frogstudio

This is really sad news... My support and love to his family...

I do own that ship. Bought it since it's simply impossible to get a BSB here in my country. So, some words about it: Quality: the bricks have a really strong clutching power. Colours are much stronger than LEGO (yellow has a bit of an orange hue)Most of the plates and bricks have really sharp edges. Printing on sails aren't that good. Instructions are good and well printed. Minifigs aren't good at all, thopugh you can get some accesories in strange colours (golden coins and silver cutlasses) Major concerns: I would certainly NOT GIVE THIS TO A CHILD!!!! Besides cutting my fingers twice during the build, the worst thing is that some of the bricks (basically, the brown riggings of the masts)have some quind of chemical comning out of them!!! I stored this ship unasembled indide some ziplock bags. After a year, the riggings had tinted the plastic bags and the sails of my Caribbean Clipper, on over which they were lying, basically ruining them!!!! On the good side... once built, the ship looks really nice, and it's a cheap way to build a pirate fleet to use as background in your layout.. Just my two cents...

AWESOME MOC!!!!!! The landscaping is SO BEAUTIFUL!!!! Congratulations!!!!

After reading the posts, I was wondering how many of you have actually had in your hands one of these trains. Personally, I own most of them. Though I'm not keen on piracy, the simple truth is that, here in Argentina, getting a LEGO train is really hard. If you manage to get one, you'll end paying U$S 500.-for one of the new PF trains. If you want to buy one in Bricklink and have it shipped here, you'll end up paying the actual cost of the set + shipping + 50% of import taxes (applied on both the actual cost AND the shipping cost!!!) + a 21% of internal taxes (applied on the whole number). So, a U$S100 set with a shipping cost of U$S 20.- would end up costing you U$S 210,8.-!!!! It's simply crazy!!! So, when I was in China this year and saw the opportunity to get a whole bunch of trains to populate my train yard, I grabbed the chance and got them. Putting aside all legal issues, I would like to state a few things about their quality and designs. Though most of them are COMPLETE rip offs of LEGO models, there are some unusual and unique ones. The dark green train is a completely original design, based on a chinese locomotive and carriage of the '80s. Also, one of the steam locomotives is also an original design. Some of the pieces (train doors, mainly), are also original designs. The plastic of the bricks is brittle, with really sharp edges and a bit dullier than the original stuff. Colors match almost perfectly except for the yellow, which is much brighter than the original (has some kind of orange component to it). Tan color is also of a different shade. One big quality issue, to me, is in the clear pieces. They all have a milky effect on them, not being 100% transparent. All printed pieces are actually PRINTED. No stickers, and the printing is actually quite good. Clutching power is actually too clutchy. The set won't tare apart in your hands, and in fact is quite difficult to detach pieces. Minifigs are not as good as the real stuff, but overall, they have nice printings and I have no problem in meangling them with my LEGO crowd. There are two main quality issues though, and both relate when thinking of powering them. The first one is the weight of the pieces. These bricks are MUCH HEAVIER than original LEGO bricks, which will put a lot of strain on the motor you choose. The other issue has to do with the boogies and wheel pieces. They don't roll as smoothly as the original, adding even more strain on the motor. So don't expect to make long trains run!!! My guess is that 9V or 12V motors won't have a problem with it, but I would be cautious about RC and PF motors. Since I bought the sets just to serve as "background filling" for my layout, this is not of much concern to me. I will only be powering one of the sets (the chinese locomotive and carriage)and I'll be changing all boggies and wheels for this set, and probably use two motors on it. So, this are my two cents. Hope it was usefull for you. Cheers!!!

I might be the only one to prefer Brickforge's stuff!!! Much ore accurate, in my opinion... adn above all, they've been providing these for long before TLG ever considered the possibility of producing a spartan minifig. Thanks BF!!!!

Many thanks for the info!!!! About costs, it will always be cheaper than in Argentina!!!!

Can someone advise me where is the best place to get LEGO in Kuala Lumpur? I'll be there for just a day after my trip to Nepal and would like to get as much bricks as I can!!!! Cheers and thank you!!!!

Rebuilding official sets has no problem. Comcerning MOCs or MODS, I do the following. I photograph each step of the unbuilding. Then, I rename the files in inverse order and what have I got of that???? My building instructions for that moc!!!! Just my two cents. :)

Great MOC!!! Simple and right to the point. It could esasyly make an impulse or small LEGO set. Congrats!!!

If you read carefully the post, the record I'm talking about is clearly on foot. Obviously, any set bought abroad and which contains minifgs will go higher since it's on a plane. But that's just like saying "put me in the guiness!!! I took a plane and reached a higher altitude than anyone who climbed Mount Everest!!!"... :)

Ok, so here's the thing... unlike most of you might have thought, I'm not injecting or making my minifigs smoke anything strange. In november I'm travelling to Nepal with my wife and we plan to take our sigfigs (they've already been to Hong Kong, Beijing and Manila). We always take them and get a photo of the place we are in. On this trip we are making a climb that will take us up to 5614m above sea level, so, I was wondering if I might be establishing a new world record with them ( I mean, first two minifigs to get that high on foot... well on backpack) Has anyone here ever taken a minifig higher? I would be interested to know. A soon as I've got the figs ready (have to customize them for the harsh climate they'll encounter) I'll post a couple of pictures... and when I get back, the pictures of Nepal. cheers, and waiting for your comments!!!! :)

Well, my advise, go and download Bluebrick software (it's really easy to use, doesn't need to be installed and it's free). With it, you should be able to draw any track layout you like (just know that 4 flexi tracks, the one that bend equal 1 straight track)and get the part list and print it. So, instead of asking anyone to draw it for you, don't miss the fun of creating and doing it yourself (that's what Lego is all about anyway!!!)Enjoy. Link to bluebrick post: bluebrick post Blue brick software: direct download Cheers and leave before the big guy get angry and ban you!!! :)

Many thanks!!! These look simply amazing!!!!

Many, many many thanks!!!! I never expected such a quick reply!!!! The images look awesome, congrats to the author!!!!

Then you make me a happy man!!!! I was told so by a guy in London when I inquired if he knew why the bridge had those colours (I asked because they aren't, or at least not to me, classical British colours). So, if it's not true, the better... :)

Hi fellow Eurobrickers!!!! I was wondering if someone with the time and expertise would be able to produce images for the following sets: 10182 – Café Corner 10185 – Green Grocer 10190 – Market Street 10193 - Medieval Market Village 8403 - City House 8404 - City Public Transport 7994 - LEGO City Harbor 7237 - Police Station 7939 - Cargo Train I would be REALLY thankful and I'm sure many others would be. Many thanks and cheers!!!!

In fact, it should be light blue. Brits paint the bridge with the colour of the last country to whom they won a war. In this case, and sadly enough, it's my coutry, Argentina, and the flag is white and light blue. For years it was paintedwith Germany's colours.

My trains usually slow down a bit on curves (even if layed down on the floor). this is mainly due to friction...

In my opinion, it has nothing to do with colour schemes or playability. It simply has to do with the fact that TLC has grown into a much more international company. In the 70's and early 80's it still was mainly aimed at the european market (where is common to see the combo of medieval and modern building + knight processions, etc.) Nowadays, LEGO tries to reach more international markets, and thus, has to have a more "generic" approach towards architectural design and possible combinations. How would a kid in the States or Brazil understand today the comboa of a medieval building with a modern one. Most probably he's never seen such combo and would simply think that it's unrealistic. If you analize LEGO's current architectural style, it's rather generic, enabling kids anywhere in the world to feel that that LEGO building could actually be in their own town. So, as someone mentioned, I too think that the era of combining Castle and City is long gone (no matter how much I regrett it.) Just my two cents... Cheers to all!!!!

Hi!!! I'm from Argentina and have been to the following places, from near to far: Argentina: La Rioja, Salta, Tucuman, Cordoba, Santa Fe, Mendoza,Neuquen and Chubut Bolivia: La Paz Panama: Panama City Bahamas: Freeport, Nassau United States: Miami, Orlando, New York, Washington, Chicago UK: London France: Paris (where I bought mi first large LEGO set), Reims Luxemburg: Luxemburg Germany: Heidelberg, Nurenberg, Rothenburg Checoeslovaquia (went there when it still was a single country): Pilsen, Prague Hungary: Budapest Austria: Viena, Salzburg Switzerland: Geneve Italy: Venice, Verona, Florence, Rome, Pisa Israel: Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Tel Aviv, Eilat Egypt: Cairo, Luxor, Asuan Nepal: Kathmandu, Pokara, Bakthapur and all the Anapurna Circuit China: Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong Think that's all... :)

I really have mixed feelings about this set. While the minifigs are awesome, the tower itself simply looks crappy to me. I REALLY can't understand why TLC can't give "evil" factions a decent castle (happened the same with the skellies). It surely isn't a question of the sets size. If you consider that 6073-Knights Castle of 1984 had only 386 pieces, why can't we get a decent small but great castle or fort for the Dragons faction instead of just a stupid tower???? It doesn't has to do with playability either!!! Another thing that bugs me a lot is to ALWAYS have more "good" knights or minifigs than "evil" knights in sets!!! If we go to classic tales, the heroes usually are outnumbered.... so please give us more of the dark bad awesome dragon knights... Really TLC, sometimes I don't get you... :)

Hi!!!! I don't know if this has been asked before, but I was hoping that anyone who really understands this stuff can help me out. So, the question is: Is it possible to use 8866 Train Motor (lego shop@home) + IR Receiver + Speed Remote Control with the OLD 9V Battery box (4760c01 bricklink entry)???? If it is possible, could someone explain me exactly which pieces I need and how to conect them? Many thanks!!!

That's true noticed it in both my battle packs AND ALL Kingdoms sets I bought!!!!! Weapons just fall off really easy from the minifig's hands!!! :(

My three votes to: pedro's Dhurban Indoor Bazaar

My three votes to: brickzone's Camouflaged Den