Lasse D

Now THAT's the kind of modular buildings I like. Small and filled with details on the facade. How does it look from the left angle when connected to Caf

Those are some fine reviews and very, very positive. I just have to object on viewpoints on the box art though. I think it's wrong to show turning front wheels on the main model when the real model can't do so. It is a good set for the value and pieces, but the box is something LEGO shouldn't do again because it is possible to make a working steering mechanism in 8 studs wide.

Superb! This is the first time I have seen Clickits being used in a non-girlie manner. I also like how you have managed to make a cockpit that encloses like that. It is not an easy thing om mechs. Or so I heard.

I really, really like how these buildings look together. I would however like to see them in real life as well because of the effects you get right now with the coalescing of lines in the computer generated pictures which makes some different effects than what you might see in real life. Are there any plans for some real LEGO versions apart from module 1?

I'm actually pretty happy with my Market Street. There are some good ideas for decorations and a funny alternative use of Takeshi's hair. It is a nice little town you are beginning to have there Loco de Lego. Looking forwards to see that new apartment of yours.

I like 4 studs wide, and I really like the hood scope. It is also smart should the driver need an extra pair of pants :-P You see people using minifig hands, arms and legs all the time, but to use a whole pair of pants like you did is really great *y*

It is a very nice Mech, but when I first saw your first pic, I mistook the side of the head for the front. If you think of the 2x2 round boat base plates are eyes, it kinda looks like a depressed panda *wacko* *sweet*

When I saw this competition, I felt it was a great opportunity to get one of my old projects finished: The Rosenbauer Titan from 1987. I consulted UniqueBuilder to know if it was OK to have it be 8 studs wide (since I think that is the right size for this kind of ARFFs). Here is the first prototype. There are a lot of small details that have to be corrected for the final version, so I'm not posting it in the entry thread now.

> Stauder@55 This creation took about a week of building. I bought an extra Crawler Crane to get the parts, so there was actually quite a bit of planning ahead on this one. With 2 minifigs/bucket and 12 buckets, that should be 5000 minifigs |-/ Then think there will not be enough space for you as well. By the way. You have to buy a ticket - even if you know me! >:-) > Sinner, simonwillems and Asuka The Creator Ferris wheel is great if you want a ferris wheel, but if you think mine looks good, you should see this: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=187245 *wub* It might take a lifetime to set up, but it sure is worth it! It uses a non-LEGO part for the sign and bends the plates to achieve the round form, but I still think this is the most beautiful LEGO ferris wheel I have ever seen.

This looks like a really interesting project. I have a CLK-LM in my model car collection and it is one of my favorites from Le Mans. Would you perhaps make a '98 GT-one as well so that you can reenact the accident at Le Mans? Incredible that the driver could withstand such a crash! Good luck with the rest of the model. I hope you will take a lot of pictures for us who can't come to Zwolle this year.

Wow. That's even smarter! Lucky you X-O >5150 LEGO I don't have a picture that shows that, but I have the exact same system on this old trailer. It is a bogie with a single axle of connection in the middle so that it can tilt a bit back and forth. Pretty much the most basic way of doing it next to having no suspension at all.

You have to buy the set in a foreign country if you want it right now. It is one of the September releases so the Danish shops should begin to get it after September 3rd. I can't remember the MSRP for this set in Denmark, but I think it is about 470kr. (

I have taken some pictures of the secondary model now. It is a pretty basic tow truck with a lifting mechanism for the crane and steering mechanism as its only functionality. It is however a little more entertaining to play with than the primary model because of the way the two halves are connected. I suggest building this model if you want to play with it. (I have changed the crane slightly using an extra pin in the end so that I didn't have to cut the line) A thing I forgot in the review is that the crane of the primary model isn't good at picking up the pallet. I still haven't found a way to make it work because of the way the fork is suspended.

The box The truck comes in a big square faced box showing the main model on the front and secondary model on the other side: The build The model has polybags numbered 1 to 4 which makes the build very easy. It took me 2 hours to build with a sedated pace. There are 4 instructions manuals, two for each model The bags with 1 lets you build most of the frame After 2 you get the rest of the frame and the bed 3 Gives you the crane and fuel tanks, while the cab is made using the bags with 4. Functionality Being a medium sized Technic model, I expected a lot of functionality. This model gives you: - Working steering with the knob on the tilting cab. The ideal solution which beats the rear mounted steering wheel of the fire truck 8289. - Rear suspension. This is done using a bogie like on many other LEGO models. I expected something more special when reading the description of this "off road truck" - Winch. Extremely simple, but uses a technic pin with friction for... friction which is compact and nice. - Tipping cab. And what is beneath the cab in a truck? Nothing! Last time I saw a tipping cab without an engine beneath was the truck from 8062 in 1994. It had a mechanism for tilting the cab and the excuse of being a secondary model. - rotating crane with 2 joints. The upper joint is operated from the top of the crane which is a solution that makes the crane less fun to operate. I think all the functions should be controled remotely. If that requires pneumatic, then so be it. - Tipping bed. The bed tips by turning a knob on the side. It works well and you can tip the side panels up if needed. Design The only things I really love in this model are the fuel tanks. They look very good. The rest of the truck is pretty average. The interior is pretty much a copy of 8289, the bed is placed very high, but the proportions are good. The stickers are all on single pieces and are numbered to make the build even easier. Conclusion - Price: 6/10. Priced nearly identical to the Crawler Crane. Cheaper than 8289, but no real bargain. - Functionality: 4/10. I miss an enigine with working pistons and the steering on top of the crane drags the score down. - Design 6/10. It doesn't look bad, but not great either. There isn't much off-roading in the rear bogie and many of the ideas have been seen before. - Secondary model: 4/10. It is pretty much like the main model, but uses the crane base to connect the two halfs in the middle. An interesting suspension, but resembles the primary too much for my likings. - Modifiability: 4/10. It would probably not be hard to motorize it, make a better suspension or modify the crane to use pneumatic. Modifications like that would however almost make a new truck and then I would rather just play with the 8868 Airtech claw rig or 8828 crawler crane. Overall it is pretty much like 8289 regarding both functionality and design. It has slightly better functionality, but is really only average which leads me to the conclusion that this set is average in every way - There is nothing to set it apart, but nothing really bad either. - Final score 5/10. Better than 8289, but for the price I will recommend a crawler crane instead. (BrickShelf gallery)

As some of you have noticed in the thread for the Mini Truck, I have a little Ferris Wheel on one of the trailers (and the top of the wheel on another) The top is lifted using a crane like this one, a pin is inserted in the middle, 4 1x4 plates complete the wheel and the chain is lifted into place. It can all be done in a minute. The ferris wheel is motorized and the gearing can be changed. Minifigs can purchase tickets and there is space for a couple in each bucket. The mechanism is quite tough, so you can easily have minifigs climbing the sides or hang over the edges of the bucket (which was seen at Klodsfest 2007) (BrickShelf gallery)

Thank you for your kind words everyone. It makes me happy to see that others than myself can be entertained by this. About the price. I think 5580 cost 750-800kr. back in 1990, and with the inflation it is about three times the price of the Creator truck. That set is an unbelievable bargain by this measure. The big white truck stood right behind me, so I thought it would be fun to throw it into the mix. I can see many of you have noticed it. It is actually an ancestor of the Model Team truck, and it still shares a lot of ideas from this set. It is quite funny that there has been so many iterations that it is possible to build the original truck without parts from the current one (I only own a single 5580). To answer some questions. I started a thread about it in here when it was finished this summer. Here. You can find all the information you might want in that thread - and feel free to reply in it if you have any questions. (it has two beds in the back and took 14 days to complete after months of planning. The length of the trailer is 97 studs and the truck is 51 studs, less than the last one)

Excellent pictorial review. I didn't care much for this set when I saw it some time ago, but after seeing all the details I want it really badly! I hope it will be possible to get it here in Denmark - such sets disapear quickly!

I picked up the new Creator Big Rig 4955 a few days ago. Here is a review and comparison with the classic from 1986: 5580 Model Team Highway Rig. (Click the small pictures to enlarge) The box A nice big box with a computer generated picture just like on most other Creator sets. Remark the wheel in front is not turning. What you get Two instructions booklets, one with the main model and one for the secondary ones. There are 550 pieces and the primary model weights 519 grams (vs. 1 book of instructions, 637 pieces and 645g. for 5580) The built The Creator truck is built incrementally. The only larger sub-models are the doors, engine and engine cover. The old Model Team truck is more focused on sub-models. You begin with the frame and add everything in big parts. All the pieces on the table: There is plenty of space inside the frame of the Creator truck for modifications like motorization and a functional steering mechanism. Both trucks have very realistic looking engines with flywheels, cylinders and greeble. The engine compartments and doors can open on both trucks. The steering wheel on both can be changed to the opposite side right side if you prefer so. The finished models The Creator truck has a more agressive stance with its wide body (14 studs) and low cab. The windscreen is made of two 2x6x2 basic windscreens. It is hard to make a taller truck and still keep the proportions right with this setup. The 10x3x3 windscreen of the Model Team truck makes it easier to get more realistic proportions. The coupling on the Creator truck is huge, but is mounted using a couple of 1x1 connector pieces, so it doesn't hold very well. This makes it less attractive to build a matching trailer. To make a trailer for 5580 was such an obvious modification that you will find several examples on BrickShelf. As mentioned before. The engines of these trucks are really great looking. A huge improvement for Creator since Roaring Roadsters (4896) Conclusions Playability - 4955: 3. The doors and engine cover open up. Apart from that there really isn't much. The lack of steering mechanism makes Creator Cool Cars 4939 a better choice for the same functionality. - 5580: 7. It can do the same as the Creator truck, but the working steering mechanism simply makes it much more fun to play with. The moving rear axles makes it fun to drive over obstacles as well. Price - 4955: 10. The price for this trucks makes it into an absolute bargain - 5580: 5. You got plenty of bricks for the money back then, but it was one of the more expensive sets. Built - 4955: 6. It takes a very short time to build, but there isn't much into it. - 5580: 8. I prefer the modular built of this truck over the incremental one of the other. It is simply more fun to build the sub-models and set them onto the frame afterwards. Looks - 4955: 7. I like the looks of it, including inside the cab and engine compartment. The exhaust pipes are smart, but the over sized coupling and lack of side- and rear windows pulls the score down. The wheels are all with the wrong side out. - 5580: 10. This model is the father of all my Model Team MOCs. The realistic looks inside out is simply perfect. Secondary Models - 4955: 9. Just like most other Creator sets, the secondary models are great. The American looking car and Go-card are both good looking and ideas that improve inspiration. - 5580: 3. The off-roader needs some bricks that aren't in the primary model and the trailer looks like a poor excuse for using the spare bricks. It might go well together with 5510, but is really nothing special. Modifiability - 4955: 7. The model begs for a working steering mechanism, but the short front and wide wheels makes this modification hard without making larger changes to the truck. It is easy to put a motor between the rear wheels for propulsion. - 5580: 7. It is easy to make a different interior, a larger engine or even a trailer for this set. 5590 shows how to build a trailer and a search on BrickShelf will give you many ideas for modifications. Final Verdict The Creator truck is a real bargain. It might not live up to the old Model Team trucks and the lack of steering is a major letdown, but you get a good looking truck with some awesome secondary models for the money and I can highly recommend it for this. BrickShelf gallery

I finally got back to this truck so that it could get the new roof. Unfortunately I don't have my camera with me, so I borrowed one: The television had to be moved in the sleeping cabin: Edit: The BrickShelf gallery is public.

I don't care if it's cool, I just think your dog looks incredible cute in that picture. I couldn't help but laughing when I saw it. It reminds me of an episode of South Park X-D

It's one of the oldest problems: building rounded shapes. I could so as in Legoland and use tiles instead of slopes. It gives this professional look that gives you the impression of accuracy at its best, but I don't think it wits well with the way the rest of the truck is made. I would have to make the wind screen that way as well. It might be a good idea because a custom windscreen would fit better, but it would make it harder to look inside and make the model less realistic in that respect. I can think of 3 general ways of doing the slope: - Do as I using "roof slopes" - Do it the Legoland way using tiles - Use big rounded pieces and satisfy with the limited amount of shapes Since I don't have that many big rounded pieces and have playability as a high priority, I think I will change the roof into the one from the picture. Even if LEGO did release a huge blue piece that fits perfectly making it look like the truck from you picture (the second one :-P ), I'm not sure I would use it. It would just be too easy... like the new planes for the City Airport. It can turn. It uses the exact same dimensions for the coupling as the white truck: That is what I love with this kind coupling. It locks automatically and allows an extremely small gap.

Critique taken. I don't have the truck with me, so I can't change it right now, but here is an idea for a different design. It is inspired by the smooth design of the white truck, just as the current is from the previous white truck. What do you think of this idea? I have to fix the "wings" behind the cabin a little, but they will stay almost the same.

>Hinckley Yes. Thank you very much for that. I can see that I can't delete the post that I write, so that wasn't optimal. The whole browser simply died when I pressed "post", so it reloaded using the same post-info making my double post. I will try to change that so it can't happen in the future. Back on topic. The roof is the old design I used on the previous version of the rig for the service station. I can't use the big 8x6 tile because I wanted a rounding shape... and because I don't have it in blue :-$ I have actually used such a plate on another one of my trucks: The recovery vehicle. I can see where you're coming from. I will try to use the tile once I get one in blue - then we can see what looks best. Meanwhile. There are many, many solutions for a cabin in the roof. I will soon finish the photos for the "brother" of this truck where it's done in a completely different way. (Btw. Notice that I actually wrote your name right. Success!) >Asuka Thanks. So you noticed the ferris wheel *wub* Well. I didn't exactly do my best to hide it :-P

See the latest update in post 14 below Back in 2005 I changed the extremely small blue truck into a real truck where the trailer with the mobile gas station would fit onto. It was still a small truck, but now that the mobile service station has grown in both size and weight and introduced a new coupling standard, I had to rebuild all the other trucks that had couplings for trailers. The little blue truck was first in line. (See all the pictures in the BrickShelf gallery) It has received a much more rigid frame with an extra axle in order to cope with the weight of the new trailer: The doors, exhaust pipes, interior and engine are also all new. A sleeping cabin has been added to the roof. It is only the overall shape and color that has stayed unchanged. So. A good and throughout update and everything is OK... or so I thought. I started playing a bit with it and let some of my friends do the same. We quickly found that this truck had some major problems: - The mirrors didn't stay on - The engine cover was too hard to open - The cycle-mirror had to be adjusted for the right door to open - the coupling released when turning It was back to the drawing board. The mirrors are now using stronger bricks for joints. The engine cover is no longer locked using bricks. The cycle-mirror has been moved a tile upwards and a whole new release system has been made for the coupling. You now only have to press one of the black buttons between the fuel tanks on the sides instead of turning a knob. The malfunctioning system was troublesome because of the suspension in the rear. This is no longer a problem. An elastic keeps that from happening while a couple of Technic Bionicle teeth make sure the release mechanism works:

I want more! Seriously. I love such small LEGO animations. You just can't get enough of that. It's a shame there are so few on the common video-sites. I don't know if it's a good idea to put it in your signature. It depends on how you post and how often you display it. If it can be kept moderate, I have nothing against it... not that I have a say in the matter, but still *pirate*