Most fans build LEGO trains in a scale known as L-gauge, or roughly minifigure scale (somewhere around 1:40 scale). But that wasn’t big enough to capture all the details André Pinto wanted, so he designed this fiery orange engine in huge 1:15 scale, making it nearly two feet long.
Click to see more of this massive engine
Here’s a suitably imposing railway station, styled to fit with the LEGO modular buildings range. bricksandtiles has done an excellent job with this model, capturing a grand European feel with the broad steps and the impressively-ornate tan brickwork. The flowing curves and domes of the roof are particularly well done, capping off the impressive height of the building in style.
See more photos of this elegant architectural creation
The post-apocalyptic world of Robert Maier has not been kind to the world of trains. Scarce resources have given to overgrowth and decay, with the former railway line now serving as a trail for weary explorers. Maier’s traveler had best watch out for trouble because trails also provide opportunity for predatory thieves. The major post-apoc elements are here: drab & weathered-looking colors, pock-marked masonry, plant overgrowth reclaiming the land, and even a super-mean looking chainsaw-wielding thug with a mohawk. Approach with extreme caution!
The new City train sets have been revealed last week partially confirming the long-rumored updates of the Power Functions system. With only the pictures of the front of the boxes it was pretty hard to say whether the new system will support Bluetooth connection or not, but now, as pictures of the rear side have appeared online, the answer is “yes”; the new trains can be both controlled with a remote controller (included in each set) or with a smart phone.
Click here to read about the new Power Functions 2.0 system
There is so much about this little scene that stands out as awesome. Regularly featured here on TBB, excellent master builder Tim Schwalfenberg does it again with his River Crossing. He says, “You can’t really have a train without some sort of track to display it on,” so he built one. The textures and colours of the rocks and foliage are impeccable. The intricate detail that has gone into the iron framework of the span across the turbulent rapids is amazing, and the brilliant red engine leaps out from the subtle textures of the natural colours and contours on the cliff face.
Some people call them streetcars. Some people call them trams, and other people call them trolleys. Whatever you know them as, Nouvilas’ version of a Peter Witt is so nice it’s “off the tracks.” A Peter Witt is a type of tram car, named after the man who designed the first one back in 1914. Nouvilas built his streetcar for a collaborative diorama representing Harlem, New York, in the 1930s. I really like the way the cheese slopes flare out to create the curve of the “bumper,” and the chocolate brown and tan color scheme feels authentic for the period….almost makes me hungry for a Nestle bar!
Click to see the full Harlem layout
Alexis Dos Santos has been chugging along with some new train models, and this rustic scene consists of two separate structures. Alexis’ “Abandoned Hangar” on the left serves as a tribute to the history of trains, while the building on the right celebrates the history of LEGO trains. I really enjoy the way these two buildings play off of one another, with the darkness of the hangar giving way to the bright and colorful rail yard.
Continue reading about this model
At the LEGO Fall Preview 2018 event we got a chance to take a look at the new LEGO City trains that were revealed yesterday. The designers have chosen to stick with a familiar theme that includes another modern passenger train as well as an industrial type train. We’ve also got a first look at a few new track packs that will be coming earlier in the summer. Let’s take a look at what’s in store.
See our complete coverage of the upcoming LEGO Trains
LEGO City is growing especially rapidly this year, and while citizens enjoy hiking and rafting or busy making a doctor’s appointment, the new trains are arriving – 60197 Passenger Train and 60198 Freight Train. Both look very fresh and include some brand new Power functions elements, which we can’t wait to play with!
Click here to see both trains!
This classic diesel-electric locomotive dates to the 1940s, and generates a whopping 1,600 horsepower. The ALCO RS-2 seen here, #2099, was operated by the Sante Fe railway, and this model by Beat Felber is the spitting image on the real deal, right down the bold stripes, thanks to some careful decal application. It’s powered with Power Functions motors, and also has working headlights.
The engine is a switcher, meant for shuffling cars around rather than taking cargo on long hauls across the country, and the builder has paired it with some lovely cars to show it off.
Some might say that there are two kinds of LEGO creations: those that are pure imagination, and those that are modeled after something specific. You could argue that the former is harder because you have to come up with a design out of thin air. The latter at least has a sense of direction! On the other hand, if you’ve ever tried to recreate a non-LEGO subject in detailed LEGO form, you would know that it’s really difficult to get it to look just right. But one builder, wes_turngrate, has managed to pull this off in exceptional fashion! His LEGO version of a Great Western Railway 8750 Pannier Tank Engine is just about as close to the original as you can get!
![18. GWR 8750 with 'O' gauge 5700 for comparison [P1040378]](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/media.brothers-brick.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/26585916607_7be2733816_z.jpg)
Obviously a lot of love and attention to detail went into this train. You may notice there are a couple slight differences between the two pictured, but they’re actually that way for a reason. The O-gauge model train in the background is his late father’s original GWR 5700 Class engine. Apparently this LEGO version is modeled after a minor variant (8750). Even so, these are incredibly close and we’re very impressed either way! Wes, I’m sure this is one build your father would be proud of!
![16. GWR 8750 with printed parts [P1040391]](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/media.brothers-brick.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/40742571324_fa437f1550_z.jpg)
This railway contraption by Akiyuki seems to have a single objective: mesmerizing viewers with an incredible orchestration of moving trains while appearing to be doing something relatively productive.
Its only function is a closed looped system that transports LEGO balls. This type of machine is commonly known by LEGO fans as a Great Ball Contraption. Here, the machine consists of a circuit of tracks and seems to perform a crucial task, and that appearance is itself quite a major feat of design and ingenuity. For me, I’d prefer to call it out as an Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) machine—which is a fancy way of saying it gives me the shivers—and it makes me want to stare at it continuously.
Consisting of several modules and utilising four carriages to transport the balls from section to section, let’s take a look at the various modules that make this thingamajig tick.
Click to see the modules in detail