legotrainfan

ARTICLE: Using On-line Instructions of Train MOCs

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When I see some of the great MOCs presented here and on Brickshelf, I often envy the creators, because they have construction skills I do not have; or I don't have them yet. However, the internet is full of fantastic instructions of MOCs. Some great moccers seem to have pity with those who are not as excellent builders as they; they put the instructions of their creations on-line, so that everyone can build them. I am absolutely grateful for them. Even though my building skills are too low to create something amazing with LEGO bricks, I can build something amazing previously created by someone else. But even if you use the instructions someone put on-line, you can still make improvements; you can turn such a creation into your own subtype or version.

My passion for building other people's creations started off with the discovery of James Mathis' (jamathis on brickshelf) Dome Car for the Super Chief on Brickshelf:

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This waggon looked so brilliant, and, fortunately, the instructions were available in the same folder:

pdome_v1_0_03.png

Anyway, I wasn't totally satisfied with James Mathis's waggon. The upside down construction wasn't attached to the waggon so well. The problem is that James Mathis just used two red technic plates, which allow you to attach the construction to the waggon:

pdome_v2_under_1_04.png

So I decided to use four technic plates instead:

dome-car-inspired-by-jamathis7.jpg

This gave me me 4 more studs in the construction's centre. On it I put a 2x4 plate to have even more studs. In this picture you can also see that I added four 1x1 bricks and 2 plates on each of them. This is to make the upside down construction closed without leaving holes.

dome-car-inspired-by-jamathis5.jpg

dome-car-inspired-by-jamathis10.jpg

Having more studs at my disposal, it was easier to press the construction with the blue plate onto the grey and red brick construction:

dome-car-inspired-by-jamathis8.jpg

dome-car-inspired-by-jamathis9.jpg

dome-car-inspired-by-jamathis4.jpg

But one problem remains: You must press the red technic plates on the construction really hard; otherwise the studs are too low on the other side so that it doesn't keep to the waggon well. And you cannot attach the whole construction as one piece. First you must put the thing with the blue plate into the waggon; the upsidedown construction is attached from the waggon's outside.

The outside of my Dome Car is finished, but it still lacks a wonderful inside:

dome-car-inspired-by-jamathis3.jpg

And here pictures of the finished outside:

dome-car-inspired-by-jamathis12.jpg

dome-car-inspired-by-jamathis13.jpg

You will notice that I used buffers. James Mathis didn't use them, but I wanted the wheel constructions to be identical with the ones of the sets 10022 and 10025.

Apart from the hinges used to hold the windscreens, I used new bricks only. And the whole waggon is in old grey. If anyone's interested, I can tell him or her the brick number TLC uses for the windscreen. I only found used ones on bricklink. I phoned TLC and they still had it available.

If you check my brickshelf folder - as soon as it is public - you can see that I use the filename "dome-car-inspired-by-jamathis." I don't want to plagiarise without giving full credit to the creator, because I'm happy that such people like James Mathis make their instructions public.

Well, the Dome car wasn't my first and last build of someone else's creation. When I saw the on-line version of Railbricks journal, issue 4, I wanted to build the gondola and the hopper waggon. The gondola is finished. I used old grey for it and here's the result:

railbricks-journal4-gondola1.jpg

The waggon was built with ordinary bricks, but it looks fantastic. I especially like the front/back of the waggon with the ladder and the technic steering wheel. It is - as I have said - an easy construction, but the ladder and the steering wheel make it very detailed:

railbricks-journal4-gondola2.jpg

The construction under the waggon plate between the wheels is very simple, but it is good to have something there instead of nothing:

railbricks-journal4-gondola3.jpg

And a final shot from the bird's eye view:

railbricks-journal4-gondola4.jpg

The only flaw that this waggon has is that - so I believe - the coupling (magnet and/or magnet holder) seems to touch the ladder when it goes through curvy areas.

The hopper waggon in Railbricks, issue 4, is not yet finished. So I didn't take photos of it. But it is also in old grey. Since the hopper waggon is nearly finished, I already found another creation that has caught my interest. It is a small diesel engine of a brickshelf user called Maggimutti. What I do not understand, however, is how the creator tries to install a back and front light. He or she uses the contacts of a 9V cable just without the cable. But the 9V motor has only 4 elctric studs on one end but not on the other:

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And here the finished product:

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I'm still buying bricks for this little diesel engine. Hopefully, I will have all the necessary bricks in the near future!

By the way, the same user also has on-line instructions of another one of his creations:

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I didn't check if the instructions of his other engines are also on-line.

Summarising, I can only recommend using on-line instructions for those who are not as creative as myself. And you can also make some changes to a creation and thus make it to your personal version. I didn't change anything with the gondola, but I didn't follow the instructions of the Dome Car all the time. Furthermore, even experienced moccers might find it interesting to build the creation of a fellow moccer from time to time. What I find important, however, is that the creators are credited. I usually do this in the file name. I think they should be credited because we should be grateful that they show us their instructions and that they are for every LEGO lover's use.

Edited by legotrainfan

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Very nice. I often get questions whether I have instructions for the things I built, but I've never gone to the trouble of making any. It's wonderful that people such as James Mathis do put effort into this sort of thing and that there actually are people who are inspired by them :thumbup:

Cheers,

Ralph

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Thanks for this, as I'm just discovering Trains and Town, which is my new love, and these are very appealing..,

Cheers :sweet:

~A.S.

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Interesting article LTF. Thanks for sharing. I really like some of the creations that you shared, especially the little diesel engine that I've never seen before. That's a fantastic MOC!

Also nice is the SF observation car. It reminds me of the Metroliner set, but without the extra splash of color.

Interestingly, I have an old HO scale electric train from Germany very similar to the red locomotive that you've shared. I think that's an excellent creation, and a very unique engine for a Lego model. I'll definately have to look at these and other Railbricks & Brickshelf MOCs. I haven't browsed these sources too much in the past. :thumbup:

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Interestingly, I have an old HO scale electric train from Germany very similar to the red locomotive that you've shared. I think that's an excellent creation, and a very unique engine for a Lego model. I'll definately have to look at these and other Railbricks & Brickshelf MOCs. I haven't browsed these sources too much in the past. :thumbup:

The red locomotive of brickshelf user Maggimutti could either be a German 221 diesel engine or a Hungarian M61. I think it may be the Hungarian one. Is it the German 221 engine that you have for your HO layout?

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Are you familar with this engine?

Yup. I know it from HO model train catalogues. My brother has a HO layout, but he doesn't have this particular engine. Have you already compared the Hungarian engine (click on the link in my previous post) to the brickshelf user's engine? I think it resembles the Hungarian one more.

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Have you already compared the Hungarian engine (click on the link in my previous post) to the brickshelf user's engine? I think it resembles the Hungarian one more.

Yes. I actually think it looks more like the 221, although the nose looks a bit more like the Hungarian engine (but this may have been done just because of the pieces the creator had available).

Notice the grey bricks and the white strip on the MOC. Also, the round vents on the roof - both features of the 221. The only thing is that the MOC and the Hungarian engine both have the round windows.

Difficult, but if you're really wanting to determine, you might try sending a message to the builder (if his Email is posted). You've got me curious now.

- sort of a train mystery? :laugh:

EDIT 1

I think we're both wrong. After checking out the Brickshelf account, the engine is made by General Motors (GM).

Here's the builder's description:

Nohab Rundnase MX, a very unique engine, developed by General Motors. My color-scheme is free used from the pictured original.

LINK

I'm wondering if this engine could have been made for Europe?

EDIT 2

Okay, more info on Nohab

The Hungarian and Danish engines are both similar, but I think this Danish DSB Class MX engine is the one:

HFHJ-mx-16.jpg

LINK

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Very interesting topic legotrainfan!

About Railbricks: there is not only an instruction in every number of the magazine, but there are also downloadable instructions at the site: here you can see them. I think they are very useful, not only to build the trains, but also for the building techniques, SNOT windows and inspiration. One member had posted MLCad files of ballast, so you can make your track more realistic.

I don't have build a train MOC from instructions yet, but maybe I will do it in the future. I am trying to build a Dutch train in MLCad, and maybe in real. When it's finished, I also gonna make some instructions, I think.

@TheBrickster & legotrainfan: James Mathis has also made instructions of the German train you posted. You can download it here (the 4th from above).

Edited by Richie

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Richie, thanks for mentioning the on-line version of railbricks here. I forgot about it. I know that website but haven't built anything from there.

TheBrickster, thanks for playing the detective! Somehow I never noticed the user's description of the locomotive. :hmpf: So it was GM that constructed it and Nohab produced more locomotives of that type in license. And they were also sold to Denmark and Hungary. Very informative, that wikipedia article! Thanks! :thumbup:

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