German builder Bambi has many excellent creations in his Brickshelf gallery. His latest is a delightful seven stud wide steam locomotive from the Deutschen Bundesbahn: a BR64. The model has many painstaking details and I particularly like the comparison shot with a blueprint. He also includes images of the wheelset is useful as it is a hard part to get working in LEGO steam trains.
PS. Please excuse my bad pun in the title.
This should come as no surprise to anybody paying attention to all the magnet-related toy safety issues in the news over the last couple of years. Let me stress that LEGO has never, to my knowledge, recalled any of its toys that include magnets due to safety concerns. This appears to be a proactive change that anticipates future legislation in one or more of LEGO’s markets.
Here’s the word from Billund:
Hi all,
Due to a safety accident with another toy producers product, the LEGO Group is expecting a ban of small parts that contain magnets in the USA and the EU from 2009. As a consequence the LEGO Group has decided to stop selling products which contain magnets in small parts to obey already now the new rules and make no compromise with product safety.
This affects mainly 2 products – the LEGO fridge magnets and the LEGO train magnet couplings.
The train magnets will be re-designed as you can see on the pictures and we expect the new magnets in the boxes from August. LEGO Train sets packaged before August will still contain the existing magnets. The new LEGO train magnet element will be visually different from the existing train magnet element but due to that the magnet can rotate in the plastic cover and the clutch power will be as strong as at the old element the function will be identical and fully compatible with the existing train magnet elements.
The LEGO fridge magnets will also be re-designed and the new version is expected to be available for sale end of 2008.
Jan Beyer, LEGO Community Development
Discuss!
German builder Michael (Monteur) presents an amazing coalbase for refuelling his equally amazing steam trains. The coal is a simple yet effective technique and the model uses all sorts of cleverness to pack in the details. The selective use of studs is particularly refreshing.
Okay, I know trains are Tim’s domain, but I just like the fact that Peter “swoofty” Norman” (Brickshelf) went out and took pictures of his LEGO locomotives in front of the real things.
NRE 3GS-21B in Union Pacific livery:
EMD F59PH in Metrolink livery:
Brickshelf user TN-FACTORY presents this unfinished train which seems to be a model of a Nagoya liveried 7000 Series locomotive. As a general rule I like to wait for things to be finished but in this case the sculpting and angling is so superb I had to break that rule.
Every train layout needs signs, and stylish signs are even better than boring signs.
There ain’t nothing better to follow than this stylish pointy thing!
Update (April 2): April Fools!
Dear readers. Today I’m allowing myself a little indulgence in nostalgia. I hope it might prove interesting to some of you.
Two and a half years ago I made a model of a locomotive. A Queensland Rail Class 2800 to be precise. Yesterday I got the urge to redesign it from scratch and see what I could do. It’s interesting (to me anyway) seeing just how much I’ve improved in certain areas but also how many things remain almost unchanged. Maybe in another two and a half years I’ll have another shot at it.
Contrary to popular (or at least my) belief it would appear that greater LA does have a public transport system. Peter Norman (Swoofty) has recreated a Metrolink locomotive in his usual highly detailed style. The old-school ‘pony ear’ technique of tiles between studs makes for a really effective window and the snazzy use of textures on the door is just delightful.
Here’s the latest (and final) communication from LEGO about 9-volt trains, RC trains, and the future Power Functions trains:
Dear all,
As promised in the second communication from the 6th of December last year, we will give you the latest information and decisions regarding the development of the new train system based on LEGO Power Functions.
We are still working on the final details and doing a lot of testing of the new Power Functions elements; however, we are again able to give you some more details.
First – we will not change the gauge of the rails so there is no need to be afraid that the L gauge will disappear.
On the rechargeable battery box we have been working to get the best compromise between size and power. It has been decided that we will use a powerful Lithium Polymer battery and the size of the box will be 4 studs wide, 8 studs long and 4 studs high – this should fit in most of the trains.
The already existing standard LEGO transformer will be used to recharge and as the power supply.The existing Power Functions RC Receiver already has integrated speed control. To enable the use of this we will make a newly designed RC handset with speed control capability.
All the above new Train related Power Functions items as well as the current battery train motor (with cross axles and wheels) will be available separately through LEGO Shop@Home before the Summer of 2009.
As you know we arranged a train workshop in November 2007 where ten AFOLs from around the world: Denmark, USA, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and United Kingdom participated, built with the prototype elements and also looked into ideas and possibilities for new train designs using the Power Function elements. Based on the outcome of this workshop and all the other fantastic input we got from the AFOL community over the last 6 months, our designers worked on the first train set using the new Power Functions system. This set will be truly aimed at the AFOL community to acknowledge the importance of the adult LEGO hobbyists in the LEGO train world.
This communication will be the last one regarding the transition from the 9V train system into the new Power Functions train system. Due to all the very valuable AFOL feedback we are far down the road with the development of the new elements and also the new train set. We appreciate all your efforts through this transition which we expect to be fully executed in 2009.
Stay tuned for the new LEGO train system coming in 2009.
Tormod Askildsen, Head of LEGO Community Development
Master pirate fan Richie Dulin has decided to take a break from building sailing vessels to remix set 4837 into a minifig sized narrow gauge locomotive: the Port Brique Historic Railway Loco No 4. The detail he’s crammed into such a tiny model is impressive.
Moving microscale cable car! For some reason, teeny tiny towns entertain me greatly, and I’m in love with this one by Janey “Red Brick” Cook.
Link, via MicroBricks.
You’ve probably seen the paintings of surrealist artist René Magritte, even if you didn’t realize what you were puzzling over was by him. Uli Meyer has created a wonderful LEGO version of Magritte’s “Time Transfixed,” complete with a microscale train that’s great in its own right.
(Thanks for the tip, Tim David!)