Xyver

The Pet Shop is done, nothing too fancy on this one, just a 16x32 corner building, I basically just turned the building sideways and extended it. I also took out the back doors/windows as it will be flush against the GE. I did add some angled windows into the roof to provide extra light into the top floor, not sure that really necessary though with the huge skylight, but anyway I think it looks good. And a view of all my modified modulars together, this will most likely be their final position. Plus an overview of my the business district of my city. I have a building to make next to the hotel and another at the top of the street. There will also be a rail crossing where the road plates are stacked and a subway station under the front.

Vincent, I made a 32 wide piece using 1x plates stacked three high with tiles on top, then attached this at the 16th stud. Then used a stanley knife (razor blade) to cut along the edge, giving me a cut at the exact half way mark. After a few passes of the knife you can just snap the baseplate in two. It doesn't give a rounded corner along the cut but you could always use some sand paper if its too sharp I guess. This wouldn't work with a crossing though as their are no studs in the middle to attach anything to, but I'm sure you could make something up to work using larger plates. I'm just putting the finishing touches on my blue Pet Shop building, photos will be up soon so keep watching.

SwissBrick, I did actually use more than was in the sets. Because the left section is bigger I had to use some of my own brown bricks to complete it all. I had plenty since I pulled apart my 2 Log Cabins. The front steps also come from spare parts as did some of the windows and a couple plates for the floors - there wasn't enough. Vincent, I have a couple of 48x48 buildings and sometimes the best way to fit them in is a 16 wide road plate, so I cut one in half. Sometimes a layout just works better with a half plate, especially when using buildings larger than 32x32 and requiring driveways. I'm left with a 32x16 corner with my layout as it stands now, so will have to work out the best way to utilise my two blue buildings for that section, probably a wider building, I will post photos once its finished.

I'm glad you all like the mods. I don't do interiors, which is why all of my buildings are bare. I agree they'd look better with something inside, but they don't get seen on a layout so I normally don't bother. Plus I'm no good at the fiddly decorations, I'll leave that to the more artistic people amongst us. My daughter turned the top floor of the GE into a bedroom department with beds she made herself, maybe I can encourage her to put more inside next time she's playing. I'm in the middle of re-arranging my layout for our next show, so it is very much a work in progress at the moment, so I'm sorry to dissappoint all those wanting to see an overview, I promise to post pictures as sections are completed though in my Naiaville thread. The GE will not end up next to the town house, I only put that there for the photos, the blue building will most likely end up next to it with an 8-wide alleyway in between to get the baseplates back into the right spots. Yes Legocrazy81, that is the Haunted House poking up in the background, but that's going in a different part of my layout.

I've recently bought two sets of the Grand Emporium and Pet Shop modular buildings and wanted to increase the size of each. I started with the Grand Emporium and thought it would look great as a 48x48, and I think it does: The original plan was to have the roof so that the standard GE levels can be added to the top to build up for display purposes, but that didn't work because of the dual escalators. I will have to work on it though. I then moved onto the Pet Shop brown building. I wanted an inside corner building to fit in with the layout I'm working on. I couldn't quite get it to work with an eight stud footpath on either side, so I just moved the baseplate off centre and created a walkway between the buildings: The right hand side is only changed at the front door and the doorway to the left hand side. The top level hasn't been change at all, so for displays I will be able to add in extra 2nd levels to make that side much taller. I was very happy with how the front door turned out, it is just a stanard 6x4 doorway on a turntable, with 45 slopes snotted onto the walls so as to leave no gap. It is actually a perfect fit and the door still opens. Here's a photo of the modulars set up, I haven't decided what to do with the shop building yet, probably just add extra levels and leave it as standard 16x32.

Obviously, it gets shipped in from overseas and doesn't show up again on tracking until it has passed customs and is in the AusPost warehouse 10-12 days later. The last few orders I've had say they've been picked up, 12 days later the website says that its at the local DC and dispatched, then arrives that day. One I think said it was in Sydney one day and local DC the next.

Another truck, this one is a utility vehicle for a council worker.

This offer is also available online, and they are doing free delivery. I can confirm that they have the Pet Shop and Grand Emporium in stock (as I just ordered one of each) and it says the Town Hall is also available. The Fire Brigade wasn't on the website though, so maybe they don't have any of them. The site is extremely slow, but I did eventually get an email confirmation that my order had been placed.

I didn't even realise that the white one didn't have mirrors! it should have. Lego have used a few different designs for mirrors in the last few years, but I like this one the best, even converting some of the sets over to this style. I have gone back to the yellow, with the grill plates instead of the white tile, it does look much better. My Mobile Police Unit truck has its doors and windscreen back now. I have a few more ideas for some service trucks, once I get my bricklink order of windscreens and wheel axle brick thingies I'll post some more. I've also relaid my town out at home, but have a bit more work to do to set up all the buildings again. I will post updated photos once I find a few spare days to actually get to work on it.

I agree Tiger, but the available parts I had forced it that way. Which looks better, white of yellow: Will have to get some parts either way as I had to deconstruct some vehicles to get the colours.

The awning on the Naiaville hospital required repair, so they needed a cherry picker. As there wasn't one available, some of the local mechanics got together and made one up: Here the workers are arriving, not sure its too safe to ride in the basket, but since the cab only fits one person he didn't really have a choice. That's the right height I think its fixed now

There is a lot of discontinued items on that site at the moment, though the Cafe Corner page has dissappeared. I don't know if I'd ever use them anyway, their prices are more than 10% higher then the prices listed on the relevant US shop's site (probably closer to 15% when the exchange rate is factored in), and you get slugged very high postage costs. Why don't they just come clean to say they are a freight forwarder and charge you a flat rate commission on the US RRP.

BigW currently has the Super Star Destroyer available online for $498 for those that missed out. The website says it is available in store too, but what are your chances of finding one?

I would assume this has come about due to some of the brilliant ideas on Cuusoo that are more suitable to a theme than a one off. Hopefully this means we will get the Western Town, but surely the first pick would have to be the Space Marines (I soooo want some of these).

I like the design LT, but it would probably work better with less colours. I know that might be hard with available parts. All white front would look ok. A yellow front might work too, to go in with the yellow under the tipper.

Kristel - the two half pipes were actually incredibly easy. The larger one is just 6x5 panels joined together with hinge plates to get the curves. The smaller one is just the inverted arches, with plenty of black tiles. I was really happy with the way they turned out. Lightning Tiger, we were overwhelmed at the turn out, over 8,000 people over the three days (not including under threes). Lostdriveway - sorry that you didn't hear about the event, there wasn't much of a budget for advertising. There was a post on Eurobricks under Events as well as plenty goings on on Facebook. We are planning to hold the even the same time next year, so keep an eye out. It will be bigger and better. pinioncorp - There wasn't enough space for a train unfortunately, they take up a lot of space. There will be one in there by next year's event though, it just means I have to go wider. I also don't own a lot of trees, but will have to invest in more of them and also plenty of grey tiles to footpath everything. LEGO Guy Bri - setup for the show was about 5-6 hours, minfigs take a long time to put around the place. Packup wasn't as bad, only about 1.5 hours, but I wasn't as careful and have plenty of rebuilding to do to set it up in my house again.

Layout These photos of my town were taken at BrisBricks 2012. Once I unpack set it up again in my home I'll take photos of the bits I missed. All the buildings (apart from the houses front left of the full shot) are my own. A big thank you to those who contributed the houses, vehicles and road plates to complete the display for the public to enjoy.

AussieBJ, There is a post here: BrisBricks 2012 and we're also on Facebook.

Its here, its finally here... Bought it on the 1st and it just arrived, they did say 13 days and they were spot on. Can't wait to start building it, just in time for BrisBricks 2012 in two weeks, its going to have pride of place in my layout.

Welcome Kristel I tried the "It's the daughter's" excuse for a little while, but that only lasted until the dining room table was a city layout, which was only a couple of months, after that no one believed me. She does encourage me to buy more Lego though, and I must admit its hard to say no. Bricks N Fun is dangerous when I take her in there. If you're at BrisBricks on the Monday, I'm sure my daughter (she's 6) would be more than happy to show you're daughter her Friends collection. I'll have to find a spot to put it in the large city display I'm doing or I'll be a very naughty daddy. And my solution for Lego overtaking the dining room - get a bigger house. I did, and its wonderful.

Bricks N Fun at Capalaba has quite a range. Many of the older ones too. They just got in a shipment of new some City ones. They're also on BrickLink under Mint in Sealed Box if you're not in the Brisbane area. It'll save international postage.

I ordered the Haunted House last week from Shop @ Home, I just couldn't wait to see if any store here in Australia will stock it, plus it would be months before it appears, the Town Hall isn't even out here yet. I was resigned to the fact that I had to pay Aus RRP plus postage, so ordered a few sets to spread the shipping costs out a bit. Now, the real issues is that I am being charged Aus RRP - which includes 6% VAT, not our 10% GST (aren't purchases normally VAT free when sold overseas?) and also being charged a foreign currency conversion fee from my credit card provider. The receipt that I received also shows that Lego Systems A/S is an Australian Registered Business, registered for GST. Now, these things don't add up. If i'm buying from an Australian business, in Australian dollars, shouldn't I be charged 10% GST and no currency conversion. If I'm buying from the Lego head company, a company located in Denmark, then why am I paying Aus RRP prices which also includes VAT? Before I send a letter of complaint off to Lego, I was just interested if anyone on here has an answer.

That's why I ordered 3, makes the postage only $15 each. S@H postage isn't expensive, considering it does come from overseas, just that we have to pay RRP as well, rather than overseas prices.

Only one is for me, just ordered for some friends to save on postage. Though I must admit, I am tempted to keep all three.

That's great! I'm not sure I want to meet the person who 'plays' in the playroom, definitely not my type of toys. And what else is in the blender apart from a hand?