jonwil

If the issue is search engines combing the site then (unless having the site indexed by Google is important), maybe the answer is a robots.txt that tells the search engines what not to index.

I have no idea how the numbers work out but maybe the answer for sets like this (pirate advent calender) where TLG doesn't think they will necessarily sell in the US is to offer preorders. i.e. "if enough people put their name down to buy the set before a certain date, we will ship some over to the USA". So really kind of like a regular shop @ home preorder except that if they dont get enough orders, they refund everyones money instead of shipping the set. I have seen it done before by other companies to judge the viability of releasing a limited edition or otherwise special item.

With regards to Octan, I remember reading somewhere that TLG stopped licensing and using Shell for their sets (and invented Octan instead) because Shell as a company was under increasing pressure from lobby groups (environmentalists etc) and LEGO was concerned about being hit with the same pressure for supporting Shell and making Shell sets.

Ideas for new City Impulse sets: Postman impulse (already mentioned up-thread, this is a revised version of my idea), parts: red postman torso black legs yellow Head Beard with Raised Gray Eyebrows and Open White Mouth red baseball cap red-brown messenger bag red bicycle blue minifig container d-basket 2 x white tile 1 x 2 with letter pattern Mechanic impulse: light blue torso with overalls and tools in pocket blue legs yellow Head Beard around Mouth, White Smile, White Pupils red baseball cap black bar 1 x 4 x 2 with studs (to hold the tools) black spanner/screwdriver black hammer black tap 1 x 1 white brick 2 x 2 round white plate 2 x 2 round green plate 2 x 2 round blue plate 2 x 2 round The last parts make an octan oil drum Paramedic impulse: white torso with star of life, pocket and buttons pattern white legs yellow Head Glasses with Silver Sunglasses, Eyebrows and Thin Grin black male hair white stretcher with wheels black briefcase light bley brick 1 x 1 (for oxygen bottle) light bley tap (for oxygen bottle) light bley plate with clip (for oxygen bottle) light bley tile 1 x 1 with gauge (for oxygen bottle) Skateboarder impulse: red torso with 3 silver logos and dark blue arms (or with regular blue arms or red arms) blue short legs yellow Head Male Messy Red Hair, Smile, White Pupils light bley sports helmet blue skateboard with black wheels black bar 1 x 8 x 2 2 x black tile 1 x 2 with 1 stud 2 x dark bley slope 33 3 x 22 Last parts make something for skateboarder to skate on Anyone got any other ideas for City impulse sets?

That batman train looks impressive, its got me thinking more about my idea I had to MOC the steam time machine locomotive from Back To The Future 3 (I already MOCed the regular non-time machine logo from the movie)

Me, the River Heist (which I bought) or the Robo Attack (which I will be buying once I got the cash to do so) are the best sets (mostly because of the figs). That Dollar Bill fig is the perfect bad guy for my James Bond film set MOC. And the metal jaw helmet (from a different Agents set) will look great for the sidekick of said bad guy.

I vote 100% for more impulse sets. A postman impulse would be PERFECT. Postman fig (hat, head, torso, legs) Red bike (red because thats the only color TLG makes, its unlikely they would make yellow or some other color just for one set) Indiana Jones messenger bag (same as how it was used in the new fire station modular building) Mailbox (same as the one in the mail van) Plus 1 x 2 letter tiles (2 maybe)

When I was a kid I had the classic 7722 battery train set (no longer have it though). My first train set as an AFOL was (like others in this thread) the 4561. Regardless of how good it is as a train, it IS a good parts pack (both train specific bits and general bits like the trans-blue windows)

With regards to the Space Police III impulses, 8399 and 8400, here is the story from my experience: A local AFOL did pick up both sets during the Big W sale from a Big W (one copy of each). Calls by myself to every Big W I can get to (this was back when Big W were the only one with Space Police) ended up with some stores (including the one they were purchased from) saying they had no stock, others claimed to have no knowledge of the sets and some even thought I was asking about the larger Squidman Escape set. I have not seen either set myself in any retail store (if I had, I would have bought them on the spot) The latest installment comes from todays trip to the Toyworld in Fremantle who had a bunch of new stock including IIRC, some new Indy and City Corner. They also had some Space Police. When I asked the person working there about the impulse sets (showing her the catalog), she first said "none of those sets are out until September according to this catalog", then when I showed here the larger sets on the shelf, said that no, she didnt know anything about the impulse sets. She even checked their price list which had no mention of either 8399 or 8400. So as of now there HAS been at least one sighting of both sets but nothing since then. These 2 sets (and the Agents 2.0 robot) are the last items on my wishlist until the xmas sets like the advent calender and xmas house appear.

Around here in Perth mostly what I see is the impulse sets and occasionally one or 2 of the others. Not that I mind, I bought all that I wanted (impulse and cannon battle), not building Pirates (plus I got a re-issue BSB already) so I dont care about the larger sets. Now if only someone would get some stock of the Space Police impulses :( (oh and a sale on the Agents 2.0 robot would be nice too :)

It has no interior (when it goes on the layout you wont be able to see the interior anyway). I will consider adding some sort of detailing around the base once I talk to the guys and find out how it fits with the rest of the layout (e.g. do they want plants around the base, paving/street furniture or something else?)

The odd thing about the impulse sets is that another local AFOL said that he found both of them at a Big W during the Big W sale. Assuming that wasnt a mistake (as in Big W being sent and/or putting out items they shouldn't have), its odd that they havent shown up anywhere else.

Here are some pictures of my new Police Precinct. It takes design cues (and parts) from the current police sets http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol1.jpg View of one side (including the crime lab and stairs leading to the second level). Note the tools (including the camera) in the rack next to the stairs. http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol2.jpg View of the other side (including the cells area and control tower) http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol3.jpg View of the center part with the garages, searchlights and communications mast. http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol4.jpg View of the cells with an officer locking a prisoner into a cell. More tools (handcuffs, radio and torch) in the rack at the side as well as security cameras watching the cells. http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol5.jpg View of the control tower and communications mast. http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol6.jpg View of the crime lab. http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol7.jpg View of the helipad. http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol8.jpg Overhead view of the complex. http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol9.jpg The evidence locker in the crime lab. Note the safes (holding money), all the weapons and the packages of drugs. http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol10.jpg The crime lab with examiners examining various evidence. Also, a DNA analysis machine. http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol11.jpg Dog Kennel http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol12.jpg Coroner examining a corpse (complete with gloves) http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol13.jpg Another view of the crime lab with the mass spectrometer to tell the examiners what something is made of http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol14.jpg Rear view of the garages with tools http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol15.jpg Suspect being interviewed. "For the benefit of the tape, I am now showing the suspect exhibit KN1, a large combat knife" http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol16.jpg Cop on break drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. In the background you can see the coffee machine and water cooler (both designs taken from the current police station) http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol17.jpg Rear view of the station http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol18.jpg View of the cops hard at work including the chief of police (with a coffee in his hand) http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol19.jpg Radio operator with map of city so the operator knows where all the vehicles are http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol20.jpg Detectives hard at work http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol21.jpg Another view of the cells http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol22.jpg A view of the morgue (including the fridges used to keep the corpses cold so they dont decompose) http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/police2/pol23.jpg View of the autopsy table with a corpse being examined It is planned that this will appear on the next club layout with a parking lot next to it for all the police vehicles to park on. I have ideas to build a helicopter (based on the Bell Huey), a 4x4 for the crime lab, an unmarked car for the detectives, a dog squad van and one of these: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WA_Police_GC111.jpg as a prisoner transport van

Here are some pictures of my latest MOC, a day spa (where people go to get pampered with massages, beauty stuff etc) http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/spa/spa1.jpg http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/spa/spa2.jpg http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/spa/spa3.jpg http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/spa/spa4.jpg http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/spa/spa5.jpg http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jonwil/spa/spa6.jpg It mostly started out with me wanting to make a building with this roof style (and a courtyard in the middle). Then when I got the family home, I came up with a plan to build an apartment building using the tan/white window/red roof color scheme with the swimming pool in the middle. Then I thought of adding the columns. After that, the pool became a spa (because I dont have enough parts to make a pool). By the time I had built the first level (up to the top of the columns), I realized it didnt fit for an apartment building and changed the design to be a day spa.

Has anyone seen either of the space police III impulse sets around anywhere? Or the Agents 2.0 stuff?

My original plan was to build a fairly large apartment building (at least 3 full stories) but I realized I would never have enough tan or enough windows. Plus when I got the first floor complete, I realized it didnt work as an apartment building. Ended up changing the intent of the building into a day spa (the kind of place you go to get massage, beauty treatments etc). And then when I build the second level and roof, turned out I had just enough tan to pull off what I wanted (and just enough red roof bricks also) Pics to come once I get some light thats usable.

I already own one Model Town House. Thanks for the advice, I will keep building until I run out of tan bricks (mostly from Model Town House and Family Home and a few other things) and then if I still need more for what I have in mind, I may go ahead and pick up another Family Home (or place a Bricklink order)

Can anyone suggest a good source of tan bricks in sizes 1 x 4 and larger? I already own the Creator Family Home, are there any other current/recent sets with a largish quantity of tan 1 x 4, 1 x 6, 1 x 8, 1 x 10, 1 x 12 or 1 x 16? (or do I need to buy another Family Home or order on Bricklink to get more?)

Best is definatly the 10020 town plan really although there have been so many GREAT sets recently. Worst, would be anything that says "clone wars" on the box.

What parts do people here think they would order through LUGBULK if they could (restrict this to only parts that are likely to be available). Parts I would like to order: Barbed Wire Yellow antennas or lightsaber blades (or other parts) to produce fields of crops similar to those in the farm pictures in the back of various City instruction manuals. If the lightsaber blades are used, yellow 1 x 1 cones would be used to hold them up. Again yellow lightsaber blades or antennas (again with cones if using the lightsaber blades) to make the base of Australian traffic lights 1 x 1 with stud on sides (all 4 sides, 2 sides, 1 side etc) in black for the body of the traffic lights 1 x 1 round plate in trans-green, trans-red and trans-yellow for the lights 1 x 1 round plate in yellow for the top of the light New City Corner windscreens for use in building buses and bus stops Doors in trans-smoke for buses (the doors and windscreens are really the only parts of my bus design that are difficult to obtain in quantity) Possibly certain sizes of window and/or clear panel (which sizes I dont know)

Favorites: Handcuffs (would LEGO please release them in black thanks) Batman machine gun Batman automatic pistol Barbed Wire (just wish there was an easy way to obtain more, maybe if our group joins in on LUGBULK we can add it to our order) Monkey Wrench Key Telescope Lightning Bolt Dynamite All the great new hairpieces they have been comming out with lately Least Favorite: Batman grapple/handcuffs Bat-A-Rang Bat-Spinner Troll/Orc swords Space Scanner Tool Fire piece

The torso I ended up using is this one: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=973pb408c01 And for the head, the peter parker head (from the spider man lab set) Good idea on the latex gloves though, I might update my fig to use those.

I ended up using a doctor torso from one of the recent hospital sets (the ones with a stethoscope and a pocket with pens) for my coroner minifig in my crime lab (along with the peter parker glasses head)

Anyone got any ideas on how to produce a scientist type minifig in a lab coat or scrubs or etc? Someone who might work in a lab where contamination is a problem (its for my crime lab) Not interested in custom decals/parts, only stock torsos and heads and stuff.

Nice MOC. You captured the look of the stuff perfectly. The idea of a minifig scale Wonka factory sounds great.