Cwetqo

Real Unimog has portal axles, so it would only be correct to include them also in the model.

If you start with Emerald night you will have to add everything: motor, remote, reciver, battery box, tracks etc... If you are starting from scratch it's better to buy one of kits with everything included (new passenger or cargo train) and later add just motor, reciver and battery box. Powering Emerald night has got a lot cheaper now with new AAA batery box (available from january) So, if were you I would buy (in following order): -PF cargo train -Train station and additional tracks -Emerald night -PF Passenger Train -Maersk train -Hobby trains (if you could get it) with addtional PF motors and battery boxes. You will end with a lot of trains and tracks, all compatible with PF.

Nevermind what YOU paid. I got almost all mine large technic sets with discount, but that could change from shop to shop, so it tells us nothing. I still have catalogs from previous years and the prices were: 8421 - 129 euro 8285 - 129 euro 8275 - 149 euro 8297 - 109 euro 8258 - 159 euro 8043 - 159 euro Those are for Germany, but are valid for most of mainlnad europe. Scandinavinan countries, Ireland and Greece always had higher prices, and those in UK vere subject to pound/euro ratio. We can see that before PF prices were 129 euro max, and after 149-159 euro. I can not see whay Unimog should be more than 169 euro. It does not have so many PF parts and it's not large enough to justify larger price.

Finally, a review! It seemed strange that, after so much anticipation, it took more than a month for someone to do it. Regarding unique bricks: all of those are also in other sets. 1x1 round bricks are from Atlantis temple set, green 2x1 with groove are from Green Grocer (idea of using skeleton legs as fence is also from there) and 2x1 with strips is also not so un-common. Otherwise, I really like this set. It's price sets it nicely between MMV (which has similar number of minifigs but less bricks) and modular sets (which have more bricks but less minifigs). And its licensed set, so one would expect higher price. If you get another copy this could aslo be nice parts pack, because selling minifigs (assuming you dont need more than one of each) could bring down price nicely.

And its very easy to add third one: you just have to purchase additional split-level base, wheels, buffers and a few bricks. Much easier than on emerald night.

http://www.brickset....ail/?Set=4841-1 http://www.brickset....ail/?Set=5982-1 http://www.brickset....ail/?Set=5984-1

Adding ugly plastic track would just lift the price. This train will in most cases end on 9v layouts. ;P

BNSF from 10183 is 36 studs (+buffers) long and it look smal than thi new one from maersk .It will surely be a beast. Just look at the undercarriage between both bogies: it's noticeably longer then this one on Hobby train version.

Correct! If you want instant playabilitiy then go with 8043 B-model. 8265 built according to published (unofficial) instructions requires very gentle handling or modification of driving/steering mechanisms. The problem is that XL motor drives directly differential with wheels and that gearing for steering LA is to complex and too direct. It works but you have to b really careful with controls. 8043 B-model on the other side is robust, well made design which would take a lot of abuse. I still think that 8265 is better though.

Remeber: we are talking aboud building process, not the quality of finished models. For me most obvious difference is between various time periods: -most challenging but also very revarding are large sets from late studded era. I recently completed 8480 and it's really obvious that designer had gone all the way with this one. Complicated build with several not expected techniques, careful synchronization of some mechanisms and instructions with a lot of parts added in one step really makes building process challenging. Similar are other sets from this era I completed: 8880 and 8868. I think that after those designers got instruction to "step down" and make things more accesible for "normal" builders. -what came next are my favorites (also cunstruction wise) among technic models: 8448, 8466 and 8461. Mudular design (especially in 8448), really good instructions and right amount of studded/studdless bricks make those very nice builds. I dont know who designed those, but It's work well done. -8455 also has good instructions but remains difficult and (at least in the first part) confusing build. Second half (when things come together) is nevetheless very enjoyable. 8285 is also nice build (but hme set itself is not very complicated). -2008 models were (at least for me) not very enjoyable builds. 8295 with its confusing construction leads here, but other two (8297 and 8294) were also not very interesting (those aro only three of here mentioned sets I use just for parts). Similar is with previous years flagship (8275): nice for parts but not interesting to build. -next years sets were much better: 8265 was very nice build and 8258 was exceptional. I also liked 8043, but I got the feeling it ended way to fast. I felt like i had twice the fun with 8258 (or 8480 which I built directly after 8043). Regarding different designer: I know just those few from newer set (wabra, goose...). Do we have any information about older set designers?

8043 = 159 euro 8265 = 79 euro + 3 x M-motor (3x9=27euro) + 1xXL motor (12 euro) + 2 x IR reciever (2x17= 34 euro) + 2 x remote (2x11=22 euro) + battery box (8 euro)= 182euro So, we can that 8043 is much cheaper option. I have both and I must saj that I prefer 8265 over 8043 B model (A model is better of all of those of course). 8265 is really big and impresive set, but it's motorization could be tricky (I am of talking about full motorization, nut just lego approved one with single motor), so if you are looking just for playability 8043 might be better option.

First test of my new EOS-550/Rebel2-Ti:

HP train: possible, but with major modifications. I plan to do this, with similar mechanism as in emerald nigh. TS3: IMO its boiler is too slim to incorporate any kind of motor or mechanism, so I think that only way is PF train motor.

Congratulations! (dont spoil it with super fast building again, hehe). I suppose you will use most of the parts for future MOC-s, or do you plan to keep some of the models asembled? (čestitke, res si si zaslužil!!!)

I agree that 8258 is great parts pack, but this mean nothing if you leave it assembled (like I did). Neverthelass, I really enjoyed building it and I like it for its size and design. I have 8043 still sealed for christmas break building, but from waht saw in reviews its godd medium-sized model with great plyability. I would get 8258 and 8043 next year.

Ever since I received my first "Winter Village" set (10199 of course), I had an idea to make some sort of scenery around it. Besides visual this also has practical aspect, since it keeps all parts (of atherwise pretty scattered sets) in one place. Last years option was 16x32 baseplate, but I never built it and this year (after getting 10216) I realised that it must be much bigger. So, current version is 48x64 studs and I am already thinking about adding another large baseplate to host train station. So, this has 10216, 10199 and last years advent calendar, together around 2000 bricks and 22 figs. So, that's it. I hope you like it! (do you think that this would also qualify for winter village contest?)

Even with IR and train remote on first level it's too fast. I tried it and it really "flies" (and derails). I'm now experimenting with lower voltage (3xAA = 4,5 volts or 4xAA = 6 volts). I tried it "on bench" with regulated power source and it works nice with either volatage (I was afraid that IR recievier would not work) and the speed ir really slower. Now I just have to modify battery box to connect just 3 or 4 batteries and see if it's still powerfull enough to pull 3 wagons.

From our LUG member: Rear side (barely visible on layout)

I modified it according to this instructions and it works, but not perfectly, so I plan to re-do it in a simpler, more effective way. The problem is that the designer had (in order to keep fake piston engine) routed the drive for steering motor around whole back of the excavator, through several universal joints and gears. Drive from motor is direct, so all those joints and gears move at full M-motor speed. Drive is also too high for linear actuator to effectively fold the excavator (which takes a lot more power than normal steering) and even if it does it it's fast for precise steering. LA also has too limited horizontal movement freedom and it bumps into surrounding beams too fast (I fixed that with small modification). I also tried building version without LA, but It didnt work at all, because M motor directly drives worm gear which turns 24T gear and folds the loader. Because less than 90 degrees rotation of this gear is needed for full side to side turn, the gear ratio is again too high for the system to work. 4 wheel drive works ok, but it's a little to "jumpy", because XL motor is attached directly to diferential (without any gear reduction). After it manages to move it's ok, but again too fast and too hard to steer (because of above mentioned problems with not enough geared down LA). I solved this partialy with variable speed remote control, but since its meant for trains it's too difficult to control, so I plan to remove fakes piston engine and install gear reductions for both driving and folding motors. XL motor is also mounted without proper fixation (probably because of intention to use as much original parts as possible) and it tends to loose it's surrounding beams after few "jumpy" starts, which causes gears to skip. I fixed that with use of large "T" shaped 1/2 width beams instead of originaly planned small "L" beams. Both lifting functions work flawless and it's really fun to operate them simoultaneously. Please dont get me wrong: instructions for motorization are great and I really admire the designer which managed to put in additional two M-motors and even one large XL motor and kept all main parts of original model. But to achieve this he had to make some compromises which make operating the model a little to difficult (at least for me, some of you might have different impressions) "Folding" LA and motor above differential: Modified beams to give LA more space (it moves left/right when it folds the loader and in original design this "L" beam was one beam width closer to it and LA bumped into it too soon) Drive for "folding" LA: from M-motor, through two U-joints, onto three 16 tooth gears: To the other side, again thru two U-joints finally to folding LA. Too complicated and too direct. Front motor is very well integrated: The other two M-motors lay side to side with folding LA in the middle of loader (just bottoms can be seen here). Finished model looks exacetly as original model and it's really hard to beleive that all those motors were added. It look and works really great with 8275 and 8403 in its great fun to have whole "construction site" fully RC powered.

Hmm.. I got this:

It was pretty much obvious that "heads will roll" after this debacle with 8043. I think that not just Goose but also Monica is victim of that. Too bad, because 8043 is really a great model and I just hope that new responsible people will not get too conservative about future technic models. We want more designs like 8043, just test them more thorough before putting it on sale. BTW: does anybody know what happened to Steve Witt? I heard that he also got fired, but I dont think that it's connected to above mentioned problems.

This is part of Lego Education and is meant primarily as generator.

What dou you mean with that? I think that plastic tracks are here to stay. What could they improve here?

You could also power it with new PF parts. Motor size and shape is the same and it should be possible to build receiver in locomotive and battery box in tender.

I guess it was a little strange for TLG when you requested 4 packs... Ok, if they said that they would deliver then they should do so, bu I'm afraid of one other thing: that also people which do not own 8043 will start ordering service packs. LA is still worth 7euro/10usd per piece and all you have to do is fill a form (as for now TLG is not requesting proof of purchase). That could be golden opportunity for some prosperous BL/E-bay dealer to make nice money. I, as fair user and owner of one 8043 are still waiting for my service pack and I am afraid that TLG will start complicating things. Please, people, be fair... Number of LA-s on BL: April - 57 May - 129 June - 119 July - 197 August - 172 September - 462 On sale in October - 1330 Could you notice when service packs started to arrive?