simonwillems

I just returned from Rome, Lego is pretty hard to find and also expensive The little Big Town was a great let down, I searched the entire store (who advertises to sell Lego) twice, but I found a total of one single set, the Modular Town Hall. A bit overpriced. A better option is the Via del Tritone 116 (subway stop Barberini). A decent toystore whith a good selection of sets. They had the modulars, the Maersk train (at retail price, rare these days) and a selection of shop at home polybags and exclusives. They had the Green Grocer as well, pricetag: 1000 euros...

Beautifully done, I pass the real Amstelhotel a few times a week and your Lego version is instantly recognizable!

...which means that you are the proud owner of this cute little set: http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=3634-1

Hmm, I am at just 5,63% and I own 37 Star Wars sets, most of them from 1999. I stopped collecting them at the end of 2002. Somebody with advanced mathematical skills will now be able to calculate the exact amount of sets I have in total: I challenge you!

Sorry to bump an older topic, but I have recently bought one of the interference free track pieces for which this topic was created. The piece really works! I keep my 12v layout in a small room that also contains a radio. My radio still uses an aerial to receive the signal. I keep buying more and more track to extend my layout and when I got to a certain layout size (the one from the 7777 book with the bridge) I noticed my radio signal got disrupted, especially when I ran my three trains simultaneously on the same track. After fitting the interference rail near the radio the disruption was greatly reduced. There's still a slight crackling noise, but at least I'll be able to hear the music again... So when I get a hold of some money again I'm off buying more trains to run interference free (competing with Marktplaats bids against -Sok once more... )

Interestting thread! I found a picture of a European 6444 box. I own the set myself and it also came in this European box, with European leaflets. This picture is not mine, but taken from Brickshelf.

Since I tried making my own smoothly working powerfunctions/modelteam truck my admiration for your work has only increased. Despite of a life long experience with technic and motors I failed to make mine work properly. Too heavy, too slow... And that was just a truck with no trailer. You current truck is incredible: to fit so many cars on such a relatively cramped space and still looking realistic and being able to drive the whole thing using motors is a work of art. The NXT motor seems more powerful than the Large Powerfunctions motor, since with the L-motor it won't be possible to push those two other car transporters out of the way with the heavy truck-trailer combination. How do you control it? Can it be connected to the powerfunctions receiver? Keep these trucks coming!

I bought a blue bicycle for about 65 dollars a few years ago. It's standing outside of my house right now and I ride it everyday...

I wouldn't recommend that. I once connected the 13v outlet of the 12v transformer (the outlet that normally has a small strip over it to prevent you from accidentally plugging in the cables) to the track. The train motor produced a small cough and suddenly the holes in the motor where the connectorbolts are were 2 mm. wider in diameter... Not a good idea.

Well, we can guess why can't we? The guy maintaining it is probably on holiday, he deserves a break from moderating...

Well, there you have it: yet another reason to avoid McDonalds, next to the already familiar ones like unhealthy food and noisy children...

I often go to the little Legoshop in Alkmaar (called Perron 4), it's an official Lego dealer but the exclusives sold there are bought via Shop at Home by the owner. So the exclusives are there but are always some 10-15 euros more expensive than online. Happy shopping!

Thank you! I am not sure what you mean by 'ending the routes'? Maybe Built roads that are not leading out of the city? I always like to give the impression of a much bigger city of which I constructed only a small part, so that's why all roads are just passing through instead of staying within the city limits. Thanks! I have really fallen in love (if one could say that about Lego ) with the 12v system, it all works so smooth even after being made 30 years ago and bought second hand! Streetlights add a lot to your city and are great fun to install. Making them 12v volt Lego-ones like I did is quite expensive though, I paid about 7-10 euros a light, and I have 15 streetlights...

Thanks everyone for the nice comments! They mean a lot! Thanks! I had a big bin of bright red lying around and it was the only amount available at the time of construction that I had in the right quantity, so that's why it's red... A more darker tone would be nicer, giving that the original Dearborn Station also is more dark, I am waiting for the newer colors to become cheaper on Bricklink.... Thank you! I was amazed by the color of the 12v red light and it crossed my mind to build exactly the scene Amsterdam is famous for around the world. Moreover I had just acquired three torso's of the figurehead of the latest Pirate ship 6243, and they are perfect for 'the job' Haha, I fooled you there! Just as intended Yes, it actually is. This 12v light piece was sold by Lego between 1980 and 1991. It is a light the size of a 2x2 brick which connects to a powersource using little plugs that fit into the backside. It shines it's light to the front and downwards, which makes it perfect for streetlights. Set 7867 contains the streetlights and I managed to pick up a few of those in the past months. To accomodate the wiring half the city is raised by one brick, visible here on the bottom left hand side of the picture: The wiring is connected to a 12v and a 9v train speedregulator, in series of three or four lights. I am quite a nostalgica lover myself, I have been collecting the little cars and bikes for over 20 years now, and I still enjoy putting them together every once in a while. Thanks! I actually have seen a few Legostores made out of Lego (on the forum as well, but I can't remember by who) and when I bought a large quantity of the big transparent panels I wanted to give it a try myself. It was weird though, I have made lots of things out of Lego, but this was the first time I used Lego to construct...Lego!

Hello my fellow Eurobrickers, Long time no post from me, but I hereby present my city. I have been very busy the past year, but found some time during weekends to work on my city and to collect a vast 12v collection of trains, tracks and most of all: lights. The result is a city layout that is lighted up using a total of 15 12v original lampposts, working railroadcrossing using three red 12v lights, an original Amsterdam house with the remaining 12v red light used as part of a tiny red light district , 13 9v lights in some houses and the fibre optics system on top of my diner. Next to that, of course, some working train signals and four electric points. A lot of numbers, but let's start the tour: Overview of the city. It is build in a rather small room (my collection has been outgrowing my room for years now) so this is about the best overview I could manage. When building the station I was inspired by a discontinued station in one of my favourite American cities: Dearborn Station in Chicago. My station has two platforms, connected through a bridge and four 12v lights. The trains stop here automatically whenever the signals are red. The Legostore. No town can do without (unfortunately the city of Amsterdam has not yet reached that conclusion ). The store has Pick a Brick walls, shelves with sets, a life size Spartan statue, some built models, some wiring running straight across and lots more. All managed by a $50 minifig and lit up by a total of seven 9v lights. The roadside, seen from across the tracks, showing the Legostore, the modified 10184 theatre, the Cafe Corner and two other buildings. Notice the streetlights (I am very proud of them, you might have guessed by now ), the security cameras on the platform and the trees lining the street. Standing on top of a chair I took this top-down picture from the entire layout, showing in the top right hand side a grey building with a tower, my cycle shop. Close up of the cycle shop along with some wiring. We are supposed to be a mature website, so here is the tiny red light district in my Amsterdam styled house.... When evening falls the girls open their curtains and start waving at passers by. A red light is hidden inside to provide the right ambience. The 50's style diner in the park, lit up using the fibre optic system. Forgot to take a picture of it working though, but it does! The 12v control panel with my three 12v trains lined up in the back. Nightfall The trainstation at night seen from the tracks. The signalhouse in the distance is lit up with 9v lights. Standing in front of the Legostore, looking west towards Green Grocer. I think I like this nighttime picture the most of all: standing in the park and lit from the underside up, stands a building some might recognize as the Metro train station from the early nineties. View from the platform. The view from the theatre's second floor is great. Some security cameras are blocking the advertisements, but we all know what is showing at 7pm, don't we? Waiting in line for the closed railwaycrossing in the center of town, looking towards Cafe Corner. I needed three sockets for all the lights and trains, two of them are unfortunately very visible here... From a minifig's point of view the transportation of a camel in an open crate might seem strange. The passers by are not very focused, that's because they did not care to stop for the photographer but decided to hurry along Looking westwards from the busstop, having just missed the only available bus. Trainsignal number two is green so that means the train is gone as well. Maybe a stroll in the park is worth the while? The view from the train, having just left the station. Don't you just love slow cameras? This photo was taken with the train in motion, rolling towards the camera. The signalman is keeping a close watch overhead. And that concludes our tour! Very picture heavy, I know, for even more pictures, see my Brickshelf Gallery Question and comments are very welcome!

Nice shop, order is placed!

What a beatiful MOC! I pass the exact spot almost every day, and except for the Christmastree it is spot on. It reminds me to build some Amsterdam houses myself again. That is true, and I am one of them! I don't know what you mean by 'almost' though: tourists especially are a bumpy ride

I keep my ever growing 12v collection in my bedroom and I can for sure say it is dust that keeps the motors from starting up. After every night's sleep I need to push my trains. But I have one motor that only really picks up it's desired speed after six laps of track, squeeking from the inside... Still, it's among the best systems Lego ever designed, with all the remote controlled points, signals, railroadcrossings and decoupling units! Oh yes it is! I accidentally connected one of my motors to the 13v output last week. The noise was terrifying and one of the holes in the plastic casket where the connecting knobs stick through is now significantly enlarged...

This is actually possible with Lego! I am not near my collection so I can not show it to you, but with the necessary parts anyone can have a go with it. I did all sorts of experiments in the past with wheels and motors, and was amazed by this "ballooning" You need a wheel from set 8880 connected directly (with an axle of course but no gearing) to this 9v motor, connect a powersource and away you go! Don't expect the tire to come off, the effect is less wonderful than that, but the centrifugal force will create a small gap between the rubber and the rim.

Great idea, I'll be following it in the process. Being a purist myself I recently got into 12v trains and bought 14 of the old streetlights to incorporate in my town (set 7867). The only problem with that (next to the fact that you need to get used to a not really beautiful looking lamppost) is the thickness of the cables. They are hard to fit... Maybe I'll switch to LED's some day.

Lovely review of a great little town set. I own one copy and remember assembling it as a six year old boy back in the days... That catalog picture is one of my all time favourites as well, and some time ago I tried recreating some of it's beauty here. Albeit on a much smaller scale...

It looks a bit like a store-promo, are you sure it will be part of the Architecture line? If the latter is true I am forced to buy it, having all other Architecturesets (but the White House) It's a really tiny scale as well, but a building on the scale of the Empire Statebuilding model would have been quite big...

Very nice! It is indeed a car that has few distinctive features of it's own, but the taillights in your model really make it a Passat. Especially the lights themselves, with the red and white round plates attached on top of each other. Great work. Btw, I visited London and the Hamley's toyshop and was surprised to meet some of your models 'in the flesh', the routemaster bus and London-taxi. They are even better in real life then in the pictures here on Eurobricks.

Hmm, maybe there is moist between the layers of plywood? I am having the problem of varying trainspeed all the time, having set up my trains in the attic of a hundred year old house which over time sank in the soil a few centimeters on one side....

Great set, for a reasonable price. I'd rather buy the 10199 first, but after that... Expensive christmastrees though! A small one for $100 and a big one for $200 Well, technically the figureheads on some of the major pirateships from the eighties and nineties can be considered half-minifigs... But that was always the top half, not the bottom one.