New Name, New Start, New Plans (And a Sneak Peek)

[Craig Strader]

Hello again everyone, if you find this, then this means that I am starting to unveil some new plans moving forward on this side of the channel. First off, I started a company called Strader's Custom Bricks on eBay a while back with the intention of manufacturing and selling custom parts compatible with the likes of Lego. I was under the belief that if I could benefit from making my custom parts for my custom MOCs, then others could benefit as well. We will also see why the parts are being designed in the first place.

 

Unfortunately, I am not going to be selling parts for the time being, I will most likely start selling my parts when my current college semester finishes at the of the second week of May. In the meantime, I will keep testing more parts in my spare time so as to give quality parts. If anyone has any ideas or concepts that could be of use to your projects and others that you would like to see take to the rails in this case, send me some photos or rough drafts of some parts on this topic and I can see about creating some prototypes.

 

Let's start off good and strong on this one: I have perfected (to the best of my abilities) my Baldwin Disc Driver. It now features the inset that makes it iconic, and if you look closely the lettering turned out rather splendid. I was originally planning to use ball bearings like the one I posted around Christmas of 2023, but that proved to be more tedious than what I was willing to tolerate then, so I went back to the old fashioned cross-axle. The only size available is the #19 size or 62.4mm. I have more sizes planned, but for a few good reasons, I have yet to build those. Blind versions of the wheel with a 25 degree turn has also been constructed as well.

 

Next up: Bracers. The purpose of this piece is the same as with standard Lego tiles, only difference between Tiles and Bracers is that the bracers work with the studs to create the flush surface instead of covering it altogether like the tiles. Because of that, it is one-half the height of the tiles.

 

Next one is to be used with the round plates and tiles: I will call these Inverted Slope Bricks. The purpose of this is to work along round plates and tiles to create a much more uniform circle compared to using standard Lego Slopes. Because of its unique design it WILL NOT WORK with standard inverted curved slopes (I have already designed the special inverted slopes to go with this part and even different sizes to go with the one you see below (the one in question is for 8-stud wide round plates). They have holes so as to work with a special sloped piece with a hole as well as the technic plates as shown below.

 

 

To complement the Inverted Slope Brick, we have a normal version as well. This one serves a similar purpose to the Inverted Slope Brick. Bar holders are included and my take of an LFM 6-Chime whistle with this design. Again, It WILL NOT WORK with standard Lego Slopes and already have special Slopes in play with different sizes designed from 5-8 stud wide plates and tiles.

 

Here are some miscellaneous parts that serve their own niche purpose. From top to bottom we have a familiar face with the 3 x 8 Liftarm. The 2 parts below have a purpose of their own. They are meant to have the axle bricks offset not just by length, but height as well. To use these parts, you simply take the axle brick behind and raise it by one stud. They are fully compatible with standard lego axles and pegs.

 

Now why are these pieces being showcased, because they are going to a locomotive that for the longest time has been on my to-do list to get done: Santa Fe 3463 in 1/35th scale.

 

Going from this: October 2021

 

To THIS (Mostly): Some parts have already been fabricated to look like the prototype. Build date has yet to be determined.

 

More parts are still in the works and they all revolve around the locomotive. The locomotive is my Guinea Pig for testing the parts you seen.

 

Here is the current status quo of the locomotive: February 25, 2024

 

Let me know what you all think.

[Darkkostas25]

It`s nice idea but be ready for many challenges. Some first pieces looks interesting and others, some other not so versatile as at looks for me.
I`d try to do some "missing" parts and shapes that lacs in LEGO but may be looking and be as much in tone and coherent with standard LEGO parts list, but it`s me
Hope your be all right and you project do good!  

[Craig Strader]

On 2/27/2024 at 8:39 AM, Darkkostas25 said:

It`s nice idea but be ready for many challenges. Some first pieces looks interesting and others, some other not so versatile as at looks for me.
I`d try to do some "missing" parts and shapes that lacs in LEGO but may be looking and be as much in tone and coherent with standard LEGO parts list, but it`s me
Hope your be all right and you project do good!  

Now that you mention versatility, I have thought about the slope bricks I proposed. I don't think that those I presented will work in the long run. I have an older design that DOES WORK with standard slope bricks. They are also smaller so that their application can be applied in more places and ways. I also made slope parts for the standard 2 x 4 slope pieces, though they have a smaller profile on the backside. Could you work with this one?

 

Could you work with this design?

Edited March 1 by Craig Strader

[Darkkostas25]

13 hours ago, Craig Strader said:

Now that you mention versatility, I have thought about the slope bricks I proposed. I don't think that those I presented will work in the long run. I have an older design that DOES WORK with standard slope bricks. They are also smaller so that their application can be applied in more places and ways. I also made slope parts for the standard 2 x 4 slope pieces, though they have a smaller profile on the backside. Could you work with this one?

 

Could you work with this design?

Maybe, I love slopes and similar to them shapes/part.
And this may come in handy 

[Craig Strader]

Here is progress as of March 3rd, 2024. More resin will be here soon, which means no more work until further notice. At least we are going in the right direction. The giant will soon ride the rails. If things go smoothly, we could get steamed up by the time Summer rolls around.

 

[Hod Carrier]

I've been giving this a lot of thought over the last week or so, and what I don't want to do is seem like I'm discouraging you because I think you've got some really good ideas. Wheels are already an in-demand item, and I'm sure that there will be really good demand for new designs and/or sizes that have not yet been done. I also like the idea of the Bracers, as I sometimes end up with little gaps that are half a plate high where a part like this would be very helpful. 

What I'm a little less sure about are some of the curved parts. They seem very specific and may not be easily used by other builders. If their purpose is to help give you a rounder boiler than can currently be achieved with official LEGO bricks, then the radius of that boiler is going to be dictated by the parts you produce. While they may be suitable for the model you are designing, this may not be the case for others. You could end up having to design a lot of different parts in different radii to cater for the range of boilers that builders may be trying to replicate.

The specificity of these parts also give me a little disquiet, and for this paragraph I need to be entirely clear because I don't want to be misinterpreted. I have no issue whatsoever with 3rd party parts where the purpose is to provide something that is otherwise impossible to achieve using official parts; by which I mean things like wheels, controllers, decals/stickers, etc, and have spoken-up in defence of their use. Heck, these are things that I have done myself so I couldn't really say anything against them. Where I start to get a little uneasy is where new parts are provided simply to give a shortcut to a better result than can be otherwise achieved. I have said many times that, for me, the process of designing in LEGO is a quest to find the least worst solution to represent what we're trying to achieve while keeping in mind that it is never going to look exactly like the real thing. I want to be clear when I say that I know that you are not doing this, but I feel that there is a line somewhere that some day may be transgressed where a designer offers a box of specific interlocking parts that together build up into a perfect LNER A4 Pacific (for example) and nothing else, and when that happens can we really say that it's a LEGO train.

As I said, I really don't want to be discouraging because you've got some great ideas. These are only my own thoughts that no-one is bound to agree with. If it comes to making a start with the business side of it, I think that the Bracers in different sizes and colours could be a real winner as they are very usable part that is not limited to train building. I will wait to see how things develop and wish you every success.

And now I'm going to go and hide in a cupboard.

[Craig Strader]

5 hours ago, Hod Carrier said:

I've been giving this a lot of thought over the last week or so, and what I don't want to do is seem like I'm discouraging you because I think you've got some really good ideas. Wheels are already an in-demand item, and I'm sure that there will be really good demand for new designs and/or sizes that have not yet been done. I also like the idea of the Bracers, as I sometimes end up with little gaps that are half a plate high where a part like this would be very helpful. 

What I'm a little less sure about are some of the curved parts. They seem very specific and may not be easily used by other builders. If their purpose is to help give you a rounder boiler than can currently be achieved with official LEGO bricks, then the radius of that boiler is going to be dictated by the parts you produce. While they may be suitable for the model you are designing, this may not be the case for others. You could end up having to design a lot of different parts in different radii to cater for the range of boilers that builders may be trying to replicate.

The specificity of these parts also give me a little disquiet, and for this paragraph I need to be entirely clear because I don't want to be misinterpreted. I have no issue whatsoever with 3rd party parts where the purpose is to provide something that is otherwise impossible to achieve using official parts; by which I mean things like wheels, controllers, decals/stickers, etc, and have spoken-up in defence of their use. Heck, these are things that I have done myself so I couldn't really say anything against them. Where I start to get a little uneasy is where new parts are provided simply to give a shortcut to a better result than can be otherwise achieved. I have said many times that, for me, the process of designing in LEGO is a quest to find the least worst solution to represent what we're trying to achieve while keeping in mind that it is never going to look exactly like the real thing. I want to be clear when I say that I know that you are not doing this, but I feel that there is a line somewhere that some day may be transgressed where a designer offers a box of specific interlocking parts that together build up into a perfect LNER A4 Pacific (for example) and nothing else, and when that happens can we really say that it's a LEGO train.

As I said, I really don't want to be discouraging because you've got some great ideas. These are only my own thoughts that no-one is bound to agree with. If it comes to making a start with the business side of it, I think that the Bracers in different sizes and colours could be a real winner as they are very usable part that is not limited to train building. I will wait to see how things develop and wish you every success.

And now I'm going to go and hide in a cupboard.

I'm pretty sure the Bracers can be useful; the slope pieces will be available in different sizes in due time (Current status quo is 8-stud for the boiler on 3463), and even then, they may have to be made as a single cast piece if you want it round like it was designed for.

 

I've also got Universal Disk Drivers in the mix. Those have yet to be fabricated, but I'm pretty sure a 1/35th scale ATSF 3415 would look good with those one.

 

I also have more parts to showcase:

Brickettes: This piece is quite straightforward in terms of what it does. It is ONE-HALF the size of a standard Lego brick and for those who do not want to overextend the height by using 2 studs.

 

 

I also have corner brackets: Again, the application is straightforward here to. I designed this part because I myself experienced frustration when it came to using brackets on corners. I have 4 (working) flavors: Standard is just 2 brackets rotated 90 degrees, Sealed is Standard but with the extra support at the end, Squared which is Sealed but has a square in extension of sealed, and Cheese Slope has an extension of sealed but with a cheese slope that goes 90 degrees (The variant in the picture below).

 

 

Squared and Standard corner brackets actually go good together.

 

Offset plates: I have 2 types with this one. Type 1 uses the standard plate but the stud is offset by 1.6mm or .2 studs. Type 2 has a base extension and the stud offset by 1.6mm (.2 studs) and 3.2mm (.4 studs) compared to the original plate, respectively.

 

[SerperiorBricks]

Very cool designs! Can't say I have an idea of what to do with every one of those parts just looking at them, but a good number of these aren't too far outside the realms of what LEGO might dream up one day (who would have ever expected LEGO to come out with 1x5 plates, 1x1x2/3 bricks, or those inverted slopes to begin with!) 

LEGO will always be developing more ideas, and you've got some great ones here too. The quality of those finished parts is incredible.

[Craig Strader]

Good news everyone. I have got different sizes for the disc drivers in the works. Currently the only sizes designed are #17, #18, and #19. I will get all the way down to #11 in good time. I have intentions to finally start selling more parts (Disc Drivers included) by the time Summer hits.