9 replies to this topic

[jonwil]

I have seen several people suggest that TLG should release some train rolling stock (e.g. freight cars) and other train items via LDD (in the same way as the Space Skulls or Star Justice were released).

What parts is PaB/LDD missing that would be required for the kinds of train rolling stock and other models that people want to see?

[rday1982]

jonwil, on 05 July 2010 - 01:25 PM, said:

I have seen several people suggest that TLG should release some train rolling stock (e.g. freight cars) and other train items via LDD (in the same way as the Space Skulls or Star Justice were released).

What parts is PaB/LDD missing that would be required for the kinds of train rolling stock and other models that people want to see?

Flanged and blind driving wheels. Train doors, windows and glass. The 4Juniors cab. Black half-axle-half-pin thingies. Y'know, the technic connectors that hold the train wheels to a technic brick. Those things. In black. The "notched" front from the Load N Haul locomotive. The weird round thingy on the front of the BNSF locomotive. More "cheese" colours. The roof piece from the Load N Haul locomotive. Red bricks with the handle thingy on them. Y'know, the 1x1 brick with the round bar attached to the side. II-I  < that sort of profile. Hmm. Describing LEGO bricks is kinda difficult.

LDD really needs these pieces. As well as a seperate DBM gallery for trains.

[Foti18]

rday1982, on 08 August 2010 - 01:46 AM, said:

Flanged and blind driving wheels. Train doors, windows and glass. The 4Juniors cab. Black half-axle-half-pin thingies. Y'know, the technic connectors that hold the train wheels to a technic brick. Those things. In black. The "notched" front from the Load N Haul locomotive. The weird round thingy on the front of the BNSF locomotive. More "cheese" colours. The roof piece from the Load N Haul locomotive. Red bricks with the handle thingy on them. Y'know, the 1x1 brick with the round bar attached to the side. II-I  < that sort of profile. Hmm. Describing LEGO bricks is kinda difficult.

LDD really needs these pieces. As well as a seperate DBM gallery for trains.

Train tracks

[andythenorth]

Foti18, on 08 August 2010 - 11:14 AM, said:

Train tracks

Straight track.

Here's the situation right now:
- Lego sell straight track only with curves.  It's an expensive way to end up with more curves than is fun.
- Straight pieces are *really* expensive in the secondary market (eBay / Bricklink).  

I could buy boxes of track and sell the curves, but they're so cheap in the secondary market that it's not worth the trouble.

Result?  I don't buy any track at all.  No sale for Lego :)

[rday1982]

LEGO seem to have a huge potential market in the form of AFOL train builders, and seem determined to screw the pooch as much as possible by not catering to us. If they had a selection of train parts (maybe even preselected "train packs" of assorted useful parts) available at a reasonable cost, they'd have a massive rolling revenue stream of people going out ond buying them once a month when they got paid.

Even just selling individual train bearing units at £3 each could prove profitable - especially if there was a minimum of packaging involved.

[peterab]

rday1982, on 08 August 2010 - 05:44 PM, said:

LEGO seem to have a huge potential market in the form of AFOL train builders, and seem determined to screw the pooch as much as possible by not catering to us.

I have just finished reading 'Lego A Lovs Story'. The Author quotes some figures which given he did extensive interviews in the US and Bilund probably have a pretty good basis.. There are about 20,000 AFOLs in about 100 LUGS around the world. Many/most of those don't build trains. Compared to the normal market of kids, the AFOL train market is insignificant, and probably a pain to even bother with at all.

[legoboy3998]

About the only thing PAB is missing is the decorative side piece for the train motors.  Itd be nice if they sold straight tracks separately and the new train motor but that does not need to be in PAB.

Sal
WFB, WI

[fred67]

peterab, on 09 August 2010 - 08:51 AM, said:

I have just finished reading 'Lego A Lovs Story'. The Author quotes some figures which given he did extensive interviews in the US and Bilund probably have a pretty good basis.. There are about 20,000 AFOLs in about 100 LUGS around the world. Many/most of those don't build trains. Compared to the normal market of kids, the AFOL train market is insignificant, and probably a pain to even bother with at all.

I just wrote a (too big) post in another thread (2011 ideas) about this.  The thing is, they don't just market trains to AFOLs, so the market is bigger than that subset of 20k AFOLs, but they don't market the trains well at all.  I can't be the only one that discovered LEGO trains while having a more conventional (N-Scale) train hobby and decided LEGO would be great, only to be very disappointed at TLGs subsequent treatment of the train line.

As far as straight track goes, I simply don't understand what the heck is wrong with some of the people at LEGO... from what I understand, they built a mold that makes an equal number of straight and curved tracks... and people bought so much more 9V straight track than curved, they decided to sell them together so that couldn't happen any more.  Hey, here's an idea: how about a mold that makes 1 curve for every 2 straight?  I mean, they need to replace the mold every once in a while, right?  Don't they wear out?

And if that explanation is true, what happens to all the straight track from the sets, where you get like 16 curves and only 2 or 4 straights?  Where does all that extra straight go?

As for what PaB needs, my first reaction is 2x3 curved slope IN GRAY, like they had for Sante Fe Car roofs.  I had to use black, which suffices, but I would have preferred gray.  The newer buffers are fine by me, but I agree with legoboy3998 that the decorative side pieces would be nice, as I am still using older 9V motors as well as the newer non-pf motors.

[rday1982]

Trying to build a better Olton Hall in LDD and becoming increasingly frustrated with the limited selection of bricks. I know what pieces I need, but some of them aren't even available in Universe Mode (which I dislike anyway, since it means the model is not buyable).

LEGO need to expand the brick palette to include ALL the curved bricks, in ALL the colours.

Either that, or they need to spend some time coming up with a PROPER Olton Hall model, using the EN wheels, plenty of bows and curves to eliminate studs, and of course, using the right buffer beam at the front, to name just three of the things that they've failed to do so far.

[MojoLego]

fred67, on 09 August 2010 - 04:35 PM, said:

And if that explanation is true, what happens to all the straight track from the sets, where you get like 16 curves and only 2 or 4 straights?  Where does all that extra straight go?

Some of it goes into the station and level crossing sets.  But I agree with your point.