jamieberard

Hi Mark, I'm not familiar with the detailed workings of the 8866 motor in relation to the previous 9V train motor. However, I agree that the two motors seem to perform differently. I'll try and chat with the tech guys the next time I'm over that way. jamie

Hopefully a big thaw will come to Billund before the Eurobricks invasion in a few months. Otherwise, we may be pumping ice through those fire nozzles ;)

Sorry if there was some confusion, but LEGO has not been produced in the USA for many years. If you're ever in doubt about where your sets are made, the bottom panel of every box will show where the components come from. Traditionally, the company gets most of its components from production sites in Denmark, Eastern Europe and Mexico. Additional things like motors, electronics & specialty parts can also come from China.

Curious topic... http://creator.lego.com/en-US/designers/Bu...tra_143153.aspx :)

Hi Lego Wargammer, Sorry to hear that you had a disappointing experience with the Cafe Corner. I know how frustrating it can be to work so hard on a model only to find that you can't finish it due to missing pieces. It's very annoying. I had actually heard of this issue with the 4x10 vs 4x12 dark gray plate through our consumer call center. However, we were able to determine that the plates actually were not missing but instead mistakenly used at another point in the model where the building instructions were not clear enough. If you get a chance, it might be worth checking page 62 in book 2 of the CC building instructions. Several people have used the 4x10 plate where a 4x12 plate should actually be used. Another place to check would be the steps which show the construction of the floors, but this seems less likely to be the problem area. It's extremely unusual to have large extra pieces with one of our models. So when this happens to me, I always go back through the steps to see where I might have overlooked something. Of course, it could still be an issue where your set was not packaged properly, but I thought it was at least worth a try to check a known tricky spot in the building instructions. Cheers, jamie

Hi Svelte, Thanks for the detailed review! I am indeed guilty of designing this set--including that roof technique you don't like so well. Luckily, you seem to at least enjoy the rest of the build a bit more :) It's always a tricky balance for us to stay innovative while still delivering a logical & classic build. Sometimes a new technique really works, while other times perhaps not so well. Either way, I appreciate the feedback! Cheers, jamie

As much as I would love to take credit for the Grand Carousel, it should be clarified that that model was designed by my colleague Steen Sig Andersen. I'm just responsible for the detailing around the top with the Gold plates, Jester hats and inverted beards. Play Well! jamie