20 replies to this topic

[TheBrickster]

Jesse and his girlfriend Mary decided to sneak aboard the Ghost Train back at the Abandoned Station.  Despite Jesse's reluctance, Mary insisted that "there's no such thing as a haunted train".  Little did they know that they were about to embark upon a ride that would test their sanity.  Just as the train switched track back at Crawford's Junction, the old Pullman coach got unhitched.  As the 4-4-0 Steam Engine turned toward the Shadow Mountains, the passenger coach continued to roll toward the Valley of the Dead, a dreadfull place where few have returned.  "We're out of control", Mary yells with fright!   "Never mind that Mary", Jesse responds, "there's a ghost standing outside the car, and he's got a yellow hand! ".  "HEEEEELLLLLPPPPP"! they both scream!



EDIT:

[hollisbrick]

Yet another beautiful Gravestone Moc I love how you add little stories with your Mocs. Adds the spooky feeling to it great job!

[TheBrickster]

Thanks HB.  Here's another image of the train rolling down the track:

[Shadows]

Just great, as always. I'd buy this whole subtheme in a heartbeat.

Now, my one gripe... I hated it in castle, and I hate it here... ghosts don't have yellow hands! It always makes me think that it's some guy in a sheet playing ghost. Aaaah, that drives me mad! That's actually why they screamed. It wasn't the ghost, it was the ghost with yellow hands...

Otherwise, I love it!

It's sad, really. If LEGO wanted to, they could make a few very minor tweaks to the LDD inventory and it would be possible to produce these sets. They always seemed to want to have train parts in it anyway, and the other additions wouldn't be nearly as demanding as those new space sets. I sincerely think these would sell (though I hate the overinflated price of the LDD sets).

[Batbrick]

Fantastic job here TheBrickster, you really are a great builder! I love this whole carriage, it really evokes a whole eery Grave Stone mood, and the addition of a ghost is well appreciated too! I love the chest beneath the carriage, and good work on the two "stations" at each end, I like the colour usage. Brilliant work overall, can we please have a picture of it connected to the main train?

One thing that is far scarier than any ghost though, where did Jesse's hat magically come from? And where did the skeleton disappear to in the second picture?  

As imperialshadows stated, I would buy this theme in a seond if TLC ever released it.

Batbrick Away!  

[I Scream Clone]

You've done it again! Just great. I like the use of the sand green bricks ( im guessing Slave I for parts) EDIT: I guessed wrong it only has tiles in sand green. They give it a washed out look.
I like the layout of the roof and the supports too.

I can see what look you are going for with the chests under the train, it just doesn't quite fit the colour scheme. Maybe a 2x4 brick with the black modified tiles on it ( like above and to the right)

Edited by I Scream Clone, 19 May 2008 - 09:18 AM.

[WhiteFang]

Your story is well-told.   I like the whole carriage design, I wonder how many of these do you have? The whole carriage matches very well. Maybe, if possible, can you provide us a pic of the whole combined train set   It looks real amazing from what I see.

[Lt. Col. Thok]

Fantastic!

[Asuka]

A very fine coach and a neat story indeed. Perhaps the roof of your Pullman may look just a tad too modern with these
trans clear 1x2 bricks.... I´m for sure not knowing much about the Pullman cars of that time, but to me it looks like
they covered these roof windows with some kind of sun blind even in daytime configuration....

[Cardinal Brick]

Beautiful, simply beautiful. You've made an excellent caridge and very realistic I also like the colour choice of sand green.

[Flatfoot Thompsen]

Very nice! And I think I shoulld have some credit for the idea.

[TheBrickster]

Thanks for the great feedback everyone!

imperialshadows, on May 18 2008, 11:40 PM, said:

Now, my one gripe... I hated it in castle, and I hate it here... ghosts don't have yellow hands! It always makes me think that it's some guy in a sheet playing ghost. Aaaah, that drives me mad! That's actually why they screamed. It wasn't the ghost, it was the ghost with yellow hands...

I think that is the look Lego was trying to make - I don't mind it at all.  It adds a fun playful element to the character.

Batbrick, on May 19 2008, 12:30 AM, said:

Fantastic job here TheBrickster, you really are a great builder!

Thanks, but I consider myself a pretty "basic builder".  There are so many better builders than me on EB and within the Lego community.  My stuff rarely even gets "blogged".

Batbrick, on May 19 2008, 12:30 AM, said:

can we please have a picture of it connected to the main train?

Coming at the end of the post.

Batbrick, on May 19 2008, 12:30 AM, said:

One thing that is far scarier than any ghost though, where did Jesse's hat magically come from? And where did the skeleton disappear to in the second picture?  

     "Bones" jumped off the train in the 1st scene.  Consider the hat a blooper.  Actually, I made a few "tweaks" to the train for the 2nd image.  The hat is one of just a few.

I Scream Clone, on May 19 2008, 12:45 AM, said:

I can see what look you are going for with the chests under the train, it just doesn't quite fit the colour scheme. Maybe a 2x4 brick with the black modified tiles on it ( like above and to the right)

I like the chest as a luggage holder.  It looks kinda neat when it's open.  Perhaps I'll shoot an image of it open.
The green bricks come from Legoland Cal.  They were too "spooky" to pass up.  I had initially planned to use the for a haunted house.  My Shadow Inn Hotel used the light green to.

WhiteFang, on May 19 2008, 01:29 AM, said:

Maybe, if possible, can you provide us a pic of the whole combined train set   It looks real amazing from what I see.

See the end of the post - for you and Batbrick.

Asuka, on May 19 2008, 11:14 AM, said:

A very fine coach and a neat story indeed. Perhaps the roof of your Pullman may look just a tad too modern with these
trans clear 1x2 bricks.... I´m for sure not knowing much about the Pullman cars of that time, but to me it looks like
they covered these roof windows with some kind of sun blind even in daytime configuration....

Thanks for that feedback Asuka, and thanks for sharing that great image.  There's something I don't like, I just can't put my finger on it.  Perhaps it's the height of the bricks.  I had thought of using trans. green or making only two plates high, like the Green Passenger Car.  I just wasn't sure.  \

I had also originally had the smooth rounded bricks making up the entire roof.  I took them off and replaced them with the more classic 3x4 roof pieces.  I think they looked better - giving the appearance of an older train.

Now, for the entire Ghost Train (unless I add another car or two):



This image isn't exactly want I wanted, but i went ahead and used it for editing.  I may retake and possibly include the station.

[WhiteFang]

TheBrickster, on May 20 2008, 12:19 PM, said:

See the end of the post - for you and Batbrick.

Brickster, I am very very impressed by this Gravestone Theme. You have simply changed my views towards Wild West. Never knew, that this theme can provide such amazing ideas too. The whole thing is simply amazing. Thanks for sharing these with us.  

[Klaus-Dieter]

That's again an amazing Wild West and Train MOC, TheBrickster!

I really      it because it looks amazing with the excellent minifigs (The only thing I don't like that much is that the ghost has yellow hands - did he eat some cheese before entering the train coach ?!) and an excellent design and the new green color is a nice idea, too. It goes perfectly with your awesome Ghost train!

Supposably I annoy you   but: Will you show us its interior when you have got time ?


Klaus-Dieter

[TheBrickster]

WhiteFang, on May 19 2008, 09:25 PM, said:

I am very very impressed by this Gravestone Theme. You have simply changed my views towards Wild West. Never knew, that this theme can provide such amazing ideas too. The whole thing is simply amazing. Thanks for sharing these with us.

That's terrific news to hear!  Wild West is a superb theme that offers so many different sub-themes.  I'm pleased that I was able to change your view of the WW theme.  As I get to know the different EB members a little better, I'm also appreciating themes that I would never have been interested in (like Post-Apoc, Steampunk, and Fabuland (to name a few)).

Klaus-Dieter, on May 20 2008, 04:24 AM, said:

The only thing I don't like that much is that the ghost has yellow hands

There they go again with the bit about the yellow hands.  It's the official lego ghost.  I wanted to keep him original, sheet and all.

Klaus-Dieter, on May 20 2008, 04:24 AM, said:

Will you show us its interior when you have got time

Do you mean the passenger car or my Abandoned Station?

[Dovchenko]

These are great! I love the haunted look of this train car, as the same with the whole train! Ever think of using some of the new skellie skulls for added effect in some places? How would the white one look on the ghost, or a new skellie head to make another ghoulish creature? But then again, the use of older skellie heads seems to almost be a trademark in your designs.

[TheBrickster]

sdpirate, on May 20 2008, 07:36 PM, said:

These are great! I love the haunted look of this train car, as the same with the whole train! Ever think of using some of the new skellie skulls for added effect in some places? How would the white one look on the ghost, or a new skellie head to make another ghoulish creature? But then again, the use of older skellie heads seems to almost be a trademark in your designs.

Thanks or your comments SDP.  The conductor has the new skelly face, unless you mean the castle skeletons with red eyes.  I have used these for other Ghost Town mocs including the Nightmare Stage Coach and the Sinister Stable.

I love the new skeletons and would have includes a few in this MOC, but I've got all the new Castle sets boxed up in the garage at the moment.  I didn't feel like digging them out just for a few skellies.  Good idea though.

[Batbrick]

Simply fantastic, thanks for the pic of the whole train TheBrickster (I considered calling you TB for short, but I'm not sure...), I love the haunted look it evokes, and the carriage, despite my earlier thoughts, fits right in. As for you not being a good builder, hogwash! You are a great builder, sure there are many out there with better techniques and such, but I have yet to see many builders craft a world as imaginatively and clever with such a great concept like Grave Stone as you have. There's also that Mocing Expert tag to consider!  

Batbrick Away!  

[BlueBard]

Funny!  

And very well constructed too, specially in the choice of the colours scheme  

[Klaus-Dieter]

TheBrickster, on May 21 2008, 04:12 AM, said:

There they go again with the bit about the yellow hands.  It's the official lego ghost.  I wanted to keep him original, sheet and all.


Do you mean the passenger car or my Abandoned Station?

1.
I unfortunately must disagree: The ghost with the "cheese" hands ( ) was - to the best of my knowledge - until now only released in the "Classic" Castle set (which was   and everything other than the amazing original classic castle). Look only at the pics of the great "old" Castle sets around 1990: All ghosts have white hands.
And in my opinion yellow hands for a ghost are really   and .
But I know of course that you didn't choose the yellow hand because you prefer them but because you only had this ghost with the white hands, didn't you?

2.
I originally meant only the awesome passenger car - but of course I can't wait to see the interior of your great Abandonned Station, too!


Klaus-Dieter

Edited by Klaus-Dieter, 23 May 2008 - 08:06 AM.

[TheBrickster]

I redid the image of the Passenger Coach.  Here's the new picture, which I think looks a little better: