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The Bureau of Unexplained Phenomenon's train does not officially exist and you never saw it. All photograph's taken of this train are mangled by some unknown force while still in the camera, and it never seems to stay still for long enough to get a glimpse at the engine crew. The engine is unnamed and unnumbered, with only the Bureau's logo on the cab and cars for a clue to it's ownership. The 2-6-0 Mogul-type steam locomotive pulls a three car train, consisting of what seems to be a baggage car, a sleeper, and observation car. All three cars (and the engine) are marked in a dark blue with gold accents and the Bureau of Unexplained Phenomenon's logo on the sides. According to the scattered reports of varying age, the train's scientist crew catalogs the odd happenings around the USA since the Bureau's founding by Abraham Lincoln in 1863, such as un-dead uprisings in the 1970's, confederate zombies in 1875, time travelers from the 1980's in the 1880's, attacks by mutant giant ants in the late-1940's, and an entire town being held hostage by a giant blob from outer space in the early 1960's, just to name a few of the more prolific cases that we know of. Other reports suggest the train is not merely cataloging the happenings, but tracking them via a rip in space-time continuum in the Pacific Northwest that is waiting to be opened to it's full inter-dimensional potential. Johnny Thunder has supposedly met one of the senior operatives of the Bureau, a Mister Graves. Mr. Graves has more recently (1926) been keeping tabs on Lord Sam Sinister and Lord William Ogel's plans for the inter-dimensional portal that is located in the pacific northwest of the USA. Graves has ingratiated himself into the two Lord's inner circle but is keeping deep cover on his plans for the two and the portal. Builders Notes: This train's genesis began because I really liked my older 2-6-0 in dark green from way back in 2014, but that color is now taken by my 4-6-2 pulling the Emerald Express and the 2-6-0 engine long gone for parts. Thus this color variation in dark blue was created, and the train was created for it. The story was built around the train, and it ties into my Adventurers models / story-line. The rear of the loco features a smaller-than-usual tender, to fit the smaller size locomotive. The baggage car is supposed to contain all kinds of mobile equipment for tracking strange type of hyper-matter and ecto-plasmic energy fields, among other things. (In reality, all these cars are empty) The dining car / sleeper. This is where the on board crew sleeps and eats. This car is called the war room. In reality, it's a remodeled business car, turned into a room full of charts and chairs and devices for listening for Sasquatches and detecting dragon smoke. It also messes with enemy listening devices and destroys track-side cameras of passers-by. Can't be too careful with the future of the world on the line! NOTES: In reality, I just wanted to build a small passenger train out of dark blue pieces to match the engine I posted last month to Flickr. I thought at first about making it for the president of the railway line, but a fictional secret government agency from the 1920's works just as well. Comments, questions, and complaints are always welcome. This train could possibly be built in 2019, but I'll have to see.

The 4-10-4 (four leading, ten driving, four trailing) "Rainhill" wheel arrangement was so named after the Rainhill Trials of October 1829 in Rainhill, England of which the famous Rocket was the only entrant to complete the Trials. The Rainhill type was designed in 1927 and built in early 1928, though it was originally called the "Gigantic" type, but the planned Centenary of Steam celebration sealed the deal on the naming of the type. (Unfortunately, the plans for the potential celebration were postponed in July 1928 and finally cancelled one day before the Stock Market Crash of 1929.) The steam locomotive prototype of the 4-10-4 Rainhill type was painted a red and gray color-scheme with a light gay box on the tender and was sold by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1928 to Brick Railway Systems, but due to technical teething troubles and because of it's unusual color scheme was nicknamed the Red Demon. The engine worked the trans-continental route on the "Spirit of the West" passenger train from New York to Los Angeles, with the Red Devil or one of it's type worked the portion west from St. Louis to Las Vegas. The original engine (Red Demon number 7975) worked this route from 1930 until being bumped to freight duties in early 1958. The engine then worked freights in diminishing numbers until being sidelined in 1966. The Red Demon was pulled out of the mothballs in 1973 for potential use on the 1976 American Bicentennial train but politics intervened and Texas and Pacific 2-10-4 number 610 got the job instead. After that, the engine's future looked bleak until the "Save the Red Demon" Committee was formed which raised enough money to restore the engine to working order by 1978 and has kept the engine in working order ever since until the Red Demon Incorporated moniker. This company uses five former Brick Railway Systems-styled coaches on fan trips, but they are wholly owned by Red Demon Inc. In reality, there was no 4-10-4 type of steam locomotive. It was strangely skipped over in the age of steam... none of this wheel arrangement were ever built. The name Red Demon was chosen because the 4-14-4 type of Soviet Russia was the closest analogy to my loco... except mine works fine, while the Russian one never did much as it spread the track, ruined switches and pulled the freight cars' couplings apart due to it's raw power. The second reason for the name is the Red Devil, a heavily modified South African 4-8-4 engine with a gas producing combustion system and many modern improvements. That cape gauge engine worked beautifully, but was sadly mothballed in 2003. (EDIT 7/27/18: The Red Devil is again puling fan trip trains in South Africa!) The baggage car. These cars were all inspired by The Santa Fe Super Chief cars (10022 and 10025) and the Emerald Night's coach. (10194) The three streamlined coaches of the train. Each car on this train is 28 studs long, which is longer than my usual 24 studs long standard. Observation car of the Spirit of Legoredo passenger train. The original way these cars were styled had them all black and with a red base stripe, but I have added dark bluish gray fluting and more red to the mix to make them easier to take pictures of. The whole train. Comments, Questions, Complaints, and Suggestions for the future are always welcome! EDIT 7/27/18: main post reformatted, pictures replaced with new ones and text updated.

The model seen here is originally based upon the Brick City Depot "Winter Village Train Station", which can be seen here. I recently (2018) updated windows and doors to be white to give better contrast to the other chosen colors, and I extended the platform clock away from the wall and double-sided it so both ends of the station can see it. The following is a fictional backstory on Barretts station that I have written. (Their is a real Barretts station in Missouri, but it looks nothing like this an is not as old as my model is supposed to be. That station's history is nothing like this one!) This station was built in 1901 in Barretts, Missouri for use by Brick Railway Systems. It stands on the old Pacific Railway of Missouri right-of-way, which first ran through the area in the mid-1850's. The station is a wooden structure with a stone fireplace, indoor waiting area, and a freight storage room that was added to the station in 1928. The upper floor is for the telegraph operator, which as of 1977 the telegraph has been replaced with a computer for the dispatcher to locate any train in his sector at any time using advanced software. Here is the street side, with the date the depot was built proudly displayed. The upper floor has the computer for the dispatcher. In true Lego City style, their are no stairs to the top floor. (Though I still need to add the coffee machine up here.....) This is the lower floor, with a waiting room and ticket seller. The freight storage room off to the right was added later in the 1920's, and connects to the station via a door cut into the wall. Two sliding doors allow for cargo to be loaded onto the platform side, or out the street side for loading onto a truck. (This freight room also conveniently features a ramp for wheelchair-bound passengers to ascend into the building.) Here is the modular side of things: One left and one right platform, the station proper, the control room and it's roof are all connected by either pins or a very few studs. As usual, comments questions, and complaints are always welcome! EDITED 2/20/17: Updated the screenshots into real-life pictures. EDITED 7/24/18: Updated the model's real-world pictures and associated text.

Named for nearby Fort Legoredo, the town of Legoredo City was first settled in 1867 by the people following the Union Pacific railroad through the West on towards the Central Pacific to create the First Transcontinental Railroad. Usually these towns die off once the construction teams move on, but this town didn't because of one crucial fact: Valuable veins of silver were discovered by the Construction crews in a attempt to tunnel through the side of Raindance Ridge. This new wealth happened to be right up the tracks (about a mile or two) from the City. The town continues to have a booming industry in the 21st century, with tourists flocking to the Wild West town and more recently, the reopening of the silver mines because of advances in mining techniques. The railroad still stops at Legoredo City, with a Native American reservation and the preserved Army Fort nearby. US 1870's LEGOREDO MODULAR TRAIN DEPOT This old railroad station was inspired by set 7594 (Woody's Roundup!) which I have named the Fort Legoredo passenger depot after the famous set number 6761. (Fort Legoredo) This railroad station was built in 1874 after the original station structure (built 1867) burned to the ground in late 1873. It was confusingly named Fort Legoredo at that time by the railroad in an attempt to persuade potential settlers that this land was protected by the army, when in fact the Federal government was planning on closing down the actual Fort Legoredo. (this plan was eventually gone through with, as the Fort ceased operations when it burned to the ground in 1885 and was not rebuilt) The station has since stood for 140+ years with only slight modifications, such as adding computer control systems to the upper floor in 1980 to control the switches and monitor train traffic to the still-active silver mines. The station also serves as the oldest building in the city and is featured heavily in tourism advertisements for the city and it's historical reproduction of the original Fort Legoredo. (the US Army base, that is) The station is modular, as the roof and second floor come off and the two side platforms come apart by means of Technic pins. This lower floor features two waiting rooms with a ticket office in-between them. This office features stairs to the upper floor. The upper floor features a vintage safe that is used to hold silver dust / nuggets that is still payable for a train ticket. The metal is weighed on the scale (seen next to the safe) to ensure it is the correct type. (Read: not fake). The newspaper contains the daily precious metals prices, so that is is fairly measured and properly payed for. Eventually a special train comes though the station and the dust / nuggets are exchanged for proper paper currency, with the expensive metal being shipped back east to Denver to be made into coins and bars. The anachronistic modern computer system was added in 1980 to control the switches and monitor train traffic to the still-active silver mines. 1870's LEGOREDO CITY This bank was partially inspired by set 10255 (Assembly Square). The top of the building should feature printed 1 x 1 letter tiles in various spots: the top of the building below the clock should say "1869" while just below the year would be the word BANK. The rear of the bank also has two modified safes from set 10217. (Diagon Alley) along with three bank teller's windows and a desk. This barber shop was inspired by set 6765. (Gold City Junction). It is supposed to feature printed 1 x 1 tile letters on the roof spelling out BARBER. The barber shop features tow chairs taken from set 10246, (Detective's Office) along with a sink and cash register. This general store is supposed to be modeled after the one in set 6765 (Gold City Junction), but with updated parts and expanded collection of items for sale. The sign on top of the building is supposed to say GENERAL STORE in printed 1 x 1 tiles. Inside, we have a cash register and many items for sale, including a buffalo gun, dynamite, piper wrench, pickax, a cooking pot, and a wooden chest. This saloon was inspired by the bank in set 79109. (Colby City Showdown) It features a typical saloon swing-open door, a cash register, and several spots to sit down and order a drink. The words SALOON are supposed to go on the six studs located above the upper floor windows in printed 1 x 1 tiles. Being on a corner, much of the building is left to the imagination as I wanted to avoid lift away floors to keep with the vintage 1990's Western feel. This sheriff's office was taken almost wholly from set 79109. (Colby city Showdown) The rooftop cannon has been removed, and a sticker-based sign from set 7954 (Woody's Roundup) has been placed up there instead. The floor of the building has also been redone, and most of the odd colored part removed. The rear of the building features the sheriff's office and his armory, plus the jail cell with it's exploding front wall. The jail cell with the wall blasted out of it's normal spot. US 1870's MILITARY TRAIN & 4-2-4 STEAM LOCO Let's start with the newest train: the 4-2-4 and the US Army train. This is a more realistic version of set 10254 (Winter Village holiday train) for all the train fans who don't like the engine. I added working pistons, and a more cohesive color scheme plus two more sets of wheels on the engine. This is a tank engine, and as such does not have a tender. The rotating Gatling gun you see here was taken from set 79111. (Constitution Train Chase) This horse car was originally a cattle car from set 60052, (2014 Cargo Train) but I've re-purposed it for my Army officer horses. These cannons are from set 79106 (Calvary Builder Set) and were placed on a generic flatcar. for transport by rail. This coach was inspired by set 10015 (Passenger Wagon), and features no interior. T The jail car you see was originally from set 79111. (Constitution Train Chase) while gaining the styling of set 10015. (Passenger Wagon) This car has one play feature that is sure to blow you away: the back wall can be removed to get at the jail cell via the "dynamite" on the outside of the back wall. When pushed back towards the other end of the car, the rear wall pops out and the bad guys can escape! Here is the whole military train all put together. US 1870's PASSENGER TRAIN & 4-6-0 STEAM LOCO Next up, the modified passenger train which I have shown before on these forums, but has received a bit of a face-lift. This engine was originally modeled after set 7597 (Western Train Chase) with some design inspiration from TF Twitch's "Humble Sapphire" 4-4-0. The engine also features a boiler copied from set 79111 (Constitution Train Chase) to keep it inline with the rest of my steam locomotives. The rear of the loco features a ladder to the tender-top. These passenger cars were mostly inspired by set 10014 (Passenger wagon) but repainted red instead of green and with fancy part 30613 "Brick, Arch 3 x 6 x 5 Ornamented" on the end of the cars. I might be mistaken, but Ben Shuber may have been the one to inspire these coaches with his own red versions of set 10014. The end of my passenger train features this little four wheel caboose. It was designed after set 10015 (Caboose) with some features taken from set 7597 (Western Train Chase) This train uses a lot of unique sets to make this model possible, including sets 10254, 60052, 79106, 79111, and 10015. US 1870's FREIGHT TRAIN & 4-4-0 STEAM LOCO Since I turned the red 4-4-0 into a 4-6-0, the slot has been opened up for another "American"-type. Thus, I created Yellow 4-4-0 number 2, to go along with red 4-6-0 number 3 and green 4-2-4 number 1. As the red one before it, this engine was originally modeled after set 7597 (Western Train Chase) with some design inspiration from TF Twitch's "Humble Sapphire" 4-4-0. The engine also features a boiler copied from set 79111 (Constitution Train Chase) to keep it inline with the rest of my steam locomotives. This log car was also designed by my brother, and is quite ingenious for using set 60059 (Logging Truck) but on a train base. The logs are floating place, as they would be resting on the bottom of the car in real life. It was quite a pain to position them into place as seen here. The coal-filled gondola was inspired by a sub-model from set 10183, Hobby train. This vintage water tanker is a modified set 2126 (Train Cars) design with four wheels on the two bogies instead of two wheels stuck to the frame. I've had this model built since 2008, and finally used it for something other than a shelf-warmer. It was originally a gift from my father to go with my black-and-red class 7715 style train and is now at home on my Wild West layout. This caboose was inspired by set 10014 (Caboose) except this versions cupola (that's the roof top thing) is centered and is a bit bigger. Here is the whole train together. US 1870's WESTERN MILITARY - FORT LEGOREDO This is an updated and enlarged form of sets 6769 / 6762, (Fort Legoredo) with new parts and some modifications to the original set. These new parts include 15 cannons which oddly are missing in the original sets. I have heavily modified this model by adding Technic pins to hold the sections together, and by filling in the gaps in the wooden walls. The jail cell has also been enlarged and opened up for play-ability, plus a train platform had bee placed at the secondary gate for loading and unloading soldiers and equipment. The yellow flag is supposed to have this print: http://www.bricklink...35pb107#T=C&C=3 while the blank spaces made of headlight bricks are to have printed 1 x 1 tiles reading "Fort Legoredo". The back of the fort features the commander's office and jail cell below. I removed the originals set's trap door and enlarged the cell. The main gate has been greatly enlarged to allow for wagons to enter the fort. The secondary gate allows for rapid deployment of artillery and troops off of trains and into the fort. The commander's office is above the jail. I plan on adding a custom Confederate officer into the cell. I'm thinking I may have added a bit too many cannons to this area! US 1870's WILD WEST MINI-FIGURES Commanded by General Buford Armstrong, the garrison at Fort Legoredo is ready for anything... or so they think! Just some local folks, including retired sheriff Woody, Jessie the cowgirl, the current sheriff (Rodger Walker, top row in black) two deputies (lower row), two ladies, and two citizens. Just some local folks, including a old miner 49er, a couple ladies, the honorable Mayor Peter Johnston (with white beard, lower row) and three citizens. The Blackheart gang is led by the genius gunslinger the "Man in Black" whose name is not known by anyone still living. Also he plays harmonica during raids, giving clues and help to gang members in code as he does not speak much. (lower, center) This gang features other criminals such as (top row from left to right:) "Sister" Sarah: she infiltrates the train at a previous station sometimes disguised as a Catholic nun. She then makes mental notes of where the valuables and safe are kept, and how many guards their are Tuco "the rat": This man puts ties on the tracks to stop the train, then blows the track behind it. He also can blow the safe door easily, no matter how thick the metal. He also knows most locks better than most locksmiths (just in case), and keeps a running table in his head of how much dynamite he has left to use. "Hot-Lead" Luke: He takes care of any guards (permanently) and relives the passengers of their watches, gold and and cash, with help from Sarah. "Smiley" Feared sociopath, and is said to kill the train men of each train they rob, though the bodies have never been found. he also makes sure no-one looks at the robbers as they leave or tries to be a hero. These hardened railroad men are as follows: Top: Tom Hardy; senior locomotive engineer and perpetually two weeks from retiring (or so he says) Joseph Barbara; station master of the Fort Legoredo depot, always punctual and runs through life like a well oiled machine Middle: E.S. Hawkins; division manager and a bit of a eccentric. Stops by the Legoredo station every now and then and demands a train be chartered to a fictional / impossible place (such as the ghost town of Grave Stone). He says he's serious, but in actuality he just likes to keep people guessing on his next sentence! Lower: Sidney Flattery, junior fireman of engine Number 3 and is very proud of keeping the girl running like clockwork. Alex; locomotive engineer of engine 3 and sometimes old No.1 when Tom Hardy is busy or unavailable. These Native Americans are of the tribe displaced by the US Army and the silver miners in the Raindance Ridge area back in the 1860s. They aren't to happy about that, to say the least, and they are determined to get the land back, even if they have to team up with the evil Blackheart Gang to do so! US 1870's MODULAR EADS TRAIN BRIDGE Here is my final design of the St. Louis bridge, commonly known as the Eads bridge because of it's designer, James B. Eads. It uses Indiana Jones roller-coaster ramps for the arches, which looks pretty cool. The bridge is nine tracks total in length and 10 bricks high from base to track. (this means about seven brick of clearance between arch top and floor, so some ships could pass through!) First, a little background info from Wikipedia (which is also where this picture came from): "The Eads Bridge is a combined road and railway bridge over the Mississippi River at St. Louis, connecting St. Louis and East St. Louis, Illinois. The bridge is named for its designer and builder, James B. Eads. When completed in 1874, the Eads Bridge was the longest arch bridge in the world, with an overall length of 6,442 feet (1,964 m). The ribbed steel arch spans were considered daring, as was the use of steel as a primary structural material: it was the first such use of true steel in a major bridge project. The Eads Bridge, which became an iconic image of the city of St. Louis, from the time of its erection until 1965 when the Gateway Arch was constructed, is still in use. The bridge crosses the St. Louis riverfront between Laclede's Landing, to the north, and the grounds of the Gateway Arch, to the south. Today the road deck has been restored, allowing vehicular and pedestrian traffic to cross the river. The St. Louis MetroLink light rail line has used the rail deck since 1993." This is a rough representation, as it is missing a lot, (I.E. no car deck, single track instead of double, and a bunch of parts missing to make the tunnel under downtown and the East St Louis ramp approach.) Here is the modular component, of which three of these big sections together via eight Technic pins (four per section) to make the whole bridge. My sig-fig is there at the bottom for a sense of scale... if this were the real bridge, he would be over his head in at least 20 feet of Mississippi River water! These four Technic pins connect each section together. To makes the blue base of the bridge I had a friend cut up a 48 x 48 stud base-plate into eight 8 x 24 stud chunks. Six were used on the bridge, and two are left over in case of future additions. US 1870's WESTERN STAGECOACH, TOWN CARTS, SNAKE-OIL SALESMAN VEHICLE, US ARMY CANNON CART + AMMUNITION WAGON "Come one, Come all! Gather 'round for a cure to end the all-too-common cold!" It may say "bait shop" on the side, but it really is a patent "medicine" store, where Anton Dewey Cheatum makes his own brand of lethal cures using rattlesnake venom, whiskey and his special addictive ingredient... one or two tastes, and you'll come back for more until you drop (dead). Usually this happens after he has fled town in his red wagon with the citizens hard-earned cash. This Express Stagecoach model was mostly taken from set 79108 (Stagecoach Escape) from the 2013 Lone Ranger theme. I removed some of the random colors to give it a more unified look, and replaced red with yellow as the main color for this stage while the rear baggage ejection feature still works as originally designed. Here we see inside the stage, with the roof removed and doors opened. The brown box on the roof is the safe hauling the silver miner's pay, disguised as a steamer trunk to fool bandits. These wagons are for my townsfolk and their businesses. The yellow crates hold various liquor bottles for the Saloon, and the other wagon is headed for the mine with TNT and a barrel full of Whiskey. This 1860's US Army covered ammunition wagon with cannon is inspired by set 6716 (covered wagon) from 1996's Western theme. The cannon can come detached from the wagon, and become ready for action very quickly. Revered among the west are the lawmen, the get-it-done type of folk, like Wyatt Earp, for example. This is the ride of not a single one of those type of men. The wagon you see here is the official Mayor's carriage of the town of Fort Legoredo. This wagon was used for the second though fifth mayors, with the first (the one who died before this wagon was delivered) being the only truly honest and good one in the bunch. He was pushed off of Boulder Cliff Canyon in 1872 by cattle ranchers for giving the Native Americans a fair share of the land they were owed in a treaty that was signed by all involved.... unfortunately, this mattered not to the ranchers. The next eight years and four mayors were full of lust, greed, bullets, and backstabbing. It wasn't until 1880 that a real era of economic boom and social change began in the Fort Legoredo area. (The snake oil delivery wagon, mayor's wagon and the two town wagons were designed by Baskerville bricks (seen at this Bricklink store here.) with some added flourishes by me.) US 1870's WESTERN RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVE TURNTABLE I was inspired by a failed round house and shed from Ideas to make this Wild West arm-strong turn table in LDD. I'm thinking of doing this model instead of the the two track shed, as it is a bit smaller than the twice-as-tall shed. As this a mechanical table powered by brute force and not electric or pneumatic means, the table has four angled "iron" bars for mini-figures to grip to pretend-turn the table manually. (This type of table is called an arm-strong turn table, just so you know.) The 3 and 1/2 track long table has eight tracks radiating outwards on it, with the possibility of more or less tracks if needed being an option in the future. If this was built in real life, the locomotives will enter on the bottom-most track and proceed to be rotated to the correct stub-end track for storage. However, the BTTF Time Train cannot fit on the rotating table, (it's just a bit too long) so it will sit on the straight track and just run through the table to get off at the other side. The two sets of tiles on the middle of the table should have this GREAT and this WEST prints from the Toy Story 3 line. NOTE: The flex tracks are supposed to be taken apart into two halves for them to fit on the table ends. You should only need one flex track instead of two as shown, as one whole equals two half units. US 1860's WESTERN SILVER MINE AT SKULL ROCK This Wild West model was originally LEGO set 79110 (Silver Mine Shootout) from the 2013 Lone Ranger theme. I added a more reinforced right wall and a real base-plate to support the model, as I know from experience it can be pretty flimsy if handed wrong. I also added the collapsing water tower from set 79111 (Constitution Train Chase) to the front corner as another action play feature. The model has also been heightened by five bricks to allow for regular train cars to pass through, but unfortunately it still isn't wide enough for custom locomotives with side-rods to fit through. (yet!) The natural rock formation (the skull) on top of the mine gives it it's name, and features a carved out section for two cannons to protect the mine, either from Native Americans wanting their sacred mountain back, or desperadoes looking to cash in on the (supposedly cursed) silver. This rear view features two spots for dynamite to "explode", removing large chunks of rock to expose the silver. Over on the front you can "blow up" the water tower, blocking the train tracks and trapping the silver gondolas outside the mine, ready to be pilfered by the bad guys. Oh, and you can also see the two cannons up in the skull in this view, ready to defend the mine! (more details on the mine can be seen in this topic) NOTES ON THE POST EDITED 8/29/16: Added the collapsing bridge. The train parts are supposed to arrive today, so i'll give an update when they are finished. EDITED 9/1/16: Added real life photos of the trains. EDITED 9/3/16: Added Stagecoach and updated Fort Legoredo. Also am working on adding LDD files for everything. EDITED 9/16/16: Added town to the main post. EDITED 4/10/17: added train tunnel, revamped the town and Fort pictures / LDD files plus I dded the Eads bridge real life photos + LDD file. The yellow 4-4-0 steam loco is on order from Brick-Link, and the yellow freight train is now first in line to be bought with my next paycheck later this month. EDITED 4/12/17: I just added revised freight train pictures and it's new ldd file. The yellow steam loco's parts have started arriving, and should be built in real life soon. EDITED 11/9/17: Added real life freight train pictures, updated wagon pictures and a revised tunnel. EDITED 12/7/17: Added horse + carriages picture and truss bridge screenshots. EDITED 4/24/18: Added silver mine. More real-life photos to come next week! EDITED 5/11/18: Added real life pictures and trimmed out some models that won't be built. Next on the to-build list is the BTTF time train. EDIT 6/16/18: Added the Armstrong turntable and revised the text. As unusual, comments, Questions, and complaints are always welcome!

I really liked the Winter Village train station when it came out, but it it is so small, with no back wall / roof. I tried for many months and multiple design changes to get it to work, and then I recently stripped away most of the basic framework underneath to give it a cleaner foundation. This last attempt finally gave me the needed inspiration for the model as shown below. This is the result, with the LDD file available here at Bricksafe. I added a freight office, a bathroom (the toilet design was stolen from the Modular Pet Shop set but the sink is my idea) and a "stone" fireplace. Their is a loading dock for the freight section, and two detachable platforms for added track-side length. Most of the rear wall opens up 90 degrees to allow access to the inside, and the roof comes off for viewing the passenger section. The tower should have three of this clock print, while the reddish brown 1 x 4 tile on the rooftop-sign should have this "Mount Clutchmore" print. The rear features a small truck loading platform with sliding door for the freight depot, plus the fireplace. (By the way: the window closest to the staircase is the ticket seller's window.) Here you can see all the many details of this model, including the removable roof, left and right sections of platform, swing open wall and the station itself. This new station might be built at some point in the future to replace my other rural station, of which about 60% of the older one's parts will be use to built this newer model. Fun Fact: This is my first building designed for my own personal LEGO town to include a bathroom! As usual, comments, questions, suggestions and complaints are always welcome!

Since the new 2018 Hogwarts Express is lacking in realism, (lackluster pistons and two wheel coaches?) I decided to revised my custom version with ideas from the set, including (hopefully printed) 1x4 curve tiles with Hogwarts Castle printed on them. The locomotive is a heavily modified version of LDDModelmaker's Black 5 model with some parts from set 79111, Constitution Train Chase. The tender features a three wheeled bogie design modified from the one in Anthony Sava's ALCO MRS-1. The middle axle moves side to side, as to allow going through switches and curves without issue. The numbers 5 9 7 2 go on the sides of the cab, while HOGWARTS RAILWAYS goes on the tender in printed black 1 x 1 tiles. The boiler should featured a printed 4 x 4 dish as the front. The inside of the cab features two gauges and the firebox. In this false-color image, the red parts slide, the blue ones stay put to allow for the loco to go around curves and switches. (BTW: There are parts underneath that keep the sliding bogie from falling out.) The baggage / coach car is known as a combine. NOTE: All the doors can open on each of the cars. three regular BR mark I coaches The guard coach is a car that features a place for the conductor to rest and count tickets. On this train, the coaches are empty inside so the compartments are only fictional. The train is currently made up of five cars that are slightly different than the actual British Railway MK I coaches used in the films. The Hogwarts Express is usually made up of four corridor passenger coaches, although sometimes a special fifth coach is attached with an open floor plan. Also, the end car is not accurate to the films, but is what I prefer to the alternative: a gangway leading nowhere with no red light on the end. In-universe / Film History for the Hogwarts Express: Leaving from Kings Cross' Platform 9 & 3/4 to Hogsmeade Station at exactly 9 AM, the Hogwarts Express carries students (and sometimes faculty) to and from Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft & Wizardry in the Harry Potter series of books and movies. It has been seen in every Harry Potter film, from it's first appearance in the beginning of Philosophers Stone to it's (so far) last at the end of Deathly Hallows. (part two) The Hogwarts Express is usually only in the film for a short while, and it is generally a pleasant journey from Kings Cross to Hogsmeade, although Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and a certain Flying Ford Anglia might beg to differ! As usual, comments, questions, suggestions, and complaints are always welcome!

From 1919 to 1962, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (known as the Milwaukee Road) had these five General Electric-made behemoths pulling trains under the wires from Chicago to Seattle. They were called the Bipolar's for each of the locomotive's 12 motors had only two field poles, mounted directly to the locomotive frame beside the axle. The motor armature was mounted directly on the axle, providing an entirely gear-less design. These locos were so powerful they could out-pull modern steam locos, and what used to take two steamers took just one bipolar. However, after a disastrous 1953 rebuilding by the railroad's company shops (who had no clue how to work on a electric loco) the engines were prone to failures and even fire. And so, in 1962, four of them were scrapped with the lone survivor, numbered E-2, towed to the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis Missouri, where it has sat silent even since, as seen above. The slightly stylized LEGO version of the locomotive was inspired by a 1999 version of the Bipolar electric locomotive built by user legosteveb and by a digital-only design by @Sunder. With this updated, more curvy model, the classic orange and red scheme was impossible, and so as the yellow and red of the previous model type. Thus I was forced to invert the red and yellow to the fictional scheme seen. (The black number boards in front and rear should say "E2" in printed 1 x 1 tiles.0 The loco frame is split in three sections as per the original engine. The front and rear section can pivot slightly to make the engine go around curves. Since the last uploading of this model, the wheels have been re-arranged into two groups of seven (they are joined near the end of the frame, with the exact middle section floating freely between the two ends) and the body of the engine has been extended for a total magnet-to-magnet length of 70 studs. The model should perform well on R40 curves / switches, as this picture attests to it's flexibility.... though until it's built in real life, it will remain untested. The newer model is only 1 plate higher than the previous version, with the same length and width. As you can see, it's my longest single locomotive yet designed with 14 axles total. (I'm not 100% sure my articulation attempts in all the boogies and the frame were enough to work on standard LEGO track, but I guess I'll just have to see when it's built in real bricks latter this year!) The passenger train, and the rear car in particular, were inspired by the Milwaukee Road's Olympian Hiawatha service from Tacoma, Washington to with the rearmost car being a Beaver Tail observation car, which were out of service by 1961. (you can read more about these odd-looking cars here on this Wikipedia page.) Actually, I'm not sure the Beaver-tails were ever used all the way to the West Coast on the Olympian, but since it's LEGO, who really cares! That's all I have done for now, and as usual, questions, complaints, comments and suggestions are always welcome! (real life pictures coming to this topic as soon as possible, but the LDD file for the whole train is available here at Bricksafe)

This electric high speed passenger train was inspired by both 7745 (High-Speed City Express Passenger Train Set) from 1985 and 60051 (High-Speed Passenger train) from 2014. The train features two locomotives (with no motors in either), one club car and four coaches. The roof of each car comes off to get at the inside, and all but the locomotives have interior details such as tables and chairs. (The cab cars are supposed to have generators and mechanical details, but I couldn't make it look good so they were removed.) The cabs on the two locomotives have computer screens for the drivers, but the rest of the open space is empty. You can add in PF / or 9v motors to either (or both!) of the locos, but I did not due to my personal preference of hand pushing things around. This car is one of four identical ones that all have removable roof sections. The club car's top roof section is removable to get at the upper floor, but the lower section is not accessible at all. (I did try unsuccessfully to make it work. The LDD file for this model is at brick safe. Please note, the red of the train can be completely replaced by blue, if you wanted to give it some variety. Comments, questions and suggestions are always welcome!

Please NOTE: There never was a Ohio Pacific railroad in the real world, but in my fictional universe, it never made it to the California coast, just to Denver, Colorado at it's western-most terminal with New York City being it's eastern-most point. As such, this locomotive is entirely fictional, with the paint scheme for the coaches inspired the real-world Missouri Pacific. This model was inspired by user @brickblues and his 4-6-2 Mallard-styled steam locomotive. My version of the engine is a 4-8-2, which means it has four leading, eight driving, and two trailing wheels, making it a Mountain type locomotive. The engine is streamlined with a blue shell around the boiler with tan and white stripes in places. The tender is supposed to say "Ohio Pacific" in printed 1 x 1 tiles, while the cab is supposed to say 6093 (also in printed tiles). The cab of the loco should features this print for the firebox door that is lacking in the LDD file. The baggage car features opening double doors for the baggage end and single doors for the passenger end. The three coach cars are identical with two opening doors at either end. The observation car features a open-air rear platform for looking at the passing scenery. This train is on the to-build list (which is getting longer all the time!) in real bricks. As usual, comments, questions, complaints, and suggestions are always welcome!

I don't see many 4-4-2 Atlantic types steam locos around in LEGO, and even less orange-colored trains besides the TGV-like Horizon Express and SP Daylight 4449. This should fix both problems at the same time, and yes, it's build-able in this color in real life. The Atlantic type 4-4-2 (4 leading, 4 driving, 2 trailing) was the top-of-the-line express train hauler in the middle 1890's to early 1910's. Some continued right up until the end of steam in the Fifties, with the Hiawatha's of the Milwaukee Road hitting 100 MPH speeds daily with this wheel arrangement. The engine should have "3110" printed on it's cab and "GREAT WEST" on it's tender in 1 x 1 tiles. The cab of the loco with four printed gauges and the firebox door. Four identical passenger cars in matching orange paint-scheme are pulled by the Atlantic-type steam locomotive. The words GREAT and WEST are supposed to be printed on the 2 x 4 tiles on either side of the cars. Here you can see the whole train at once. I'm not sure when or if this loco and it's consist will be built, but if it is I will update this post here with better, real-world photos. LDD file available at this link here. As usual, Comments, Suggestions, Questions, & Complaints are always welcome!

Well, here it is! My first train MOC that I've ever made, the Orient Express! Including a large Pacific class style locomotive similar to the Emerald Night, a tender, and a passenger car, I cobbled this together from several Bricklink orders and the LEGO Constitution Train Chase. ( I was very sad to take it apart, but it was for the greater good!) The passenger coach features opening doors, and I was able to put two lights into the roof, so it can light up at night! Here's the official story on this MOC: -Oh no! There's a Mummy on the Orient Express! Join dashing, adventurous Arthur Rutledge as he travels across Europe with several priceless artifacts to be delivered to the Louvre Museum in Paris. But be careful, his evil nemesis Cad Goldwater is also aboard, and will stop at nothing to acquire the relics. Will Rutledge be successful, or will the Orient Express be stopped by the nefarious plans of Cad? It's up to you! You can also see more photos of this MOC on the Orient Express Thriller page on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/150692089@N03/albums/72157676895085431/with/31865151642/ This project is also on LEGO Ideas to support! https://ideas.lego.com/projects/162979 We would really appreciate the support! Thank you. :) A couple extra pictures!

I'm still midway through my Santa Fe project, I need to get the files and everything uploaded to Rebrickable. I'm pretty sure I'm done with that, but I'm not sure what else to add to it before I get everything posted. For my new project, I thought I'd tackle the Polar Express! My collection is somewhat lacking in the train department, and given the difficulty of building steam in LDD, I decided I'd try to build the cars first. I had to sacrifice a few details for the sake of functionality, but besides that everything is pretty accurate and well proportioned IMHO. Some of these screenshots are slightly outdated, as I've moved the ladders to the bogies instead of the body, allowing for the couplers to be much closer since. This is the observation ending. This is the most recent screenshot of the car chassises, featuring the updated coupler and ladder positions. All the windows and doors are brick built, using transparent bricks, jumper plates, plates, and bricks. This allowed for the bodies to be much more accurate, with accurate window spacing and sizing. The base is also brick built, not using the standard train plates. One area I've always been self-conscious about is the rounded roofs on observation endings. I always experiment round for hours, playing with different combinations of tiles, curved plates, and cheese wedges. I'm still not 100% satisfied with the shape, but it seems to work for now. This is the interior. One of the biggest things I do when designing cars and locos is use jumper plates to put the seats, to give room for mini figures without using panels for windows and walls. This also allows for a larger corridor for mini figures and details. I tried to replicate the interior from the film, with the sideways facing seats, though there might be a table or two that I'm missing. I'll have to rematch the film for that detail. One of my favorite details is the SNOT for the back window, allowing for the three back windows present in the train car. I think this technique has merit for other prototypes, and you could modify it to make windows of most sizes while staying within the confines of 6 or 7 wide. There's also tiled floors, but you can easily delete the interior details to save cost if you decide to brick link them. If the maersk blue is a problem, it should be relatively easy to change to light blue, dark blue, or grey because it's all common bricks. Close up of the back windows, there's also jumper plates to stick figures in the back of the train. It's a bit short though, you may have to remove legs or only use short figs back there. Close up of the diaphragm. I used jumper plates and more SNOT to get them 3 wide, the correct width, without leaving gaps in the walls. I also added marker lights on the car ends, aside from the observation ending. The regular observation car. The interior of the regular observation car. I had trouble designing the seats, as I couldn't find dark red curved slopes, so I had to use cheese wedges and hinges to make the seats. Unfortunately, this means the seats are about a plate higher than I wanted them to be. If I could get some advice on that, it'd be awesome. My only complaint besides that would be that the observation ending platform is slightly delicate, as the floor and handrail is only held on by the tiles connecting it to the body. Files: polar_express_observation_car.lxf updated_polar_express_passenger_ending.lxf

I built this station with set the 2007 CITY set 7997 in mind. I got the original set in 2007, along with a double rail crossover for my Birthday that year. I wanted to make it a full building but didn't have the parts. By 2008, I had discovered Bricklink, but the station was in pieces by then and was not re-created until early 2012. The station was a stock set, while I searched for ideas. Eventually, I came across a build by a fellow Eurobricks user named Lazarus that incorporated a modular basis, a full building (street & track-sides) & a appealing design. I saved a picture of it and made my own design based on his. I included really neat features, (such as the arched lattice windows made with a fence) but I went too far and made it impossible to transport to train shows and LUG meetings. The platforms were very flimsy om the XL baseplates, and during the move to my families current house, it shattered into small chunks. So, I went back to the drawing board, scrapping everything but the building itself. Here is the end result, which is strangely near where I started with set 7997. It has one platform, plentiful outside seating on the platform, and is red instead of yellow. There are many changes from the set, (no stairs on the platform, for example.) but the heart and soul of that 2007 set is still there. The row of studs on both track and street sides should say the station name in printed 1 x 1 tiles. This sign currently says "IRONWOOD", as that's the name of my city layout. The model is now 8 studs deeper, allowing for more room for my hands when being worked on. Here we can see the street side of the station with it's new wheelchair access ramp. Here we can see the interior of the station, with blue ticket machines, seating, and snack bar on the first floor. The train tracking / switching controls are located on the second floor along with the employees - only coffee machine with paper cups.. This printed part here provides the computer display screen. Here you can see the modular breakdown of the model, which includes the following: -Station building (lower floor) -Station roof and Tower control room (upper floor) -Tower roof -left platform section -right platform section The LDD file is here, in case anyone wants to built their own version. (I will be building this version soon, most likely before Christmas.) Comments, Questions & Complaints welcome!

These locomotives are inspired by set 60052 (Cargo Train) in some respect or another. The F-10 passenger model takes cues from two sets, one being the classic 10200 (AT&SF Super Chief) with regards to the nose design, while 60052 (Cargo Train) takes over the design for the colors scheme. The freight locomotive is more a heavy duty 60052, with parts of set 10219 (Maersk Train) thrown in to make if beefier and more prototypical to the SD-40, which is a six axle version of the GP-40 it it was created to be. F-10 passenger locomotive This model takes cues from two sets, one being the classic 10200 (AT&SF Super Chief) with regards to the nose design, while 60052 (Cargo Train) takes over the design for the colors scheme. Since the last time I uploaded this model, I have redone the roof to make the engine the same height as my other diesels, and have redone the nose and cab windows. (again). The letters LCGR go on the bottom row of studs, while the numbers 3247 go on the top four. The rear of the engine units. Loco statistics: Engine Number: 3247 Engine Type: Diesel-electric Configuration: B-B Engine Class: F10-A (cab) F10-B (booster) Designer: Electro-Motive Division (EMD) Build Date: 1961 Builder: EMD Current Owner: Lodi Clearwater & Green River Rail-Road Top Speed: 70 MPH This is the cab unit, where the engineer sits to control the train. This model no longer has an interior. Fictional background: These locos are from a experimental locomotive series called the F-10, which was built in 1961-2 on an order of 20 locomotives in sets of two (3240 - 3260) for the relatively small Lodi Clearwater & Green River Rail-Road (also known as the LCGR) by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division. These consisted of 10 A (cab) units and 10 B (booster) units, and were originally painted blue with black bases / roof lines. The principal use of the locomotives was the commuter trains radiating out from the city of Green River, Louisiana. The highest honor for these locomotives (and their engineers), though, was taking the Midnight Special from Lodi, Mississippi to Houston, Texas. The locomotives remained in service while the railroad bled money and deferred maintenance due to financial missteps and bad management to the point where a small derailment and fire led to the subsequent burning of the entire Susie Q. Bayou bridge in 1987. After that, most of the battered and weary F-10's were sold to museums or scrap, although five of the best preserved ones were upgraded mechanically and electrically in 1997. These final five serve the financially stabilized and better maintained LCGR to this day. This is the booster unit, which provides extra pulling power to the train. It does not have a cab as it receives orders from the cab engine via multiple unit control cables hooked between the two locomotives. SD-40 freight locomotive Inspired by and mostly taken from instructions by Zephyr1934 for converting the 2014 set 60052 into a model like set 10219 (Maersk Train). The wheels, however, are modified from Anthony Sava's Alco MRS-1 diesel loco, turning this GP-40 styled loco into a simplified version of the Electro Motive Division type SD-40 diesel electric locomotive. The rear of the loco features twin marker lights. As on the passenger loco, their is space for four numbers of the loco and four letters (yes, I need to update the pictures!) for the railroad near the nose of the engine. Fictional background: In August 1966, Electro Motive Division (also called EMD ) delivered a group of thirty SD-40 locomotives to the Lodi Clearwater & Green River Rail-Road. (otherwise known as the LCGR) These locomotives numbered 3260 to 3290 were immediately put to use in the Railroad's workshops, and moving cargo from any of number of smaller on-line businesses and facilities such as the relatively large Cosmo's Bicycle Factory near Green River, Louisiana. The SD-40's were seldom repainted in cash-strapped LCGR service, and quickly earned the name "Bruisers" for their battered appearance and worn black-and-blue color scheme, although the engines were repainted and upgraded in 2002. (though the name “Bruisers” seems to have stuck!) I made this logo by using the Rock Island logo and the font "Union Gray" to make the words. The name of the railroad is a salute to the band Creedence Clearwater Revival. The name of one of this band's songs is "Lodi" while another is "Green River". (as seen my the logo) I also used bits from some of their other songs in the history of the railroad and it's trains, such as the "Midnight Special" passenger train and the "Susie Q." Bayou bridge. I've yet to write the whole history of the road, but that shouldn't be too hard to do. This is all I've worked out so far, and Comments, Questions, and Complaints are always welcome.

It had been a long time since I built an aircraft, So as the last project of summer 2017, I decided to build a plane. The goal was to improve on my last plane (The Gulfstream private jet, if you remember). I wanted to add a suspension system to the landing gear, make the wings more sturdy, improve control for functions, and have the jets on the wings, and to reduce the amount of illegal connections (nearly 20). I am happy to say all of these goals were achieved; the illegal connections brought down to only 2. Here is the video: I was lucky, as the weather was really photogenic while filming/ shooting pictures. Speaking of pictures, here are some: I drew a little runway out of chalk to make some effect. In conclusion, I am so much better with a pencil Honestly, I quite happy I built this. I hope you like it is as much as I do! Please leave you thoughts, as I would love to hear them. Planes are a favorite of mine, so I will totally build another one soon. Thank you! BrickbyBrickTechnic

This model was inspired by set 10199 / 10249, Winter Village toy Shop. I originally built this as an open-back building in 2013, and scrapped it in 2015 for a larger, full-bodied station. I never did forget about this model, and rediscovered it while looking for my Hogsmeade station to go with my Hogwarts Express model I had designed. The model will be finished in real bricks very soon, and as such I have tweaked it again by adding stairs to the top floor where the station master's office is. The track side also features a space for eight printed 1 x 1 letter tiles to be placed to designate the station name along with plenty of passenger seating along the five-track-long platform. That's three tracks longer than the new Winter Village train station, and mine also features a rear wall and second story! Here is the street side of the station. This side includes an overhang that protects passengers entering the structure from the rain along with a wheelchair / luggage ramp access to the platform. The model features two modular lift-off levels and two split-away platform sections, along with some inside details. The lower floor features a fireplace, four chairs, and a desk for workers to hand out tickets. The top level features the station master's office, which is accessible via the staircase from the lower level. Here is the complete LDD file. I already have 95% of this model collected IRL, and I just need to order the last 500 parts early next month. Comments, Questions, and Complaints are always welcome! UPDATED 8/23/17: added new pictures and staircase to the model. LDD file also updated!

This 2-6-2 Prairie type engine was inspired by the My Own Train series of 2001 and a boiler from set 79111 (Constitution Train Chase). The passenger coaches and baggage car were inspired by set 10015 (Passenger Wagon), and set 10194 (Emerald Night). They feature no interior but all three passenger cars have four opening doors. The baggage car has two opening doors, two sliding panel-doors and an "exploding" back wall inspired by set 79111. (Constitution Train Chase). The whole train together. Here we can see the rear of the train with the back wall (and dynamite) still in place. (You may notice the baggage car is a modified version of the green Western jail car I already have built) The yellow 1 x 4 bricks used are actually supposed to be green printed bricks with this on them. The tender features a coal bunker, and water tank, plus a ladder at the rear for accesses to the passenger train. The cab features a firebox door (a 2 x 2 round tile) and two printed gauge tiles. The coaches were inspired by set 10015 (Passenger Wagon), and set 10194 (Emerald Night). They feature no interior but all three passenger cars have four opening doors. The exploding baggage car was originally the Jail car from set 79111. (Constitution Train Chase) while gaining the styling of set 10015 (Passenger Wagon) and doors from 10194. (Emerald Night) This car has one play feature that is sure to blow you away: the back wall can be removed to get at the baggage compartment via the "dynamite" on the outside of the back wall. (actually, the roof top lever knocks the wall loose) Then your train robbers can make off with whatever valuable are inside! As usual, the LDD file for the whole train is seen here while the loco and tender by themselves are here. Comments, Questions, Complaints, & Suggestions are always welcome. This train is on my to-do list, but won't be built for a while... maybe this summer?

This fast electric locomotive and it's train was inspired by sets 4511 (2003's "High Speed Train") and sets 4561 / 4560 (1999's Railway Express), and has been dubbed the "Sunset Streak". The orange stripe on the train can be replaced with green, blue, red, black or yellow, while the white can be replaced with black, if you so desired. This model features two locomotives, each with either red or clear lights for either rear or head end duties. This print here is for the two windscreens (they aren't printable in LDD), while the train's number tiles (12 on one cab car and 16 on the other, for example) printed 1 x 1 tiles are not there and are missing from the file. Four of this print go on each power car, (on the left and right sides) like this: <- -> This is supposed to make the classic Lego train logo in tiles, which sadly has never been available in printed form at all. Each locomotive has an abundance of control tiles and two pantographs per cab car for power pickup from imaginary wires. Also on the train is four passenger cars with no interior and four half-stud recessed doorways per car. However, as it is LEGO after all, you could easily modify the cars to have removable tops, inside seats, and even and opening doors (Emerald Night style). The LDD file is available for download here. Comments, questions, and complaints are always welcome!

Historical background: The experimental Aerotrain was built by General Motors using hard riding Bus Bodies for coaches, a new untested (and quite complicated) air cushion suspension system, and an under-powered motor originally made for switching locomotives. Two of these trains were built in the 1950's as a way to entice passengers back onto the railroads and out of their automobiles. The hard-coupled unit had one engine and 10 cars attached, including the observation car. These low-slung units toured the United States as a test of it's abilities. Needless to say, it was a tremendous failure. It toured on four roads including the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe, New York Central, Pennsylvania Railroad, & Union Pacific before eventually being sold to the Rock Island for Chicago Commuter Service. In 1966, after less than a decade of service, one locomotive & two cars were sold to the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin, while the other locomotive and two cars were sold to The Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, Missouri. The train can come apart (unlike the prototype Aerotrain) into 6 sections: 1 engine, 4 coaches, 1 observation coach. Model Notes: The original train had ten cars, which would be hard to do in Lego (and it's kinda pointless as 9 of then are identical) I have five cars on my train, four identical coaches and one observation coach on the end. My Inspiration for this model came from this Brickshelf account here: http://www.brickshel...ry.cgi?f=497396 and i give 99% of the credit for the model to Brickshelf user enquete-art. The other 1% comes from me, such as the reworked front bogie, front and back windshields, window work and using this numbered tile in red: http://www.bricklink...sp?P=3070bpb063 I used a lot of SNOT to hold the diagonal windows & front engine slopes in place. other than that, it's pretty straight-forward building. I found this picture on Google. It comes from a 1950's General Motors ad for the Aerotrain. It has been used by several different blogs and groups according to my search, so it should be okay to post here. Comments, questions and complaints welcome!

A good friend of mine inspired me to build this loco after showing me a hover train from a TV show he watches. I changed it to red and then ran with the idea from futuristic hover mono-rail to 1930's streamlined Mountain-type steam loco. Other than the hover train from Legend of Korra, this model is not based on any specific prototype, though it bears resemblance to the South Australian Railway 520 class 4-8-4, and the Pennsylvania Railroad T1 Duplex type. This 4-6-2 engine uses the same basic design for the tender as my Southern Pacific 4-8-4 Daylight loco. The basis for the model's name is that if this engine were a Lego set (like the Emerald Night engine from 2009) it would be named something similar, such as the Ruby Sunset... this name is of the train it pulls and the engine itself, kinda like the Flying Scotsman. This locomotive originally was a oil burner, but I changed it to coal and gave the cab some detail, such as this printed control slope. The tender spells out the name of the railroad it is owned by, which in this case, it's Brick Railway Systems. Combination baggage and passenger car three identical passenger coaches The observation car of the 909 National Limited. The numbers stand for the distance (in miles) this train regularly runs. These train coaches were inspired by a vintage 2009 LEGO model of Galaxy Express 999 The real story behind the of the name 909 Limited is a combination of this fantasy train and the Beatles song "One after 909", which is sort-of about a train. Comments, Questions, and complaints welcome!

These diesel F7-like locos were inspired by set 10020, (Santa Fe Super Chief) and my dark bluish gray with white / light gray stripes train cars. The cab and booster units feature no interior details because I have no need for such items on my layout.. that and retrofitting all my trains with inside stuff would be quite costly. The name of this train these engine's pull is a play off the Missouri River Runner, a real train that Amtrak runs from Kansas City to St. Louis. The Meramec River runs next to the Wabash Frisco & Pacific, so I switched the name to the Meramec River Runner for my railroad. The number 7301 goes on the sides of the nose just before the windscreen, while BRS (standing for my railroad's name, Brick Railway Systems) should go in the middle of the cab unit's sides, just above the fuel tank. (I don't have all the tiles yet, so their is a blank spot for the railway name) The nose features two headlights and a split windscreen. The rear of each of the locos feature doorways to the next engine compartment, and / or the passenger train itself. Combination baggage and passenger car. (I built these cars a while ago, (about 2 years) but they needed better pictures and go with the newer diesel locomotives, so here they are.) three identical passenger coaches The observation coach of the Meramec River Runner. This car lacks the letters BRS (standing for Brick Railway Systems) but it is owned by that line. The train cars by themselves are inspired by the Wabash Frisco & Pacific passenger cars, except these are dark gray and not blue. Their is no LDD file for this train, but comments, questions, complaints, and suggestions are always welcome!

This is my latest project: a 4-6-4 Hudson Dreyfuss inspired stream-liner and it's corresponding train. It was heavily inspired by pictures from Anthony Sava's photo-stream from 2008 and 2007. No instructions were used to build this model. The railway name on the sides of the tender will read Legoredo Northwestern Railroad. The sides of the engine shall have the number 7444 written on it in official printed 1 x 1 tiles. The engine number comes from the screenshot number that was the first WIP shot that I took and coincidentally is near Mr. Sava's 7244 number on his Hudson - type. Here is a link to his model and the only picture I worked from: https://www.flickr.c...s-55973205@N08/ The rear of the engine has a ladder, two hand rails and a red marker light. Here is a close up of the nose of the engine. Fictional engine background: These fifteen 4-6-4 (4 leading, 6 driving, 4 trailing) streamlined steam locomotives were designed for fast passenger work on the Legoredo Northwestern Railroad. The three best riding locomotives of the batch were shrouded in a streamlined, aerodynamic casing, and were assigned to “the Rocket”. This meant they were usually flying along at top speed from New York City to Seattle, with one train going one way and another going the opposite direction. The third engine was held in reserve in case of breakdowns, ready to go at a moments notice. Fictional train background: Here we see the Dreyfuss Hudson pulling a passenger train called "The Rocket", heading from New York City to Seattle via the most northern transcontinental line in the USA. The train is run by the Legoredo Northwestern Railroad and gets it's name from the very fast speed of the train, and for the originator of all modern steam engines, George Stephenson's "Rocket" of 1830. This new train started being run exactly one hundred years after that famous engine began the era of the Iron Horse. The train consists of one baggage car, three passenger coaches, and one observation car. (these coaches are not in the LDD file) NOTES & LDD FILE: Here is the original NYC loco I was inspired by. (picture from Wikipedia) I have found over 500+ parts for this train, so this Art Deco loco and ti's consist will be (hopefully) finished by the end of this year. I also have the LDD file for the engine by itself here ( Hudson locomotive only ) comments, Questions and Complaints are always welcome!

(Mods, please note I wasn't sure where to put this, as it's a train / western / comic starring a few licensed Disney characters. Please put it where you think it should go!) In this thrilling tale of 60 miles-per-hour high speed adventure, the outlaw Blackheart Gang) switches a weapons-laden military train onto the same track as a unscheduled special, with disastrous consequences! See each sequence of this horrifying tale in colorized photographs and you too will ride the midnight train to Adventure! 7:07 PM - Denver Colorado: The military train pulled by engine 1 is heading out of the yard and onto the main line towards San Francisco. It is crewed by a small group of soldiers, plus fireman Samuel McGee and engineer Joseph W. Jackson. 8:00PM - Carson City, Nevada In another rail yard, the crew of the unscheduled special charter train pulled by loco number 3 is making sure the engine is spotless and ready to pick up it's party of potential railroad investors. The train is supposed to pass trough Fort Legoredo at 9:30 that evening, where it will let the military train pass by on a side track. 8:40PM - Fort Legoredo While making his hourly rounds, the station master of the Fort's railway station is ambushed by three Blackheart Gang members, and he is relieved of his switch keys. While trying to escape, he trips on an exposed rock and falls, where upon he is then shot dead. 9:23PM The switches are set for the freight train to fall into the hands of the gang, when a different whistle is heard from the other end of the track causing the bandits to hurriedly switch the tracks back to allow the special to pass by. 9:30PM With both train approaching the same switch at the same time, the gang works quickly to allow the passenger train pass by, but still diverting the convoy train. 9:32PM The engineer and fireman of the military train see what is about to happen and jump to the ground with the iron steed still powering on towards the switched track! 9:40PM The train reaches the end of the side track and derails, with steam and steel flying everywhere. Horses and cannons are sent scattered across the tracks, and the sleeping soldiers on-board will never wake again. 10:20PM After stealing all they and their horses can carry, the Blackheart gang set the steam engine to explode, then set off into the darkness. A posse rides out later that night from the local village to check out what made the explosion and they discover the gristly wreck. Meanwhile, out in the desert, the Blackheart gang begin to plan their next move. THE END Any and all thoughts, comments, complaints, and questions are welcome. This non-moving picture was shot on three 6 x 3 foot tables with a cell phone camera and no special effects... just so you know. Thanks for reading!!

Hi everybody, This is my first post and I'm super excited to talk to the Lego Train community. I have been a long time lover of the Metroliner and always wanted to get it, but since they're on the pricey side, I decided to design a high speed train, similar to the Metroliner, in LDD. I made the noses of the locomotives more pointed than the original model and did full interiors. For now though, I'll post just one picture. After I finished, I realized it gave a shinkansen vibe to it. I will post more pictures and maybe an LDD download link if anyone is interested later. EDIT: I'm back from vacation, so I put up the download for the LDD file and more pics. This is the locomotive. Originally, it was going to be almost a direct copy of the Metroliner engine, but I had to change the nose and I took out the passenger compartment and replaced it with an engine block. You can still see some of the Metroliner especially in the 2 side doors and maintenance hatch. Both locomotives on either side of the train are identical. I very hastily opened the removable roof in the build mode. It is worth noting that all the cars have removable roofs, but I'll show those later. Here is the Passenger/Dining car. Not much to say about this one. Another hasty roof removal, but it gets the point across. And now we reach the "Club Car" styled sleeper/observation car. The entire second floor can be removed as its own little box. Sadly, no stairs to get from floor to floor. A look into the sleeper section. Since the download is here, you can modify mine and make it even better, I'd love to see what you guys can do! I might post a complete parts list to this train and my switcher (Including colors) so anyone can make their own with their own colors. Just a thought. That's all for now though. High Speed Train (LG & B).lxf