Still Raindrop

Thanks! Speaking of avoiding smooth walls, I just did an upgrade on another building: The O'gel Music Store. Here is the old version: And the new: EDIT: I also upgraded the butcher shop. The old one: And the new: Here are all three of my upgraded buildings together: Much improved, I think, from this:

Thanks! Unfortunately, it looks like I'll have to find a bigger table before I can expand much more, so I'm currently working on re-designing the exteriors. Out of curiosity, does anyone have any specific suggestions of places where I could make the buildings better? I'm working on expanding my building techniques; I know that a lot of that comes through experimentation, but I would love to hear any tips that would apply to particular areas of Brickenridge, if anyone has them I really appreciate everyone's input--thanks very much! Samthelegoman1, I decided not to put staircases in at this point, in order to keep a roughly classic town scale (and also because of the limitations of both the space and the amount of bricks I have). I think I kind of share Klaus-Dieter's philosophy, as far as stairs go

Wow. Is that what I think it is on the side of that truck? It looks like the highway maintenance symbol found in early sets such as this. I can't quite tell from the picture. . . metalandi, do you think you could take a look at the catalogue and see if that's what it is? It's nice to see doors again, and a truck that isn't a cab-over (I really like LEGO's cab-over design, but it's good to have some variety)

This brings back memories of 1998, when there was a terrible blizzard where I was living at the time. We didn't have to eat anybody, but I do remember having to dig a tunnel to get outside-- this moc really captures that feeling brilliantly! I'm very impressed, particularly since this is your first one in such a long time!

Here is the latest version: The old barbershop And the new Hinged window on the café made from a fence piece: And, at the request of K-D, the interior of the post office: the clerk, with stationery, envelopes, and boxes behind him And the PO boxes

Thanks for the kind comments, Klaus-Dieter! Unfortunately, I currently have neither the space nor the money for the Town Plan. I will, however, take pictures of the interior of the post office; I have recently reworked my town again to make the exteriors more interesting, so I'll include those when I take pictures of that.

I changed the layout a bit, did a little work on the roofs, expanded the café, and changed the color of the post office. Brickenridge currently looks like this:

That's pretty cool--I'm glad it turned out that way, as it really does look like a lot of the hotel beds I've stayed in! Also, I like your views on stairways and the like; I think mine is rather similar (Brickenridge also lacks many staircases)

Thanks for the kind words, everyone! I feel rather the same way. The loader and the dump truck are all I'm going to get-- after all, I don't want the part of my city that is under construction to dwarf the completed part!

Very nice--it reminds me of the ice-sliding scene from "The Pickwick Papers!" I really like the little round sleds, too! They bring back such memories

I feel it is necessary to add that, though they are hollow, they feel more like solid rubber tires.

They are hollow, but supported by rubber on the inside.

I just checked it out, and the results were rather interesting--I just edited my first post, so now it answers your question, as well.

I went to TRU today to see if they had the Minifigure Collection set. They did not, but I ended up buying 7630, and thought I might do a review. Set Number: 7639 Set Name: Front-end Loader Price: USD $12.99 (this was at Toys R Us, so it's probably going to be a little cheaper elsewhere) Front of the box: Back of the box: Inside the box: two polybags, one loose piece, and a very small sticker sheet: Random instruction page: Hey, look! More classic space hinges! The build itself isn't terribly interesting, but there were a few small SNOT bits--the front lights: And the back: Here we come upon something interesting: the little piston-looking piece. The last page of the instructions show it simply dangling: That would leave that piece looking like this: Now, that would allow it to be a kind of stop to hold the raised arm in place: However, I find it more likely that it should be attached in the way shown on the box: I think it just looks better. Here are two shots of the completed loader (I'll take some size comparison photos later): EDIT: Here is a picture of the loader next to the dump truck--quite a smashing pair, if you ask me. I'm glad that LEGO chose to release them as separate sets, but they really should be bought together. A few interesting things to notice about the piston/brace/whatever it is. The friction is enough to hold the bucket up when it is held higher than this: When it's at this point, or any lower, the bucket begins to slip downwards. Fortunately, it is around this point that the bucket can be braced, allowing it to stay in place: Also, it is necessary to disconnect the piston in order to dump the bucket's load from high up: When connected, this is as far as the bucket can tip: Conclusion: This is a neat little set, but not extremely good as a stand-alone. In contrast with the dump truck--which came with rocks, a road sign, traffic cones, a barrier, and minifig tools--this set has no accessories whatsoever. However, it does look very much like a real front-end loader, and I would recommend it to anyone who is making a construction site, particularly if you do not own a loader.

That makes sense, but is still rather disappointing. Particularly since I really hate putting stickers on round pieces.

Having recently bought the new dump truck set (which included a stickered road sign), I did not expect the crosswalk sign or the stoplight sign to be printed, but to have a sticker for the 50 km/h sign is ridiculous, when we get a printed one with the police officer impulse set!

Thanks for the review, snefroe! I probably won't end up getting this set (both my budget and the amount of space in my town layout are rather tight at the moment), but I'm glad to see that it's a quality set.

Ah; that would make more sense

Yeah, I'd been noticing that, myself. Though I don't think that sloped roofs would create the look I want, but I am messing around with different designs for the rooftops--posts and railings, slopes like on the butcher's roof, and simple designs.

This is simply charming! The canopy looks wonderful, and the interior is very well thought-out. The design on those beds really does look like something one might find in a hotel.

I'm pretty sure the new CITY dump truck is just about the same size as this one.

Thanks for the feedback--I've been considering staircases, but they seem to take up so much room....

B-OV-13D to B-OV-14B After going through some rather disconnected MOCs (see my earlier Brickenridge-related topic), I have begun to bring things together and put together my little town of Brickenridge. I was at the LEGO store last week, and my purchase of road plates helped greatly in allowing me to plan the town--no longer was I just making free-floating buildings that would one day be joined by road plates. Because of this, I had to scrap many of the buildings that were going to be in the town to make way for new ones, classic-town scaled. Here is an overall shot of the town so far: And a shot of the original layout, just for fun: I re-scaled the post office from the earlier thread, and was able to use the O'gel music store, but that's about it. I still haven't found a place for my fountain. But the main focus of this topic is going to be this block: The buildings are modular in design, so I will show you a few pictures of each one individually. First we have the butcher's store: Inside is the butcher himself, hard at work. The top floor, which I did not photograph, simply has a few refrigerators with turkey and the like. Next is the barbershop: The first floor has chairs where patrons can wait, and the top floor is where the haircuts happen. On the back wall is a broom; the barber's desk holds a mirror and some hair product. Now my favorite of the three buildings: the café The barista on the ground floor: The top floor has chairs, tables, and an outdoor area: For some reason, I really like the way the tables turned out: There is one more building that is not shown, because I cannot yet fit it into the town: the chapel. The roofs above the pews and the altar are removable: Gargoyle: Any thoughts, constructive criticism, etc. are most welcome!

This is very cool! I like the scale of the buildings, and that fire station is particularly good! I look forward to seeing more of the town as it grows.

I've made some updates to Price's Bistro. Exterior shot: Another exterior shot, with view of the coveted corner window seating: There is now interior seating; a good idea, since Brickenridge winters can be harsh: Owner Anton Price at the host stand, with the line/kitchen window behind him. Notice the heat lamps. Although Chef Ivan has just put some meat on the grill, he has time to stop and wave to the photographer.