Klaus-Dieter

Thank you very much for the new and clear pics of the 8403 City House, Rick and grogall! The exterior as well as the interior look excellent! :wub: Exterior: The terrace with the sun chair looks great and the tree hut looks amazing. The architectual design of the house is brilliant and so does all the additional stuff. Interior: I really like it that TLG included a living room on the second floor. The sofa looks great - esp. in combination with the sofa table and the lamp. Regrettably the sofa fits only one minifig. And instead of the computer I'd have prefered a big TV (like in the new fire station). It's great that TLG this time included some interior in the attic, too. The bed with lamp looks fine. It's only a pity that they didn't include a washbasin or a toilet on the left side. The kitchen looks awesome, too. It's great to get a table with two seats and a cooker with sink. I only hope that the cooker is set on a small 2x3x2 cupboard - and not only on a big brick. Which I do not like is that the computer screen next to the window. Since there are stickers in this set anyway, either a real TV (like in the Camper) or a picture would look much bettter. I can't await to get this set! Regrettably it won't be out before August - and supposably even not be sold in regular toy shops. Btw: I wonder when we'll get some information on 7848. I mean: 8404 even firstly will be released in October. And I can't remember that TLG released a set later than in October. Klaus-Dieter

That's a great vignette, Peppermint_M! I really it! It's even a funny idea to have the cowboys shooting at some huts. Nice landscape. Very well done! I bought four cowboys, too, but will change the combination of legs, torso, head and head gear of three of them in order to have four different cowboys. They are awesome! Klaus-Dieter

Thank you very much for these pics, grogall! Series one was already great - but series two is simply brilliant! :wub: My favourite minifigs are the lifeguard, the surfer and the Mexican. My favourite accessory is the golden "nanofig" trophy and the tan hair of the surfer. Hopefully someone will again offer us the barcodes of all these minifigs! Btw: Can someone imagine what that purple "thing" is that the guy with the big black hair holds? Klaus-Dieter

Thank you very much for that great and very detailed review, Holodoc! I voted for outstanding since this cargo train is imo the best one we got since the mid-ninetees. Pro: -containers -truck and Smarts -great style of the engine -awesome looking tank waggon -amazing cargo crane Con: -strange to have the Smarts fixed on these special bricks -no side mirrors on the truck -price point -no doors in the containers -no rechargeable battery included All in all: Like already mentioned this is imo the best cargo train set since the mid-ninetees. The most I like that TLG did not only focus on the train and the waggons themselves but even on some sort of small trackside structure - namely the cargo crane and the truck with the containers - since this offers kids a lot more playability and for us AFOLs a much more realistic train scene. I'm really looking forward to this cargo train since it'll be my first cargo train ever! That's a very clever idea of your son, Holodoc! It's really a pity that TLG didn't consider that, too! When I remember right, there was a train set in about 1995 which did include a cargo crane which could even move on wheels. Perhaps the next time? I think that there were two reasons why these seperate sold train sets weren't sold very well: 1. Only steam train related stuff was released - no electric engine, no modern passenger waggon, no container wagon, no car waggon etc. If someone was't that keen on steam engines, he or she surely passed on them because of this reason. 2. But the main argument surely was that these sets did neither include minifigs nor any additional accessory. That was surely a clear ko argument - mainly for kids. Klaus-Dieter

Ok. Sorry, indianajones. I was already wondering. These shall be balks to hold the roofs and floors (like in the WW theme of 96, too). Thanks, TheBrickster! Do you mean that I should add some more round 1x1 pieces to the cacti? I think on the bottom yes, but even on the top? Klaus-Dieter

Thanks to Holodoc's barcode list, I was aible to get all the minifigs I wanted and even the right number of them yesterday and today. It seems as if there are nearly no clowns. The box I searched threw in a shop yesterday didn't include only one - and in a boy where minifigs of several boxes were put together there was (supposably) only one. But I got this one! I don't think so. Since TLG pictured the minifigs of the first series on the bags for the first series, I bet they'll do with the series two bags, too. Adding pictures of the series one minifigs on the bags of the series two bags makes imo absolutely no sense. Plus there is even a mistake in the picture: The cowboy wears a red scarf although he doesn't in the official bag. Klaus-Dieter

Thank you very much for these new and detailed pics of the advent calendar, Freddie and grogall! This Kingdoms advent calendar is really awesome and even much better than the previous one! :wub: Pro: I really like the minifigure selection and the huge number of minifigs: The queen and the prince are simply beautiful, the maiden and the wizzard are great and the two soldiers, the blacksmith and the skeletton are really ok. The accessory if awesome, too: I mainly like the table with the pan, the barrel, Excalibur in the stone (The knights of the Round Table send us their regards! ), the big pot and the pig. Con: I don't like the dragon knight - esp. since he doesn't come with a buckler. The accessory for the blacksmith is much too small and simple. The catapult is to laugh. All in all this is a really outstanding advent calendar. And although I will - apart from the two Impulses - not get any of the new castle sets, I'll buy this advent calendar for sure! Klaus-Dieter

Thank you all very much for your nice comments - I really like to read that you like it! Thanks Commodore Hornbricker. I originally wanted to design it in yellow color. But since the post office (which I already designed and will show you in the next time, too) is already in yellow, I decided to use blue. (A planned merchant's house shall be getting green, a sheriff's office brown, a bank white-blue, a chapel white and a pony express red.) Thanks Pirate. There are indeed some cactus: the green "things" at the left and at the right of the saloon. Thanks indianajones. These pieces are these which were used - like the wall pieces - in the WW theme of 1996, too. Thanks lightningtiger. I totally agree with you concerning the piano. But I wanted to design a saloon which should look like and be built like if it was an official set which would even go with the WW sets of 1996. And so a piano (with player) had regrettably no place. Thanks Captain Becker. So I bet you'll like the post office with stage coach - which I'll show you in the next time - too. Thanks Captain Blackmoor. I wanted to include as many details as possible and as sensible. For me the interior of buildings is always a big quality criteria for sets. How would you change the balcony? Klaus-Dieter

Thank you very much for the new and detailed pics of the advent calendar, Freddie and grogall! The advent calendar - or let's better say its contents - are amazing! It's great to get a whole family, I really like all that brick-built toys which could be added to the Winter Toy Shop and to the City House (or you can build your own playground and place them there), the keyboard and the drumset are great, it's always good to get some food pieces (esp. the french bread) and the halfpipe looks excellent, too (only a bit small), so do all these interior decorations. The only two things I do not like that much, are Santa under the shower (kiddish! but ok, that advent calendar is mainly for kids) and the small train (it would have been great if people could sit in the waggons!). And it's a pity that we only do get six minifigs. On the other hand you can't get everything - and I can really do without police man, street cleaner etc. I'll buy this one for sure! I don't think som prateek. It's surely the regular dog. Klaus-Dieter

Yes, Dfenz, there is. But these are much too expensive these days and do not include the real snow googles (from the SW theme). Besides: divers, Indians, surfers, witches, ... have already been done before the minifigure series, too. Some more ideas: Cleaning Lady female blue bonnet wrinkled face blue shirt, blue pants water busket, scrubber Veterinarian female brown new short round female hair friendly face white shirt, white pants brown cat Plumber male black man's wig exhausted face grey shirt, blue pants plumber's helper, grey suitcase Klaus-Dieter

Hello everybody! With the much bigger possibilities of the Lego Universe mode for LDD, I designed a new, bigger and much better (at least imo) saloon some weeks ago. Here it is: Saloon Do you want to play cards and have a fresh drink? Or stay the night somewhere after a long ride? This set includes a Western saloon (first floor: saloon; second floor: guest room) with saloon keeper, maiden, cowboy, bandit, two horses and a lot of accessory. From the other side: The interior: Like in the modern official City buildings, the floors are removeable, too: Some more pics can be found in this folder (when public) of my BS gallery. Comments are welcome! Klaus-Dieter

I totally agree with you, Rapseflaps! Since TLG is releasing that many huge vehicles this year but with regrettably a much, much too small number of minifigs included, a new, big minifigure pack is really needed! But it should (like you already mentioned) be focused on civilians and not on emergency/police/fire minifigs. I would be even content with a small new minifig collection - like e. g. the one from 2009 - but then with only civilians included. And please not with the torsos that did appear in sets already for thousand times (like the black suit with cravat, the blue checked shirt, the white shirt with blue coat, the red coat with space emblem and the red pullover with blue arms) - but the hawaii shirt, the green pullover, the white-blue hoodie and the two new female shirts. Klaus-Dieter

That are a great public toilet and a great phone cell, lightningtiger! I really them! They are designed very realistically. Very, very well done! :thumbup: Btw: A public toilet would be a great addition to a bigger City set. E. g. for 8404 - but we now know that it regrettably doesn't include one. Perhaps for the Truck Stop? ... Klaus-Dieter

Here is a new idea for a set which would mainly appeal to JFOLs - but I'm sure of course many of us AFOLs would like it, too since it includes a lot of new stuff TLG hasn't been releasing until now: Red Cross Emergency Commitment Team (30-40 Euros) (for rescueing people in territories where there has been e. g. an earthquake) a red cross tool and gear waggon and a red cross pick-up with winch including a red cross emergency tent, a stretcher, a cage with dog, medical equipment, some boxes, an oil lamp, two grey suitcases, a water filter, a shovel, two mobile phones, a mobile floodlight and tools minifigs: two red cross aidmen with helmets, a red cross aid woman and an injured person What do you think? Klaus-Dieter

TLG knows that we want a new monorail or at least an elevated train that much. And so I even bet that they'll release one. But surely not this year and very supposably even not next year. But I could well imagine TLG releasing an elevated train - but not a monorarail - as a huge exclusive set (10xxx for about 150 Euros) with hamburger stall, two stops, a small car, a bicycle and some minifigs in 2012. Klaus-Dieter

Thank you very much for this great review, Brick Town Talk! I voted for average - and that only when judging it as a train stop and not as a real train station. Pro: -great pedestrian bridge -two platforms -taxi Cons: -too short platforms -no car doors for the taxi -platforms on both sides of one track instead of having two tracks between them -much too small building To put it in a nutshell: All in all it's a quite nice set if you count it as a train stop. But for TLG calling it train station it's a huge disappointment. I personall would have preferred to get a decent train station. And the pedestrian bridge could have been sold seperately with the level crossing or some other trackside structure. I really hope that - at the latest with a new train theme in three or four years - we'll get again a huge and decent train station like the classic train stations from the ninetees (with ticket stand, waiting area, kiosk, office, long and large platforms and luggage transport car)! Klaus-Dieter

That's a great idea, jonwill! With all that skis and skiers (in the series 2 of the exclusives minifigs as well as in the 10199 Winter Toy Shop) a snowboarder is really needed! Here are some more ideas: Gardener male brown hat perspiring face green shirt, green pants watering can, spade Gauger male yellow hard hat strained face yellow shirt, blue pants gauge Balloon Seller male cylinder shouting for customers blue shirt, black pants balloon Jogger female brown long hair face with sweatband white T-shirt, white pants sausage dog Klaus-Dieter

Thank you very much for this great review, WhiteFang! I voted for Above Average since the most of the minifigs are really great. But there are some minifigs which I do not like (the wrestler, the robot, the space man and the ninja). In comparison to that, series 2 includes only two minifigs I don't like (vampire and witch). The data anaylis was for me neutral since I already decided which minifigs to buy and not (but didn't yet buy them). Nevertheless it's a great addition to read those precisely written comments on the minifigs. Klaus-Dieter

Another note to 8404: The tram surely won't run on regular train wheels since its lower part is much too low. Maybe TLG uses car wheels without tyres. But I could even well imagine that they use those round flat rounded 2x2 bricks (which were used e. g. on the bottom side of (smaller) ships). Totally agree. And it is not necessary that they are huge modilar buildings... I totally agree with you both, greeny010 and Night City Dream! We really need more decent non-emergency non-CC-styled buildings for our cities! The new 8403 City House is really amazing - but it's until now the only decent City building of which we know for 2010. A two or three floors big bank with security transport car, a security officer, a banker, a civilian and a bank robber would be a set which would very much please us AFOLs (because of getting another decent and realisitic building) as well as JFOLs (because of the many and exciting playability). So would a post office with post van, post bicycle, two post officers and a woman. A huge post truck could be sold seperately. And so would even a grocery or supermarket with delivery van and many minifigs. At least for these three types of buildings there is really no need to release them as exclusive sets since kids would surely like them very much, too. So let's hope that either the rumored TRU shop will come with 7848 or let's hope that the City Square will already be released this year! Klaus-Dieter

I totally agree with you, lightningtiger! We know for sure that there'll be another TRU set - 7848 - but we unluckily don't know yet what it'll include. Since we already have the 3221 Lego Truck, a set which contains nearly the same truck (in different colors and maybe with different minifigs and accessory) would imo make not much sense and would surely even sold only very difficulty. But adding a small TRU store and/or a truck stop to it would surely make it selling. So I bet that 7848 will be a truck stop. And the City Square will supposably be released in fall 2011. Like already mentioned, I hope that the roadside structures of the Truck Stop and the City Square will be much more decent: e. g. Truck Stop - closed truck, open truck, big shop with cashpoint, fast food restaurant with terrace, motel, minifigs City Square - car with roof, rickshaw, TRU truck, toy/TRU store, cafe, boutique or grocery, minifigs As for the price of 8404: It can't be more than 100 Euros/Dollars (like 10193 Medieval Market Village). For more than hundred Euros/Dollars it had to include more and more decent roadside structures and more minifigs. Klaus-Dieter

I looked once more at the small shop included in 8404: Might it be that - for reasons of having its interior on the box picture - on the box picture the interior is shown (with roof on the wrong side (but very supposably it is detachable)) and in realitiy there is even a door in the backside of the shop (and when you turn the shop round it's a - albeit only very small - City building like every other)? Klaus-Dieter

Thank you very much for the picture of 8404, BorgShadow! Here you are: I must admit that I have mixed feelings about 8404: Pro: -(although I'd have prefered a second city bus) the overland bus looks awesome :wub: -the tram looks ok - I think a review would show it to us from several sides so you can judge better -(although I'd have prefered a car with roof) the small car looks excellent -the street sweeper is a perfect addition and looks amazing :wub: -the green bicycle is a cool addition -no street plates (since I don't like the new ones) Con: -"many minifigs"?! - there are only six minifigs!!! - much to less to populate all these vehicles -it's great that we get some trackside structures - but their design is imo like if a kid built it (no seats but only simple long bricks, a completely open shop (where is its exterior and where its interior?!) :thumbdown: To put it in a nutshell: The set is awesome concerning the vehicles included. But concerning the trackside structures and the number of minifigs it's a huge disappointment. Hopefully the Truck Stop and the City Square will contain more decent buildings! If my wallet will allow it, I nevertheless of course will buy it/them! Btw: Since the trackside structures are very small and open, the set can't be more than 100 Euros/Dollars, don't you agree? Klaus-Dieter

That's a great and very interesting topic, TheBrickster! I voted for 4504 Hoth Trooper Version since this is the only one I own and the only one I really like. It includes a (more or less) decent interior and the exterior is fairly detailed (at least for my needs) and there are some great minifigs included (at least at the time when it was released - since at this time Hoth Han and Hoth Leia were completely new). But if TLG releases a new regular MF, I hope that the interior (esp. the place around the chessboard) is more detailed and that it is episode 3 style - with General Calrissian, Nien Numb, a Rebel mechanic and a small maintenance vehicle. Klaus-Dieter

No problem, Siegfried! And thank you very much for these pics, Grogall! Looking at all these pics I have to admit that TLG added a lot of nice things - esp. the satellite. Nevertheless it's - like already mentioned - neither a set I want nor a set I'll buy. Klaus-Dieter

1. Hasn't that been exisiting for decades now that TLG is doing stairs without railings? I personally don't care that much about that. 2. I totally agree with you in this point, lightningtiger! Why didn't TLG design the lights taller?! 3. I think it's only one thin flat brick - so this one is needed anyway. Whether you add one additional or not doesn't matter since there still is a step for the minifigs they have to go up and down. Which disturbs me really when looking at the train station is: 1. The taxi includes no car doors (even though they could easily have been added - even with stickers). 2. The building is much, much too small. Otherwise it's imo a great set! I, too, can't wait to see reviews of these sets. I'd of course even like to buy them - but that'll depend on my budget (the City Public Transport and the TRU Truck/Truck Stop? are first priority). Klaus-Dieter