frogstudio

Dear Eurobricks friends, I've decide to start this topic in order to show you the layout of Falkenstadt, which is my LEGO world. Unfortunately, I don't have the physical space needed to have it set permanently (this layout measures a humble 11 x 4.60 meters), yet, most of it is already built and waiting in containers till I have it. I've been collecting LEGO since I came out of my dark ages, about 10 years ago. During this time, I focused on getting those sets I drooled over in the catalogues of my childhood, MOC building and getting many of the newer sets that appealed to me. I've collected Castle (mostly from the 80's), Classic Space, Classic Town, City, Pirates, modulars and trains. My main goal was to try to combine all this different themes into a single layout and that it would still be "believable" and coherent. During my childhood I did quite a bit of travelling through Europe and the one thing that really stroke me was how some cities managed to keep mostly intact buildings and whole areas of their medieval ages (I'm from Argentina, and the oldest thing here isn't older than the 1700's). Nuremberg, Rothenburg, Prague and Budapest are just some of the examples that struck me most. So, when thinking my layout, I decided to try to combine all the themes and give them a fictional historical frame, defining areas in it that went along with the different time periods, architectural styles and the blending between them. Another thing that was important to me was how to keep relative scale between sets. If you lay a 80's town set just right to a modular, it simply gets dwarfed and looks ridiculous. That's why I also tried had to come up with an intermediate scale which I call "semi modular", which helps with the blending. Most of my MOCs are in that scale. I'll be updating this topic as regularly as I can, taking pictures of the different MOCs for each area or uploading rendered images of those which still haven't been built in real bricks. So, after this brief (????) intro, let's start with the History of Falkenstadt and the general plan of the layout!!! History of Falkenstadt The history of the territory over which today sits Falkenstadt (Falcon's City) is extremely rich and dates back to the seventh century AD. At that time the region was inhabited by barbarian tribes of relatively peaceful character. In 676 AD, a group of Benedictine monks sent by Pope Donus, settles in the area in order to evangelize the barbarians and build the monastery of St. Stud, which's remains, repeatedly rebuilt, today stand in the outside of the city. In the year 890 AD the monastery is attacked by Viking raiders, burnt to the ground and all its occupants are killed. Horrified Pope Stephen VII decided to send a new mission in 930 AD, but this time with the support of King Johan Der Platen, who sends a contingent of knights under the command Knight Of Chevron. This new mission not only reconstructs the monastery, but builds a nearby fort. It is built with limestone from a nearby quarry, characterized by an intense yellow color, so it will be known as the Golden Castle. Around this fort will bloom the first city in the area. The prevailing peace is interrupted again in 960 AD. A new Viking raid, not only destroys the monastery, but also manages to capture the fortress and destroy most of the city. A few people manage to escape to the north and into in the woods. According to chronicles of the time (known as the Monastery of St. Stud Chronicles), among them is a young hunter (a falconer), who in his escape, and after bloody combat with the brutal Viking raiders, manages to free several of the monastery's monks. The chronicles do not mention his full name and just refer to him as Bern The Falconer or simply as "The Falcon" (Der Falke). The group of refugees settles in the forest and from there wage a re-conquest campaign led by Der Falke, harassing the small Viking garrison which had established in the monastery ruins. In 990 AD the now old Der Falke leads his troops into a fierce attack which definitely expels the Viking invaders. Thus began the reconstruction of the Monastery of St. Stud and construction of a new city. It was decided not to use the ruins of the Golden Castle as the superstitious people considered them cursed. Land was then elected to the south of the Monastery of St. Stud, considering them the most suitable. Aware of the re-conquest, King Oleg Der Platen (Johan's son and successor) convenes the septuagenarian Der Falke to his cohort, knights him and gives his family the coat of arms o the black and white eagle over inverted background. Also, he and his successors are appointed as protectors of the Monastery of St. Stud and made lords of the land surrounding it in "an extension of 50 baseplates". Der Falke returns to his new domains and decides to undertake the construction of a fortress at the entrance to the fjord, in order to protect from and prevent future Viking raids. He selects a rocky promontory at the entrance to the fjord which he names Falkenstein (Falcon's Stone), name that will take not only the fortress, but his descendants too. According to the chronicles of the Monastery of St. Stud, Bern Falkenstein dies the night of December 24th 1000 AD, at 80 years of age (age unusual for the time) without seeing finished the fortress he began to build. The location of his grave is unknown, but recent archaeological studies suggest that his remains rest under the main arch of the tower of the fortress of Falkenstein. He is succeeded by his son Ludwig von Falkenstein. Little is known about the Ludwig's mandate, beyond the not at least important fact that he completed the construction of the Falkenstein Fortress and that he fathered twin sons Otto and Gunther von Falkenstein in 1050 DC. On his deathbed, Ludwig calls his offspring and requires them to swear not to fight for his succession. They solemnly swear and Ludwig dies within hours. Gunther and Otto then decided to divide the family domains, swearing loyalty to each other ad eternum. Otto keeps the family's coat of arms and the Fortress of Falkenstein (as well as the title of Protector of the Monastery), while Gunther chooses for himself a new emblem with a winged sea serpent. Despite maintaining the same surname, Gunther is known hereafter as the Black Knight because of the color of his favorite armor. Given his adventurous spirit, Gunther chooses the lands to the east and on the opposite shore of the fjord, which is still unexplored. There he builds his castle, which still exists. The brothers also divide productive tasks. Otto dedicates the work of his servants to agriculture while Gunther is dedicated to livestock. In 1090, to commemorate the feat of the Re-conquest led by his grandfather, Otto formally names the city as Falkenstadt. He instructs to build a large building to officiate as Court and Council Chamber and in front of it he starts building a cathedral. Both buildings are preserved today, serving the first as Parliament. He also builds the first city walls. Of them, the only remaining section is Falcon's Tower, now recycled and transformed into a train station. The region will undergo a period of peace and prosperity for the next 10 years. But in 1100 everything will change. The grandson of King Oleg Der Platen, Olaf II, decides to ignore the land titles given to the Falkenstein family and requires Otto and Gunther to pay exorbitant taxes. They both refuse and Olaf II invades the region and sets city of Falkenstadt under siege. Before this takes place, Otto and Gunther manage to retreat to their respective strongholds. The siege of Falkenstadt lasts two years until in 1102 eventually falls, victim to famine and plague. The population is reduced to a few hundred, who are expelled from the city. Most of these refugees, like their ancestors, seek shelter and subsistence means in the forests north of the Fortress of Falkenstein. A small group, led by Hans Wolf will settles in a former guardhouse and begins a guerrilla war against the invader. The group will be called the Wolfpack. For the next 20 years the area will witness countless battles between the royalist troops of Olaf II and the coalition of Otto, Gunther, the Wolfpack and the People of the Forest. During this period the current city gates erected as part of a new defensive system. This is why they still bear the Lion's Coat of Arms, as a reminder of the presence of the invader. Olaf II also builds a fortress on the northwestern edge (to ensure his supply chain) and a new bridge over the River Schön (both still remain). By 1124 the Coalition has managed to besiege the royalist troops behind the walls of Falkenstadt. This siege will last one year, until finally the city falls after a fierce assault led by Otto Von Falkenstein. During the assault and having already freed nearly all of the city, Otto found his death when struck by an arrow fired from the tower of the City Council (where his statue now stands). Otto dies without heirs and without seeing the completion of the Cathedral and is buried on the spot where he fell. After the Otto's death, the population asks Gunther to assume the mandate on all family land and in a strange fact for the time, proclaim him King. Gunther is crowned in the unfinished Cathedral on December 3, 1126 and establishes his throne in the ancient fortress of Falkenstein. His reign, however, did not last long. In 1135, he dies at age 85, leaving as legacy the foundations of a legal system and having completed the Cathedral's construction. His remains rest in the south chapel of it. Whit this the Chronicles of the Monastery of St. Stud come to their end. For the next 500 years, the city will enjoy peace and prosperity until in 1652 it is ravaged by British pirate raids. Significant events of this period include the construction of the El Dorado Fortress on the opposite side of the fjord in 1690, which worked in conjunction with the Falkenstein Castle and the Black Fortress guarding the entrance to the fjord and therefore the port of the city. From this period a small pirate base on an island at the entrance of the fjord still remains. Of this period is also the museum ship now anchored near El Dorado Fortress. In 1860, with the emergence of larger vessels, it was decided to move the port to the north shore of the fjord, as this has deeper waters. Over the next 20 years, the transfer of goods between the two sides of the fjord (from the New Port to the Old Port) will be done in barges. Aware of the complications of this method (impossibility to make the crossing during storms, delays and its inherent danger), King Grunwald III instructs the engineer Gustave Studffeil the design and construction of a bridge to ease the crossing of the fjord. However, it must continue to allow the entry of vessels to it. Studffeil chooses the narrowest point of the fjord and designs a revolutionary piece for its time. He proposes an elevating bridge with two sections, controlled and managed from an tower set on an artificial island. This tower, in turn, complements Meinhard's lighthouse, built in 1765 at the entrance to the fjord. Despite receiving criticism and having his ideas laughed at, he begins construction of the bridge, which is finished in record time and inaugurated on 16 November 1886. To this day, the Bridge of Grunwald, as is known, remains in operation. During the decades of 1870-1890 many of the most emblematic buildings of the city are also built. Unfortunately, few of them remain, as bombings suffered by the city during Second World War , wiped out most of them. However, half a block remains almost intact near the Lion's Gate and the now abandoned (and according to many haunted) Grand Hotel opposite the apse of the Cathedral. During this period the village of Schneedorf, atop mount Weißen Berg is also erected. In 1898, Manfred II, Grunwald III's successor acquires the first steam locomotive and lays the first railways in the region. This locomotive is now located in the front yard of ​​the Central Station. In 1905, seeing the potential of trains as transportation and cargo means, commands his engineers to build two workshops in the northern part of the New Port to serve for the manufacture and maintenance of locomotives. He also instructs the already old Studffeil the construction of a railway bridge over the fjord. From these workshops, on May 14th 1920, will roll the Emerald Night, iconic locomotive that even today still runs (only tourism purposes). By this time is also built the Central Railway Station, the first movie theater that is still preserved and the Municipality of the city. The Kingdom of Falkenstein will remain on the sidelines of the First World War. However, it cannot remain neutral during World War II. It will first be invaded by Germany and by the Soviets later. The King Carsten I will be deposed and imprisoned. Large sections of the city will be demolished by bombings (including almost all of the old walls and many large buildings constructed during the second half of the nineteenth century). However, by 1945, after waging a guerrilla war, the kingdom regains its independence. In memory of those unsung heroes today stands a monument in the Central Station Park. After the war and during the 50s the city was rebuilt. The wealthiest families choose to move to the outskirts of the old ruins of the Golden Castle. This area of the city is known as Goldorf. During the 60s the new Central Hospital and the Airport are constructed (the city formerly had only an airfield) and railways extended to link the different sectors of the city. The remains of the Old Port are also recycled and converted into a yacht club. Also, during this period, the first goals of the Space Program are achieved, when astronaut Neil Studstrong sets foot on the moon and pronounces his famous words "just a stud for minifgs, but a giant leap for minifigkind". This Space program continues till today, with permanent bases on the moon's surface. In 1990 and as part of the celebrations of Falkenstadt's Millennium a new railway station near the airport and the Otto von Falkenstein National Stadium are built. In 2010 a monorail line that connects the city center with the airport and Goldorf opens. At present, the Kingdom of Falkenstein, with its capital at Falkenstadt, has as form of government a constitutional monarchy. Its economy is based mostly on trade through its thriving port, agriculture and livestock. Another important source of income is provided by the always present tourist activity, given the rich history of the city. The Layout: Sector A: This is the Castle area of the layout. The idea is to have this table detachable, in order to play with this layout in a different time period. Sector B: Historical Port Sector C: New Port, cargo transfer and rail yard Sector D: Old port, recycled into Marina Sector E: Airport and Space Center Sector F: Stadium Sector G: Main city Sector H: Goldorf area Sector I: Rural area Sector J: Schneedorf Village Comments are greatly appreciated! Enjoy!

If LEGO took the effort of ansluzing the results of this poll they would shurely como out with the best castle line ever!

That's a good idea. Hadn't thought about it. Will give it a try!

I'm going to cut some parts in a MOC I'm working on and it also involves garage doors. I'm doing a train shed and want to use the garage doors system. My problem is that the height needed for clearence of ny trains is 13 bricks. A slidig garage dor of that size simply doesnt fit into the 1x14 groved brick, so I plan to cut the las towo studs of two of them and ljoin them. I know some puerists will feal horro for this, but I really think it's licit and in some way, it's the way that LEGO designrs use. I would never cut a part if there is a counterpart for that function available.

Great modrl!

Would be great to see both buildings side by side! Beautiful work on both!

Congratulations for the addition to the family! that is much more important than any Railbricks Issue!!! Enjoy her!!!!!

I see people are really hard on the MS set.. but it should be judged in context! It was a fan creation and, in fact that was the set thst started it all! This being said, my ranking would be: 1) MS (we wouldn't be discussing this topic if it wasn't for that set. 2) PR 3) GG 4) PS 5) CC 6) GE 7) FB 8) PC 9) TH

Sounds interesting!

LOVELY!

Finally someone brings down the myth of the "good old days od printed bricks"... unless by them they mean going way back to 1972 (aprox), before even minifigs existed!!!!

Thats a nice MOC! I think it captures the spirit of the model quite well!

Really nice building! I would have loved to see the worshop of the designer on one of the levels!

Congrats!!! Really good stuff!

I'm not sure if the brick separator is a virus or not... what I'm pretty sure is that if Eurobricks charged for every ranting post or topic that appears in the site and then donated it to charity, maybe we can even stop famine in the world!!! Come on guys, it's a toy. Is it necessary to rant about EVERYTHING???? Cheers!

I'm an Architect and a Professor of Architectural Design at university. I've used LEGO during my classes to explain concepts of modularity, repetition and to make the students do fast conceptual models oh housing projects. And yes... it helps in my MOCs... ;)

AMAZING!!!!!!

Great! And is this cable standard or shoul it be custom made? I don't seem to find obe anywhere...

Just a simple qiestion... Is it possible to cobect a PF IR and battery box to a monorail motor??? Thanks!

And switch the direction in the battery box if the two locos will be facing in opposite directions.

To me, collector and SET are jus the same category. Personally I would say I'm 50% MOCer, 10% MODer and 40% set collector.

The rwo girls in pink are Friends minidolls? Jajajajajaja! Oh my god!!! This thing is HUGE! Congrats for an amazing job!

Nice topic! I've always owned german shepherd dogs. When the last of them died (almost 7 years ago) y decided I would not get another one, since I was moving to a place of my own and I would not be able to take care of a dog, specially during their period as a puppy. Since then, I've been missing all the company and love a dog gives, but kept firm in my decision. But life has the beauty of doing what she wants and not what we plan! About a month and a half ago, when coming back from an airsoft game, I saw a really small thing walking slowly by the rural road I was driving through. At first I thought it was a cuis (a small kind of rodent common here in Argentina), but I found it strange that it moved so slowly. I stooped the car, got down and, to my surprise it was the smallest puppy I had ever seen!!! She was almost dead, all wet, freezing (we're in winter here) and barely had a pulse. There was not much need for thinking. I wrapped her in a polar, got her into the car and drove home with her. When my wife saw her, she immediately decided to call her Renata. The nice thing is that (we didn't know), Renata means "born again"... couldn't be more appropriate! Next day, I was off to the vet, not knowing how I would manage a puppy considering my work schedule (I'm an architect, and spend half the day in the building site and the other half in the office and so does my wife). We were told she was only 10 days old and that she would have surely died if I hadn't picked her. Her health was really bad. She was full of parasites, had an hernia and was really underweight. It was a tough month, with numerous visits to the vet and with us adapting to this beautiful gift of life. She come with me to work (watch the video) and now has grown quite bigger and healthy!!! Me and my wife are really happy with this new family member!, So, for you, ladies and gentlemen, here is Renata!!!! This is how she looked whe I lifted her (she weight less than 750 grms.) And this is the face she puts when she's done something wrong and is being reprimanded! JAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJA Though she may look something like a german shepherd, she 100% non breed!!!

Simply AMAZING!!!

Keeping them loaded will keep tge spring compressed, so, over tume it will loose some strength.