dhaas06

Stack-On is an official brand, but there's plenty of other (and cheaper) types out there. I used to prefer Stack-on because of the crystal-clear drawers, but my latest one had the same cheap, foggier drawers that most other brands have . Oh well, I may as well buy one of the cheaper brands now and save some money.

I asked a question about dust a while back, and one interesting response suggested trying a GoDuster. I got one, and it works pretty well (especially if you use the included spray). It is gentle and generally does not mess up the construction at all. I especially recommend using the mini head attachment.

Actually, I don't even own any flexi-track. I was using 9V straight track. The rocking was definitely due to the bands, and it was much, much smoother without them. It was still a tiny bit rough, I suppose, but it's negligible. This is simply unavoidable, because the front and rear trucks on the locomotive are not firmly attached underneath, but rather swing on one pin. The result is normal, I just don't want to inaccurately declare that the band removal will magically fix it 100%, maybe more like 90%. I suppose the bands could be smoothed out, but I didn't even bother. Since I don't need them anyway, I was happy to get rid of the unrealistic red stripes on my wheels. I'm still trying to decide where I will put my 9V motor(s) on this train. If we end up getting extra carriages, I will definitely need two motors, but one is sufficient for now. While they would certainly fit under the carriage, I want to keep them as close to the front as possible, due to the noise. I suppose I will try to work it into the tender, like I did with my Holiday Train. One other tip I have for other Emerald Night owners is to make sure that the axles for the drive wheels are perfectly centered. I am always careful and meticulous when building my models, but even still, the slightest degree of variance will definitely be an issue, as the end of the rod gets caught on the pistons as they pass over.

Like someone mentioned on an earlier page, I was frustrated by the fact that the locomotive rocks as it moves. I have been tinkering with it for awhile, trying to pinpoint the exact cause. Finally, I discovered that it is simply the 4 red rubber bands around the drive wheels that cause the rocking. My guess is that, unless they are somehow applied perfectly, the rubber bands are stretched unevenly around the wheels, being thicker in some spots and thinner in others. Since I planned on converting the Emerald Night to 9V power anyway, I have no problem with leaving them off. They still turn just fine when the train is pushed, so I guess the only danger of the wheels slipping is when they are powered directly and have to pull weight. The only problem with leaving the bands off is that the locomotive now sounds a bit rougher as it moves, but I'll take a noisier yet stable ride over a shaky, quiet one. I really don't mind, since these things aren't quiet in real life either!

I just finished constructing my Emerald Night set, and there's something interesting to note: The sticker sheet has extra stickers for the passenger car. There are 2 of every digit 1-9, to customize the road number (I assume). Also, there are 2 stickers each that say "First", "Second" and "Third". The instructions only indicate to use the two "First" stickers. The other two passenger classes can be used instead, which is nice, but I'm afraid of what it might indicate. Could this mean TLG does not plan on releasing individual passenger cars to add to the Emerald Night? Having these sticker options makes it look like this one set is intended to supply all of the cars that collectors may want. I sure hope we still get some cheaper alternatives, because I'm not very interested in buying multiples of 10194 just to get a full train, regardless of how great the set is. And as a side note, I have to say that this set is even more beautiful in person!

Great revision! Now that looks much more like a regular wheelchair. And I agree, that's what I love about this community too! It's great to see people put their ideas together to help each other out and make things the best they can be.

Actually, you can. Both the wheels and the 2x2 axle plates come in narrower versions, which would work much better for wheelchairs.

To be honest, I am really embarrassed by your reply, as it harms the image of the rest of the (usually) peaceful AFOL community. That customer service representative does not make these kind of decisions, whether they are good or bad. She did her job very well, and she did as she has been instructed. Please try to realize that, even though it can feel like we know what people want, they have an entire professional team that is trained to do just that. So much goes into the complicated process of selecting products, and there is much more to it than even satisfying adults alone. Think of it this way: How amazing is Lego? Consider that everything we cherish, everything that we love, whether it be specific parts, themes, figures, or even the concept of these plastic interlocking pieces in the first place~ the Lego Group created this heaven on earth without our help. What I'm saying is, even if something doesn't make sense to us, we are not the masterminds with the track record of the last 50 marvelous years. They are. No company is perfect, but like others have said, TLG has already taken tremendous steps the last few years to cater to AFOLs in new ways, and I for one greatly appreciate it.

I like these. They achieve a good balance between detail and simplicity, and they're a good size for putting in a room without taking it over. Thanks for sharing!

Really? It's encouraging to hear that shaking did help you locate one; I was beginning to wonder if we could accurately narrow down the search at all. Now I just wonder what the odds are of the oddball sets being Vaders or not. For you, it sounds like it's 1 in 5 so far, but who knows if you got a lucky 1 in 200 find the first time .

This is so brilliant! I'm in awe of how you've combined two skills: mechanical perfection and artistic creativity. Great work!

If you've been following the chrome Vader saga, that's actually been a point of interest. Initially, it was indicated that they would not be in the battle packs. However, numerous individuals (from many sites, not just EB) have been finding them in BPs, and our own Starstreak filmed the opening of one. Assuming that this isn't all some elaborate hoax, chrome Vaders can definitely be found in all 2009 Star Wars products.

I have an interesting conclusion to add to the discussion about how to find a chrome Darth Vader. There have been a lot of ideas about being able to tell what sets have one inside, specifically weighing, shaking, and squeezing. Well, I don't have a micro weighing scale (and wouldn't chance getting in trouble anyway), but I have been curious about the other two methods, specifically with the battle packs. I have been shaking and squeezing during every store visit for a month or two, and never found anything unusual~ until yesterday. Finally, I found an assassin droid battle pack that stood out. When I squeezed it, it crinkled much easier than the other sets, and it felt fuller. Also, when shaking it, the pieces made a different sound than that of the other ones. This one made a lower tone, and the regular ones all had a higher pitch. I was cautiously excited, and purchased the set. Inside, I found... ... no chrome Vader. Instead, the bigger of the two bags was a bit overinflated with air. This made the box feel fuller, and it also changed the acoustics of the pieces in that bag, giving them a lower pitch. What this means is that the theory is fully disproved that a chrome Vader can be discovered by shaking or squeezing. Even if those lucky sets with a Vader inside feel fuller or sound different, there is no way to differentiate between the gems and the odd sets that have overinflated bags. Sorry for the long post, but I think this could be useful for many of you . At least I don't have to waste my time anymore by hoping for one.

I think that they can fit well together if done properly. They never match well if completely mixed together, but I have a way of incorporating both types on one street. One personal rule in creating my town layout is that all buildings and structures must be complete where facing into the scene. That means that any classic-style buildings (like the current or past train stations) are placed on the edge with the open end facing out. This creates an effect where it looks like "the hand of God" has sliced my display right through some unfortunate buildings, and it also lets viewers easily peek inside. So, I have my modular buildings together in a city block in the middle of my display, with some classic style buildings at the end of the same street. The effect works fairly well, as real-life cities also have varying building styles on one street depending on the block.

Easter time is finally upon us! Starting Sunday, going all next week, Toys R Us is running a buy 1, get 1 half off sale on ALL LEGO . (U.S. only, as far as I know)

So, if the first one was real, then why won't you tell us how you did it? I remember you saying before that you wouldn't teach us how to fish before you can sell your fish... but I think you've had plenty of time now to sell those chrome vaders. The fact that you won't share your secret, combined with the fact that you faked a second video, really doesn't help your credibility .

I hate to break it to you, but generally, train stations are not wider than they are tall . Consider the basic concept of a train station... with a platform for the horizontal train. No, this is definitely a vertical, urban building.

I agree with everyone above, switching costs are too frustrating, and I too am heavily invested in 9V. However, I have an even bigger reason to love it: the metal rails. Compare the look of a rail yard with metal rails to a rail yard that only has plastic ones. There is a huge difference in the coolness factor. I stocked up on 9V rails for my entire display (and then some), even if I end up running PF trains on it. Plastic rails just don't compare. Similarly, the 9V system is a nostalgic throwback to the old classic toy train sets from half a century ago or more (like Lionel). Something about the simplicity of plugging the track into the wall and hearing the train glide down the metal rails is great and reminds an entire generation of their childhood, just like Fabuland does for many of the AFOLs here. Yes, I know Lego had several battery trains first, which technically makes them more classic as far as Lego is concerned. However, most other toy trains used the 9V style (metal rails, plug into wall), so when Lego switched to it, it was like a merging of two worlds.

They are official LEGO wheels, because they have a counterweight opposite the Technic-pin holes, and Big Ben Bricks do not. Didn't Ben hint about some sort of talks with Lego though, in his interview in Railbricks? I hope they've at least worked things out so that his wheel concept isn't stolen out from under him without any acknowledgment. BBB still offers multiple colors, but still... I'm afraid the introduction of black official wheels will take a bite out of his business.

Holy-moly, Justin! What on earth are you rambling about? I really don't think this is the right website for your random thoughts... And I really, really don't understand your double-standards, getting so frustrated with others' criticism, yet you go off on rants like that. I think we've seen enough. This just isn't the place.

How's this for a baby mini figure?

The "chrome" is just a shiny paint... They're still plastic.

I'd love to hear if there is a good way of improving odds of getting these promo vaders. Regardless, though, I really want to know who is finding them and where. Could we start a list here on EB and report who is finding these things and how? I would really like to get some information and see where people are getting lucky locally, and then we can start basing some of these assumptions and rumors on better facts.

I bought two yesterday and left two more. What's frustrating is that earlier this week, there were 4 or 5 Indiana Jones: Temple of the Crystal Skull sets for the $64 price, but someone beat me to them at the new $30 price. That would have been incredible for parts! Oh well.

I knew the original intention of this topic all along, but it's been a year and a half... and these things tend to evolve. Most of us read "sales" as discounts or special deals rather than new releases. So, if this topic goes back to not including discounted Lego sets, what topic should that information be in?