Tag Archives: Locomotive

Train Engine Shed? Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time

If this handsome structure from builder legolux1973 looks familiar, you might recognize it from its young, wild, LEGO World City days as 10027 Train Engine Shed. Since then, though, it’s moved to the country and developed a quiet, studied sophistication clad in dark red. Only one engine bay is needed these days, but it’s grown to make space for modern locomotives and there’s a small office smartly tucked to the side. The black half-circle arched windows top off the banks of windows, and note the small 1x2x2 window with grille tucked in sideways above the bay doors. The scene is finished with lots of little details, including some fuel containers (Octan, of course!), a pallet jack with a pallet and boxes, a little portable tool cabinet, and lots of tasteful landscaping. We’ll raise a grease can to you, Train Engine Shed!

Legolux1973 LEGO Engine Shed 01

All aboard! Take a trip on this cool train

Trains are always cool, but I feel like LEGO trains are even better! Builder Justus M. presents to us this green train, inspired by the set 79111 Constitution Train Chase. Personally, I much prefer this train to the one in the set. The color blocking is better and I really like the less blocky lines to the whole thing. I also enjoy the addition of the extra little light on the front of the train. This is a build that I’d love to see added to with train cars and more tracks! Part of the fun of seeing builds taken on from LEGO sets is that they often bring out an inner beauty that just needs a little love to shine. This is a prime example of that.

Western Train

Ashes to ashes, rust to rust

In 2013, Sérgio Batista built a model of a Portugese steam train for the annual Octrainber contest. Now he’s back with a warning of what can happen if you leave your LEGO locos out for too long! The same model of engine has been consigned to a siding, and nature has done its thing. The rusty metal is accomplished to great effect with a smattering of browns, greys and dark oranges. The plants, on the other hand, bring a nice touch of colour to offset the earthy tones. There’s something quite wistful about an abandoned steam engine, isn’t there?

Nature Will Find The Way

If you prefer your trains a bit more brand-spanking-new, take a ride to our train archives!

When prior “train”-ing pays off

I (and TBB) admittedly missed the first version of this gorgeous LEGO loco by Mateusz Waldowski when it was posted last year. But the newest iteration, sporting a vivid, green-striped color scheme, is definitely the one I choo-choo-choose! In the limited palette of dark green, Mateusz creates some superb angles, sculpting the front of the train perfectly, and showing extensive knowledge of geometry. The black underside definitely feels mechanical, but also clean and orderly, as if designed by an engineer’s engineer. And I absolutely love the seamless inclusion of this 1×2 slope with grill along the sides of the train. From personal experience, it’s not easy to get a slope like that to sit flush with a wall, but the builder shows he’s on the right track with this one!

SU45-079

And in case you wanted to see the old color scheme from last October, featuring sand green, and yellow coloration and a different bogie design, here you go.

SU45-079

That blue choo-choo voodoo

I’m sure by now, Caleb Schilling is sick and tired of the azure saddle LEGO part he’s been working with throughout this round of Iron Builder. But, build by build, the LEGO Master continues to find new uses for the clunky piece. This adorable locomotive is no exception, utilizing 31 of the saddles. While they’re primarily used to make up the sides of the engine and attached cars, each one features a new configuration, showcasing each of the part’s sides. The pairing of the dark azure saddles with dark blue and black makes for an excellent color combo, and contrasts the blurry green background of the countryside whizzing by.

The Sapphire Express

Tiny steam engine bursting with charm

Using a certain seed part as a focal point for a build can be challenging but in a good way. Constraints can fuel creativity… like in this clever little train by Thomas Gion that uses a particular Technic connector for the center of the steam engine. And while this is a great part usage, my eye was drawn to the genius use of sideways tiles inserted into the base to form the rails and slats for the train tracks. The simple stone arch and landscape round out this small but mighty model.

Steam Engine

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.

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

Click to read more

LEGO 10277 Crocodile Locomotive designer takes us for a ride [News]

LEGO Designer Pierre Normandin is no stranger to trains–he grew up loving them and has designed many of the LEGO City trains available the past few years. He recently shifted within LEGO to the Creator Expert team and had the chance to flex some building muscles by designing the recent Fiat 500 and now an even more detailed train! In this designer video, Pierre talks about his love of trains, why the Crocodile Locomotive is so iconic, and how the set started off larger and eventually grew to be 7 studs wide to include more detail.

10277 Crocodile Locomotive set comes with 1,271 pieces used to create the brown electric locomotive, a buildable display base, an informational placard, and two conductor minifigures. It is now available from LEGO for US $99.99 | CAN $149.99 | UK £89.99. Make sure to read our interview with LEGO Design Lead Jamie Berard about the creation of this LEGO train and the design effort that went into it.

Click to watch the LEGO Crocodile Locomotive designer video

LEGO 10277 Crocodile Locomotive now available for purchase [News]

The newest LEGO train set 10277 Crocodile Locomotive is now available online for US $99.99 | CAN $149.99 | UK £89.99. The train comes with 1,271 pieces used to create the locomotive, display base, and two conductor minifigures. To motorize the Crocodile, you will need to purchase two additional Powered Up Components, 88009 Powered Up Hub and 88013 Technic Large Motor.

Make sure to check out our interview with Jamie Berard, LEGO Senior Design Manager for Creator Expert and Architecture, who gave us a first look at the set and answered some of our questions about the new locomotive. In addition, we’ve included the official product photos beneath the jump.

Continue reading

This crocodile corners like it’s on rails

Although I admit to watching “Japan Rail Journal” on NHK World (doesn’t everyone want to learn about the last sleeper car rolling stock on the Sunrise Izumo line?), I’m not really much of a train aficionado, except as a convenient mode of transport that the United States lags far behind the rest of the world in. So, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you what a crocodile locomotive was until LEGO recently announced the upcoming set 10277 Crocodile Locomotive. This newfound knowledge allows me to appreciate the hilarity this crocodile-themed crocodile locomotive driven by a crocodilian engineer, built by Stuart Crawshaw. Stuart’s locomotive features teeth on its forward and rear sections, while the train as a whole sports reptilian livery in shades of green. The presentation is completed by the locomotive displayed on a rail line through a swamp.

Crocodile locomotive