DLuders

On , "Legomaniacman" just posted his "6th LEGO model [of a] diesel engine. Resembles a Caterpillar". There are 25 pictures posted on MOCpages. He wrote, What actually functions on the engine is the pistons, crankshaft, camshaft, 2:1 realistic timing, pushrods, rocker arms, and turbo. Which would work if the engine had working valves and displaced enough air. firing order is: 1,5,3,6,2,4 The intake and exhaust are hollow, not solid like my other engines It is powered by a 9V motor and the LEGO train speed regulator. Tried it with a drill, but seems the max RPM of the lego motor is the highest the pistons can take. I thought of a new design after I disassembled the engine :( I will make another, but not anytime soon. I choose to skip the working valves after months of failure. The valves fall of into the engine and jam the camshaft and messes up the timing. Started in April of 2010 and finished in mid Sept 2010. Only worked on it when I had the time, but this engine was the most challenging and detailed.

Here is a "Rear wheel-driven F-style track racer with quite a different steering and a powerful acceleration" made by BlueScope (Mike) on MOCpages. It is "a combination of a race car and a garage-built car. I described it to a buddy as "a F1 car that watched too much Mad Max"... and I think that pretty much nails it." "You should also be able to see some of the design details here, for example the red racing seatbelts I thought were looking cool, or the rather different rear spoiler. The mudguards are also coming out nicely in this one, even though you can see that they're perfectly positioned in the topdown view better": "The steering is hard to see, however a personal creation that I'm sure noone did before - the motorized axle that goes from the back to the front actually ends up in a kind of lever that moves the steering bar to the left and the right without the use of geras or anything for the left/right movement at all. The motorized axle itself is geared up heavily, so it's a lot slower and more powerful. This system proved to work really well on all kinds of stress, and it's really reliable and well to control. Unfortunately, the universal joints are having quite a bit of moveability in their nature, meaning the wheels have a bit of a moving tolerance at all times. "Additionally, I'd like to mention that it has somewhat of a Hand Of God steering. I'm saying 'somewhat' because the steering wheel's direction is opposite to the wheel's turning direction, and unfortunately there's not enough room in the front to retain the current efficiency of the steering and fix that little flaw. Either way, noone ever noticed it, and most people who saw it complimented on the HOD feature, meaning I guess I'm fine as it stands...." "The bottom view, as always, shows a lot of the internals. You can see the two large motors on the back powering one wheel each, as well as the steering motor inbetween them that is entended all the way to the front. You can also see I doubled the friction gears on the steering to make sure that power gets delivered to the steering bar before it starts to slip (which happened a lot with a single friction gear)": "As for the motorization, I think I came up with a quite ingenious way of putting a motorized wheel with geared-down power for more speed on a suspended mount in so few space. From the motors to the universal joints powering the wheels, there's only two units of space - one if which taken up for the gear, half for the suspended arm and half for the mount on the motor. It started as pretty fragile, however I managed to fix it with a few 1-unit-long axles I cut together." "Another cool feature is the completely removeable battery construction for easy and fast replacement of batteries. You can see it has half of the seat on it, which is actually totally unnoticeable on the put-together model. I'm convinced enough of the system to describe the steps you'd need to reassemble it, so you can see for yourself that it's no hassle at all. * reattach the cable to the battery * put the rear part of the battery pack on the mounts inbefore the rear suspension line * push the battery pack down so it sticks on the light gray pin conncector * put the two seperate black pins in the rear part of the battery to fix it to the frame" Check out his Racing Truck Concept on MOCpages too:

Cool use of "vector wheels"! I went to your Flickr Photostream to see all 10 pictures.

The 5561 Big Foot 4x4 is a Model Team set from 1997. You could be the first one to add a working suspension for it!

Since you live in the Chicago (USA) area, did you talk to the Lego Town MOCcers at BrickWorld? Are you part of a Chicago-area Lego Users Group (LUG) that will help in the future "Team Build"? I think that your city layout is VERY REALISTIC; there are parts of New York City that look just like that. At this point, I recommend starting to build one of the buildings/modules with real bricks (using your available funds), and when folks SEE the real thing, they can increase their enthusiasm for the project and maybe you can get donations of money/time/bricks. As it is, people may be intimidated by the SHEER SIZE of the project. 110 x 240 inches (2.8 x 6.1 meters) is HUGE! Folks may even be afraid to look at parts of your LDD .lxf files, because it may crash their computers. This may be a multi-year project that could become reality WITH PATIENCE. As the "Great Recession" eases, organizations may again resume their charitable donations. Start building what you can afford, and then keep plugging away at it.

On MOCpages, Nick Barrett just posted 7 pictures of his Lego Technic Top Fuel Dragster. He wrote, "This model doesn't have my usual raft of Technic features - it has working steering and the engine you may recognise from previous MOCs - this is driven by the wheels at 9x axle speed to produce a satisfying noise when it's pushed along. The engine is also easily removable. "That motor is a V8 made using old square pistons with four chain driven camshafts whirring around and a belt driven supercharger. It's been the featured engine in the 'V8' group [of MOCpages]."

Changhungsu posted these notes on the noted by "roamingstudio": "My Lego Mindstorms NXT T-Shirt Machine. It is based on the following videos: "I put one-second delays between each stage of the folding sequence. In reality, the robot can do it much faster than seen here if I remove the delays. My roommates and I actually just fold our T-shirts without the NXT attached. The NXT integration was just to show that T-shirt folding can be partially automated": "The [with no 1-second delays]:

Isogawa Yoshihito posted six YouTube videos to illustrate his three "Lego Technic Idea Books". There are three of them: " " video for the book http://nostarch.com/technic_wheels.htm . The video features a clever "piggyback vehicle" and "piggyback" animal: " " video for the book http://nostarch.com/technic_contraptions.htm : for the book http://nostarch.com/technic_machines.htm : There's a discount if you get all three in a set: http://nostarch.com/technic_set.htm .

@ Muffin: You can get the Emerald Night set (plus the accessories that MendelevoiD notes) from Shop.Lego.com . You can change the webpage to the country & language you want at the top-center of that webpage. Lego Trains webpage on Shop.Lego.com : http://shop.lego.com/ByTheme/Department.aspx?d=328 . Also, you could look at the Lego train "Set Reviews" (halfway down this Eurobricks "Train Tech Index" webpage). You can see the pros/cons of the various sets to help make your decision.

If the "Lego purists" out there want to use a 100%-Lego cover on their Technic trial trucks, one could use one of the "Cloth" sails . Seom are 30x15 and 27x17 studs in size. You might have to CUT them, though! See the entire list on this Bricklink Reference Catalog list. I personally would just use a white handkerchief, like Yoraish did. I don't see anything wrong with using non-Lego materials on Lego MOCs, especially if using the 100%-Lego part makes it look awkward....

Yes, Brickviller is correct -- the Lego 8869 Power Functions Pole Reverser Switch is what you need: Mark Bellis has this picture showing how everything is wired (from this Eurobricks post):

Yes, it certainly would! 1969fred posted several YouTube videos of the Australian trailer: \Also, Elphinstone .Elphinstone website: http://elph.com.au/ . The Aussies sure know how to make LONG "road trains"!

Cassiebsg posted a of the Technic display area. There are some NICE tower cranes!

There was a "Speed Build" of the 10214 Tower Bridge set at the LEGO FAN Weekend, Skærbæk, Denmark - 25th to 27th September 2010. They were building the Tower Bridge as fast as possible, and did it in 2 hours, 10 minutes and 21 seconds! Cassiebsg posted 4 videos: (51 seconds) -- Sorting the bricks: YouTube Video Part 2 (22 seconds) -- (56 seconds) -- Admiring the completed set: YouTube Video Part 4 (23 seconds) --

There is another possibility for wiring up the Power Functions Battery Box to the RC motors: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=40200&st=0&p=710820entry710820 . You could modify the plug end and make it look a LOT better:

TECHNIC is more about "function" rather than "form" or appearance, so I would lean towards making your Technic LDD models retain the FUNCTION of the original sets. Of course, this may not be possible in all cases. Zblj has made shock absorbers, clutch gears, and other moving Technic parts using other LDD pieces. Parts cannot "move" in LDD. I would check Calabar's Official Lego Set LDD Index regularly to make sure that others have not already modeled the sets you want to do. Here are the ones that have been done so far: Technic - 8045 - Mini Telehandler - by Toa_Of_Justice - [Promotional Set] 1237 - Honda Promotional Set (Asimo Robot) - by Randal - 8022 - TECHNIC Starter Set (Airplane) - by dluders - 8045 - Mini Telehandler [Vers II] - by JunkstyleGio - 8290 - Forklift - by ashir - 8290 - Dragster - by ashir - 8046 - Helicopter - by BrickWild - 856 - Front loader - by LDDtechnician - 8264 - Hauler - by Zblj

"Boyzwiththemosttoyz" (Chris Roach) just posted a slideshow that summarizes all of his Lego Transformer MOCs to date. He has refined his Optimus Prime MOC, and has now got G1 Version 5 Deluxe (pictured below), and more. Chris has modeled many Transformers with Lego Digital Designer (LDD) BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS available on this MOCpages webpage.

Here is the link to a short, 20-second video of this MOC: .

Bazmarc has finished his NXT "zWall-E4" robot, and it is FANTASTIC! The shows its impressive capabilities. Bazmarc wrote, "A special LEGO WORLD Zwolle Edition Wall*E, the famous Hollywood robot from Disney/Pixar movie of the same name. This is my 4th generation. So i called it zWall-E4. It only has Mindstorms components (i.e. NO POWER FUNCTIONS and NO 3rd Party devices) and all bricks talk to each other via Bluetooth. The program is written in NXT-G 2.0 and has been designed to allow zWall-E4 to remain on a table top and do it's show all day, which may explain the restraint movements seen in this video. * Technical Specification: 3 NXT brick 8 NXT motor 2 Color sensors 4 Touch sensors 1 Ultrasonic sensor * In essence, we could say, the inner workings of this Wall-E are100% LEGO MINDSTORMS. * Come see zWall-E4 and his creator (me) from October 22 to 27 at LEGO WORLD 2010 in Zwolle, NL * My Picasaweb album of the Work In Progress http://picasaweb.google.com/bazmati/ZwallE4uWIP# * I started building him (it) on Sept 3rd... 7 days later I'm pretty satisfied with the result but it took nearly 20 day on/off doing mods and to figure out how to program NXT-G using 3 NXT's via Bluetooth. * Music: Dark Star Music: One-eyed Maestro By: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 3.0" http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ * The painting in the background at the start of the video are from my mom, http://www.mariand.net They are the same ones that where featured in the original WALL-E NXT (rev.3) video posted back in 2008. play well.... stay gold :)"

On this Eurobricks post, several folks were noting that LifeLites eLite LED kits were considerably less expensive (and more versatile) than 100%-Lego solutions. On this website, there is this narrative by Joe Meno of BrickJournal, and an explaining the products:"LifeLites produces a series of "eLite" LED kits designed to be incorporated into LEGO models. While they use wires, the LEDs are nestled inside small Technic pegs, making them relatively easy to hide inside models. A Basic kit can be used to simply power the lights, while the Advanced kit ($50 instead of $30) has 9 different modes including flash, fade, and flicker. "All the eLite kits require a 9-volt battery box that you'll have to buy directly from LEGO, so be sure to factor that into the price, too." "Joe's "Bond Laser" was the first video made for the eLite PF to show off the sequences available...": Check out the Lifelites.com homepage! The eLite Jr. Kit will make your Lego MOC more realistic: "The eLite Jr. boasts 4 outputs, 2 input buttons and a replaceable battery. All of this is inside the same footprint as the original line of eLites with just a one "plate" height increase. "The eLite Jr is perfect for your models where a smaller overall size is needed without spending the bank and valuable space for a cumbersome battery box. Unlike other eLites, the eLite Jr. needs no external power cord or any connection to an external power source. Everything you need is in one package for a fraction of the cost of similar products!"

From the Bricklink.com "Catalog" function, I looked under the "Windows" category and found them: 60592c01, "Window 1 x 2 x 2 Flat Front with Trans-Clear Glass": NOTE: The 2x2 window by itself (with no plastic "glass") is just a 60592 "Window 1 x 2 x 2 Flat Front": The 3x4 window (I think) is a 60594 "Window 1 x 4 x 3 no Shutter Tabs" in white: The "hinge on top" feature noted in Legocrazy81's post is confusing me a bit; it may be best to look through all three pages of the Bricklink "windows" parts category to find it for sure.

In addition to the original (January 2010) video posted by lego9vtrainfan, he posted a in March 2010 (which went unnoticed on this forum). Lego pieces are tough -- there were no permanent injuries! Lego9vtrainfan wrote, "By popular demand... I originally shot two crashes, this is the second, which uses a similar setup as my , although the camera angle and crash result are different! Oh no, all the toys spilled out of the Christmas train... and why the driver stopped on the cross track is anyone's guess! ;) So, here you have another high speed train crash between my LEGO 9V train ICE 3 and Eurostar models and the innocent little Christmas train... enjoy!" Another (morbid) by grafitasitube:

"Philo" (Phillippe Hurbain) has posted an extensive "Lego Train Motors Comparison" on his webpage http://www.philohome.com/ttrain/ttrain.htm . He tested the three motors pictured below. Left to right, they are the 9V train motor, the RC train motor, and the new Power Functions (PF) train motor. The graphs and tables can't be easily pasted here, but both the 3-car and 5-car test train results indicate that the new Power Functions train motors have the best Lap Times and highest Average Speed. 3-Car Train Test Result Conclusions: * "The speed of the PF train at the same load is significantly higher than the 9V train (+35%) and the RC train (+64%). * "The RC train and the PF train consumes more current than the 9V train, resulting in higher instantaneous power (+44%). * "But since the PF train completes the lap in the shorter time, the energy it consumes to travel a lap is lower than the 9V train (-17%) and much lower than RC train (-46%)." 5-Car Train Test Result Conclusions: * "The PF train is 68% faster than the 9V train and almost three times faster than the RC train! Powered from only three NiMH cells, it is still faster than its competitors. * "Performance of the PF train comes with a cost: instantaneous power is significantly higher. But at a lower voltage it outperforms the other trains with less power. * "And if we compare the energy needed to perform one lap, PF train is 40% more efficient than 9V motor, and more than three times more efficient than RC motor!"

The sloped ramp (in the background, supported by two thin yellow columns) is a Great Ball Contraption (GBC) module. The man in the blue shirt directly behind the "Baby Twin Otter" airplane is the MOC's builder, Marius Postma (from Blakbird's Brickshelf gallery):

"Sariel" (Paul Kmiec) and I have been corresponding a bit. I proposed that his HotRed MOC be considered for possible Lego Cuusoo nomination. It is not a "tank" (which TLG will never sell as a set), it is not "brand-specific" (like the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and Land Rover are), and it is not too complex/expensive to make. He e-mailed me and said, "If I understand things correctly, it is not required to have a complete instruction at the moment of submitting a MOC to the Lego Cuusoo - if so, we can simply go ahead and submit this MOC and if it gets enough votes for Cuusoo to consider it, I will re-built it and proceed to produce a complete instruction. It should be a relatively fast and easy solution, as this is a relatively simple MOC, and it eliminated the problem of guessing how certain elements were built, as I should remember it well enough. BR, Paul" Would the Eurobricks Technic AFOL community support such a nomination? Sariel wrote that his HotRed is "Another take on the subjects of HotRods. Features full independent suspension, V14 piston engine, functional steering wheel and a 4-speed manual gearbox." Datasheet: Completion date: 01/03/2008 Power: electric (Power Functions) Dimensions: length 52 studs / width 28 studs / height 19 studs Weight: 1.34 kg Suspension: full independent Motors: 1 x PF XL, 1 x PF Medium.