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Murdoch17

Eurobricks Grand Dukes
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Everything posted by Murdoch17

  1. Murdoch17
    Well, I had to use a couple of nice coupons, but it's been done when I had given up hope: Benny's modular classic space walls have been ordered as shown for Christmas. I scrapped the Embassy-style building and went back to the original town-based building I already own to make things cheaper, and then ordered all the parts shown from Bricklink with two 20% off coupons I've been saving. Granted, I won't be able to build it until late December, but when I do, it's gonna be so cool!
  2. Murdoch17
    This car was a @hachiroku design of a early 1950's Hudson Hornet that I modified into being build-able in orange to be used as Bob's current car. (you can see the original Hudson Hornet model here.) Why the sudden change since yesterday? Benny has a 8 wide car on my layout, so Bob must in turn have a 8-wide car. Officially, I call it a pride thing, but in reality, I just worked up the guts to try to rework the very advanced design that Hachiroku made. It was very intimidating looking at first, but I got it done faster than I had thought it would be. As some newer parts are not yet available in the chosen color, I modified the design on the front end quite a bit to work out. As usual, the 2014 Arctic logo (being reused for my Neo-Nexus Force space symbol) goes on the middle of the rear trunk. The symbol can be found here. The inside can seat a single mini-figure. Speaking of mini-figures, this outfit, with plain blue legs, black hands, and a classic smiley head, will become the basic outfit of Nexus Force base commander Bob. He already has a officer's outfit in white and orange, and this will become his outfit when not in uniform. After all, his bald head must be getting cold after all these years on that windswept ice-covered world with no hat or helmet for nearly 8 years!
  3. Murdoch17
    I was going to strip all the parts off my current Benny building to make the newer building lower in price. The modular walls themselves were around $350 (and rising!) last I checked in addition to the the embassy's skyrocketing $250, so your guess of $700 is just a hundred dollar bill off the mark... and that doesn't include shipping and handling from the very many stores, so your mark is close to correct @icm. I also don't use Easy Buy, as that selects stores I don't want to use (out of country or disliked, last I checked) unless they fixed that bug. With going into the "Buy All" button once inside the list proper, and then "Auto Select" from there, I have more control of what I want excluded or included in my carts.... that and if I want to use coupons. I can also add and subtract from what the computer has given me automatically. For example, by first selecting a coupon store with a fair amount of the required parts in it and then electing to hit "Auto Select", you have removed those parts from the list of parts to be selected from and the computer works to compile a better list with what you've already voiced an interest in. Basically: it resets the computer's list with your coupon store's items taken out. Sometimes this is helpful, sometimes it's not... You have to play with it a lot to get the best possible price. Does that makes sense at all?
  4. Murdoch17
    This is the fourth version of the Joker's Lowrider-inspired car for Bob from the Neo Nexus Force. I was inspired to create a new front end grille for this car from two newer fender pieces, with one of them upside down to make a unique "O" effect, which is used for the turbine's air intake. This very rare car is powered by a turbine, which means it can run on gasoline, alcohol, paint, and even cheap perfume. It runs very efficiently at high speed, but gets very fuel-hungry at slow speeds, like sitting in bumper-to-bumper City traffic. Luckily for it's owner, Bob, the snowy tundra wastelands offer little time for sitting still, and plenty of space for getting up to very impressive speeds. And if he gets struck in a snowbank, the very high-heat exhaust (which can melt asphalt if stationary too long in the real world), can easily break the car free no problem. (this model was inspired by the real-world 1960's Chrysler turbine car as seen here.) The roof of the car is easily removable to get at the mini-figures seats which allow for figures to sit side-by-side. The spacious opening trunk has plenty of room for luggage and the doors to the cabin area open as well. The rear of the car also has a license plate and dual exhaust. This car forms a portion of the parts I need to buy around Christmas, all of which is shown here, barring the three 2018 CITY Arctic sets I want to get and modify to be in the 2014 color scheme I need to buy to finish the model series. As my Classic Space base's price is climbing way too high way too fast, (I don't have $250 dollars to drop on the CS embassy when it was 180 last week!!) I feel I'll have to switch gears back to this earlier model series while these prices are somewhat lower and the CITY Arctic sets are still in stock at the LEGO store. Here is what it will look like when all is said and done. Thoughts?
  5. Murdoch17
    That's actually who I got the original LDD files from, before I expanded it to it's current size. Unfortunately, the round house files didn't work with the bigger size table, so I had to abandon it and forge on ahead on my own. It doesn't matter anymore anyway, as I re-did the math, and I sadly won't have the room for this anyway like I originally thought I would. Good name idea, I'll have to remember that one! I don't really like to mechanize my stuff, it takes some of the fun out of it for me. But if I had too, it could be done.
  6. Murdoch17
    I actually tried that at first @GeoBrick, but realized that having a secure spaceship landing area right next door inside the walled area kinda made the exposed rooftop helicopter landing pad idea kinda a moot point. Besides, then I would have to make a ladder / stairwell to reach the roof, and it's already pretty intricate and small as it is right now! Anyway, while I wait for my last package of road-train parts (that I can't assemble until November anyway) I thought I'd make another go at a proper Classic Space train. See below for more details, but this one will never be built, as you will soon find out below. I already have a real-world Aerotrain LEGO model completed, and was fiddling around in LDD with various color schemes on the LDD counterpart while bored when I came across this Classic Space version of the train. I had to take out the upside-down slanted coach windows because the parts don't exist in trans-yellow yet, but otherwise it was very simple conversion. I only added the different windows, a communications dish, red and green directional lights, and a bigger horn that looks like a rocket thurster pod. I don't think I'll be building this one, but I though it was cool enough to show off. (The classic space slope from Benny's spaceship would go right above the headlights, of course, if built in real bricks) If it were really built, I would deck the track out in blue and trans-yellow tiles, and add a 9v motor to the engine for LUG shows alongside my CS base.. which because of the price of 9v stuff I won't be doing. That and I just got the other road train parts ordered and I don't want to have two Classic Space trains on my base, plus I don't like making duplicates of anything, and a duplicate Aerotrain, even in CS colors, is just too much. But what do you think of this Classic Space / trains mashup?
  7. Murdoch17
    BUMP: A year and some change since opening this topic, and it still looks like brand new, even though it's actually just been thoroughly dusted. Anyway, as you can see, the center lane has been fully tiled, and there are now three track-lanes on each side of the table for tracks to approach the traverser. Any thoughts on this?
  8. Murdoch17
    I actually have a transfer table built (and a topic made too!) that I forgot about until you just mentioned it! I had to go find it, but here it is: I think it would probably be easier to just keep what I already have built than build something much bigger when space is already at a premium.
  9. Murdoch17
    Here is my XL turntable, which has 11 dead-end stall tracks and one outlet track. (though it can be reconfigured to be as many or as few tracks as needed). It is spread out over a 64 x 64 XL make-shift base plate size made up of of 4 regular (32 x 32) curved road plates with quite a bit of overhang due to the outlet tracks and tower. The re-purposed signal tower is now being used to control the turn table. This control building is modular, and has a roof and second floor that come off to reveal inside details. The studs on the sides of the building are supposed to spell out the the yard's name, but I haven't decided on a good name yet. If you have any suggestions for a name with 10 letters or less, please post a comment with it below! This table can handle a 4-track long engine (around 64 studs) with a bit of overhang at the ends, such as with my Frisco 1522 4-8-2 steam locomotive as seen above. Diesel A + B unit sets would have to be separated and moved independently, but that's okay and actually accurate for some real world locations / railroads. The basic workhorse of the turntable is this four track long framework you see here. The table's modular control tower features a lower floor that's empty except for the staircase. The upper floor features a machine to control the turn table, a wall clock, and a old-fashioned rotary telephone. The table easily glides on an raised outer ring of tiles, and turns on a central 2 x 2 pivot point. This whole thing can be mechanized, much more easily than a transfer table, but it still needs fine tuning to make it work right. The outer ring of tracks is only attached to the base plates at two certain points: every other spot is held on by gravity. (plates on tiles) This is basically a very much enlarged version of this model here. I was working on a seven-stall shed in the same style as the tower to connect to the turntable, but the angles and hinge bricks weren't working out due in LDD. I guess it will have to wait until the turn table is built in real life.... if it is ever built in the real world. Comments, questions, suggestions, and complaints are always welcome, as usual and thanks for stopping by!
  10. Murdoch17
    Well, I guess I had it coming: I debated back and forth for about five minutes about whether this was a digital creation real or not, I guess I should look more carefully next time! Anyway, it's still an awesome model, and I'm still sad that Nexo Knights didn't turn out to be this!
  11. Murdoch17
    You had me going to comment that this was a real world creation for a second there, but then I noticed the awkward shadow angle. I agree with @Marishka about the ball joints, they won't take the weight. However, I think this is an awesome display of steampunk-ery and very much better than what we received in Nexo Knights. Bravo sir on nearly fooling me!
  12. Murdoch17
    I decided that the large elevated porch area on Benny's Classic Space Embassy building needed something to fill in the empty space. I looked at the SP III-era Classic Space statue from 2009 and decided it was much too expensive at almost eight US dollars for the single figure. So I made my own statue using more available parts from Brick Link.... now I just need to build the building, which should happen in December of this year.
  13. Murdoch17
    I know it's not much of a big deal, but here is the real locomotive again, and if you look very close, you'll see my Lego model sitting on the edge of the real deal. After all, it's not every day you see the Lego model meet it's real cousin in the same photo.
  14. Murdoch17
    Okay, so the Classic Space road-train / 75217 MOD has been ordered as of today... ...but the catch is it sadly won't be built until late October / early November due to space constraints. I did, however, find all four of the larger 6 x 16 blue panels and trans-yellow parts in my own parts bins though, among other necessary things for the build... and some things that were too cool to leave alone, like the rotary telephone and 1 x 4 printed danger tiles. Any thoughts?
  15. Murdoch17
    Sorry for the 1 year+ bump, but this model has been revised to include a new set of pilots: the Alien Puppycorn figures from the Unikitty! blind bags series. To make sure they fit in the ship, I revised the cockpit and thus the entire post. Real life photos coming as soon as possible, but until then, tell me what you think of the revised first post!
  16. Murdoch17
    Been lurking in this thread watching your progress and noticed an error. @DanNeely, the curved macaroni tiles are under the next category to the right (the one with the 3 x 3 wedge plate logo) of where the rest of where the tiles are located in LDD. Good luck, and keep up the fight: I know you'll get this done!
  17. Murdoch17
    Well, it's taken quite a while (six years, but who's counting?), but the Bipolar is done in real bricks. ...and here it is with all my other Museum of Transportation locomotives that I've made so far.
  18. Murdoch17
    With this photo I was trying to replicate the 1950's pulp sci-fi futuristic feel of publications like Popular Mechanics, but in comic format like Buck Rodgers / Flash Gordon of the 1930's. To create the stellar-vortex background, I used an old image from my Doctor Who stuff on my computer's desktop background and then stood my now-finished robot in front of it, blocking out the digital TARDIS in the process. I then took a photo of the resulting image, and added the words in MS Paint. Well, what do you think? P.S. I fixed the ankles which solved the stability issues and added the 33 number parts. However, the radar dish that was ordered at the same time will be shown off only when the new embassy is built in real life. (which should be around early December)
  19. Murdoch17
    Thank you @BurkusCircus! This engine is not powered at all, though the center bogie can be easily switched out with a 9v motor if need be.
  20. Murdoch17
    Well, it's taken about six or more years of planning, designing, and redesigning, but the Bipolar is finally on it's way to the real world! The Milwaukee Road "BiPolar" electric locomotive has been ordered as of the 12th in the form as shown. (minus the blue letter overlay I added in MS Paint, of course.) However, the accompanying passenger cars will have to wait for another day as there is only so much money I can spend at one time! The final parts for the locomotive should be here by Monday, and the real world pictures "should" be up by the end of next week at best. As my picture taking setup is disassembled at the moment, it will probably be a bit longer for those pictures to be taken.
  21. Murdoch17
    Sorry to disappoint you @GeoBrick, but that version of the embassy has been scrapped due to cost overruns. So I went back to an earlier, cheaper version and revised it to more recent standards as seen in the first post or above, plus it matches my space 70's sci-fi theme better anyway. To answer your second question, i have about 10 makeshift astronauts using this torso that work in this building as office workers. Well, what do you think?
  22. Murdoch17
    (Sorry for the bump!) Model remade, text updated and pictures revised. More to come later this year / early 2019!
  23. Murdoch17
    The smaller (and very cramped) building has been replaced by the larger, fold-open Classic Space Embassy building, which also serves as Benny's house and command post. Please see the main post for more details and inside pictures!
  24. Murdoch17
    Your guess is 100% correct @Roadmonkeytj, they are indeed a 1/2 stud offset with static bricks. As for the rear railing, the solid type I made was my only option with the size of rear platform used. If a 1 x 2 x 2 fence existed, I would use it here on either the left and right sides in a heart beat. Also, as with all my trains, hand power if what I use, though 9v can be easily be switched in by replacing a coach bogie.
  25. Murdoch17
    The Bureau of Unexplained Phenomenon's train does not officially exist and you never saw it. All photograph's taken of this train are mangled by some unknown force while still in the camera, and it never seems to stay still for long enough to get a glimpse at the engine crew. The passenger cars are are only marked with the Bureau's logo on the sides for a clue to their ownership. The 2-6-0+0-6-2 Garratt steam locomotive pulls a four car train, consisting of what seems to be a baggage car, a sleeper, diner, and observation car. All four cars (and the engine) are marked in a dark blue with light gray accents and the Bureau of Unexplained Phenomenon's logo on the sides (not shown). According to the scattered reports of varying age, the train's scientist crew catalogs the odd happenings around the USA since the Bureau's founding by Abraham Lincoln in 1863, such as un-dead uprisings in the 1970's, ex-confederate vampires in 1875, time travelers from the 1980's in the 1880's, attacks by mutant giant ants in the late-1940's, and an entire town being held hostage by a giant blob from outer space in the early 1960's, just to name a few of the more prolific cases that we know of. Other reports suggest the train is not merely cataloging the happenings, but tracking them via a rip in space-time continuum in the Pacific Northwest that is waiting to be opened to it's full inter-dimensional potential. This man on the far left is supposedly one of the senior operatives of the mysterious Bureau, a Mister Graves. Mr. Graves has more recently (as of 1926) been keeping tabs on Lord Sam Sinister (far right) Senor Palomar (second from left) and Alexis Sinister's (second from right) plans for the inter-dimensional portal that is located in the pacific northwest of the USA. Mr. Graves has ingratiated himself into the evil trio's inner circle but is keeping deep cover on his plans for the portal. Rumors suggest the three are looking for the portal to release a being of immense power into our world, a event that Mr. Graves is no doubt trying to secretly prevent at all costs. This steam locomotive was originally designed by Anthony Sava but with fake pistons and with small-size friction bearing wheels. I added working pistons and Big Ben Bricks medium flanged and blind driver wheels as see here at Ben's website. In my model, gear wheels are used as stand in for the custom wheels that are not in LDD. Even with the added pistons, the engine easily can go around corners and switches. The rear of the loco. The baggage car is supposed to contain all kinds of mobile equipment for tracking strange type of hyper-matter and ecto-plasmic energy fields, among other things. (In reality, all these cars are empty) The dining car and sleeper. This is where the on board crew sleeps in one car and eats in the other. This car is called the war room. In reality, it's a remodeled business car, turned into a room full of charts and chairs and devices for listening for Sasquatches and detecting dragon smoke. It also messes with enemy listening devices and destroys track-side cameras of passers-by. Can't be too careful with the future of the world on the line! NOTES: In reality, I just wanted to build a small passenger train out of dark blue pieces to match the engine I posted a couple months ago to Flickr. I thought at first about making it for the president of the railway line, but a fictional secret government agency from the 1920's works just as well. Comments, questions, and complaints are always welcome. This train could possibly be built in 2019, but I'll have to see.
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