MetroiD

Well, you beat me to reviewing this one Very nice review, thanks for that. On a sidenote: I think it's important to know that there's been rumours about a structural fault with the BNSF train, same like the one that one of the Super Chief's passenger cars has. The upside-down SNOT middle unit between the wheels of the engine makes contact with the 9V curved rails and so may harm your LEGO. The best solution would be to replace the black plates with tiles, which rectifies the problem. I can't comment on the above rumour, since I haven't received my set of 9V tracks yet and my BNSF is not arriving until August. However, I'd be happy if it's of any help to you guys.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12433_5339071,00.html Three words: L O L. Hopefully now they'll stop whining and instead try to reason with the FIA. I'm not saying Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley are men of incredible genius for what they have decided to do to Formula 1, but you could definitely see that type of change coming, especially in this economic situation. The only thing that bothers me (and most F1 teams too, for that matter) is the two-tier regulation arrangement which however, if discussed properly, could be reworked into something much more appropriate. In any case, I do hope Ferrari won't decide to pack it in, F1 just wouldn't be the same without the Scuderia, even if I'm not one of their fans...

The Super Chief has no orange elements, the GP-38 is in green and orange... Anyway, we just received the Chief yesterday and got around to building it today... :cry_happy: I'm a happy baby man! However, the review will have to wait until I'm done with my exams (~3 weeks)

Welcome to Eurobricks and - WOW - what a way to make an entrance! I don't think this one has any competition in terms of sheer size and it's also one of the most detailed entries too... Good luck for the contest and I'll be looking forward to seeing more of your MOCs!

Thanks for the comments guys! Very much appreciated coming from you, koffiemoc, especially seeing as yours is one of my favourite entries in this contest! Best of luck mate :) I also appreciate the constructive criticism, Klaus-Dieter, thanks very much for that :) I actually did try putting seats on the stands, but it didn't quite look the way I wanted it to. First of all, I didn't want the main stand to be all TOO colourful - after all, that's a horce racing stadium, and not Nou Kamp Besides, terraces are common at such venues and seating is not a definite necessity since people tend to move around a lot - mainly for quick trips to the bookie, to check the schedule and back... but still ;) So I opted for the terrace-style stand without seating and decided to include the lounge area upstairs alongside the announcer's booth - in resemblance to the layout of the afore-mentioned Dundalk Racing Stadium.

A Eurobricks Clan might be a nice idea :) Count me in!

Apparently not... Aren't YOU posting an entry!?

Ooops, I didn't notice this was actually 7997... haven't seen too many photos of it. Looks great, but nothing beats 4554. However, this one does definitely look like a better match for classic town 70's MOC or building, seeing as it's a bit more compact.

Thanks for the review! I wouldn't have expected for LEGO to try and ruin the Agents line like this. The first sets were absolutely fantastic, but this year it looks like they're just not trying hard enough to justify this new batch of sets. As far as I'm concerned, I can't see why anybody would buy the set just for a couple of new pieces - after all, isn't that what Bricklink is for?! That's definitely one of the worst sets I've seen in recent years!

What a luverly holiday-type-of-train... Looks so cheerful! Can't say I've seen those LGBs, but then again Playmobil & the likes was even MORE rare in Bulgaria than LEGO when I was growing up :/ Anyway, there's something else I wanted to ask -- do I also see a new train station in this latest version of your tabletop town? Do share! :] I'm currently on the lookout for a set of second-hand 9V railway tracks, speed regulator, wires, etc... generally the whole nine(-volt) yards - thank you for the advice, btw, very much appreciated! Hopefully, sometime later on in the summer we'll be joining you in posting such neat tabletown layouts

Guys, if you don't like it then don't buy it, but there's no need to bash it. I for one don't really enjoy most sets of the Power Miners line either, but they are a firm favourite with thousand of LEGO fans all over the world... As to these structures, this is the first time I even heard of the LEGO Architecture line. But these ones have inspired me to do something similar, with a more local feel to it... Really great idea - even if those may not be the most appealing LEGO sets out there.

Awww that's absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!! Finally, a LEGO lighthouse which doesn't look like it's going to fall apart the next time a wave hits it (like most "official" lighthouses down the years). The padlock on the front door has got me thinking how this wonderful MOC could be put to good use in one of Brickster's murder mystery stories... It could get very, very noir - and the atmosphere which this one oozes is perfect for that Eilif, your town's looking better by the day! Especially when comparing "old" to "new", it's great to see that you haven't just opted to rest on your laurels and kept on pushing. Love what you're doing to Brickington, keep up the good work :)

Well guys, I just couldn't resist the temptation and got the GP-38 as well... eBay has been good to me these last few weeks Unlike the Super chief, it will be arriving via a friend sometime later on during the summer (July/ August), but when we get both we'll do a review with a side-by-side comparison. I know both of these sets are getting a bit old, but coupled together with the Emerald Night they're hands down the best locos LEGO has ever produced, so I hope such a review will still be worth a look...

My thoughts precisely... Back in the early 90s there were some one-off sets such as the monorail or the airplane show or most Paradisa sets which never got "reworked", unlike all the recue HQs, police and fire stations. So I guess I was inspired by those sets when I was building this one. Talking in 1st person singular, since Asya didn't use to play with LEGO until a year or so ago, which puts her in a very "modernistic" position P.S.: Sebastian, when is YOUR EBCTC entry coming then!? Most eager to see it mate ;]

huh, cheater. Take ! (your oil tycoon featured there? Thought I saw him @ 3:52... )Nice job though, oldtimer

Thanks Teddy:) It's good to know that this one still looks classic enough to fit the bill here Guss, you're right - I guess that dirt/turf would be a good choice for the racetrack, however that was not an option considering the contest's rules Besides, once you're over the initial association of "road baseplate = concrete", this one actually does start to resemble a "good to firm" polytrack surface which is standard for horse racing tracks... it's not a perfect match, but that's as close as 80s road baseplates can get to horse racing

That's amazing... both the real train and the MOC! I seem to recall this one from one of the Railroad Tycoon games - truly awesome locos! It must have taken an awful lot of work to come up with something THIS big, but the end result is stunning.

Thanks ever so much for posting this information, KH3D! I've purchased a Super Chief recently and was curious as to how and if it would work with PF... I'll also post here in case I come up with anything useful.

Depends on what your associations regarding "Classic Town" really are. Given, this one's by far not the most "classic" entry in the contest, but then again it was never intended to be anyway... save for those yellowed bricks . I did not start playing with LEGO until the late 80s, so building anything referring to a period earlier than that was not an option for me. I'm glad you guys still appreciate it though...

Thanks guys, glad you enjoyed it. A good follow-up to this might be "A Night at the Opera", executed in modern modular style, however I don't think we'll be starting work on that anytime soon

Hey guys, I've been looking around Bricklink and eBay for quite some time now... There are some OK offers on both sites for the Emerald Night, but I was wondering whether you have any information regarding online shops where I could buy the Emerald Night that would have no problem with shipping it to Bulgaria (which is within the EU, so it should be OK per se)? Of course, if anyone has a spare 10194 MIB (or MISB), I'm also interested, so don't hesitate to contact me. Thanks in advance. Btw, this could also turn into a very useful thread containing links of online stores where one can find exclusive LEGO sets...

It's quite interesting as it right now... Can't imagine what this season would be like if Formula and McLaren actually did have winning cars on their hands, alongside Brawn GP and Red Bull! Hopefully, that will happen next year... that is, IF Ferrari are still in F1 next year. On a sidenote, Ecclestone is nuts.

Don't be fooled by his moronic title, Mr. Fork You, You Spoon is most deadly... especially at lunchtime. Never misses it too (jetpacks are GOOOOD!).

B-OV-17C & V-LV-48C "It's the fantastic drowse Of the afternoon Sundays" It's classic. And it's classy. Horse racing - the traditional weekend pastime of the British upper class. A celebration of sportsmanship, superior animal breeding ... oh yes, and vanity too. Beautiful thoroughbred animals racing with the wind for a coveted trophy, which will bring joy not only to their owners and caretakers, but also to thousands of people gazing from the stands... naturally, provided that they've put their money on the right horse. Of course, there's always the occasional suspicious black suitcase passed on just before the end of a certain race, but that is a whole different story which, in keeping with the afore-mentioned "sportsmanship" factor, we would rather refrain from discussing. And while the blue-blooded spectators enjoy (or regret) the performance of their chosen horse from atop the VIP lounge, most regular folk just flock to the stadium with one thing in mind: betting. That automatically turns Sundays into the busiest days in any bookie's schedule - which of course they don't mind the least. Especially when there are proper means of covering the losses, so to speak. But I digress. Ladies and gentlemen, I would hereby like to present to your attention our entry to the Eurobricks Classic Town Contest: "A Day at the Races". Even though this was a last minute entry, we did try our best to make it look presentable. The basic idea behind this one was to add something different to the Contest - so far we've seen marvellous downtown structures, town centres and squares. But we all know that, come the weekend, people prefer to have a chance of getting away from the big city, no matter how nice it is. Et voila - there you have it - all the bustle (and hustle) of the vivid LEGO town, albeit in a green rural setting. This particular stadium was inspired by Dundalk Racing Stadium, which is one of the premier venues in horse racing. Our LEGO interpretation features a top-level VIP lounge with a separated commentator's booth, a main covered stand which can hold upwards of 100 spectators and, downstairs, a bookmaker's office with a photo-finish booth just across the hallway - in case spectators find it hard to come to terms with the official results. Obviously, you've just caught a scene at the end of one of today's races. The stadium is far from being full yet, so this must be one of the earliest events. With a horse just arriving and making its way out of the truck and a rider preparing her animal for the race, it looks like the action is yet to hit a high. That does not, however, stop a few devoted fans (or rather, friends of the rider) from cheering on their chosen horse. Of course, this might have a rather negative effect, since even a slight loss of concentration has cost many a racer their first places. Although, judging from what's going on at the shady back of the terraces, it might just be that this race's outcome has been predetermined... Or perhaps we're wrong and that's simply some regular business taking place at a very irregular venue. The commentator is seated in the top level of the stadium and so has a perfect overview of everything that goes on down on the track: "In the lead, Black-Pead Eye, looking a bit unconcentrated, followed closely by Military Pacifist and Amicable Amelia in third who is quickly gaining ground on the outside. Ladies and gentlemen, watch closely, because we may be in for yet another photo-finish, even though it's early in the afternoon... You can check the finish line shots at the booth downstairs after presenting your betting stubs at the bookmaker's..." The horse truck which has just arrived is transporting one of the big hopefuls for today's final race - Creased Lightning, a particularly long-standing (hence the name, I guess) crowd favourite. It comes as no surprise that the black horse is transported in the most modern truck available (as of the late 80s). Same as the entire MOC here, we didn't want it to be firmly planted in the past, since we see LEGO as subject to development. And combining the elements of classic town with what modern times have to offer often makes for nice results. Oh, and for today's history lesson... "A Day at the Races" was released by Queen in 1976 and the above quote is from "Drowse" off that album. This MOC was obviously never released as a set by LEGO, but if it had been, I reckon it would have been one of those later-80s / early-90s sets. Hope you enjoyed it - and if you haven't, just stick around, the most interesting races are yet to start!

Never collected MISB boxes. I don't think I'll ever start. I don't have the extra cash to burn on buying nice new sets twice and even if/when I do, I'd rather spend it on another LEGO set or something else instead of just saving a set somewhere in the closet because its resale value would be big. Perhaps one of the reasons for me doing so is the fact that I don't really believe there's that many LEGO collectors here in Bulgaria. And MISB old(ish) sets can be bought from almost anywhere in the world via Bricklink and/or eBay, so that turns collecting such sets into a bad idea market-wise. Lately I've bought a few MIB sets and I must say I'm perfectly satisfied. I prefer that to paying the triple/quadruple price for a MISB set which is more or less of the same quality - even if I know I'll be the first one to open that box, that's not the thing that really makes it enjoyable for me. Hell, even the "B" part isn't that important - as long as the pieces are all there and in perfect condition and I still have the instructions (which I always keep), I don't really need to save the box - OR the set in its original appearance. So there you have it. Guess we're going to have to start a Bricklink store somewhere along the way, but I'd rather have that happen than start collecting MISB items - at least that would save me more space