simonwillems

Eurobricks Counts
  • Content Count

    1177
  • Joined

  • Last visited

1 Follower

About simonwillems

  • Rank
    Technic Campaigner
  • Birthday 02/16/1985

Spam Prevention

  • What is favorite LEGO theme? (we need this info to prevent spam)
    pirates

Contact Methods

  • Website URL
    http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?m=SimonWillems
  • ICQ
    0

Profile Information

  • Location
    Amsterdam
  • Interests
    Pirates, town, adventurers and sometimes a little technic

Extra

  • Country
    The Netherlands

Recent Profile Visitors

1932 profile views
  1. simonwillems

    LEGO Stores in Italy

    I just returned from Rome, Lego is pretty hard to find and also expensive The little Big Town was a great let down, I searched the entire store (who advertises to sell Lego) twice, but I found a total of one single set, the Modular Town Hall. A bit overpriced. A better option is the Via del Tritone 116 (subway stop Barberini). A decent toystore whith a good selection of sets. They had the modulars, the Maersk train (at retail price, rare these days) and a selection of shop at home polybags and exclusives. They had the Green Grocer as well, pricetag: 1000 euros...
  2. simonwillems

    Amsterdam Hotel

    Beautifully done, I pass the real Amstelhotel a few times a week and your Lego version is instantly recognizable!
  3. simonwillems

    Help identifying the set this belongs to

    ...which means that you are the proud owner of this cute little set: http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=3634-1
  4. simonwillems

    What % of your Lego Collection is Star Wars?

    Hmm, I am at just 5,63% and I own 37 Star Wars sets, most of them from 1999. I stopped collecting them at the end of 2002. Somebody with advanced mathematical skills will now be able to calculate the exact amount of sets I have in total: I challenge you!
  5. simonwillems

    12v 'interference-free' / 'isolated' conducting pieces

    Sorry to bump an older topic, but I have recently bought one of the interference free track pieces for which this topic was created. The piece really works! I keep my 12v layout in a small room that also contains a radio. My radio still uses an aerial to receive the signal. I keep buying more and more track to extend my layout and when I got to a certain layout size (the one from the 7777 book with the bridge) I noticed my radio signal got disrupted, especially when I ran my three trains simultaneously on the same track. After fitting the interference rail near the radio the disruption was greatly reduced. There's still a slight crackling noise, but at least I'll be able to hear the music again... So when I get a hold of some money again I'm off buying more trains to run interference free (competing with Marktplaats bids against -Sok once more... )
  6. simonwillems

    Reference for US/EU boxes in classic town sets?

    Interestting thread! I found a picture of a European 6444 box. I own the set myself and it also came in this European box, with European leaflets. This picture is not mine, but taken from Brickshelf.
  7. Since I tried making my own smoothly working powerfunctions/modelteam truck my admiration for your work has only increased. Despite of a life long experience with technic and motors I failed to make mine work properly. Too heavy, too slow... And that was just a truck with no trailer. You current truck is incredible: to fit so many cars on such a relatively cramped space and still looking realistic and being able to drive the whole thing using motors is a work of art. The NXT motor seems more powerful than the Large Powerfunctions motor, since with the L-motor it won't be possible to push those two other car transporters out of the way with the heavy truck-trailer combination. How do you control it? Can it be connected to the powerfunctions receiver? Keep these trucks coming!
  8. simonwillems

    The Mysterious Blue Bicycle

    I bought a blue bicycle for about 65 dollars a few years ago. It's standing outside of my house right now and I ride it everyday...
  9. simonwillems

    12v 'interference-free' / 'isolated' conducting pieces

    I wouldn't recommend that. I once connected the 13v outlet of the 12v transformer (the outlet that normally has a small strip over it to prevent you from accidentally plugging in the cables) to the track. The train motor produced a small cough and suddenly the holes in the motor where the connectorbolts are were 2 mm. wider in diameter... Not a good idea.
  10. simonwillems

    Brickshelf up, down..who knows!

    Well, we can guess why can't we? The guy maintaining it is probably on holiday, he deserves a break from moderating...
  11. simonwillems

    Eurobricks and McDonalds Wi-Fi

    Well, there you have it: yet another reason to avoid McDonalds, next to the already familiar ones like unhealthy food and noisy children...
  12. simonwillems

    Lego stores in the Netherlands?

    I often go to the little Legoshop in Alkmaar (called Perron 4), it's an official Lego dealer but the exclusives sold there are bought via Shop at Home by the owner. So the exclusives are there but are always some 10-15 euros more expensive than online. Happy shopping!
  13. simonwillems

    New Legostore in the Netherlands!

    Thank you! I am not sure what you mean by 'ending the routes'? Maybe Built roads that are not leading out of the city? I always like to give the impression of a much bigger city of which I constructed only a small part, so that's why all roads are just passing through instead of staying within the city limits. Thanks! I have really fallen in love (if one could say that about Lego ) with the 12v system, it all works so smooth even after being made 30 years ago and bought second hand! Streetlights add a lot to your city and are great fun to install. Making them 12v volt Lego-ones like I did is quite expensive though, I paid about 7-10 euros a light, and I have 15 streetlights...
  14. simonwillems

    New Legostore in the Netherlands!

    Thanks everyone for the nice comments! They mean a lot! Thanks! I had a big bin of bright red lying around and it was the only amount available at the time of construction that I had in the right quantity, so that's why it's red... A more darker tone would be nicer, giving that the original Dearborn Station also is more dark, I am waiting for the newer colors to become cheaper on Bricklink.... Thank you! I was amazed by the color of the 12v red light and it crossed my mind to build exactly the scene Amsterdam is famous for around the world. Moreover I had just acquired three torso's of the figurehead of the latest Pirate ship 6243, and they are perfect for 'the job' Haha, I fooled you there! Just as intended Yes, it actually is. This 12v light piece was sold by Lego between 1980 and 1991. It is a light the size of a 2x2 brick which connects to a powersource using little plugs that fit into the backside. It shines it's light to the front and downwards, which makes it perfect for streetlights. Set 7867 contains the streetlights and I managed to pick up a few of those in the past months. To accomodate the wiring half the city is raised by one brick, visible here on the bottom left hand side of the picture: The wiring is connected to a 12v and a 9v train speedregulator, in series of three or four lights. I am quite a nostalgica lover myself, I have been collecting the little cars and bikes for over 20 years now, and I still enjoy putting them together every once in a while. Thanks! I actually have seen a few Legostores made out of Lego (on the forum as well, but I can't remember by who) and when I bought a large quantity of the big transparent panels I wanted to give it a try myself. It was weird though, I have made lots of things out of Lego, but this was the first time I used Lego to construct...Lego!
  15. simonwillems

    New Legostore in the Netherlands!

    Hello my fellow Eurobrickers, Long time no post from me, but I hereby present my city. I have been very busy the past year, but found some time during weekends to work on my city and to collect a vast 12v collection of trains, tracks and most of all: lights. The result is a city layout that is lighted up using a total of 15 12v original lampposts, working railroadcrossing using three red 12v lights, an original Amsterdam house with the remaining 12v red light used as part of a tiny red light district , 13 9v lights in some houses and the fibre optics system on top of my diner. Next to that, of course, some working train signals and four electric points. A lot of numbers, but let's start the tour: Overview of the city. It is build in a rather small room (my collection has been outgrowing my room for years now) so this is about the best overview I could manage. When building the station I was inspired by a discontinued station in one of my favourite American cities: Dearborn Station in Chicago. My station has two platforms, connected through a bridge and four 12v lights. The trains stop here automatically whenever the signals are red. The Legostore. No town can do without (unfortunately the city of Amsterdam has not yet reached that conclusion ). The store has Pick a Brick walls, shelves with sets, a life size Spartan statue, some built models, some wiring running straight across and lots more. All managed by a $50 minifig and lit up by a total of seven 9v lights. The roadside, seen from across the tracks, showing the Legostore, the modified 10184 theatre, the Cafe Corner and two other buildings. Notice the streetlights (I am very proud of them, you might have guessed by now ), the security cameras on the platform and the trees lining the street. Standing on top of a chair I took this top-down picture from the entire layout, showing in the top right hand side a grey building with a tower, my cycle shop. Close up of the cycle shop along with some wiring. We are supposed to be a mature website, so here is the tiny red light district in my Amsterdam styled house.... When evening falls the girls open their curtains and start waving at passers by. A red light is hidden inside to provide the right ambience. The 50's style diner in the park, lit up using the fibre optic system. Forgot to take a picture of it working though, but it does! The 12v control panel with my three 12v trains lined up in the back. Nightfall The trainstation at night seen from the tracks. The signalhouse in the distance is lit up with 9v lights. Standing in front of the Legostore, looking west towards Green Grocer. I think I like this nighttime picture the most of all: standing in the park and lit from the underside up, stands a building some might recognize as the Metro train station from the early nineties. View from the platform. The view from the theatre's second floor is great. Some security cameras are blocking the advertisements, but we all know what is showing at 7pm, don't we? Waiting in line for the closed railwaycrossing in the center of town, looking towards Cafe Corner. I needed three sockets for all the lights and trains, two of them are unfortunately very visible here... From a minifig's point of view the transportation of a camel in an open crate might seem strange. The passers by are not very focused, that's because they did not care to stop for the photographer but decided to hurry along Looking westwards from the busstop, having just missed the only available bus. Trainsignal number two is green so that means the train is gone as well. Maybe a stroll in the park is worth the while? The view from the train, having just left the station. Don't you just love slow cameras? This photo was taken with the train in motion, rolling towards the camera. The signalman is keeping a close watch overhead. And that concludes our tour! Very picture heavy, I know, for even more pictures, see my Brickshelf Gallery Question and comments are very welcome!