AussieJimbo

Me three. The plural of LEGO is LEGO. They should put that word with an 's' at the end in this site's profanity filter. :classic: Apt term. :classic:

OK, so if anyone wants to know how to assemble a sweeper in a bag (and realistically I question the size of this market) here's how I did it. I shot quite a few steps so I'll show a few of them here and you can just change the image numbers (01 to 26) in the URL if you want to see more. Like I mentioned above, I wanted to keep everything as organised as possible. I didn't want all the small pieces all messed up with the bigger ones because that just adds to your difficulties. Pondering this I realised clothes pegs offered an easy solution to holding the small bag closed and out of the way and to make pockets to hold bits and pieces. I checked out the regular build instructions (8404 Sweeper instructions.pdf) and worked out what pieces I was going to need form the small bag so I could extract them in batches as the build progressed. Having everything secured gives you room to work as you move the bag all over the place trying to find other pieces and put then together. Of course we have to build the minifigure at the start (legs and torso first, then the head because they shouldn't be born with no legs). This is fine because the minifigure head is a good way to open the small bag by forcing it through the seal near the corner. That gives you a nice small opening in the bag that lets you take out small pieces one by one and then secure it with a peg. So I built the minfigure, fished out the small red bricks I'd need down the line, got the tyres and rims assembled to save space (and stop things getting caught up in them) and squared everything away while before doing the first steps with the bigger pieces Initial preparations. First steps completed ready for the small red pieces to go on. Followed by another trip into the small bag to line up some more pieces. Etcetera. Until you've got the chasis done. And the cab with the minfigure inside. Note modified left hand drive setup for Australia, which is a right hand drive country. The end is in sight. Sub-assemblies ready to go. Spare pieces left in small bag. Like an earlier poster pointed out, some of the bag's printing rubs off on your fingers (his shot shows it better a few pages back). Completed model in the bag next to it's free sibling. Click for larger images. So that's that. It's an interesting challenge worth attempting occasionally when you have plenty of time at your disposal. Now I'm looking forward to a few unopened sets that need my attention for conventional building. :classic:

Thanks autobrick. Patience is important, I deliberately told myself to stay relaxed because I knew it was going to be painfully fiddly at times. It helps to keep everything as organised as possible in the limited space available within the bag. I found a few strategically placed clothes pegs were very useful in keeping all the bits under control. I'll post some pics later. Nice job on the hotdog stand. :classic:

Thanks buddy and 5150 Lego, I really appreciate your feedback. Yeah, it's a useful graphic. There are a couple similar to example "K" that run long round trips on a private mining road in WA. It's got a powered trailer midway through the road train. Cool. I look forward to seeing that. :classic: Thanks mate. That's a nice road train you've got there too. I'll have a more detailed look at it after work. :classic:

I agree Ralph and I have to say those buildings are great. Excellent brick-built signage too. :classic:

I believe it may be possible to flame polish ABS. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame_polishing In which case you would buff out the scratches with the finest abrasive you can get and then flame polish to restore the sheen. I've never done this and have no idea if it's actually achievable but it might work. :classic:

Well it took ages because I decided to document the build but I now have a Street Sweeper in a bag. Here's a photo: Click for larger image. I've got plenty of photos of the build in progress and a few "bag building" tips but it's too late to prepare and post all that tonight. :classic:

8-) Cheers to that. :classic:

That's cool. It should bring you good fortune. What does the Chinese character say? :classic:

Cheers mpec82. Yeah, the long-nose is much more likely for hauling a road train. However the cab-over design is quite common over here for standard rigs and B-Doubles. During my holiday travels I saw more of these than long-noses (I was nowhere near a road-train area though). Perhaps we buy lots of Euro trucks over here. I'll have to keep a more detailed eye out next time I'm on the road. :classic:

Ah, righto. I see now. :-) I guess you can see it as an interchange to a "coach" journey. Also LEGO probably wanted to do a different type of bus because of the existing one you mentioned from City Corner. I missed out on that set so for me it was a welcome addition. The street sweeper was a weird one though, given the transportation theme (not that I don't like it, I'm about to attempt a bag-build on my spare one). I agree it would have been better to redeploy it's part count (and a bit more given the price) to an additional, more substantial building or another taxi or taxi minibus as you suggested.. :classic: Yeah, it was steep but I just had to grab a couple of sets so I could extend and motorise the tram. I'm so happy with it running around my track that I'm not too concerned that it was a bit on the pricey side. :classic:

I remember reading about this a couple of years ago before I joined EB. I'd just picked up a few of the 7939 RC Cargo Train sets at half price (my first ever Lego Train set, I was so :woohoo:). I hadn't opened the extra tilt-tray trucks so had to give the "build in a bag" a go. It was still nicely assembled when I fished it out just now. There is a separate bag that had the small pieces, though you can't see it in these shots. The bag also contains the rail crossing bits from the set so the truck has something to drive on in there. Here are a few photos: Click for larger images. :classic:

I'm surprised by your post because buses are a key part of the public transport system in most Australian and many international cities so I don't see it as out of place at all. How do people get around your city without using a car? :classic:

Thanks, fredrik and vgsprite. I'm glad you like it. Cheers mate. Wouldn't be great if you could bring it to life with some motors and steering but I think that's beyond Lego technology. You may have heard of "Minature Wonderland", a massive model train layout in Germany. They have a system which controls road vehicles which travel about the streets. I'd like to look into it and see if there is any feasibility of hacking it into a Lego context. :classic:

Interesting. Thanks for the info. I'd imagined it was historically for extra water storage to avoid stopping for refills. I didn't realise it was a modern adaptation but I can see why they'd need it these days. :classic:

They should be more than pleased when they see it. The latest updates are great, I hadn't seen the interior until now. Not entirely familiar with Landmark's product range. Perhaps a length of chain or roll of rope inside, a stack of timber or corrugated iron out the back. Bundle of star pickets or the donger you bang them in with. Feed troughs for sale. I like your idea of a little mixed business on the other side of the river, they might need it if they have a flood and the bridge is closed. Maybe you could have an attached cafe with an outdoor dining area looking over the river to the main town. Are you going to do any residential properties? Keep on exploring that Aussie angle. :-) :classic:

Nice job, I think it works well on it's own and matches nicely with Market Street. Lots of great detail inside too. The pizza shop strikes me as a more modern shopfront renovation whilst preserving the older building above. Not sure if that was your intention but it's not an uncommon to see updated shopfronts on earlier buildings as a streetscape evolves :classic:

Thanks guys, I'm pleased the new prime mover is getting a good reception. Yeah, it ended up as 124 studs long. Plenty of room in the outback. Cheers mate. Yes, a tri-drive prime mover has three driven axles like the Shell truck in the reference picture above. :classic:

This is a great truck. Really captures the Dakar look very well. :classic:

Very nice build, inside and out. :classic:

What a great little castle. The horse and rider and other microfigures are cool. :classic:

Thanks LT and L@go. There are no roads like that where these things go. I'm glad you like the new prime mover. :-) In case you think this is a long road train, check this out: From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_train: World's longest road trains - In 1989, a trucker named "Buddo" tugged 12 trailers down the main street of Winton, Queensland. - In 1993 "Plugger" Bowden took the record with a 525 hp Mack SuperLiner pulling 16 trailers, but a few months later this effort was surpassed by Darwin driver Malcolm Chisholm with a 290 tonne, 21 trailer rig extending 315 metres. - There was some back and forth in the 1990s between Winton and Bourke, New South Wales, with the record finishing in Winton with 34 trailers. - In 1999 the town of Merredin, Western Australia officially made it into the Guinness Book of Records, when Marleys Transport made a successful attempt on the record for the world's longest road train. The record was created when 45 trailers, driven by Greg Marley, weighing 603 t (1,330,000 lb) and measuring 610 m (2,000 ft) were pulled by a Kenworth 10x6 K100G for 8 km. - On October 19, 2000, Doug Gould set the first of his records at Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, when a roadtrain made up of 79 trailers, measuring 1,018.2 m (3,341 ft) and weighing 1,072.3 t (2,364,000 lb), was pulled by a Kenworth C501T driven by Steven Matthews a distance of 8 km. - On March 29, 2003, the record was surpassed near Mungindi, New South Wales, by a road train consisting of 87 trailers and a single prime mover (measuring 1,235.3 m (4,053 ft) in length). - The record returned to Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, on October 17, 2004, when Doug Gould assembled 117 trailers for a total length of 1,445 m (4,741 ft). The record nearly didn't fall, as the first prime mover's main driveshaft broke when taking off. A second truck was quickly made available, and pulled the train a distance of 1,500 m (4,921 ft). - In 2004, the record was again broken by a group from Clifton, Queensland which used a standard Mack truck to pull 120 trailers a distance of about 100 metres. - On February 18, 2006, an Australian built Mack truck with 112 semi-trailers, 1,300 t (2,865,980 pounds) and 1,474.3 metres (4,836 ft 11 in) long, pulled the load 100 metres (328 feet) to recapture the record for the longest road train (multiple loaded trailers) ever pulled with a single prime mover. It was on the main road of Clifton, Queensland, that 70-year-old John Atkinson claimed a new record, pulled by a tri-drive Mack Titan. :classic:

Hi All, Here is the update to my earlier B-Double Tanker. I'm pleased to present the Octan Road Train. I've also attempted a long nose prime mover in response to suggestions I received. But first, in order to have a road train, you need dollies to haul the extra trailers. I found this useful reference pic on a retailer's website in Western Australia. 2010 Tefco Tri-Axle Dolly The resulting LEGO Tri-Axle Dolly. So with the dolly design done it was time to put the road train together but there was a problem. My existing tri-axle trailer did not have adequate clearance for the dolly. This required rotating the hose reel 90 degrees and relocating the trailer support two studs back. With that sorted it was simply a matter of adding the socket joints to the trailers to attach the dolly drawbars and I was done. Here are my photos of the completed road train and some reference pics for comparison. From wikipedia:- Northern Territory AB-Quad tanker road train. Trailer arrangement is B-double towing two tri-axle trailers. I haven't got around to a tri-drive prime mover yet but I think the existing rigs can handle it. If you look carefully at this one, also from wikipedia, you can see that unlike the first pic this road train has the two trailers with dollies up front, followed by a B-Double at the end. Here are some side-on shots of the road train components. The B-Double components still in their original form and not yet compatible with the dollies. Budget Tri-Axle Dolly. Modified trailer with extra clearance. As last trailer doesn't have a socket joint installed, it can still have a ladder. And a shot of all the prime movers, tankers and dollies from above. Feedback and suggested tweaks welcome. I hope you like it. Click images for larger versions. :classic:

Thanks 5150 and lowbike. Glad you like the original prime mover design. In response to the feedback though, I've also had a go at a long nose truck which I'll post in a new thread for my Octan Road Train.

Nice start on the silos to give us an idea of scale. I hope the budget stretches to a double. Just looking back at your reference pic it's interesting to note the nice green ground cover between the tracks on the grain handling sidings, clearly from grain spillage. I'd never noticed this before, perhaps the pic was shot in a similar year to this one where we are (unfortunately) getting quite a bit of rain around harvest time. Might be worth noting for future modelling. :classic: