legotownlinz

No need to replace parts, it is not a real issue, especially when not building just a circle but putting straights inbetween.

Today I've used the BrickTracks I've bought a few months ago for the first time and noticed a strange issue with the geometry. When putting no stress on the tracks, there is almost a gap of one piece. Is this by design, e.g. for superelevated tracks? I've not tested the tracks after purchase, so it might also be possible that they deformed over time. I think that is has not been shown yet that there is a noticable color difference between BrickTracks and Lego tracks. The BrickTracks (on the left) are brighter and have a less polished surface.

I consider the Winter Holiday train as a historic standard gauge train with some christmas decoration, so the scale is fine for me. If the Disney train had the same width as other trains, despite actually being a narrow gauge train, I would be fine. But wider is not acceptable.

Why, the winter holiday train is 6 studs wide?

8 studs wide It must be smaller, not wider than other trains. It will look strange whenever another train is nearby. And it will get stuck at all existing platforms. Congratulations to Lego to produce a set that is incompatible with virtually any existing Lego train layout. They mess up a set that should have been a no-brainer. It's unbelievable. It's a set for beginners who don't notice that the scale is horribly wrong. I bet all train fans will be very disappointed once they run the train the first time and notice all the flaws. Maybe it was difficult or even impossible to make the train look good at a smaller scale. But if they cannot do it right, they shouldn't do it all and release something else. And as usual: price, stickers, plastic axles, ... nothing is done right in this set.

They are called tamping machines and DGS (dynamic track stabilisation). You can get an overview of track maintenance machines at https://www.plassertheurer.com/en/home/home.html. Click on 'Machines' on the website's menu to get descriptions and images of many machines.

I'm not sure if CFOL's list are just wishes or leaks.

Wishes do not need fake set numbers. You could avoid the confusion by omitting them.

Love it!

Do you mean it looks better because of the metal on top so that it is glossy like a real rail? That's indeed a small advantage. But since most other parts that would be metal in the real world are made out of plastic in the Lego world I don't think it is a strong argument from an aesthetic perspective. I say plastic tracks look better. 9V layouts look silly because of Lego's strange track geometry and the limitation to a single type of switches.

I like the idea of a public transport subtheme. The current focus on cars in Lego's product line is outdated. The spirit of the time requires trains, busses, bicycles and other modes of environmental-friendly transport.

As far as I can see, they make instructions and decals but nothing related to tracks. Everything they do is 100% compatible with Lego's products. I appreciate all the work enthusiasts do for the Lego community, but its a hobby, not a business to make a living. Assuming an average price of USD 15 per item, they made USD 15,000 within the last two years. The only two realistic scenarios we ever get metal tracks are: There is a patron that invests several million Dollars without expecting any significant return. A large model railroad company with a good distribution network and enough money for the upfront investments enters the Lego market. In the meantime, several clubs, trusting in false promises for metal tracks, delay the inevitable migration to plastic tracks for several year and ignore all the products from companies like BrickTracks and TrixBrix that would allow much nicer Lego train layouts.

The color palette is not as different as it looks on the box art photo. When fixing the colors, this is the result: Nevertheless, the proportions have changed significantly so that the tree doesn't look as elegant as in the fan design anymore.

It can't and it will never happen. It's the result of the excitement created around Brickworld but will be dead as a doornail when creating the first realistic business plan.

No surprise it doesn't sell well with two other police themes on the shelves. I don't think it is a bad theme though.