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.

A sunny estate provides solace between wars for this LEGO lord

It’s been far too long since we’ve spotlighted a build by Ayrlego, an Australian AFOL specializing in historical builds that span centuries and cultures. It’s been a while since Ayrlego has shared a larger build, but he’s back as part of “Brethren of the Brick Seas” role-play setting hosted by Eurobricks. The challenge for this chapter was “Homecoming,” and here Ayrlego shows the estate of Basil Vatatzes. The sunbaked bricks and terra cotta roof create modest grandeur where one can easily imagine fields of olive trees and ancient grape vines on the noble’s lands. Wands on their sprues create detailed railings, while a judicious use of SNOT techniques allows for elegant tilework around the windows.

Here we see a closeup of the estate’s owner. As the build is part of a role-playing challenge, of course, Ayrlego comes with excellent lore:

Widowed in his earlier years, Basil raised two sons who have since carved their own paths: one as a soldier in the imperial legions, the other as a clerk in the imperial court. His recent remarriage to Yazinta, a Mogholay woman and daughter of a prosperous trader, has raised eyebrows among the local land owners. Yazinta Vatatzaina, herself a widow with no children, brings a quiet dignity and worldly insight to Basil’s household, challenging the insular traditions of Pyrite aristocracy.

For more wonderful castles and other historical builds, check out our Ayrlego archive.

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These Spanish locomotives in LEGO are positively electric

Some trains traverse continents but more often than not, locomotives are built for more regional markets. The trains a railfan sees every day in Spain are completely different from those seen next door in Portugal, for example. That’s what I love about LEGO train builders – the models aren’t just feats of brick engineering, but a story grounded in a sense of place. Take these two latest builds from Julián (Ferro-Friki), a train aficionado from Spain. The builder’s latest are two electric locomotives from Spain’s state-owned rail company Renfe, based on designs from Mitsubishi. First is the Renfe Class 251, of which only 30 were ever produced. In addition to capturing the detailed shaping, Julián had to overcome the technical challenge of a three-bogie wheel configuration that is capable of handling curves.

Next is the Renfe S-269 in Estrella livery. Dubbed “La Japonesa” locally, this versatile locomotive could be used for both freight and passenger lines, and that versatility meant the 269 could be found all across Spain in its heyday. Now retired by Renfe, the engines can still be found in use with private tour operators.

Julián worked on the two locomotives throughout 2025, starting with renders before completing the physical builds and outfitting them with motors. Check out the builder’s Flickr page to keep up with what Julián is working on next!

Casey McCoy’s Moments of Melancholy sequence is a celebration of life, color, and music in LEGO

LEGO has always been an inherently creative medium, but it’s less often that LEGO creations are used to explore the human condition. Seeing Casey McCoy’s Moments of Melancholy builds, it’s hard not to be moved – both by the skill of the builder and by the emotions evoked by the abstract cube people that represent stages of life.

Casey completed the first three Moments in 2023. The first, “Die in your arms,” won the Best Vignette and contributed to Casey earning the Brickworld Master accolade at Brickworld Chicago while a second, “Growing on You,” was selected to be displayed at LEGO House. (Casey was interviewed about this incredible year of accomplishments over on BrickNerd). Casey’s work on the remaining three continued through 2023-2024, but it wasn’t until last month that shared photographs of the full sequence. The builds are shared below along with insights from Casey about their creation.

Casey’s Moments of Memory begin after the break

Nexopirate castle welcomes cyber sailors in the sky

Jente Bijl brings whimsy and wonder to every build with a singular way of playing with color and form. Her latest work, NEXOPIRATES, which debuted at LEGO World Utrech, maintains that record with a monolithic station for flying skiffs in a cyberpunk setting. Take away the ribbons of fluorescent color and you’d have an impressive neo-brutalist building where walls lean at odd angles, finding beauty in chaos. Statues of a centaur and a gargoyle add to the dreamlike design. I wonder what sights those flying boats see over the horizon?

A Monday Mosaic of Byzantine Bricks

According to scholars, mosaics in the LEGO medium flourished between the years 2020-2022, but believe it or not, people were making mosaic art long before this, especially during the Byzantine Empire. Joël Jurg, history student and AFOL, recreates the famous mosaic portrait of Emperor Justinian I as seen in the Basilica of San Vitale. Joël wrote his undergraduate thesis on Justinian’s construction project in Constantinople (Istanbul), including the Hagia Sophia, which also looks incredible in LEGO.

We’re wowed by this wonderful wizard

There are few builders that can create dynamic characters from LEGO like Trevor Pearson-Jones. The shapes and expressions he creates can feel almost magical. Case in point, this wizard conjuring up a giant, flaming 2×2 LEGO brick.

Coming in close on the wizard, I have to marvel at how few pieces actually make up the fleshy bits of the wizard’s face while still communicating a full character. Of course, those pieces get a boost from the large amount of sculpted facial hair and, surprisingly, some dental work.

And that magic brick uses various transparent plate colors to such awesome effect, I think I’d be afraid to touch it if I saw it in real life, lest I burn my finger.

Celebrating autumn with bell jars and bento boxes

LEGO’s Botanicals line introduced many to the world of brick-built decor, but for builders like umemaruko, LEGO has always been a medium for elegant home decorating. Alongside her wall hangings and table settings, umemaruko celebrates the seasons with a rotating mix of bell jar vignettes. Her latest is an enchanting encapsulation of fall featuring forest critters picnicking among mushrooms.

The builder augments her fall collection with a custom wreath and a seasonal bento box.

As falling leaves and mushrooms give way to snowy nights, I wonder what LEGO decorations umemaruko will craft next?

The 1:15 scale Octan Peterbilt 389 en route to Brick World, Netherlands

Few LEGO builders can master big rig trucks the way Dennis Glaasker can. No, seriously, I’ve tried to go down this road before and when you see one of Dennis’ gleaming creations in your rearview you just pull over and let the big man through, good buddy! Then salute the master as it passes by. He tells us it’s been about a year since he last posted anything but he clearly has not missed the mark, even after a break. Octan is a fictional super corporation first introduced by LEGO in 1992. As it turns out, it is one of the most ubiquitous fake brands in the world with an instantly recognizable color scheme and logo. Once again invited to the prestigious LEGO World event in the Netherlands, Dennis wanted to bring along something with LEGO recognizability. He modernized the typical Octan color scheme; white stayed white, green shifted to lime green and red became chrome. A custom Octan sticker adorns the tanker nicely.

Bonsai in bloom or a minifig vignette?

Ten years ago, a young Denil Oh won a Star Wars building competition at Legoland Malaysia that cemented a lifelong passion for building. Last month, Denil received a second honor when his bonsai creation was chosen to join the LEGO-hosted Botanicals exposition at Kuala Lumpur’s Pavilion mall. The builder fuses bonsai with a minifig vignette, adding a bridge, torii gate, and shrine to the ornate round pot. The grey and pink color combination makes for a pleasing tree. Look closely and you’ll see a clever technique for the flowers – they’re still on their sprues! Sprues also appear as vines around the trunk. Congratulations, Denil, on having your work celebrated again!

Bottoms up, we’re getting brickfaced!

I’m pretty sure I’ll be inviting TBB’s own Visual Assets Specialist, Kimberly Giffen to my next siorée. Not only can she edit photos like a dream but she has proven to be one creative mixologist that has shaken things up with a LEGO twist. A rainy weekend, which tracks here in the Pacific Northwest, has inspired her to build a colorful tropical drink. Is it a Blue Lagoon or a Blue Hawaiian? It doesn’t matter as both tastes like plastic and will likely chip your teeth. But it will still look great in your hand while you pontificate with party guests over whether Martin Denny or Les Baxter is the better Exotica Lounge musician. Bottoms up, sailor!

Cowboys and Dinosaurs make for a very wild west

Cowboys and Dinosaurs are the perfect B-Movie pairing (don’t believe me? Watch this clip of Valley of Gwanji from 1969). Builder Martin Dasnoy agrees as he wrangled up a trio of dino-riding Wild West factions. First up, “The Law” features an armored transport wagon pulled by a beefy ceratopsian. The dinosaur design is ingenious, with a fully brick-built head on a molded body that has been augmented for a more cohesive LEGO look. I like this approach more than the Jurassic-branded dinos that only use a few large molds.

Next up is the Red Raptor tribe where a pair of indigenous minifigs ride atop their prairie raptor. Again, the dino design is a lot of fun with its wide mouth and copious spines.

Last is my favorite of the trio, the Miner atop his trusty Hadrosaurid mount. The dino offers a lot more cargo capacity than a mule and can ford dangerous rivers with ease.

You’ve got chainmail!

LEGO Castle sets have offered plenty of armor options for your medieval knight minifigs, from pauldrons to full plate, but while mail has been available on printed toro, the company hasn’t figured out how to deliver the supple weave of a true chainmail experience. Hamilton Whitney solves the minifig chainmail problem by working with a really big head – one of the sorting bin variety! The effect is uncanny. This clever creation was built for the MOCtober challenge hosted by NOVA-LUG, an annual tradition asking builders to make a MOC a day based on a prompt. In this case – Armor! Hamilton excelled this year with some real lateral thinking around the prompts. Congratulations, Hamilton, on your 31 builds.