LordsofMedieval

Unfortunately, the problem with Lego Ideas (at least recently) is that the sets with the best self-promotion tend to rise to the top. Sometimes these are also the best designs period. But a lot of the time, they're kinda... okay-ish (not bad... but not knock-your-socks-off quality, either). I have seen so many submissions over the years of just drop-dead gorgeous trains that wind up sputtering after a few thousand votes. But if someone puts together a good campaign spamming their design on Reddit and Youtube: blam. 10K reached. And I'm not saying that people shouldn't be proud of their work. But rather: I think the entire selection process is borked and frequently results in non-stellar creations making it through. And we, the buyers, are badly served by that, because we should want the best and most creative products possible (especially at the outrageous price points so many Designs sets wind up selling at).

Different locomotive, but yes, I think it's inevitable... because the Ideas submission isn't really that good.

What is it? Is it a Razee?

Oh, this is very cool. I always like to see something unique and different that's realized in Lego first.

Superb. That's a tough prototype, and you nailed it.

I dunno, I guess it's more like having 600 HP under the hood of a Mustang GT. You're never going to use it - you just derive some weird comfort from it being there. I figured I had the space without compromising the integrity of the build, so it should go towards lugging power. And when you have those really long boilers, there's a LOT of space.

Oh, are those available as an add-on for stud.io? Or do you mean IRL? :)

I really just need to see what Lego does with it first. Will we get full-sized wheels? Will some of the more awkward decisions with the original be toned down slightly? Will the cab (which doesn't much resemble the prototype at all) get a little love? Will it even run? (Looking at you, CE Hogwarts Express :/). If I'm going to drop north of 300-400 bucks (at least) on a Lego set, it had been damned well be phenomenal.

Three XL PF motors; three battery packs Triple half-plate insets for perfect alignment on boiler contours Fully free double-pivoting lead and trailing trucks; same for lead bogie on tender. Spacious interior room for custom lighting. Detailed cab. Prototypically-accurate 2 degree backwards-trailing skylining flair Easy-lift-out coal for battery access. This is not a rework or rebuild - it's a 100 percent new locomotive and tender. Also, as usual, I cannot do piping in stud.io.

The wait is fine - I just want someone to leak a few photos.

Here's a head-scratcher: So, I know that the base of the 20th Century Limited Hudsons was dark grey - it's clear from the promotional material (which was often colorized) that the color of the running gear, etc. on the locomotive and the bottom portion of the tender was too light to be considered a true black. ... assuming that I were going to use LBG to represent the main body of the locomotive and tender, would the theoretical contrast be too low to do the rest in dark bluish grey? Or, to put that another way: is DBG too 'light' to faithfully represent the bottom portions of this engine? Which is the better color to use here - black or DBG? Thanks.

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=37352#T=C What I need is that, but cut in half. So a 1x1 instead of a 1x2... preferably in dark bluish grey (or very close). I know Cobi has a wide variety of near-Lego parts - anyone aware if they (or someone else) makes the piece I need (and where I would buy it)?

Wish we could get instructions for Lagoon Lockup and Sabre Island.

Very nice proportions. I sure wish Lego would give us the equivalent of 80-ish inch wheels and driving rods in real bricks.

I don't think I've ever seen a hangar in Lego before, and this particular example is just ultra-charming. Great work!

It's almost like the rest of humanity isn't your clone. And how the heck do you know whether or not it's successful? It hasn't been released.

Same. I really want to know if I need to budget for this thing or not. I wouldn't buy the original design. However, with certain tweaks... maybe.

The Venator has: No play features. Appears to lack opening dorsal hangar doors. Just 2 minifigures (again with this, Lego? Why include figures at all? Like... including them is clearly an acknowledgment that we want figures...). A very bland and non-display-friendly stand. I get it - it's not intended for kids. But just because I'm an AFOL doesn't mean I don't see the purpose of interiors (even small, vignette interiors) and figures. I also feel like when you're dropping north of half a grand (well north) on a set, it should be a bit more than a permanent shelf-sitter (or if it IS a permanent shelf-sitter, then by golly at least the stand should look nice). A set of this magnitude should check boxes for all comers - there should be at least a handful of features intended to satisfy childlike wonder. Because, you know, I'm just a grown up kid still buying Legos. It's releases like these that make me think Lego doesn't really understand a lot of their adult customers - especially when you compare it to something like Rivendell, which just NAILS what a set intended for adults (but can be enjoyed by kids and kid-like adults) should present as.

Oh, totally my bad. If a mod wants to merge this into that, that's fine.

The set has: No play features. Appears to lack opening dorsal hangar doors. Just 2 minifigures (again with this, Lego? Why include figures at all? Like... including them is clearly an acknowledgment that we want figures...). A very bland and non-display-friendly stand. I get it - it's not intended for kids. But just because I'm an AFOL doesn't mean I don't see the purpose of interiors (even small, vignette interiors) and figures. I also feel like when you're dropping north of half a grand (well north) on a set, it should be a bit more than a permanent shelf-sitter (or if it IS a permanent shelf-sitter, then by golly at least the stand should look nice). A set of this magnitude should check boxes for all comers - there should be at least a handful of features intended to satisfy childlike wonder. Because, you know, I'm just a grown up kid still buying Legos. It's releases like these that make me think Lego doesn't really understand a lot of their adult customers - especially when you compare it to something like Rivendell, which just NAILS what a set intended for adults (but can be enjoyed by kids and kid-like adults) should present as.

I like this so much more than the Venator that Lego is releasing - so much more. I know it's not yet built, but any sense of how robust or not it would be? Also, did you take it down off Rebrickable? I don't see it on your page (and the link at the top is dead).

Makes me wish Lego did more serious farms.

The Witch's Castle reminds me SO MUCH of the ice palace in Secret of Mana.

This is silly... but... well, why not.