Davey

Wow! Those have been gone for a LONG time. Somebody is gonna get a good score. That was a Target exclusive last X-mas I think. You're talking #7679, right? -Dave

Looks great! It really has that 'Classic Space' feel to it! I like the use of the power crystal on the aft end of the ship. The greebles are great and really give the MOC some good definition. Also :thumbup: on the trans-yellow hose. I hadn't seen one of those before. Very cool! -Dave

Great topic Brickster! :thumbup: I currently own primarily 9V track in Dark Gray and Dark Bley. I probably own about equal amounts of the two colors and just mix and match. Since we ballast all of our track, I really don't notice the color difference. When I wasn't ballasting, the mixing of the colors did get to me a little bit. I think that was part of what drove Stacy and I to ballast our whole layout. I also have some 4.5V track from the #7720 set I have. Someday I might do a 4.5V loop on our layout just for nostalgia. We'll see! I did convert the #7720 engine to 9V and will be posting pictures here soon...like maybe tomorrow. -Dave ToT-LUG

Welcome to Eurobricks! I've been a Cubs fan since I was a kid where the phrases 'wait til next year' and 'throw it back' were ingrained in my brain at at a young age. I was a Bleacher Bum from the early-80's until the mid-90's when I moved to Wisconsin. Glad to see another Cubs fan around here. -Dave ToT-LUG

As Stacy said, we will be there with our train layout again. We're planning a massive revamp of the layout for next year so stay tuned over the next few months to see what we start doing. If we can manage what I have planned out in my mind, it should be pretty exciting. -Dave ToT-LUG

For the last question, I think you should allow people to pick the top 2 or 3 things they like about Brickjournal. My favorite part is the editorials about the hobby and community but closely seconded by event and club coverage. :-) Basically, I like anything in Brickjournal that is reporting on what the LEGO fan community is doing. -Dave ToT-LUG

This is really looking good! I love the use of the 'riser tables' to give the layout some depth in terms of the terrain. It really helps to bring the layout to life. I'm looking forward to seeing how this progresses. -Dave ToT-LUG

A college degree, a good job, a loving wife, and no kids.

In terms of 'Train specific' parts, I'd love to see the following in PAB in a number of colors. Train Window 2x6x2 Panels 1x2x2 w/ Gray Porthole 1x2x2 Panels w/ Red Porthole For non-train specific pieces, it would be nice to see more 'cheese slopes' and the Curved Slope 3x1's in multiple colors. I use all of these quite often. -Dave

Great work! I love the look of this hotel and the cute scene details really make this a stand-out. I've added it to Classic-Town.net. :thumbup: -Dave ToT-LUG

Welcome to Eurobricks! Enjoy! :thumbup:

No problem schnookums. Just a little present since I can't hang with you guys this weekend. -Dave

No problem! Here's the really interesting twist. I could see this program useful for planning collabrative layouts at 'cons' such as Brickworld. People could draw a little GIF mock-up of their module and the coordinators would be able to organize the table space before anyone even arrives. The customization options in this program make it very powerful for not only Train/Town users but many other themes as well. -Dave ToT-LUG

Hinckley and I were conversing at Brickworld this year about train layout design. He was telling me about the various methods he used to plan out his layout. During the course of this conversation, I brought up Alban Nanty's program Bluebrick...which Hinckley had not heard of. I have been using this program now for about a year to plan layouts and I have found it to be very use friendly and easily customizable. I thought it would be worth posting this here so that other people can try this great program out. I will post links at the bottom of my post. Adding baseplates or a module is a simple as creating a GIF image with the restriction that 1 stud=8 pixels. Using this convention, I have added custom tables to my parts library to represent the tables I have in my basement. I have also added tables to match the size we get from the hotel at Brickworld. The program allows you to create shortcuts of your own providing for better workflow. In addition, you can export an image directly rather than taking a screenshot of the layout. Quite possibly the neatest feature for me though is the parts list which lets me check the parts required for my layout versus what I actually have in stock. Just like ML-CAD. This software was initially highlighted in Issue #3 of Railbricks which can also be downloaded here. Bluebrick Homepage Bluebrick Download Link I'd like to see this thread become a place for us to post our custom parts for the Bluebrick software. Hopefully, we can generate a critical mass of good part images. -Dave ToT-LUG

You'll find no wrath from this train fan. I think the Holiday Train is a nice little set and looks wickedly cute going around a Christmas tree. Absolutely nothing wrong with that set. In fact...I wish I had bought more than one for the pieces if nothing else. -Dave ToT-LUG

Welcome! Glad to see another FFOL joining the site. The more the better! -Dave ToT-LUG

I'm currently reading the Shojo Manga 'Otomen'. I've also started 'The Hobbit' and 'Midnight Over Sanctphrax' (Book #3 from The Edge Chronicles). -Dave ToT-LUG

It basically means that this thread has been 'tagged' as a good train related thread. That tag makes it easier to find in searches. That way, when a new user comes on here and wants to start a similar thread...if they do a search, they will find this thread and be able to add to it versus starting a new thread. It's a way to keep all this great information in one handy place. -Dave ToT-LUG

Good question Sean! Best LEGO train ever, huh? Are we talking from an aesthetic view-point, a technical building view-point, or a nostalgia view-point? Since I'm not sure which view you are asking about, I guess I'll answer all three for you. Aesthetic View: For the 'best looking' LEGO train, I have to give it to the #10020, #10022, #10025 complete Santa Fe Super Chief set. That set yields a gorgeous train that just looks awesome running on any layout. The colors are great and the overall set design was really the dawning of a new era for LEGO trains. In fact, this is the set that got me back into LEGO trains. In my book, it's an instant classic. For those new to the scene, it's probably cost-prohibitive to buy at this point since it's over $1,000 USD to acquire the two engines and all five cars...but it's still way cool. Technical Building View: This one is hands-down the Emerald Night. The Emerald Night has forced 'Train Builders' to also become 'Technic Builders'. Looking at the building techniques used in that set, it kinda sets the gold standard for using everything but the kitchen sink. You've got SNoT, half-stud offsets, complicated gear reduction, Technic superstructure, and using jigs to support the engine during building. The techniques used in the Emerald Night are basically everything an AFOL would use in building a MOC. It's bringing specialized techniques to the masses. Nostalgia View-Point: Okay...so we've talked about what looks good and what is technical to build. Now let's talk about what just makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. And that would have to be....#7720. This was the first LEGO train set I received and my parents paid $59.95 back in...well...I dunno...sometime in the 1980's. It's a well designed set that brought me hours of enjoyment and ignited my love for LEGO trains. I still have that set including the box with the original price sticker on it. Every time I look at it, it brings a smile to my face. In fact...I'm thinking I might build the #7720 engine as a 9V this evening. So there you have it Sean...my three favorite LEGO trains...all for different reasons. -Dave ToT-LUG

Congrats everyone! I know that you all will do a fantastic job representing the LEGO fan community. Good luck and most of all...have fun! -Dave ToT-LUG

Steve Witt made it very clear in his keynote speech at Brickworld 2009 that there were not any plans to add elves to the Castle lineup. -Dave ToT-LUG

Exactly what made it so unbelievably cool. I saw this in person (even got to touch it) and it really is a great piece of work. I noticed that Kjeld, Jørgen, and Tormod were pretty interested in this one when they stopped by. -Dave ToT-LUG

Excellent work on the Starfighter! I really like the SNoT work to build the main body/wing of the ship. The colors are great and the engine details really catch my eye. Great job on an awesome 'bignette'. :thumbup: -Dave ToT-LUG

Hello and welcome to Eurobricks. Always nice to see another person from the Midwest posting on here. Glad to see you are getting into the LEGO Architecture sets. They really are a lot of fun. -Dave ToT-LUG

I have not bought this set yet, but I did have the chance to spend some time checking it out at Brickworld 2009. This set (in my opinion) is a great parts pack. It was a lot of good tan bricks useful in architecture as well as some great windows and those fantastic roof slopes. As a set, I think the design is a nice addition to the line of 'Family Homes' that have come out of the past few years. The home designs have been varied enough that putting them all on one layout doesn't give you that 'little boxes' feel (if you don't get the 'little boxes' reference...see here). Whether you decide to build this as a set or 'MOC it up'...you won't be disappointed. -Dave ToT-LUG