Steam traction engines first appeared on farms in the 1850s, and they were massive vehicles used for everything from hauling implements to powering belt-driven equipment. Use of these vehicles declined with the rise of the internal combustion engine, but their legacy lives on in the form of modern farm tractors. Thanks to builders like Bricked1980, their legacy also lives on in LEGO form! Bricked1980 does a really good job of capturing the look and feel of the vehicle, along with providing a rendered background that feels like an agricultural field. The color scheme is pleasing to the eye, consisting of a black boiler, green body and brass accents. Bright red wheels add a splash excitement. It’s worth noting that Bricked1980’s model is a digital render and, as such, it features some parts in non-production colors. However, it presents a sharp looking image with an equally great looking model.
Tag Archives: Vehicles
Float away from Sam Sinister in this adventurously colorful hot air balloon.
From 1998 through 2003, the LEGO Group’s Adventurer’s theme offered kids an exciting play-theme that also introduced some great new colors and parts. Orient Expedition was the final subtheme in the series, and it gave us a yeti, elephants, and even an anthropomorphic tiger. German fan site Rogue Bricks recently ran a contest based on re-imagining the Orient Expedition subtheme, which resulted in this excellent collaboration between builders Markus Rollbühler and Grant Davis. Markus built the colorful hot air balloon, while Grant created the biplane piloted by none other than the villainous Sam Sinister!
Markus’ hot air balloon pays homage to set 7415, Aero Nomad, right down to its inclusion of Johnny Thunder and Dr. Kilroy. It is downright gorgeous to look at, and I especially love the way Markus used a mixture of curved slopes, dishes, tiles, and Technic parts to create the rounded shape of the balloon. The use of hot dog and turban pin elements for the balloon’s ornamentation is also particularly inspiring. To finish things off, the rendered background does a great job of bringing the entire scene to life!
Driving with Donald Duck in a fiery red roadster
Disney’s Donald Duck first graced the silver screen back in 1934, and he looks pretty good for being 84 years old! Donald’s claim to fame is his really short temper, but he is also known for cruising down the streets in his small curvy red car. Oliver Becker decided to build this car for his Donald minifigure, and the two look practically made for each other. In particular, Oliver’s model does a great job of capturing the exaggerated curves of the animated car.
He has also packed a lot of detail into such a small space, including flared headlights, interior upholstery, and even the iconic rear rumble seat (also known as a dickey). The white tires feel authentic to the source material, and they were only ever available in a single Spongebob Squarepants set from 2008.
Sand green tank conquers the sands
The release of the new 21042 LEGO Statue of Liberty set has seen a whole bunch of parts become available in Sand Green for the first time. Peter Reid takes advantage of the new range to put together this cool futuristic tank. The shaping is excellent, and the level of detail and texture crammed into such a small creation is impressive. The backdrop is simple, but provides a nice setting for the central model, and the addition of track marks in the sand behind the vehicle is a lovely touch.
You can read more about the creation of this model over at parts-focused blog New Elementary here.
TBB Cover Photo for July 2018: Adventurer’s Truck–“Snap!”
The Brothers Brick cover photo for July 2018 is this amazing Adventurer’s truck by Travis Brickle. Visiting our social media pages this month will take you on an adventure back to the 1990s, when Johnny Thunder and crew explored the remote reaches of the planet, pursued by dastardly Lord Sinister, who will stop at nothing to see the Adventurers fail. Will the brave explorers cross the rickety bridge before Lord Sinister can employ his most dangerous weapon: scissors?
Read more about Travis’ truck below
“Must go faster” in this classic Jurassic Park Jeep
When Jurassic Park roared its way into theaters back in 1993, its colorful cast of dinosaurs wowed audiences. Steven Spielberg’s hit film also featured some memorable vehicles, such as this gray and red Jeep Wrangler built by Miro Dudas. The Wrangler has been a fan favorite ever since it outran a T. rex 25 years ago, and Miro’s version spares no expense! His little Jeep is instantly recognizable, with the most noteworthy detail being the expertly done two-tone color scheme.
Miro has done a great job at capturing the slanted look of the red markings on the real-life vehicle. Now that I think about it, this little Jeep would make for a great companion with 75932 Velociraptor Chase. How else will Alan, Ellie, Lex, and Tim escape the dino-infested visitor center?
Wherever Tatra T-813 goes, it needs no roads
Tatra trucks, the legendary Czech heavy-duty vehicles, are extremely popular among LEGO builders of the most various genres. Because of the machines’ featureless exterior the goal of building a remarkable Tatra has shifted towards its inner mechanisms and chassis. Paweł Kmieć (aka Sariel) rolls out a fantastic 1:18 replica of Tatra T-813 8×8 Kolos stuffed with amazing engineering solutions.
Click here to learn more about the model’s chassis
Heartlake City Central Base Station
This Friends-themed Star Wars diorama by Tyler Sky is simply delightful! I can’t imagine these mini-dolls preparing for a battle, but it’s pretty much a winner in my books anyway. It’s got a great theme, and the Friends sparkle isn’t overwhelming–just enough of a touch of the familiar colour palette to give it the feeling of a semi-serious scene from Heart Lake City. The mini-dolls sporting Rebel helmets are a perfect fit as the brave pilots. A closer look shows the typical slot where the Astromechs are seated is now co-piloted by favourite furries, with a transparent dome for protection.
Theme aside, the construction of the Friendly Y-Wing is also quite well thought out. Clever uses of parts include a basketball net for the ion jet turbine exhausts and tread links to form the vectral rings at the very end of the engine pods.
Racing back to the 80s in style
Here’s a collection of beautiful Porsche 962 racing cars, built in LEGO bricks by PROTOTYP and decked out in the livery of 3 of the teams from the 1988 Fuji 1000km Endurance Race. Originally designed in 1984, the 962 was to become one of the most dominant racing cars in its class. In the Fuji race depicted with these models, the 962 took no less than 7 of the Top 10 places. The curved lines of these LEGO versions are excellent — wonderfully smooth and immediately recognisable. The different team liveries are nicely done too, with the colour blocking on the white model particularly good.
As if the smart shaping wasn’t enough, there’s a brick-built 2.8L engine lurking beneath the removable rear cowling…
Prepare to drop into a battle royale in a LEGO Fortnite Battle Bus
Where are we dropping, boys? Daniel Church shows his love for the wildly popular multiplayer Battle Royale mode in Fortnite with his LEGO rendition of the Battle Bus. The blue bus is well detailed, cleverly utilizing minifigure metal detectors as rearview mirrors and with overall shaping on point. Combined with a detailed hot air balloon rig and mount, his Battle Bus model looks straight out of the game.
Click to check out more pictures of the Fortnite Battle Bus
Twenty-first century Blacktron engineering
For many of us, the original Blacktron sets hold a nostalgic place in our hearts. However, when viewed with today’s building standards in mind, some might say they are lacking a certain modern touch. Andrea Lattanzio has built our black-suited friends a state-of- the-art armored personnel carrier that looks straight out of a 21st century Blacktron remake. The color scheme is spot on: black with yellow accents, and the use of uncommon old door pieces, among others, adds interesting details to the sides of the vehicle.
The builder has also made a cool video showcasing the features of the build, including a complete interior with seating for five troopers, opening hatches, and a removable turret.
Finally, the Bugatti Chiron we can afford
I’m a fan of brick engineer Gerald Cacas, especially when he uses his magic sci-fi shrink ray gun. This time the target of his genius skills is none other than the latest Technic Bugatti Chiron. Shrinking it down to a 7-stud configuration while keeping all the details intact is what we all need to complete as a companion to the Speed Champions series.
See all the working features of this tiny Bugatti