Hrw-Amen

Did they say why it was rejected, was it just on the grounds of being way to scary, or more to do with the theme / film tie in? Either way, it is a really frightening thing! (In a good way.) That little facehugger, it has a tube coming out of it looking at your pictures, does this act to actually make it hug faces pneumatically? Is there a video of it doing some hugging?

Yes that looks good. Not so sure about the yellow, the Galaxy Patrol seems a bit more grim-dark to me, but overall I do like the design especially the engines which seem very powerful!

I have never really thought about which ones are best. I have a random selection of old and new maintenance people. All my station staff where the same dark blue uniforms that you get nowadays. As for engine drivers and operators I think they all need their own character and quite like the one that comes with EN, but a mixture is best, I can't really say I prefer one over the other.

I think for me the Harry Potter one was simply down to the either non-train wheels or very small train wheels making it look very un-train like. With the Toy Story one I am actually considering buying it, but have been waiting to see if anyone has it on offer. I am not too keen on all the characters and toy story bits but I do see some potential for the engine being modified into something half passable as a good train with a bit of thought. Not to mention that all those extra bits for rolling stock would be useful.

Really good this one, I especially like the deer!

That is really cool! How do you get that effect, is it something easily available for people to buy or something that you have made?

Really nice ship, I am a big Star Trek fan and it always seems so hard to find good examples in LEGO.

No need in my opinion to add lots of details, it is a car park and that is what they look like. Sometimes I have seen them with Ivy or some other plant growing up the side to break up the concrete, but that is about it. I do think another level would be good but understand the ramp problem. If you built another one and added it to the rear, side then an additional ramp could be incorporated in that giving you extra floors. After all car parks like these are usually huge, the one in my home town is far bigger than any of the surrounding shops! Also sometimes I see they have a little cafe or some smaller shop built into the side, so if you did extend it you could perhaps add something like this as an interesting detail. Maybe like a little newsagent / sweet shop? As it is though it is very good and an interesting change from the norm.

Yes I did look at the link, however I imagine that in order to wire it up to an old fashioned 4.5V battery box and motor I would actually have to cut the wires? The old blue motors and battery boxes use a very different plug system for connection. I was thinking of using a PF extension cable (As it is relatively cheap.) so that it has the PF connectors at one end which will be able to connect to the IR Receiver using the proper connection bricks as in your diagram, but then the cut ends of the wires would have to go into the little plugs that fit the older style of motor / battery box. So my question about the layout of the wires is not one of how they are at the PF connection brick end as I assume those would be right, but more one of how they are aligned in the actual length of wire. If I cut it, will the two outer wires be the 9V-0V and the middle two be the C1-C2 or is that not how it works? Also, if I were to do this what would I do with the four ends not connected to anything, would this matter, should I just tape them off (To isolate them?) or do I need to do something else entirely with them? I guess I could just try it, but I do not want to risk breaking the IR receiver. Like I said I am not electrically minded or trained, so this may seem a very simplistic idea to those of you in the know, but it seemed like a good idea to me. However it does seem that maybe it is much more complicated than I at first thought.

OK, I did not know that. So if I am to run the two wires from the 4.5V battery box, which ones should I connect them up to when they get to the IR receiver? I assume the two marked as 9V. (Only it will be 4.5V in this case.) Then the two wires coming from the 4.5V motor will need to go to the 'Out' section of the IR receiver. I assume from your comment the ones annotated C1,2 and with the dotted line? Do these wires actually correspond to the layout of the wires on the cables, for example the two outside are the 9V and the two inners are the C1,2 or is that just wishful thinking? Or is it just way to complicated and not worth the bother for someone who does not know what they are doing? Pity as it seemed like quite a good upgrade to the old 4.5V trains and would make them more compatible.

So before I attempt this and mess it up, can I ask (Not being an electrician.) I see that the PF cables have three wires, but obviously the old 4.5V system only has two. So which of the PF wires do I use, is there some kind of wiring diagram that is easy for people with limited understanding of such things to use? Do I have to connect the third wire to anything?

Have managed to get hold of a set at local WH Smith yesterday, shame about the extra cost involved but then I did get to feel them, so I guess it could still be cheaper in the long run than buying total random ones. They still have not got them in my local Toy shop. Apparently they are not getting them as they feel it would be hard to sell that many and do not want to have to put the price up (Like WH Smith.) as the manager told me today the Team GB Mini-figs would cost more for them to get than the normal Collectable mini-figs due to a cut having to go the Team GB/Olympic organisers. Not sure how true that is, but apparently that is why they are not being stocked so wide spread. It does seem a pity to have printed bases. I am usually a fan of print as opposed to stickers, but I think in this case it may have been better the other way round as the bases are not a lot of use for anything else as they are. Whilst I find it quite easy to feel my way through a set of normal mini-figs I have to say I found these quite hard going as not all of them have accessories and one printed body feels much the same as another. Still managed to get a full set with only four duplicates. From feeling through a box looking it appears that the boxer is quite hard to find, ether that or they had been pulled out by earlier customers.

This is really good and to see it working on the video is a bonus. I'd love to have one myself, maybe one day!

I have a very fine fluffy duster which is just on a little six inch handle. I think a large normal duster would be too big and likely to break things. Thankfully most of the smaller things are in glass cases so don't really need dusting.

Thanks for the comments. I have been looking over some photos of the Type 02 tonight. I think a lot of what has gone into the Type 01 can be used although I note that the main difference seems to be that the cab is open at the rear rather than having side doors. Also the engine compartment seems to have access hatches for which I think I can use the shutters of the type used on the LEGO windows. I have lots of these in green if I go with that colour, or some in black and bley if I decide to go that route. The motor is here and I have a battery box I can use so just awaiting an IR controller and lights.

I have recently been working on a new engine for my railway collection. I wanted a small shunting loco that I could use with various goods wagons. I also wanted to do something in the style of British Rail as it was when I was young. I did contemplate doing a small steam engine and that is still an option, but after doing some research decided on a diesel instead as it appeared that it could be built around the existing train motor set up. I have looked at many and in the end decided to start at the beginning so as to speak and so went for the Type 01 shunter. Obviously it is not the first ever diesel shunter made, but you get the drift. It was quite hard to find good pictures of them actually as I guess they were quite boring and usually out of the way in depots where they were not photographed a lot. Anyway I am quite pleased with how it turned out and it certainly runs a lot better than I anticipated it would. The only thing I would say is that i think it would have been better to scale if it were a brick lower in height, but after much fiddling with the electrics to get it to fit that was the lowest I could get it. I have been working on it for a while now to get it to this stage so I am thinking it will have to do. The thing I like most about it is that I managed to reproduce the yellow and black stripes at the front and rear. These went through several versions until I got the current one. The engine is a 7 stud wide build (Like most of the ones I have done myself.) apart from the buffer beam which is 8 studs. This is simply to make it fit better with the photos I did find of these little engines. I found some of them in the old BR Green and even black, but liked the blue better so went with that. I am thinking about making a Type 02 to go with it (Maybe in green.) as they are pretty similar on the face of it to look at and it would be a challenge to get the differences into something about the same size. But I am still thinking about it. Here is the Brickshelf Gallery: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=506394 Here if the flickr Gallery: (It has more write up on it.)

That forest is pretty good and I'd love to have something like that for my layout. The little engine is also superb. The sound and steam just add to it. I am guessing it is not PF as I can not see the battery anywhere? But a very nice little shunter all the same. Thanks for showing us the video.

I got some very similar, again using the original Maersk as inspiration for the wagon, only mine are normal LEGO blue. I have built yellow containers to go on them although they are not specific to a particular company. I just wanted the Maersk engine to have more than two wagons to pull around.

Yes my idea was to make people think that initially it was in the wrong place until they investigated it further. A bit like the City Police in Dootsville setting up the sting operation sending in that M-Tron guy for his M-Tron monthly mag. Mr Black is not falling for that though. Good job they police contacted the local ADU who have sent their Galaxy Patrol storm troopers to deal with the fledgling Blacktron cult before it becomes a major menace. This is why I called it a Mock Bookshop as opposed to just MOC, it is a play on the words that I hoped would catch peoples attention just enough to look thinking it was a town/city MOC ready to state as such only to discover tgat they had jumped the gun when they followed the Brickshelf / flickr links. The overall idea I havd was that on the face of it this would appear like any other modular building in my town (Dootsville.)and just fit into the main street. But then the playability factor comes in. It is a secret Blacktron facility. I was thing along the lines of the ground floor being where people change from civilian clothes placing them in the lockers provided, get scanned for ID to make sure they are who they say, (Also the toilet is down there.) and then up to the first floor. Again this has a mock apartment hiding the true meaning of the building behind. This was kind of envisaged as a sort of Blacktron Cult centre where local devotees could come and 'worship' or commune using their advanced tech with Blacktron proper forces who are out in deep space looking to get recognition and aid from them. Actually the school idea would fit just as well as I guess it does look a bit lecture hall like as well. Going up to the second floor attic there are trans Neon Yellow cheese slopes on the banisters which hint at what is up there. Mr Black and one or two of his trusted fellows has been in secret building or at least renovating a small Blacktron flyer, not just any old flyer but a hallowed relic of the Blacktron 1 era. Sure to bring them to the attention and favour of the space born Blacktron brothers whom they hope to link up with. As the Galaxy Patrol and local police attempt to storm the building, will they be in time to prevent Mr Black making his escape and alerting the forces of the Blacktron proper that they are in need of assistance? Even if he does will they come or just consider him a thorn in their side laughing at his little Earth bound coven? Actually of all this build the three things I found hardest were in the roof openning, getting it to look like any other roof but with a hinge section. It went through various stages and ideas before I settled on the swing option. Then also the pop up radar dish from what is supposed to look like a chimney. I would have liked a bigger radar dish but just could not find a way to fit anything more elaborate into the size. Thirdly the actual flyer itself, which you may recall I posted a few days ago on its own. It had to fit in the roof cavity and as such had to be small, no good for a winged ship. That is why it has folding wings and main engine, it can use its landing thrusters to blast up out of the roof, then unfurl all it stuff before zooming off straight up and out of the atmosphere. Anyway, I am pleased people like the concept. Thanks for the comments.

Most people in Dootsville were more than happy when the old run down bookstore was taken on by a old chap going by the name of Mr Black. However some in authority were a little suspicious of the crew he hired to do the refit, not to mention that the floor space of the store was considerably smaller than it used to be of old. I have included a link to my flickr account where you can see more of this brand new modular book store. My link Here is the Brickshelf gallery link. My link

Very nice, but yes some police lights would be good, I mean you want the criminals to know who it is that has blasted them into the airless void! I do like the overall shape of the ship though, it is a sort of star wars goes space police. A good way to bring them up to date.

This really does look very good. I would also be interested in seeing a bottom side view of this ship.

OK, there you are. There are several different angles and things in the flickr and Brickshelf galleries. I do have enough helmets and tanks for all my Blacktron figures, but as he has been wandering around my CITY trying to fit in with the general population he is not wearing his at the moment. This will become apparent when I post the main MOC which is very nearly complete.

A bit creepy but a nice rendition of the real thing. Good job it is against a well lit background and not all weird alien colours otherwise it would be well spooky!

I've seen similar looking wagons to this whilst travelling abroad. They usually seem to have just as many passengers hanging onto the outside and the roof as there are inside. (If not more.) Nice wagon and very much like the real thing. I do agree though it could do with some doors.