Tag Archives: Train

LEGO trains have been for sale since the 1960s, and LEGO fans have been creating their own custom layouts with LEGO bricks ever since. Whether you enjoy 4.5-volt, 12-volt, 9-volt, RC, or Power Functions LEGO trains, and whether or not you have an opinion about 8-wide, 9-wide, or some other scale, you’ll find lots of gorgeous engines and rail cars right here on The Brothers Brick.

Thomas has just got new friends

Do you like trains? Sure, we all do. And Canadian steam engines? Well, those are just super-sweet. I mean check out these great digital builds of U-4-A “Northern Type” engines by Nemowerty. Sure, only five of these were ever built in real life, but that’s no reason to exclude them from having LEGO representation. I love the sleek styling of these 1:44/1:45 versions, and the in-progress view Nemowerty shared is a tempting jumping off point for folks to start building their own.

We’re trying to expand of coverage of great LEGO train builds. Know of a builder who should be on our radar? Let us know in the comments below!

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Yo dawg, I heard you like trains

Railways aren’t all built alike, and that’s what allows Pieter Post to create this awesome bit of recursion in a LEGO diorama. The green engine is a narrow-gauge steam engine, allowing it to be transported on a standard-gauge flatcar. The engine and flatcar both are magnificent, with lots of details that are so cleanly sculpted they blend in, even down to the wood-slatted structure on the back of the flat—a structure whose purpose escapes me. I also love that Pieter hasn’t simply shown the pair on a straight piece of track, but instead took the time to sculpt a small diorama. The uneven edges add a great deal of visual interest and give the scene a feeling of being part of something much larger.

Moon Train Station is in a theme of its own

The latest LEGO build by Ilya Zubashev appears to be a theme of its own. We get a train station which would qualify this build as a train-themed build. But then again there is a model of the moon on top of the train station. The ground is rocky, grey, and filled with craters, just like the moon. So this is either a train station to the moon or a train station on the moon. Which would qualify this as a space build. When we take a closer look at one of the figures, we find a dwarf. The architecture of the station looks Victorian or older and quite castle-like, which would make this a castle-themed build. Could it be steampunk?

I don’t know, but I do know that I really like it. One of the things that stand out the most to me is the use of the raised snake as an architectural detail near the door. The combination of the viking wheel and the Big Ben clock dish. And last but not least, the design of the lamp posts using the fishbowl helmet.

Thomas the Tank Engine cheerfully chugs along

The popular steam engine has been brought to life in this clever build. However, many find Thomas the Tank Engine creepy, possibly due to his strange humanoid face. I’m sure we can all still appreciate the interesting techniques employed by Vakaisme in this model. At the front, the bumpers are represented by cap pieces and moving to the face, sausage pieces portray Thomas’ eyebrows. Tires have been used as segments of the steam chimney. The “1” symbol is cleverly wedged into place through placing bricks sideways. The playful build is instantly recognisable with its bright colours and accurate portrayal.

Okay, now you can put up the tree

I’m a firm believer that the holiday season seems to creep into our lives sooner and sooner each year. Though many are delighted to lean into it, I reserve myself to celebrate Christmas only after Turkey day has passed. Now that it has, I think it’s fair to put up the tree. This year I might take after builder Peter Carmichael and go with a fancy, fake one. The secret to a good plastic tree is the texture of the bristly branches, which the builder has achieved with a ton of three-pronged stem pieces. Subtle but elegant decorations of gold keys and white garland with lights give character to the tree. Capping it off is a delightful, translucent blue snowflake.

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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.

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.

An American in Amsterdam

Don’t miss the train! This LEGO train creation by Ervvin makes me want to buy the next ticket available for a ride.

In post-World War II Europe, the United States committed billions of dollars to help people resume ordinary lives. Part of that went to rebuilding Europe’s largest transportation network, the railway. This engine here is an NS1200 series electric locomotive, with components built in the United States and shipped to the Netherlands to create the electric powerhouse that helped move the Netherlands on the path to reconstruction.

You have to love this design, no question about it. It’s very smooth yet leaves room for all the little details like vents and wires. The use of minifigure skis on top of the connecting vanes was incredibly insightful.

Next time you’re in the Netherlands, make sure to stop by the National Rail Museum in Utrecht to get a look at one of the last of these engines still in operation!

Take the Train to Cakeville

Is your 5-year-old into steam trains as much as he is into LEGO? Builder Alexander (aka narrow_gauge) combines both of these passions into his LEGO steam engine cake.

Though you can’t eat it, this creation makes me shiver with delight just looking at it. From the wood bottom border to the shrubbery and birdlife, everything is detailed inexactness. As far as technical work goes, Alexander doesn’t hide any of his capabilities as a LEGO railroad engineer. It’s great to see the train wheels actually on the track as it curves around the hillside. Very few builders take on an original railroad track design, and this one is flawless.

And look! There’s even a bridge! Builds like this keep kids into both trains and bricks their entire lives.

We’ve trained for this.

Recently, we’ve featured quite a few LEGO builds based on the 9V Train Track switch element. Those were some mighty fine builds. Some might even call them transformative. But Librarian-Bot has taken the idea of “Train Switches” in an unforeseen direction with Switchback. This sinister-looking Decepticon is ready to take you for the last ride you’ll ever go on. I particularly like the way the hands are constructed – they add a delicate, almost surgical feel to an otherwise bulky robot.

In train mode Switchback completely hides any robotic nature – and even works on standard LEGO track. It’s a sharp-looking engine build that makes good use of tile and curved slope elements to provide just the right level of real-world detail.

If you’re ready for even more Transformers goodness (and badness) be sure to check our archives!

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

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TBB cover photo for August 2020: A station worth visiting

This month’s cover photo, from Pieter Dennison, is a model of the Dunedin Railway Station in New Zealand. From the tower to the topiary garden, this scene captures all the nuance found in the Dunedin Railway Station, reportedly, one of New Zealand’s most photographed buildings. If you’d like to learn more about this build, read our previous coverage of this LEGO Dunedin Railway Station that Pieter spent five years building.

Submit your LEGO creations featured across TBB social media for a month! Check out the submission guidelines share your builds today.

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