supertruper1988

this just isnt true. The light weight LDraw editors are much better at complex models and high part counts vs LDD and Studio.

I would recommend LDCad. Studio is good but for LDCad there are scripts for alignment and such of parts.

you can find the parts on l-draw.org and then add them to the custom parts folder.

No its even more 5 studs is 12.5 plates and the XXL are 13.5 plates. I woul recommend 6 studs center to center (so a 7 L beam)

@legoman666 made some out of cloth available here: https://www.bricktraindepot.com/product/cloth-signal-cover-12-pack/

He has exited? He is just slowly releasing the files on his site and Brick Train Depot has secured permission to sell prints of the designs. Prints will be done by OKBrickWorks.

Sorry to hear of this! I know I am not Tom but I am an owner over at Brick Train Depot. We will be offering his full line as he makes them available. He has not released the Monorail track yet but when he does, we will offer it. I know its unknown on a timeline, but there is some hope that there is a solution on the horizon.

This isnt a real hospital. "Hospital train" refers to a train that has broken equipment in the consist. https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,2934891

Most gondolas are measured on the inside of the gondola. So 65’ is 52 studs on the inside but that is obviously not always possible to model exactly in LEGO.

I cant speak for BMR but as the writer of the article and part of generating the standard, I would suggest the 20' container size because it is the same as the Maersk train set containers. This would enable clubs who may not build larger, 8 wide, builds to also participate.

Looking really great! Especially the transparent colors. Might I suggest 2 things: 1.) the top surfaces are very washed out and bright, for example, the second image of the Blacktron car is not black on the tops of the front slopes. 2.) it seems that the whole image is "dull" but I am not sure if that is a problem with the HDRI used or the render light handling.

I have found that I do not end up using built in PDF exports for my instructions. I export all the images as transparent PNG files that are 300 DPI then I use a program like Adobe Indesign or Affinity Publisher to apply covers and put all the page images on a page then I export from those programs at 150DPI making the files smaller. Hope this helps.

This is incredibly accurate. I design and sell lots of instructions, probably more than most folks in this hobby. It takes a lot of work to even just sell a PDF+decals for the builds. A crucial step and determination of making a build is designing it, but then actually building it. I can learn more in 1 test build with physical bricks than I can in 100 hours on the computer. For example, I designed and sold a small 0-6-0 steam locomotive for Iron Horse Brick Co. We sold a physical instruction kit which included the side rods, decals, power adapter, and the printed instruction manual that was 100+ pages. When I designed it, I put together the drive train and tested it for 25+ hours before I ever considered even building the rest of the locomotive. That is no small time investment. I want a product that looks good and works well. Sure next time I design a 0-6-0 or any X-6-X locomotive, I will start with that drive train because I have run it for more than 100 hours at this point with 0 issues. I will of course have to test pilot truck designs and frame designs for any non 0-6-0 locomotives but at least I put the time in to make it work correctly and sell a product I can fully support. LEGO also does this but even if they put 1000 man hours into a design/test/instructions cycle on a product, they can expect to sell 100,000 or more copies which means the added cost to each set is pennies. If I put 100 hours into a design/instructions/test, and sell 10 copies, then I have to get 10 hours from each sale. If I gave my self a "wage" that would be $200 per sale in labor time alone and I have only made instructions at this point. If you check out the links in my signature, you will see that the pricing means none of my instructions will pay me back for my time in near future time frame.

Looks great! Love the slanted piston detail. Great Job capturing it here.

So much this. @SteamSewnEmpire when was the last time you designed a model that ran on track in the brick? I can "design" a model in a day, will it run on track and hold together when handling? Probably not. @Jeffinslaw is correct there are hundreds of hours into instructions alone, then you add order and dealing with BrickLink sellers, counting parts, sorting parts, etc it adds up FAST. Just look at other custom kits available from places like BrickMania and Armor Brick or heck even Brick Model Railroader. Those prices range from $0.50 to upwards of $1.00 per part and they sell reasonably well. @Daedalus304 put it into perfect words. This is a custom, short run, piece of art. The price comparison to LEGO is not even close they wont produce a set unless they think they can sell tens if not hundreds of thousands of them. (yes I know there are exclusives for events but thats not the point here) They can take the couple hundred man hours of design, testing, instructions, redesign and spread that cost out over a LOT of sets. @coaster is not making hundreds let alone thousands of these kits so he needs to recover the cost of his time for these. Yes its expensive but the idea that it could be designed "overnight" is a total fantasy.

There is honestly enough flex in the trailing or leading trucks normally that you will not need to worry about the half plate difference. If it is affecting the design, you would either need to mount the pilot and trailing trucks differently or use a size that is smaller but a whole integer number of plates from the driver size. like MS instead of S for the pilot wheels. Also the plate sizes mentioned above are the diameter. The center of the wheel is 1/2 plate different from its neighbor. If you have to have whole plate mounting height differences for your design, then you will need to use sizes that are multiples of 2 away. I hope that makes sense.

Here is a size chart I put together: Most North American modelers seem to use 8 studs 10 feet which converts to 1 plate is 6" you can then do a little math and get the size. For reference, LEGO makes the S and L sizes. Big Ben Brick makes S, M, L, XL, and XXL. The other sizes in between were conceptualized and developed by @Shupp The XLL size was suggested by Matt Csenge and Developed by Scott Hoffmeyer.

looks great!

Wow these are awesome! Love old model team stuff!

Im dying hahahahha

This is awesome! can any of the other hull pieces be used in con junction to make it longer? I am imagining a luxury yacht

I think I liked your previous version better. CP Royal Hudson 3 by Shrike Arghast, on Flickr

Just going on the width (8 studs here) you are like 5-6 plates too tall

Looks pretty good! What scale are you working in? it looks quite tall.

I can understand what you are saying but I am asking where the line is drawn? The wheels from BBB were brought into the LEGO system (at least the L sized driver) for the emerald night. The track options that are available match the look and feel of LEGO track but replacing all that will a more "scale" option would start to go out side of LEGO to me. I wasnt attacking here just asking, how far is too far? What is stopping us from just going to this? https://www.maerklin.de/en/products/details/article/44734/