pang of nostalgia for the days of old when Bionicle was still an official LEGO theme. Unfortunately, its unlikely the theme will ever be revived. Luckily, as long as the parts still exist, we will always get to enjoy fan made creations from the theme, case in point: Toa Gathu by Mitch Phillips.

Toa Gathu

I particularly like all of the small details on this figure, such as the brown minifigure backpack as a utility pouch, and the usage of lots of small pieces to achieve a trim, athletic shape for the Bionicles torso. This Bionicle has certainly been hitting the gym, unlike many of the official sets whose legs and arms were quite spindly and thin. Lastly don’t miss the nice usage of a gold LEGO Duplo door piece as the shield.

Alstom Pendolino ED250 PKP Intercity built from LEGO

I always find myself amazed with LEGO train builders’ ability to translate feats of human engineering, into feats of LEGO engineering, and this beautiful Alstom Pendolino ED250 by Mateusz Waldowski is no exception. For those curious about the name, Alstom is the manufacturer, and ED250 PKP is the actual model of train. Pendolino designates this train as part of a family of “tilting trains”, trains that tilt into a curve so they can go around at a higher speed, without causing passenger discomfort.

Alstom Pendolino ED250 PKP Intercity (01)

Mateusz has done an excellent job achieving the slightly sloped sides of the passenger cars, along with the round nose of the engine, which can be the most difficult part of building a modern train. There’s also something satisfying about the red flex tube used on the electrical contact rollers, its a small detail but it provides a nice spot of color. In addition, as if the expert construction wasn’t enough, the builder also seamlessly incorporated interior lighting on the passenger cars and exterior lights on both the front and rear locomotives.

Alstom Pendolino ED250 PKP Intercity (04)

If you’d like to see more of Mateusz’s excellent builds, check out the links below:
Newag 15D/16D Cargo Locomotive
1977 Granada MK1 Station Wagon

It’s not wings that make the dragon, but the ferocity of his character

I used to think that a dragon without wings was simply a lizard, but I wouldn’t dare say that to the face of this wingless dragon built by Leonid An. His name is Glaurung the Fierce, and with his athletic, lean build and large claws, this dragon looks like it could easily rip any opponent to shreds, especially a heckling human who dares mock his lack of wings.

Glaurung the Fierce

What I love about this dragon in particular is the way the builder has used repetition throughout the body, neck, and tail to achieve a very clean organic figure. For example, the robot arm piece is used at least twenty times, laced through flex tube to give both the subtle and more drastic curves the body of the dragon required. The 2×2 round tan boat studs are used as armor plating from the top of the neck of the dragon, all the way down underneath the belly to the tail, making for a wonderfully consistent aesthetic.

A planet-sized Classic Space layout that’s overflowing with incredible rovers and spaceships

At 96×168 cm, this sprawling space layout is a phenomenal build. Creator Dale Harris notes on his harrisbricks blog that the display is a personal love note to the Classic Space theme’s limited colour palette and retro tech aesthetic.

A83-Exploration-Base-Harris-Bricks-010

See more details of the super-sized space display

Roll in the height of luxury with the LEGO 1936 Mercedes-Benz 500K

If it’s the early 20th century and you’ve got more tycoon money than you can spend, why not spend some of it on an insanely luxurious car? Vehicle master Firas Abu-Jaber brings us an amazing LEGO rendition of the 1936 Mercedes-Benz 500K w29 Special Roadster, and it’s fit for a king. As Firas points out, the original car sold for over $100k in 1936 bucks (about $1.8 million today). Today, the remaining examples sell for tens of millions.

LEGO 1936 Mercedes-Benz 500K Special Roadster (W29)

Click to see more of the Mercedes-Benz 500k

Tyrannosaurus drives, tyrannosaurus rex!

When communicating with other people, have you ever noticed that LEGO pieces can be much more effective than words? Especially when describing unusual things, like, uh… a hilarious red T-rex on a six-wheel drive with a wrecking ball instead of his tail? Words are helpless! However, LEGO 7 manages to convey the idea just perfectly and designs an amazing creature. Now, this is what I’m talking about!

DINOTRUX-Ty Rux

Custom BrickHeadz Statue of Liberty stands proud

There are few American landmarks more iconic than Lady Liberty herself, so it is no wonder she has inspired so many LEGO builders to pay her tribute in brick. This famous statue even became an official LEGO product in the form of LEGO Architecture 21042 Statue of Liberty, which was a good source for sand green elements. This adorable BrickHeadz style model by baby lego uses some of those parts, along with a scaled down base that was inspired by the official set. She looks more than ready to welcome minifigures into New Brick City!

Statue of Liberty

For the next trick I need some bricks and tiles...Abracadabrick!

Building with LEGO is very much like performing a magic show; each time you need a particular slope or a suitable minifigure torso, they just disappear! Although, this beautiful vignette by captainsmog doesn’t include more sophisticated or rare LEGO pieces, it remains very eye-catching and funny. Thanks to captainsmog’s smart use of space, tall curtains help to significantly extend the scene’s vertical field of view. This in turn places the action in the center. We don’t know if the trick went well, but let’s hope there’s a spare pair of legs in the builder’s collection…

Abracadabra!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

That famous opening line from Charles Dicken’s A Tale of Two Cities is as good an introduction as any to Paddy Bricksplitter’s microscale diorama of the same name. The juxtaposition of the glistening white utopian towers and the smoke belching grime of the dystopian factory below creates some wonderful drama. There are nods, as he acknowledges, to the cyberpunk anime Battle of Alita as well as science fiction classics such as Things to Come and Metropolis. In the end, its Paddy’s own style that steals the show, relying on clever repeats of simple LEGO elements and atmospheric lighting to show the contradicting sides of his future city.

A Tale of Two Cities

A castle fit for the greek gods and goddesses

This shiny microbuild by Isaac Snyder is anything but small when it comes to character. There’s a picturesque punch packed into a small space, along with a mythical quality. The way the buildings are perfectly nestled in the rocks makes it seem like these LEGO bricks were always destined to be part of the build. With the ice cream clouds, it seems fit for a snow globe souvenir from Mt. Olympus.

CCC XVI: Castle in the Clouds

If you think this is cool, check out another picturesque LEGO castle of Isaac’s. Or perhaps you’ll enjoy Elrond’s House from the Lord of the Rings series.

Explore an astronomer’s tower that’s out of this world!

Sergeant Chipmunk is back with another one of his beautifully textured, fantastically displayed LEGO scenes. Some past creations from Sergeant Chipmunk featured here on the Brothers Brick include Hailstone Point, Securing the Seas and my personal favorite is the western-themed From Sunrise to Sunset!

Astronomer's Tower

I have some puzzling thoughts about this picturesque little scene. The titular astronomer has clearly landed already. The boat is tied up, but not unpacked. There are even freshly caught fish and a roaring fire with a pot of fruit boiling away. The telescope is propped up and ready to go. But where’s the astronomer? All of Chipmunk’s other models star minifigures in key roles. Not this time. The easiest answer might be that the astronomer is inside the tower. Or are they underwater spearfishing for more to eat? Did they become the parrot atop the roof? Have they fallen off the bridge with no one to save them? Maybe the intrepid astronomer spotted aliens through the telescope and they arrived to whisk him/her away! Share your theory in the comments!

In a few hours it’s gonna burst through your ribcage, and you’re gonna die. Any questions?

As a prize for the Space Jam contest he’s currently hosting on Flickr, Micah Beideman has built an excellent chestburster from the various Alien movies. While the Arvo Bros’ chestburster remains one of the best large-scale versions, this one might be my new favorite tiny version. Micah has used a minimum of parts with wise parts selection to capture the slithering organic shape of the nasty creature. The tan Technic gear for the creature’s teeth is particularly well-placed.

Crustburster (Space Jam Trophy)