AussieJimbo

Looks like Mitre 10 and Shell's stock all arrived on the same truck. Nice to see some more product on the shelves. :classic:

Nice job, LT. I like the "photos of real packets on tiles" method, very effective. Why did you make the L an P plates so large though? I think I would have put those on 1x1 tiles as well. The 2x2's would make a good base for products like wheel covers, a jump starter, snow chains (I guess New Mannum is too far from the snow for that), air filters (flat donut shaped ones), screw driver/socket set or street directory. Looking good regardless. :classic:

I like it. Good to see variations of this great locomotive. :classic:

I think what retailers need to grasp is that many of us a waking up to the fact that we are part of a global market not the Australian market. I feel very sympathetic to Mr Laygo because he clearly has a passion for supporting the Lego brand but he is not a charity and has to make money on his sales. Clearly what Lego charges him wholesale does not allow him to be globally competitive. Nothing I've seen above justifies the extortionate RRP markup in Australia. Modular Fire Station, US RRP $149, Oz RRP $299 is one of the more shameful examples but the majority of sets are 50% to 75% above US RRP which is a disgrace. It would be preferable to support local retailers but the bottom line is Lego Australia is ripping us off and ultimately damaging local businesses like Laygo. If I can buy it online at the foreign retail price, pay expensive on-off shipping and still make a good saving over buying local then I'll buy it overseas. Add the 10% GST if you like, it usually makes little difference to the large savings available. Align local RRP's with the US dollar equivalent or lose many of my purchases to overseas retailers. It's as simple as that. Gerry Harvey's campaign spurred me into action and I won't be looking back. :classic: Do you have an indication of how much growth is being lost to overseas sales? Yet I can pay the higher one-off costs of bringing a couple of packages into Australia, plus the US retailers original import costs, plus his profit margin and still come out in front. :classic:

Brilliant stuff, gambort. So much great detail. :classic:

Cute little car, FuzzyLB. I too wonder where the steering wheel and doors went though. :classic:

Thanks ldw, glad to be of service. I built the basic structure of a stand alone signal box last night, needs some tweaking and finishing off but it's already looking pretty good Should have something posted in a couple of days. Looks like I'll need at least 3 more apple tree houses and 2 or 3 station sets to complete the whole station complex. :classic:

Yeah I can see what you're saying but like the 7937 set, the stairs don't hit the landing at the edge as you've shown but in the middle. So to do what you're suggesting I'd have to extend everything out which messes up the proportions a little. The line of the roof is currently on the same line as the slope of the lower stairs which I think helps with the cohesion of the design. Additionally there is no way of attaching to the existing handrails without either losing the 1x1 white round or making the handrails thicker. Both those changes would mean you'd lose consistency with the stock stairs which I don't really want to modify. Thanks for the idea though and I like the "blueprint". :-) :classic:

OK, here are a couple of options for a handrails. 4x1 tile handrails: 6x1 tiles attached at 1.5 and 4.5 studs. Click images for larger versions. What do you reckon? I'm still undecided on whether to use them or not. :classic:

Thanks for the piece suggestions and links. Definitely. Two of each with some custom stickers for the window frames and roof would have you well on your way to building one of those blue cars. That one looks the most promising alternative for this car. I was actually looking at Trans-Clear parts on Bricklink but I must have skipped past because I was looking for parts that I currently own. I'll have a look at those other ideas too. :classic:

Thanks for that LT. I'm really glad you like it. I've worked out a handrail solution that looks OK. Now I've got to find enough pieces in the right colours. I'll build one set to show but I don't know that I'll leave them on permanently. :classic:

Thanks everyone for your positive feedback, it's much appreciated. I'm glad you like the colour scheme, it took a few rebuilds to make it fit in nicely but I'm happy I've got something I can now carry forward to the next station buildings. Yeah, that was a vexed question. You'll note from the existing bridges in 7937 that there are unprotected scale falls of at least 3 minifig meters anyway. The 7937 approach sort of addresses this by putting the second flight of stairs mostly in between the white truss supports but it just looked messy when I tried that on my stairs. As my building is in the Lego universe rather than an attempt to model a real-world structure I've decided that the hand rails can be imaginary, as they are in 7937. That being said I'd be interested in ideas for incorporating a clean, lightweight handrail solution if you've got any specific suggestions. Cheers mate. I'll put together a few pics of my new layout soon. :classic:

Thanks Andy D, I'm really glad you like it. You can find one of the 6-wide vertical windscreen pieces in each of the current train station and passenger train sets. That's a nice idea which I would try out but I don't have any clear 1x4x3 panels. I took a decision to ignore the slight slant on the rear window because I can't see a way to make it work cleanly. Thanks very much for those additional links and photos. I prefer the Devon Belle in that alternate livery in the different angle you posted. Looks more like my model and gives me a little extra inspiration for tweaking. (lantern located above the buffers, slight step at rear above buffers) Not sure how I'd deal with the rounded glasswork in that blue car. Maybe there are some old transparent curve bricks out there, better check bricklink. :classic:

Hi LG, Your URLs are good but I don't think you can use HTML on this forum. You need to use this syntax: {url="http://your.link.com"}{img}Your image url{/img}{/url} (Replace squiggly brackets with square backets) Looks like a nice landscape you are putting together there. Plenty of interesting things going on around the castle as you would expect in a medieval scene. :classic:

*laugh* Cheers Fires-storm. Yeah, I put a nice "little" layout together based on a dual track mainline with a connecting branch line in between. It works really well with two trains running in opposite directions on the up and down mains or a single train can take all sorts of interesting circuits and returns. I'll get a few more photos of the layout in the week or so it stays up before I want my floor back. :classic:

Like many train fans one of my goals is to build a nice mainline train station. It's a major undertaking which is quite daunting so my plan is to begin with some smaller buildings to get some ideas about how it might come together. I decided to start by enhancing the pedestrian bridges from the 7937 sets I've used for my existing platforms. Whilst not based on any particular real-life example, often a station may have a more substantial structure to support the stairs up to the pedestrian bridge over the line. In this case I've elected to put a ticket office on the ground floor. The first floor is a storeroom. The second floor, besides providing access to the pedestrian overpass, can be used as a waiting area where passengers can get a nice view of the trains and surrounding town. (I haven't done the interiors yet, have to fix some "running out of pieces" bodging first.) Being the first build in the series, my intention was to find a design which integrates with the existing Lego sets and that I can carry forward to the later more substantial station buildings, the next of which will be a signal box, perhaps adjoining another bridge tower at the other end of the station. I've chosen the Apple Tree House as the parts source for the all the station buildings I'll be making. The basic idea for the structure comes from one of the set's alternate models but now it has an additional floor and all but the roof has been significantly modified. So anyway, enough words, here are a few pictures: Assembling the modules floor by floor: Please forgive the inconbrickstant colours in the foundations. The lowest layer should be all black bricks, except the building footings. Whilst the pilot greets his sweetheart, a gorilla tries to pay for his ticket with a banana. Click images for larger versions. I hope you like it and please let me know if you have any suggestions for improvements. :classic:

Epic is the word alright. What an amazing creation. :classic:

Great model of the real machine. Very well done. :classic:

That's another nice MOC, Simo. :classic:

Great job mate. :classic:

I've used them once and they were fine. Got a deluxe train track pack from them (4 packs of straight/curves, 2 packs of points) about a year ago for slightly less than I would have paid if I'd bought them as separate packs from S@H. In general their prices are round about Aussie retail, with some specials and some overpriced items. Also, saw a modular fire station today at DJ's Woden marked down to $210 alongside a depressingly meagre variety and quantity of sets. They obviously still haven't restocked since Xmas. :classic:

The track looks better than I thought it would and seems to work OK. This is what you get when you stock train sets but no train track. I've not seen one shop that stocks the train/station/level crossing, that also stocks the track. What is their malfunction? BTW, Aussies do not call studs "blisters". Don't know where the guy in the video picked up that weird term. :classic:

Another fine addition, CCOOK. Nice job. :classic:

I think the Carousel set would be a good source of parts for both a turntable and bits for a roundhouse but it was a bit too pricey the only time I saw in a retail shop. Base of carousel is a good start for the turntable. I thought that it's roof sections could make useful roofing for a roundhouse, (which would need many more parts from somewhere or other. Modular Fire Station sets would be a good base for a roundhouse with the arch and those nice big arched doors. I'm just waiting for a really good special on them. Even 3 for 2 at Aussie RRP of $299 is still a bit too steep, If they clear them at $149 each I'll probably bite. :classic:

On reflection, this still leaves the curve radius too tight to be a major. Got caught up in the idea of nice equally spaced tracks. Scrap the separate rails idea, so the wishlist is conventional rail-and-sleeper pieces, radiused to allow 8 stud spacings between the ties. (Same spacing as parrall tracks in the crossover piece/dual track train station) Three different sets spacing outwards from original curves. I know I'm dreaming. I was however thinking about some custom track building for outside use. I read a thread here from a while back where someone had set up a small dogbone layout in their back yard with conventional LEGO track. Can't recall if there was an update on the outdoor resilience but I would be concerned about UV destroying the plastic let alone moisture destroying the point-work. With that in mind and considering an ultimate goal of one day having a garden railway I'm considering the possibilities of custom built dual-gauge L and G-scale track or simply modifying G track to LEGO track gauge for outdoor use. I'm waiting for the next local train show so I can ask some of the track builders about this and maybe pick up a few bit to play with. My biggest concern with this approach is my LEGO ethos. Basically if it's not LEGO, it's not LEGO. Also once you start running trains outside all it takes is a crash and you risk scratching them up. I don't want that so that's a deterrent. I'm also a little apprehensive how the LEGO wheels would take to regular use on metal track. I don't want to eat up all my wheel sets. On the flip-side though, I'd like to see a LEGO train running through the vegetation and once you're building custom track it can snake around however you like. If I was to attempt this, I think that despite the complexity, I'd do it as a dual-gauge setup with the LEGO train visiting the predominantly G-scale railway. What are your thoughts? :classic: