paanjang16

Below is a MOC I build that thought I share with you guys. Decided to take parts from the 3221 Lego truck and other yellow pieces from my stash to create a Lego locomotive. Now Lego have a dedicated train car to transport Lego. The locomotive is based off the RC train locomotive base. Some of the parts I took from the Cargo train set. A storage car is connected to the locomotive. The closeup of the front of the locomotive. As you can see, I used a transparent 1x2 brick to cover the lights which was used in the Cargo train deluxe set which is green in color. It has lights in the cabin area and ligths on top of the train car! I used the lights from my other 9V sets which are compatible withe the 9V system used by the train. Comments and compliments welcome!

It will be good news indeed if there is a new harbor comes out next year. I hope it has a container crane with dock, brick-built ship (its small size may make it possible), forklift, pilot boat and many more. I knew such a set will come out since the B-model of this year's 8053 Technic set is a harbor crane As for the classic 6542 harbor set, I waited almost 20 years to obtain it. It would be great if a new harbor set is released to commemorate 20 years since the launch of the Nautica theme.

For someone who has never owned or played with the 8421 I do agree that 8053 is a great set. I think the general negative perception about it is that is lacks a few features the larger crane has such as pneumatic system, electric motor with battery box, 3 piece boom and simple outriggers (you only need to spin 1 knob to deploy all). But 8421 is a flagship set at flagship prices while 8053 is a typical large technic set which a step or 2 below the flagship, so you do get what you pay for. As shown in the picture below, it is dwarfed by the other flagship sets. The 8 wheel steering is nicely done. The outriggers deploy in a manner not common for most cranes we see today. The gearbox in the upper turret eases motorization and is simple to use. The cab even tilts back abit like a real crane so that the operator can see what he is lifting. A great buy. Also do not forget the B-model which is a harbor crane. It is quite quite large when built and can be placed in a city setup!

I'm surprised that Brickboy have not begin selling the Harry Potter sets yet. The online shop which I usually buy my Lego from already has the HP sets in. The online store is Brickbastion and the owner do COD if you are in Klang Valley area. So far I have bought only 1 Lego set from overseas, which is the Launch and Load seaport from Singapore. Even then, only with a help of a friend in Singapore to haul it back to KL for me. Did not want to deal with customs. @ Hinckley, I hope the Legoland park does not charge too high of a fee to enter, otherwise can hop across the causeway to the Sands or Universal Studios. Also I hope that the price of Lego inside the park itself isn't too expensive as well. Not a very healthy proposition when not many Lego sets can move due to the insane price yes? I am sure Legoland parks overseas get part of the revenue from Lego set sales as well. RM 550 for the latest technic mobile crane is seriously not cheap, what more a RM 990 8258 crane truck Some workers even bring home less than that!!! Also Lego rarely goes on sale here, unlike Singapore where there is the Great Singapore sale! Unless TLG is willing to lower the price of Lego here, then the park might be profitable (come to JB to buy cheap Lego , good for JB's economy too)

Looking at the list of 2011 City sets I have some comments:- 1) Do we really need another red car? There is one in the Cargo Train Deluxe set (with no driver), one last year and now another next year. Not to mention a much larger red car in another theme and the many Ferraris previously. I think they should mix the colors up a bit or come up with a 'car pack' with cars of various colors. 2) I still believe that the space shuttle should come with booster rockets and the large fuel tank. Unless of course there is a way to attach it to the rocket set or the shuttle can take off vertically. From the looks of it, it can take off from a conventional runway, fly to space and fly back and land on a runway. Not really wrong from a 'playing' point of view, but incorrect as to the actual operation of a real space shuttle.

Welcome to Eurobricks littlebrickman! That's a very nice Harry Potter cake you have there. Since you are a Harry Potter friend I believe that you will be very keen to get hold onto some Harry Potter sets when it finally on sale here. Have you visited Bricksmal, the local Malaysia forum? I am a forumer there as well. Some of the members and myself had a few Teh Tarik sessions already during the past 1 year. As for getting your first battleship, I suggest the Imperial flagship since you will want all the space you need to garrison your troops. Brickbread's bounty while has a lot accessories is too small for my taste.

Hi Darth Baboon, good to see you here as well Usually I hang out at both Eurobricks and Bricksmal (our local web forum) to past time. I also did some reviews here as well. @ Hinckley, nice to hear from you regarding the Legoland in Nusajaya!

Like metalgearsolid said, the best place to look for Lego is at Midvalley Megamall Kuala Lumpur. There are several stores which sell Lego in Midavalley shopping mall like TRU and Jusco. Within the same area in the Gardens (just opposite) there is Brickboy (our own Lego Shop of sorts), Isetan and Robinson. Other places you can look for is KLCC where there is TRU, Isetan and Parkson. Only Brickboy have the 5 digits sets, but stock for 5 digit sets is very limited throughout Malaysia. Oh, Lego is definitely cheaper in Singapore. Sometimes the discounts the large retailers give are quite large to clear stock. Not to mention there are lots of Bricklink sellers in Singapore.

During my last trip to Singapore, I took an Aeroline bus which has 2 decks,whereby passengers are seated at the upper deck while the dining area, engine compartment, driver's compartment, cargo bay and front wing mirrors are on the lower deck. Here's a real picture of the bus... ... and here is my creation in LDD. If there is something wrong with the model is that I wrongly constructed the bus using the wrong color scheme. You see, a real Aeroline bus is grey colored with yellow strips, but I somehow built it in yellow and with grey strips. I somehow build it without checking how the real thing looks before I started. Looks like I will need to recolor it if got time. Another view this time from a higher angle. Note the roofline and the air-conditioning system at the top. There is alot of stuff which I created outside of the bus before I insert into the main model. Forgotten to hide those stuff when taking photos. The rear of the bus showing the engine compartment and rear lights. The engine compartment can open to reveal a large V8 engine. On the upper deck are seats for 14 minifigures. There is ample elbow space on board. On the lower deck is the driver's cockpit, the stairway to the upper deck, a dining area with storage cabinets, cargo compartment and engine bay. If you noticed, there is no steering wheel at the driver's cockpit. This is because I cannot find the steering wheel piece in LDD. Anyone know where it is? I made this bus in Universe mode. Thanks for looking! :)

The number of banks produced by Lego are few and far between. You can even count them using 1 of your hands! One of those banks is 1490 Lego bank produced in 1990. Even then it is quite lackluster with the only redeeming feature is not the bank itself, but the armored car that came along. My parents bought this set for me a long time ago and while it is has good playability, it lacks what modern banks would have like ATMs etc. It is also a set that has a door placed at an angle which I think not many sets do nowadays. How will it fit in today's modular building scene? I booted up Lego Digital Designer (LDD) and here is the result. Ground floor is where all the ATM and cash deposit machines are located. 1st floor is where all the bank officers work. They seem to have huge wide screen LCDs and glass tables. 2nd floor is where the boss work. Outside his office are file cabinets. Comments and feedback appreciated!

Bought my 10211 Grand Emporium today. Now to find a place to start building it...

Here is 2 videos I made to show how it is like after I motorize it using power function parts. I follow the motorizing instructions in the last part of book 3 of the instructions. Part 1 of 2 showing why I would later remove the clutch gear; it requires alot of torque to raise and extend the boom at the same time. Part 2 of 2 showing the extending, raising the boom and winch and vice versa. Having the clutch gear is more of a safety device as if you are not paying attention you will end up with some horrible gear grinding sound

Thanks for the compliment. There is an instructions in book 3 of the mobile crane set which show how to add in the battery box, M motor, a clutch gear, an 8 tooth gear, a 24 tooth gear and a technic axle 5 to connect power to gearbox. You can raise and extend the boom at the same time. Those extra motors and axles all come from the power function set. Below is a page from the instructions on how to operate the levers on the upper portion of the crane. I'm planning to cannibalize.. I mean borrow parts from my other sets since I have already have alot of power functions parts.

Very true, you really need to turn the upper structure ALOT to extend and raise the boom, hence the option to power function it. I have posted a review of it on our local forum. As I have never owned or built the 8421 Mobile Crane I would say this set is great and have alot of functions! I never knew it had a gearbox until I actually built it myself as there weren't any pictures how any of the functions work. A picture of the gearbox inside the upper structure of the crane. Using the red levers on you can engage either the linear actuator (center), extend the boom (top) or extend or retract the rope.

I'm from Malaysia. I wonder if the other ones who voted 'others' are also from Malaysia.

Built for maneuverability and versatility, the Crystal Crawler is the latest addition to the aquanauts line of deep sea submarines. Its variable pitch propellers allows it to perform maneuvers a normal fixed propeller submarine could not. In addition to normal submarine operations, the Crystal Crawler is able to "walk" on the seabed using its four propeller arms. Two large ballast wheels mounted at the front and back of the vessel ensures stability of the craft. The wheels can also be use to "steam-roll" across the seabed. Since a high degree of control is required to control such a vessel, only a select few Aquanauts are qualified to pilot this venerable machine. The high cost of manufacturing the variable pitch propeller arms and extra strong carbon fibre propeller blades makes this vessel a rare sight in the depths of the ocean floor. Set Info Set name: Crystal Crawler Set number: 6145 Theme: Aquazone Number of pieces: 96 Year of released: 1996 Price: RM 43.50 = USD 13.75 in 1996; About USD 31.00 for a MISB set now. More info Brickset Bricklink My photobucket Box Art The front of the box shows the Crystal Crawler in operation on the seabed. At the top right corner is the logo showing that this set is from the Aquanauts line. If you look closely, the Aquanaut pilot is holding 2 knives in the cockpit! The rear of the box shows the 4 alternate models that can be build using parts from this set. The box still has the price tag of the store it was purchased. Apparently this set costs Ringgit Malaysia (RM) 43.50 back in 1996. Metrojaya is the name of a department store in Malaysia. Instructions The front page of the instruction booklet is similar to the front box-art. The instruction is used for a similar set with the number 1728 which comes with a blue plastic baseplate. A random page showing the installation of the spring brick. Minifigure This set comes with 1 Aquanaut minifigure. The torso is printed with an Aquanaut logo and uniform. Our Aquanaut here looks cool wearing shades, even when underwater! The combo picture below shows the Aquanaut with his visor up and down and the rear of his equipment. There are 2 places to hold the knives on his diving equipment. Printed Pieces There are only 2 printed pieces in this set; a 1x2 control panel tile and a 2x2 circular tile with the Aquanaut logo. The build The build has 15 steps. We start of with the structure of the submarine followed by the propeller and lastly the flexible arms. The completed Crystal Crawler Our Crystal Crawler is now ready to explore the seabed! The design of the Crystal Crawler is very swoosh-able and will not fall apart when flying underwater during play. For some unknown reason TLG decided to add in a small bush as an extra in this set but without any crystal to play with! There are 2 harpoon holders at the front for use against annoying Aquasharks. Also in front is the large ballast wheel which also acts as a wheel to roll across the seabed. On the clear blue window of is a printed 2x2 circular plate with the Aquanauts logo. Inside the cockpit is room for 1 Aquanaut to sit with his re-breather gear. A small 1x2 printed computer plate on his right is used to control the Crystal Crawler. Rear of Crystal Crawler has hooks to place the minifigure's flippers as well as the rear ballast wheel. The key feature of the Crystal Crawler is the shock absorber brick which locks the propeller arms at different positions. The position of the propeller arms are dependent on which surface the shock absorber is pushing against the octagonal brick. As you can see in the picture below, the arms can be positioned in many ways depending on the type of operation the Crystal Crawler is involved; All four arms up to roll across the seabed, horizontal for maximum speed or arms down to walk across the seabed. The picture below shows all the arms in an upright position to allow it to steam-roll across the seabed. The 2 large wheels are large enough that the Crystal Crawler does not tip over to either side. Since harvesting crystals is part and parcel of Aquanaut operations, the Crystal Crawler is equipped with 2 flexible arms with grab jaws. However it will mostly likely crush anything in front of it due to the position and short length of the arms. The Crystal Crawler does not have any problem grabbing stuff on its side though. Also notice that the Crystal Crawler is standing on all four of its propeller arms. The arms are still relevant today; even with the threat of Sharkmen, Squidman, Octoman, an expert Aquanaut is able to overpower a heavily armed foe and use their weapons against them! Alternate models The section below describes and show the 4 alternate models shown on the back of the box. All the parts come from the Crystal Crawler and the model is build as accurate as possible to the picture shown on the rear of the box. To recap, here is the picture of the rear of the box showing the alternate models. Alternate model 1 The first alternate model is a submarine with 3 propellers at the rear and 2 flexible arms to harvest crystals. The octagonal clear window piece acts as a windshield for the sub. This model looks sleek and build for speed! Two harpoon launchers at the front provide protection from crystal thieves. The center propeller is located slightly ahead of the other 2 to avoid the propellers from going against each other. The front window can be opened to allow access to the cockpit. Alternate model 2 The second alternate model uses the 2 large space wheels to roll across the seabed. It has a flexible arm at the rear like a scorpion which unfortunately isn't long enough to pick up objects in front. At the rear are 2 propellers for propulsion. Alternate model 3 The third alternate model has 4 propellers whereby 2 are for yaw movement. It looks less aerodynamic than the first 3 with pontoons at the front and the rear. This model looks as though it is build for maneuverability rather than speed underwater. Viewing from the top, the pontoons are spread out for better stability. Alternate model 4 The final alternate model is an interesting model; it is an underwater walking mech! It uses the shock absorber bricks on its legs which allows it to hop around the seabed! It has 2 arms with grabber claws to harvest crystals. Comparison with current Atlantis set The closest comparison we can make is by comparing it with the 8057 Atlantis Wreck Raider set. It is a good comparison to use since the Wreck Raider has 2 minifigures to offset the low piece count and the price has taken into account 14 years of inflation. The comparison between the 2 sets are:- Minifigures : Crystal Crawler=1; Wreck Raider=2 Pieces: Crystal Crawler= 96; Wreck Raider= 64 Printed pieces: Crystal Crawler= 2; Wreck Raider= 0 (have sticker sheet) Price: Crystal Crawler= RM 43.50 (in 1996); Wreck Raider= RM 59.90 (in 2010) Box Size: Both have similar box size As per the picture below, it is very subjective on which set is better. On one hand, the Crystal Crawler have an innovative play feature where the propellers can be adjusted. On the other hand the Atlantis set comes with 2 awesome minifigures in addition to the small underwater bike. In my opinion I can see that the trend has changed from concentrating on the vehicle to making better minifigures. Aquanaut: That's some bulky diving gear you got there Ace! Ace: Might be bulky, but it sure packs alot of air to breath for long periods underwater! Aquanaut: Can you lift your visor? Can't really hear you. Ace: ..... gosh I hate it when older sets are better than newer sets. Unlike our captain Ace, the aquanaut is armed to the teeth with knives. After the experience dealing with the Aquasharks, the new sharkmen is no match for our aquanaut! Conclusion Design: 9/10 It has an ingenious design whereby it uses a shock absorber brick to hold the propellers in various positions. Playability:8/10 There are many scenarios one could do with this set due to its ingenious design. It is capable of rolling across the seabed, to walking carefully on the ocean floor to take the last crystal or just traveling underwater. The only problem I see is the lack of crystals to harvest as no crystal piece was included in this set. Minifigure: 8/10 The minifigure is top notch with opening visor, detailed re-breather gear and printed Aquanaut torso. Parts: 9/10 This set comes with an abundance of yellow pieces such as the hard plastic medium wheel, the octagonal corner brick and many more plates. It also comes with 2 flexible arms with grabber claws. But the real bounty is the 2 nos of shock absorber brick which can be used for suspension in vehicles! Price: 8/10 The asking price is worth it although the set is more expensive than a similar set from other themes such as Town since it has a more detailed minifigure and specialized parts. Overall: 8/10 A great set to supplement your Aquanauts collection. TLG went out to create a submarine with a non-conventional design and the Crystal Crawler is the end result.

1. No. 2. Only specific models. As much as I would like to collect the whole series of a specific theme I do not have the financial means to do so. 3. I would love to have a Petronas Twin Tower UCS set simply because I live in Malaysia and that building is near where I work Maybe 2000 pieces per tower and another 500 for the shopping mall next to it? I also would like a UCS Taipei 101 or UCS Burj Khalifah set too! 4. - Technic - A fully remote controlled rough terrain crane - Modular building - A bank with ATM machine, banking hall, office and a large safe (a bank in Lego City is loooongggg overdue). -City- a large port set like 6542 Launch and load seaport with large brick-built ship, container crane, dock, container trucks, forklifts, guardhouse all scaled up to fit the new 6x12 containers. 5. I would love to see the return of a monorail set like Airport Shuttle, Futuron monorail in the early 90s. Maybe TLG can create a new compatible track and motor system using the power functions? Have 1 large set with the monorail and 2 stations and with sufficient add-on packs for tracks, supports and other items. The demand for the monorail is there, as shown in the earlier posts as well as the City2010 thread. Also, have more variety in the City theme, such as more civilian buildings like hospitals (long overdue, can be made as a modular building too!), a bank, a post office, petrol station with car wash, restaurant, car showroom, car park (like Metro Park and service Tower) and many more. A city isn't really a city when there are so many fire-stations and police stations. I really would like the return of the Nautica theme which was introduced in 1991. A few set ideas; a large container port, a ferry terminal, a large ferry, a hovercraft, coast guard, speed boat, oil tanker, oil rig, pilot boat, lighthouse, yacht club, speedboat club etc. We can have a large roll on roll off ferry which can fit a few vehicles and comes with a few decks for rest and recreation. I would also want the return of the M-tron space theme which uses alot of magnets. Retain the same color scheme (red with luminous yellow windows) and make a large Galactic Enforcer type flagship.

Came across an ad in a local online website which usually sells stuff other than Lego. The ad had the picture of the SP-Striker and Crystal crawler box. The description wasn't that clear, except that there were 8 Lego boxes in good condition. Call up the number and managed to speak to a lady who put up the ad. To my great surprised her house is less than 10 minutes away! When I went to see the 'loot', I was surprised at what was the other stuff:- Caribbean Clipper - with BOX and instructions! It even have that plastic tray that came with the box!! Broadside's Brig - with box and instructions Shipwreck Island - with box and instructions SP-Striker - with box, the plastic holder, paper tray and instructions Spyrius recon robot- with box and instructions Gas and Go flyer - with box and instructions Crystal crawler - with box and instructions Paradise Playground - with box and instructions and 2 other 'basic' lego set. Sorting out the pieces I was surprised to find 6314 City People and lots of trees. Overall almost (as in 99%) of all the pieces are there. But there's more!! It even came with 2 catalogs from 1991 in near perfect condition!! All the above for RM 280 = USD 88.

To tell the truth, I was hoping for a monorail set But a tram will do nonetheless. I feel that as a 'Public Transport Center' set it should have more stuff which is related to public transport. I would swap the street cleaner vehicle and car for a ticket booth and better bus/tram stop and maybe add a taxi into the mix. Plus to make it very exclusive TLG could add a trishaw (or 'beca' in Malay) as per the hand drawn picture. The yellow sports car and the street cleaner vehicle can be sold as a separate set. I predict some ingenious person will mod the tram to fit into their monorail system! I will surely get this set due to the amount of window pieces on the bus and tram.

Looks like you guys across the causeway managed to get it first. I am glad that there is 3 complete set of the mnifigures and not a random set of minifigures in varying quantities. I used to play those collectible miniatures games like Mechwarrior Dark Age and trust me, it is extremely frustrating to spend money on an entire case (48 boosters) and NOT get the figures you want. Might as well go on eBay to get the figures I want and not buy the case from our local game shop. Little wonder Wizkids went belly up with their marketing plan. If everything is random as it is, with the cheerleader in 1 box or less, expect the cheerleader price on Bricklink on Ebay to sky-rocket and thus killing this line. I do not think I can afford to keep buying and buying till I get the figure I want and worst still, end up with lots of zombies Already suffered that when playing a collectible miniatures game, do not want it to happen to my Lego hobby. Now to bug our local Lego store to bring this in...

Thankyou for making this awesome review. It brings a tear to my eye every time I think about this set and the time I played with it. Like you, I was lucky to have my parents bought this fantastic set when I was a kid Unfortunately I no longer have some key pieces and the 2 large baseplates that come with it. I can still build the cars and maybe part of the tower, but will need to surf Brinklink to fully restore my tower to its original glory. It still amaze me that a back in 1988 we have an all in 1 service station with a parking tower. The most amazing part is by far is the hinges to allow the entire set to rotate and the parking lift. Cars cannot fly no? But to me the greatest part of this set is the way the tower is constructed; first you start with the column (using a 2x5x1 brick), then followed by the beam (1x14 brick with groove on 1 side), followed by the floor slab (6x12 grey plate). Repeat the process and you have another floor, then another! Just like pre-cast construction. Back in 1988 at least we know where Lego citizens park their cars. I wonder where do current Lego citizen park their cars? No wonder there are so many police sets, EVERYONE is parking illegally!

I recently gotten hold of a vintage lot which also came with a few 1991 catalogs. To my great surprise the names of the sets written in the catalogs are different from what is shown on brickset! For example:- Black Sea Barracuda = Pirate ship Dark Shark Carribbean Clipper = Governor's Ship Sea Hawk Harbour Sentry = Governor's Broadside's Boat Launch and Load Seaport = Europort Container Base Intercoastal Seaport = Atlantic Terminal (but the ship's name isn't Atlantic) Dark Shark = Black Thunder Here are some of the shots of the catalog for all to see. Pirate Theme Nautica Theme Airport Theme The cover page is the 1 on the top left, showing our pirate running away from the Metroliner. But even the catalog on the right (the one with the big Lego box) also using the same name. I wonder why all the sets are called differently compared to those days? Oh as a bonus, below is a typical diorama TLG used to produce. There is a guy trapped under a container in the picture.

Thank you everyone for all the positive comments! I never knew this set will garner so much attention. Also special thanks to the mods for giving this review the front page treatment. I do agree with everyone here; this set is light years ahead in terms of design. The fact it could integrate with other sets is another plus which sadly is not so apparent in current city sets. I hope TLG do come out with a new port set with a REAL container crane and more sturdy dock. Also, a brick-built ship would be a great bonus. I noticed in the set 4563: Load and haul railroad, there is a small yellow container that has the same tractor in this set. Both the 4563 and 6542 was released in 1991, so I am guessing somehow the little tractor has made its way across some ocean and is now on its way home by railroad. Just for everyone's knowledge, here is a "How do they do it" video I found on the net regarding how a container terminal is run. You can draw alot of similarities to the container terminal featured in the video and this set.

INDEXED Prologue This is my 6th review for the academy and going for Silver in the academy. A little story behind this set; The first time I saw this set was back in the early 90s when I was only in primary school. The set was on the shelf in our local TRU in Subang Jaya, Malaysia and it was instantly on my wishlist. It's too bad it cost quite a sum during those days (it was the largest Town set at that time) and out of my parent's budget. So when my dark age recently ended early last year, I went about looking for it online. Unfortunately for me, the cost of this set was extremely high and coupled with the fact I need to ship it from the States or EU to Malaysia, it seem like it will be difficult for me to get this set... until 1 set became available in Singapore!! The price was right, I have a friend working in Singapore, 1 friend with a paypal account to help me buy, so I instantly ordered it!! The shipping cost was nil since my friend was able to collect it from the seller in Singapore. Two weeks later he came back for a friend's wedding (2 weeks before Chinese New Year, so my ang pow came early!) and pass the set to me. After waiting almost 2 decades, my dream set has finally arrive! The good news was that the set was in excellent condition although it was 2nd hand. Anyway, enjoy my review! Introduction "It was the early nineties; the Lego nation was on its best economic bullrun in recent memory. With the increase in trade, came the need for better transportation of goods, particularly the movement of goods and products from one Town to another. Rail networks were already stretch thin and some towns are hampered by extremely hilly terrain which prohibits the building of rail networks In an effort to satisfy the urgent need to facilitate trade as much as possible, The Lego Government (TLG) decided to embark on a massive logistic facility project. The project shall equip strategic Lego Towns with its own seaport where each seaport complex shall have 2 sections; a Launch and Load Seaport to deal with standard 4x8 stud containers and an Intercoastal Seaport for oversized containers or goods. It was am immerse project to undertake; in some Towns it was the largest project the local LG has ever undertaken. The scale and number of bricks required dwarfed even the largest airport constructed at that time. The best designers and engineers TLG had at that time was recruited to facilitate this mammoth project. But what good are ports when there are no ship to dock with? Hence for every seaport TLG build, 2 large ships is included in the project; 1 a standard single cargo deck freighter while the other a 2 deck container ship. Today in Lego City, a launch and load facility specializing in standard 4x8 containers has been in operation for almost 2 decades since 1991. The port is highly efficient and well equipped with its own pilot, container crane, docks, security and on-site container delivery and storage. Ships generally prefer to call at this port although a newer port was opened in 2007. It is the only port in the City equipped with a container crane that can load and offload containers with great speed. The massive container crane can be seen by every ship entering port and is now a famous landmark in Lego City. " Set name: Launch and Load Seaport Set number: 6542 Theme: Classic Town Sub-Theme: Nautica Year Released: 1991 Number of Pieces: 1022 Price: Bought it for USD 180. Can go up to USD 500++ for a MISB set on Bricklink Some Records this set has: Largest Classic Town Set in terms of number of pieces Largest City Set (excluding modular 5 digit buildings) in terms of number of pieces First Classic Town set to break 1000 pieces. Second Largest set in terms of number of pieces when it was released in 1991. The first is the Model Team set Whirl and Wheel Supertruck at 1063 pieces. Second set to have more than 1000 pieces when released in 1991. The first is the Model Team set Whirl and Wheel Supertruck at 1063 pieces. Links Brickset Peeron Bricklink My photobucket The box The box shown below is the blue version and have a giant flap with a plastic tray inside. At the top right corner is the Nautica theme logo. The front picture shows the port busy with activity. Picture taken from Bricklink. There is also a yellow box version. Instructions The front page of the instructions have the similar picture as the box. A random page showing the installation of the claw onto the container crane. You might need sensitive fingers to let the rope through the wheels on the claw. Another random page showing the build for the hull of the red ship. As you can see, the hull is made with common bricks and do not have any large segments unlike the ships from the pirate line. Minifigures In this massive set we get 7 minifigures, 2 of them with life jacket. From the left; a police officer, the ship's captain, the pilot boat's captain, the ship's first mate and 3 dock workers in black, blue and red overalls. The pilot boat's captain is using the same torso as the ship's captain, but he is wearing a life jacket. Apparently you must know how to swim to be either a captain or a dock worker here! Build Sequence Below are the build sequence for the forklift, trailer, pilot ship, the large red ship and the container crane. I have skipped the build pictures for the individual containers and the dock as both do not require large amount of bricks compared to the other parts of the set. Forklift We start of with the chassis of the forklift and proceed with the fork and cabin. Trailer In the instructions the prime mover is build first followed by the trailer. However for this review I am showing both at the same time to reduce the number of photos required. Pilot boat The pilot boat starts with the bottom plates and bricks to create the hull. Later steps include the windows and the antenna at the top of the boat. The red ship The red ship have 18 steps in the instructions. Some of the steps will require lots of similar individual bricks to create the hull of the ship. Once the hull and cargo deck is complete, the build then move onto the superstructure of the ship. The final step is place the completed containers, minifigures and an antenna onto the ship. Container Crane The container crane build starts of with the rails that allow a trolley to move horizontally between the crane and the ship. Once the rails is complete, the pulley and gearing mechanism in the cab is built. This is followed by the 2 large legs on either side of the crane and the wheels to allow the crane to traverse the length of the dock. Completed set Forklift The forklift in this set is a 4 stud vehicle with 4 large tires and a spring operated forklift. Both the doors on either side have stickers to show the "transport" logo which is still used today. The forklift also have warning signage at the front and front and rear lights. The lift can tilt back to better carry the container. The picture below shows far the fork can be pressed. The fork can be pressed all the way down to lift up containers. The spring is strong enough to lift a standard 4x8 stud container. Containers There are 4 different types of 4x8 containers given in this set. We get 2 standard white containers with doors on one side as well as 3 other containers with various goods inside. The white containers have stickers to show the transport logo on its side, but this set being a 2nd hand set, only 1 container have the sticker still attached. Each 4x8 stud container represents a Twenty-foot-equivalent (TEU) container which is commonly used in the shipping industry. A similar Forty-foot-quivalent (FEU) is represented by a 4x16 stud container found in another railway set. One of the containers carries a large V8 engine... ... another carries a small red tractor... ... and lastly we get a container with red, white and black bricks in various 2x2 bricks. The container trailer The prime mover is a simple 4-stud wide truck with square headlights and a cab. At the back there is fifth wheel to connect the trailer. The trailer meanwhile is also 4 stud wide. The top surface of the trailer is smooth to allow the container to rest on the trailer. Also, the 1x2 smooth grey plates that are slightly higher are used to hold the container in position so that the container does not slide off the trailer. Like its real-life counterpart, the trailer can carry either 2 nos of 4x8 stud container (2 nos of TEUs) or 1 nos of 4x16 stud container (1 nos of Forty-foot container or FEU). A great design consideration when TLG designed the trailer is to allow both the rear wheels to touch the ground even when the trailer is lifted or when it is going up the steep ramp of the dock. The rear wheels are mounted on a plate which is then inserted into a technic hole. Below is a combo picture showing the the trailer with the landing gear in position and the trailer connected to the prime mover via the fifth wheel. Pilot Boat The pilot boat meanwhile is a 6 stud wide jet boat made of mostly blue bricks. It is supposed to have a large "PILOT" sticker on its side. Other details include the red and green antenna and horn. Like all brick-build ships in this era, rounded black plates are placed on the bottom of the ship to create the "hovering" illusion. The controls of the pilot boat is simple; 1 steering wheel and 2 levers to control the boat. It has a holder for a radio and a loudhailer to warn incoming ships of danger. The pilot have to stand to operate this boat. The mid-section of the ship can be opened to allow access into the hull. However the hull is devoid of anything and will require some modification to create some interior. Red Ship The red ship is a fully brick-built vessel which is 10 studs wide and 37 studs long. It cannot float unlike the 2007 container ship due to gaps between the bricks in the hull. There is a humongous sticker on either side of the ship that covers multiple bricks that is not shown. This is because as a 2nd hand set the sticker is long lost. Similar to the pilot boat, it has rounded black plates to give the "hovering" illusion. The bow of the ship features a sticker showing the name of the ship "Atlantic" as well as a light and hook connected to a pulley. A simple lever operates the pulley. When not in use, the hook is placed next to the pulley. The mid-section of the ship have space for 4 nos of 4x8 stud containers. Removing the containers shows the raise portion plates on the floor of the container deck where the containers rest. A relatively simple and ingenious way to keep the containers in position yet easy enough for the removal of the containers. As an added bonus, the 8 hinged doors can open to reveal a large cargo area below deck! I can imagine a variety of goods stored in the area. The containers need to be removed for the area to be accessed. The stern of the ship holds the superstructure containing the smoke stack, bridge and a mast equipped with radar, lights and horns. Portside (left side) and Starboard (right side) is denoted by the red and green lights on the superstructure respectively. The bridge have large sloped windows so that the captain can have great visibility around the ship. Looking from the rear, the smokestack runs almost the full height of the superstructure and have a red brick with a cargo sticker on either side. Under the bridge is an empty inaccessible compartment that is surrounded by windows. That area could have been the engine room(maybe that's where the blue V8 engine goes?) there but since TLG has more than 1000 parts already, they would have likely skip that portion. The top of the bridge can be opened to allow the placement of minifigures into the bridge. Inside the bridge is a steering wheel and 2 computer panels. There is space for the captain and his 1st mate. The red ship is much larger when compared to the pilot ship. Container Crane The container crane is unique where it mimics the type of cranes used at container terminals around the world. Due to the limited space between the 2 legs of the crane, the crane can only lift 4x8 stud containers. Modification to the crane is required if one is to try lifting a 4x12 or 4x16 containers found in other sets. The claw of the container crane has rubber grippers on either side to "grab" the container. This piece is unique as it only appears in yellow color in this set and a "crane accessories" pack (5078-1). The red version can only be found in a limited number of railway sets. The claw mimics the "spreader" which is used to pick up a container. A ship weight is used to ensure that the container crane does not tip over when it is loading containers. On either side are warning stickers showing the maximum clearance height and the legs of the crane. Red ladder pieces protect the 4 wheels which allow the crane to traverse the length of the dock. The control cabin is located at the very top of the container crane. Under the operator's seat is a knob to control the horizontal position of the claw while the knob behind the cabin is to control the claw's vertical position. I have made a simple video to show how the container crane loads and unloads containers from the ship to a waiting trailer and vice versa. Dock The dock is huge; so huge that I have problems taking a good picture of the entire set without having those dreaded studio lines. The background piece of paper is A1 size and yet the dock is longer than it! Fortunately I can erase the studio lines. Anyway the dock is full of features that can be found in a real dock such:- 1) Ship bumpers, denoted by the 1x8 smooth plate on the side of the dock. This is to protect the dock should the ship ram it. 2) A guardhouse for security. 3) Rails for the gantry crane to traverse the dock. 4) Stoppers at either end of the gantry crane rails to prevent the gantry crane from going further than it should go. 5) Warning signs and gates to prevent vehicles and Legomen from going off the dock. 6) Hooks on the dock so that the ship can tie and secure their ship to the dock. 7) Ladders on the side for people to climb up to the dock. A view of the dock without the large container crane. There are rails on both side of the dock to allow the container crane to traverse the dock. At either end of the rails are rail stoppers as well as rope hooks. At the end of the dock is a fixed gate and a large radar for communications. The picture below shows how much can the container crane travel from one end to the other end. The coverage is sufficient for the red ship provided. A close up of the rail stoppers. At the entrance to the dock with the container crane are 2 warning signs to warn the dock users that the dock is narrow. A typical scene when a container ship is berth at the port. Notice the ship is secured to the dock using the rope and hook. At the intersection of the dock are warning signs and directional arrows to guide vehicles around the dock. Smooth plates are used to cover the joints between the large harbor base plates. The guard house is a simple structure with a chair on a turntable and a small computer screen. The roof have a siren and a long red antenna. The boom gate is operated with a telephone dial and have red lights. Opposite the guard house is a small traffic light to control incoming traffic. Another view of the entire dock, this time buzzing with activity! Conclusion Design: 9/10 The designers of this set obviously have done some homework and have paid a visit to an actual container terminal. This is because alot of the features mimics the operation of an actual container terminal such as the pilot boat, the container crane and the dock itself. The ships which are brick-built with common bricks and have internal storage compartments which is another plus. The use of the raised platform from the Railway line as a dock is great as it provides a harbor which is solid and strong. Playability: 10/10 This set excels in playability due to the sheer number of vehicles and stuff to do. The standard design of the containers which is similar to other Lego Town and Lego Railway sets at that time allows one to load the containers onto the ship and ship it across the "carpet" to another port! Those lucky enough to own sets like 4555 Cargo Station, 4549 Container Double Stack and even 6539 Victory Cup Racers can easily integrate those sets to use the port facilities provided. Parts: 9/10 This is the only set that has the grabber claw in yellow color. Other notable pieces include the raised platforms, 2 pairs of the red gantry crane legs and lots of red bricks from the red ship. Minifigures: 8/10 The variety of minifigures provided is sufficient for this set, with the dock workers having different colored torsos and the captain sporting an admiral torso. Conclusion: 9/10 It is obvious TLG wanted this set to be a flagship Classic Town set for the year 1991; it's large, have 7 minifigures and broke the 1000 piece barrier, the first for any Classic Town set. They also ensure it is true to the source material, in this case a container terminal that is typically found all over the world. The only downside is that some of the stickers cover over multiple bricks. However, overall this is a great set worthy of remake as a legend set.

I voted for a boat/ship. Lego City needs a new port with a gantry crane similar to 6542, but oversized to deal with the new 6x12 stud wide containers. The old one can only handle 4x8 stud containers. If only TLG produced a set like this again... Or TLG can produced a vehicle ferry (oh wait, there's one in Creator) or a passenger ferry or luxury yacht. Then can have a ferry terminal with boarding ram.