paul_delahaye

This camera car would work well with the GoPro camera!

There is no doubt this is mighty impressive, it's just impossible to believe so much blue track from the 80's is still in existance! When lego see this, which I'm sure they must have someone trawling forums/the web for Lego related projects, they will just have to be impressed. I bet the guy's who assembled all that track were glad they did not add the middle white sleeper ;-) would have added hours to the build time. Paul

I've just finished building the 9396 helicopter and it's big! no doubt about that, I think it was a great build, with the only mistake I made being missing a 16 tooth cog on step 75, which I only realised on completion and rotated the knob and nothing happened! I have a couple of observations: 1, I just don't understand why Lego did not include the Small PF motor and battery box? the price point of this set was in line with last years flat bed truck, and more expensive that the hauler and skip truck from previous years, both of which included Power Functions? 2, I think they missed a trick not including a second Light Bley Panel which could have been used to fill the void where the battery box should go and this would create a floor inside the helicopter, the instructions even tell you to put light grey pins in ready for the battery box/floor panel. The colour scheme is great, and the soft tips on the rotar is a nice touch, shame they did not put the soft edges on the tail rotars as well to match. Just in case anyone is interested in the rotors from Lego direct, the part numbers for the lego rotor blades are: Small Tail Rotars: 4651820 Large Main Rotars: 4651822 Paul

wow, is it really worth £20 more than last years set? I'm struggling to see a difference in scale, I've got the rest, so I guess I won't miss out on this one,

The main difference is most people selling on ebay are selling to make money, a lot of the people selling on Bricklink are selling to make money, but so many of them are doing it because they love lego, or because they buy a set in bulk to get a part they need for their own project and then they sell on the remainder of the bricks. This covers their own brick habit costs, and also provides us a cheaper source for parts than going direct to Lego, Personally I have 167 positive bricklink transactions since 2005, for the first couple of years I only bought from the UK, but I'll happily buy from Europe as well now and have done on 10 - 20 transactions. My only bug bare is on buying from sellers in the USA (The USA is tempting, many sellers, many bricks not available in Europe in such large quantities and colours, many bricks are much cheaper than Europe, however my issue is not really with the sellers, (although some of them could be a little more helpful when it comes to customs descriptions and valuations). My issue is more with UK customs and Royal Mail. If the seller is not really thinking and declares the goods as a Toy, you can almost guarantee you will pay import VAT on the goods, what is annoying is some sellers will declare the goods at the value you have paid. For example, I recently bough a MISB set from 1980, the true value of the set in 1980 was $20, they declared it at the price I paid them in 2011, $100, I'm sure it would not have been wrong to declare this at $20 and then I would have only paid 20% VAT on the original price. My issue with customs is that when the seller in the USA originally purchased the toy, (unless they are a registered business) they are unlikely to have claimed the sales tax back from the government. Therefore when they ship it to the UK, it seems crazy that I pay sales tax (VAT) on the goods for a second time, but to another government, I totally understand if the original seller reclaimed the tax/VAT and that would be fair enough. My gripe with Royal Mail on international shipments is they have a habit of adding at least a £5 customs handling charge onto every VAT bill, I had to pay them £38 on 1 shipment from the USA last year. (inc the VAT) It's safe, just be sensible from a buying point of view Paul

Well up to 1995 Hint Hint

I think the general requirements are: Look pretty (But not much substance when you look deeper) Barely 1 or 2 technical functions for a heafty price tag which is normally only steering and a differential Lots of stickers Usually in the bargin bin 6 months after it's released

More relevant than the sticker is which might indicate this is part of a new set is the rare part the sticker is stuck onto, part 6178 in blue? Bricklink Part Page which I don't think has been seen in a set since 1994? and that must be one of the least owned sets out there? I'd like to think this is part of a new set, maybe round 2 of the city vehicles, they seem to have been popular, my local toy shop has sold at at present.

I'm not sure that hospital roof is strong enough for a helicopter of that size!

Most disappointed at the tiny pick a brick wall at Legoland windsor now, went last week for the first time in 16 months, the wall is now about a 6th of it's previous size, mainly basic colour 2 x 4's and thats it. The only nice thing was brown 1 x 2 plates. But they are now charging the a hugely inflated £5.50 per 100 grams and it used to seem steep 5 years ago when they were charging £3.00 per 100 grams. Not too impressed

I guess you have been busy doing other things recently

The last 5 or 6 years Lego has always released a nice little Airline promo set, but there appears to be no news of one of these little gems for 2012? Do you think this is the end for these? Paul

The only ones I remember are these, but they have something growing from two sides. Bricklink

That definitely looks like a small green tractor, about the same proportions as the tractor from the tractor and log loader set 8049 from a few years back, it could possibly be a rehash of that tractor, we have certainly seen that before, Anyone else feel we are missing a technic set from the 2nd half 2012 that we don't know about, maybe the TRU exclusive set, around the £50 mark? seems too big a gap between the tractor and the helicopter? Paul

Available from today Price £99, spend over £30 on Lego and get a £5 off voucher Argos Website Still no picture of the B model

You have to wonder 6+ years on from when the forum was first created that the rules on photo sizes are now a little out of date, the number of people still running a 56k modem must be in the minority now. Most users are likely on 2Mb+ connections or better now, and with digital cameras improving all the time, being able to see clearer details is surely a good thing? Time for a forums site rules review me thinks. Anyway, back to your truck it's quite nice, looks like a T-nose Scania or a Kenworth truck now :-) Maybe you could make the fifth wheel a little more chunky? It's practical, but not very realistic looking? Paul

Is it only me who finds it hard to believe that Lego needed to include 3 instruction manuals in their smallest set in the 2012 technic line up?

Also on this picture, the left hand model, the light bley steps are made of 1 x 3 studless beams, but they have axle holes in 2 of the stud holes. I'm sure this is not in the current offering in this form. Unless they are 1 x 3 thin plates?

At least his fish are happy!

Ironically, Lego used to make the perfect part for this mod on the train :-) Brick 2928 obviously combined with this one: brick 2919

Am I right in thinking this is a new mould for the stretcher? It no longer has the attachment points for stretcher wheels, instead it has stud sockets?

This is one of those sets I can kick myself for not buying on ebay 7 or 8 years ago when it was Buy it Now for £21, which at the time always seemed expensive, average price is now £100 - £120 MISB.

Might be worth popping along to for anyone in the south of England? Seems they are constructing a large model, although probably better to attend nearer April than February otherwise there might not be much apart from foundations to see :-) Milestones Website

Loving the miners helmets with the lights on them

Although the hospital is a bit of a disappointment, I love the image of the minifig slipping over on a banana skin and needing medical attention :-)