Lasse D

Thanks a lot for your kind word. The truck is powered by an NXT-motor. It has a lot of power and the right dimensions.

It has now been some time since I asked for your opinions on the cars of the Creator Highway Transport. Ricecracker asked if I would like to participate in a "Creator-Model Team collaboration". This is now exactly one year ago. While Ricecracker did a minifig version, his challenge was to include at least as many details as the Creator set. My challenge was to build a motorized Model Team version. Here is my result. The truck is a Mercedes Benz Actros with EVO Plus 11 bodywork. The red car is a Honda S2000 while the white one is a Ford GT. Fully loaded it carries 11 cars (12 if they are small) The truck has a new kind of steering which is biased towards the center but not self centering. The small middle pair of wheels can be lifted using a switch as seen in the video. It is beneath the front ramp of the trailer that an additional 12th. car can be squeezed in. The trailer has en extensible lower ramp, a middle ramp that lifts... and an upper ramp that tilts in two places for cars. And itself: Brickshelf gallery with additional pictures. Brickshelf gallery for my cars. It is quite fun to play with, and the use of the hockey-brick for nearly-self-centering steering makes it easy to drive around. I'm controlling both the truck and camera in the video, so it looks a bit clumsy, but it works quite well IRL

Thank you. It is my own rule that I will only build one truck of every maker in order to ensure variety. This particular truck, however, will be made in two versions: The one I'm working on now and a simple version that is much tougher and easy to build using instructions. Good call Richie. 8872 was the truck that led me to improve the coupling system over time. History time! (Click on the pictures for the complete galleries) Back before 2003 I used the simple turntable from 5580 and 5590 as the fifth wheel. The police truck from back then took it a step further and allowed an x-axle from the trailer to turn the truck. This was "Type 1": My "Mini truck" back then did not allow for steering from the trailer. Type 2 was a system inspired by 8872 which allowed for automatic coupling that locked. It was a simple system where an x-axle would go into the tilting clutch. This system was compatible with the old one, but not easy to use. This was in 2003. I quickly got tired of the difficulty of using this system because of the precision required. System 3 allowed for a larger knob on the trailer and was thus much easier to use. This system still used a tilting part on the truck and pretty much a copy of what you see on 8872. I used this system from 2003 to until 2009. In 2008 I changed to coupling system type 4 which is the one I use today. It allows for an even larger knob (2x2 round brick) and is more reliable than previous version by simply having a latch. Here is the Mini truck from 2009: The police truck is now my Scania which uses a compatible variant of the same system. And a bonus. The youtube video showing system 4 in action:

Thanks. I'm all about those mechanical details in as little space as possible. Forgot this comment. The rims are from the two large republic gunships that LEGO has released. The front wheels are from the old one which used the rims made for Model Team, while a thin tire separates the rear wheels which are mounted on the new rims which aren't made for Model Team tires. Front: Rear: between I never paint my bricks ;) Now back to the new unknown truck. I have updated the mechanism as mentioned: YELLOW: Steering. When the steering blocks, the power is transferred to the rest (red). RED: Geared down by 3 compared to last time. The clutch mechanism has moved to the coupling itself so the green mechanism can move even when the red is blocked. GREEN: New mechanism to lift the middle axle. The added torque and angle of movement makes this part work, finally! And for those who still want to guess what I'm building, I have a little more of the front now. Now I have to find a smart way of making the battery box easy to replace once the cab is built. I have made a very simple way of doing this with my cement truck, which I can show later.

Yes. The M motor powers all 3 functions without any gearbox or external shifter. I have just built a new version where the red part is geared down by 3, the coupling uses a clutch and the middle wheels are lifted without clutch. The green part is stationary and it seems to work! I had to do some voodoo tricks in order to make the coupling work, but it's all legal. I expect to post pictures once it's light again (I have to use a very old camera since my new one broke down).

Actually. I have built an Actros, but it has not been revealed here yet. Now to the mechanism. Power is transferred by the diff from the M-motor. The red route controls the coupling, while the green uses the pink handle to lift the middle pair of wheels. For the green line I'm relying on the clutch toward the motor has more friction than the one toward the rear. Unfortunately the system is limited by the red route which only allows for about 20 degrees of rotation, which is too little to run the green line. I'm looking at an alternate way that only uses the red line with some different clutches, but feel free to present your own ideas :)

Content of first post by me Right now I'm building a 6x2 truck. The steering motor controls additional functions. When the steering is locked to one side, the power is transferred to the coupling, but I have added an additional function. The middle wheels lift when the coupling is disengaged, but I'm not yet satisfied with it. There is not enough power to lift it properly. Besides, steering normally will make the wheels move too. There is an additional problem that the frame isn't stable and bends upwards a little. I'm sure I will find a solution eventually, but this is the progress I have so far. Content of second post by me No right guesses yet. Hint: I only build one truck of each maker. Here is my current collection. I might have found a solution to one of the problems. I will try it out tonight and perhaps make renderers of the mechanisms for you guys to see (if I get the time).

I'm not saying that this should be forced on builders. I'm simply looking for a preferred way to handle this since we keep getting into the same problem over and over again.

FAW Jiefand 6x2 from Post #8 Evolution of coupling mechanisms from Post #19 40ft container trailer from Post #32 FAW Jiefang simple version from Post #35 Container crane from Post #36 FAW Jiefang simple and robust version from Post #45 Scania R340 4x2 Highline from Post #60 20ft container trailer from Post #127 20ft container from Post #131 Scania R-series Topline from Post #174 Updating the Scania R-series 4x2 Highline from Post #183 MAN TGS 8x4 Cement Mixer from Post #183 Volvo FM 8x2 Container Transport from Post #233 For every creation I present there are a lot of ideas that never get shown. I will use this thread to show my latest WIPs, ideas and prototypes of Model Team creations, which typically means trucks with Power Functions. Feel free to chime in with comments, ideas and critique.

It happens now and then that people on Ebay and elsewhere try to sell models built by AFOLs, such as recently seen by Jurgen's Little Devil: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=58204 Now. People like Jurgen and others make instructions free for use without asking for money, but wants you to credit him when you modify, sell or copy his work. This is beyond fair. People put a lot of work into instructions without asking for anything but credit. Still. This is too much to ask according to some Ebay sellers, so I would like to find a way to better prevent people from violating this rule. I don't have any experience in this area, but after a little bit of research, it seems that using a license like "Open Publication License: Attribution" is exactly what is needed. It allows you to do exactly what I described and holds up legally. My questions are. How exactly do we put a license onto our instructions? And is this the best way? I have added a poll for that second question :)

Thanks for the report. It matches the intuition I have of the beams. Sorry about the pieces.

If that German set is real, then LEGO has changed its policy of 'US landmarks only'.

Nice control. The truck really seems to go!

After building the Echo, I have transferred the new design of the bonnet and windscreen to the Yaris. It turns out that the hinge plates that I used to indicate the emblem also gave too many restrictions in the design of the hood. By removing this detail, The lights could be changed as well, while maintaining the short bumper of this Euro spec. version Together with the Echo.

IIRC, the two types of bricks are not even made of the same type of plastic. (Can't find the presentation right now). Simply take one of each and try to bend it with your bands in order to get a feeling for it. Allowing your frame to be flexible can also be a strength. Try to drop a liftarm construction and a classic technic model and you will see the largest advantage of liftarms in kids play.

Just cut it in half. Problem solved. An airtank has a width of 4 studs, that is 4*0.8cm = 3.2 cm. However. You might want to use an envelope with padding, thus making the letter too big.

@Ape Fight You not a good builder? You MOCs on MOCPages would beg to differ. I would rather ask OP what he is intending to build just be be sure that recommending a liftarm type construction would be a good idea. If you want to make a Model Team looking creation (like the tow truck posted above), then liftarms might not be the way to go.

Thanks for the review efferman. You effing rule :) I'm going to get this set because of the wheels which I'm having an unnatural consumption of. I hope the rest of the bricks can be used as well because then I could have a good reason for hoarding this set like I have done with the small tractor sets (for rear wheels)

Someone here is linking to a picture on a password protected file: "https://homedrive.ziggo.nl. The site says: "Webspace login voor pvheeren@casema.nl" I encourage you all not to give your password in the prompt in case you are inclined to do so. Anyway. Nice little crane you got there.

I'm pretty sure I have replied in this kind of thread before with pretty much the same words as I did in my first post in here, but after scanning my whole posting history, I have been unable to find the said thread and post. Perhaps I have to hand over my black belt in googling.

Wow. The building style is retro Model Team and I absolutely love it! I want to give these old Scanias a try as well, although my style might not give the same kind of nostalgia trip. This seems like a very good start fresh out of the dark ages.

I would purge the whole box where it is found. One could also clean all the bricks in a dishwasher. Or if possible, nuke the site from orbit. It is the only way to be sure.

Wow! It actually works! Sure it is slow, but it could walk around outside in the hot weather :) Now we just need a solar powered Braitenberg robot which doesn't need assistance when it gets stuck.

Great analysis DLuders. Now we just need a video

I'm pretty sure the solar panel does not produce enough power to make the motor run. I'll be happy to be proven wrong.