jd5775

This is turning out to be really good! I like following your progress as you build.

I like this passenger car, but I can't help feeling that it is too small to be used for anything other than a small steam train. I really wish Lego would release more modern passenger style cars, similar to the middle car in 4558 as a rolling stock set. I know they have released the club car, but a train made entirely of club cars would look out of place.

Fantastic job on the review! I really enjoyed reading it. As far as the set goes. I really didn't know too much about the set before this review, but the sheer vastness of the set impresses me. Also has some great unique pieces. Wild West was one of the last great subthemes Lego did IMO!

First off let me say that this is a great review! I really did enjoy this review. But I think the set is pretty poor. I really think 1996 was the start of the decline for Lego. Reasons why I am not a fan of this set: -It is a little too large for classic town scale and a little too small for modern scale. It just doesn't fit in either era. The 1996 indy cars are bigger than most trucks in classic town and nearing the size of some boats! They would fit better (size-wise) in the modern scale, but then they would stick out for being too blocky. -The six wide trailer makes a 4/5 wide cab look rather dwarfed IMO. 6348 suffers from this too. -The chrome smokestacks and slopes for gas tanks are <insert that tiresome argument> to an extent, and represents the beginning of the move to town jr. I guess in the end all these are rather trivial flaws, but for some reason I really don't like this set. Despite that I for some reason have two of them. 6331 was the best set to come out of 1996 IMO.

Thanks for the info. That means there are 4 different boxes for 6541 and probably a lot of other sets. Wow! Here's a picture of 4551 in a catalog. As I was looking through this catalog again, I noticed that some sets were advertised in their boxes. It seems that there are some town sets that lack themes and therefore (understandably) they do not have the triangle.

For the most part this is true, however there are some exceptions on the US version sets. Sets like rock island refuge (6273) and lagoon lockup (6267) did not show the pirates theme in the corner and both are from 1991, so I don't think that the corner theme started until 1992. Below is a European 6541 (yellow box) from 1991 and an American 6541 (blue box) from 1992. Intercoastal seaport was not available in the US until 1992. American boxes had a remark on the back that you could build all the sets shown. European boxes implied it. The bottom of the boxes are different. The piece count is usually here for American boxes but sometimes it is on the front. The top has a picture of the set on European boxes and the name of the set on US boxes. Here's a Legoland box, European and American. Both 1990. LEGOLAND printed on top. Accessory track is a whole different animal. It has the name on the top and bottom My question is about 4551. Is this set EU only? I got mine through S@H and it came in an EU box. I am desperately looking for a US version of this set.

Two copies each of pretty much every 9v set from 1991 to 1997, 1 opened and 1 misb. Also I have 4561, ttx railcar, and the hobby train. Don't have an misb 4532 though, and I hate the 4561.

How exactly do you determine whether it's a EU/US/Asian box anyway? I know that US and Canadian sets that were sold in stores needed to have a piece count and they usually had the name of the set on the top of the box as well as the theme in the upper right corner. But US S@H sets usually did not have a piece count, theme or name on them. So are those considered European boxes then?

Hi everybody I was looking through all the 2011 sets so far and found quite a few have an older counterpart. I used to think I would like the classic town sets regardless, but I think I like the 4642 better than the 4011 and the 7288 better than the 6348. Which set would you rather have in these comparisons? 3677 or 4563 4642 or 4011 3368 or 6339 4644 or 6543 4645 or 6541 7287 or 4021 7288 or 6348 7498 or 6398

Very nice and in depth review! One of the best I have seen. I don't particularly like the colors of these paradisa sets, especially how they don't match other town sets, but they always seemed to have a nice idea. Anyone notice how the kid has black shorts on the front of the box, but white shorts everywhere else?

Hi everybody! This is my review of Lego 4564 Freight Rail Runner, probably my favorite train that Lego has released. Basic info: Set name: Freight Rail Runner Set number: 4564 Year released: 1994 (Europe), 1995 (US) Number of pieces: 587 Theme: Train/9v Price: $134.00 Another dusty classic I recently relieved of storage in a rubbermaid container! Catalog: Here is the box I'm not sure why it has that warning symbol on it but I wouldn't dare try ripping it off. Here a comparison to another box without the sticker The front flap The back of the box What it looks like MI(S)B The instructions: And a few random pages The pieces: Interesting pieces: The build: These containers are able to be picked up by the tow truck and placed on the gray car. The doors fold down to load cargo. One has the train logo and the other the mail logo. This is the tow/crane truck, it uses a rather unique device to haul the cargo onto its bed. Very similar to that used in 6353. The chassis is built The hook equipment is partially set into place Instruction page detailing how the hook works. The finished hook on the truck, there is a constant tension from the rubber band pulling the hook down, with the string counteracting the force. Almost done The finished truck Loading demonstration Platform. This allows the truck to reach the gray car to deposit cargo. The yellow engine. This is probably my favorite part of the set, the engine just comes together very nicely. The beginning of the engine, train base + a few pieces The motors are built and put into place The doors covering the motors are applied Steps in the instruction showing completion of engine and start of wheels The finished engine. I apparently have the door stickers wrong. They are supposed to be on the lower part of the door, but I think they look better in the middle. The gray train base plate that fell victim to my dog many years ago The bases for all three rolling stock are built the same way, just the plate base is a different color. Near completion The finished gray wagon, it can rotate 90 degrees to pick up cargo The red hopper, my favorite of the cars. This is halfway through the build, after the dumping apparatus has been built. This page in the instructions details the design. The finished red hopper car Halfway through the build of the blue boxcar, after the dumping apparatus has been built. This page in the instructions details the design which is the same as that of the red hopper but it is smaller and white instead of gray. Near the end of the build The finished set Rating: Based on design, minifigs, playability, price, and parts. Design: 10/10 Compared to other train sets this has so much more function. The truck is the most playable truck of all train sets, and the hopper car and box car both have working dumpers. The gray car has a rotating cargo capability and the locomotive is just perfect imo. Minifigs: 5/10 3 is pretty pathetic for a set this size, 4563 suffers from this as well. Especially when 4558 is on the other end of the spectrum with 11! Playability: 10/10 Much more playability than other trains imo by itself Price: 8/10 Not the most expensive train, but by no means cheap Parts: 10/10 I really love the parts in this set many different color plates and bricks, string, rubber bands, train track, technic pieces for the working functions. Overall: 43/50, but I really don't consider the minifigs and price to be that much of a detraction. I think this set is near perfect! Thanks for reading!

CP5670, Was the front worse than this

Hi everyone this is a review of 6540 Pier Police. Basic info: Set name: Pier Police Set number: 6540 Year released: 1991 Number of pieces: 327 Theme: Town, Nautica Minifigs: 4 Price: $44.00 I hadn't touched this set for a few years until seeing it today and deciding it would make a good set to review. No stickers that cover more than one brick so I could easily take it apart! Box: Instructions: Catalog: On to the review! The pieces: A good mix of colors. Lots of black and white obviously but with a good mix of other colors especially the gray pier pieces. Notice in the upper right corner the police 1 x 6 bricks. The black brick with white police writing is a sticker, while the white brick with black police writing is printed. Interesting pieces: Most of these pieces aren't that interesting to fans of classic town but the motorcycle windshield and the police writing printed on ordinary parts are neat. Minifigs: 4 classic smileys. The build: -Motorcycle After the minifigs the first thing to build is the motorcycle. This is how the windshield attaches The finished motorcycle, very few pieces added. -Car Next up is the small car The chassis with a few parts The step before the windshields are added The finished car. -Speed Boat Now we begin building the speed boat Don't worry, the holes in the hull will get sealed up eventually. The finished speed boat -Patrol Boat The biggest vehicle, and my favorite, is the patrol boat. The start of the build Almost all the black is done, the string is attached which allows the boat to tow things. Everything but the windshields built now The finished patrol boat in all of its glory! The top raises up. -Pier Now starts the actual pier. The start The underside which keeps the base sturdy for building. Without this support the pier would be very unstable. Lovely waiting room for the soon to be inmates The second floor office is taking shape. The police officer gets a new computer on his desk and a nice inverted support next to his head. Right before the second floor windows The finished set! Playability: The whole nautica theme was desgined to be playable with each other. The knight and imperial officer are on the prowl for red motorcycles in their dark shark! They finally spot an unguarded ship carrying a red motorcycle. Held at bow point, the poor worker is forced to make the crane place the red motorcycle on the dark shark. Unfortunately for the pirates, the pier police is right next to them! The knight is completely outnumbered, he has no choice but to surrender. The worker has other plans for the imperial officer however. The entire package. Rating: Design: 7/10 I really like the design of the patrol boat, but I feel like everything else is kind of sloppy. Minifigs: 7/10 The minifigures in this set are nice but overall are in general pretty average for that time period. Playability: 9/10 Does not have that much playability as a set alone, but having a land and sea based police operation gives it lots of versatility. Price: 8/10 $44.00 for 327 pieces was actually a pretty good deal back then. Also includes the pier pieces which explains the price. Parts: 9/10 I really like the parts in this set. Lots of plates in different colors and bricks. Overall: 40/50 80%, it's a good set but has to live up to even better sets in the same series. Thanks for reading!

What do you mean by out of the box? I have an MISB(Well MIB since I broke one seal) 6398 that I just checked and the white parts all seem completely new and not yellowed. I can't exactly tell if the box is smoky though. Do you think that they are in any danger of yellowing while sealed in the polybags? I'll try to get some pictures to show you guys.

So almost all of my misb sets are from the 1990 to 1995 period. I have heard about "oxygen sensitive white bricks" and yellowing of sets that are still misb, so I am worried that I won't be able to keep them immune indefinitely. So far none of them have shown any signs of yellowing, even in the oldest ones, do you think that if they were going to yellow, they would have by now? I keep most of them in a dehumidified basement that gets a little sunlight (not directly) and the others in a closest that also gets very little sunlight. Is it possible to keep them new indefinitely or will they eventually yellow regardless?