James Mathis

I'm going to try to sell my whole collection in one bulk lot. The collection of MOCS and road plates shown on Flickr is on Maui. The rest of my collection that is shown in the Flickr pics bins, boxes and plastic zip bags is in Oregon, USA. I live on Maui, and I'd like to keep the collection in tact, since I'm not readily capable nor that interested to part it out and since I'm fairly confident that the sets that comprise my collection are complete or pretty near complete, including well-preserve building guides, in case reconstituting ages old sets are of value to someone. But, I can't guarantee completeness nor check completeness in response to inquiries. Here's my set list: http://brickset.com/sets/ownedby-jmathis 663 sets, 475 different 125,000 pieces I need to look for the Eurobricks sales forum. Sorry here. James

cgarison, you are kindly generous; but, thank you very much. What eats five Halloween buckets, a few snow speeders, and two Pod Racer sets from 1998/1999? A TGV. ;-) http://brickset.com/sets/3047-1/Halloween-Bucket http://brickset.com/sets/7130-1/Snowspeeder http://brickset.com/sets/7171-1/Mos-Espa-Podrace I think that was just about the extent of orange back then. I think the HE set takes a cue from and may pay homage to the TGV prototype. I never got an HE (wish I had) to experience the build, but I did browse through the illustrated building guide and enjoyed seeing a great many reviews, pics, and MOC-mods. I think Jamie Berard did a great design, paying homage to some great historic MOCniques, as well as incorporating some original, clever, and detailed ideas. So much to be learned from Master Builders and Designers inside and out. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/TGV_001 Oh, for the love of orange. James

Thank you for checking out the trains and commenting with the most relevant question. The answer, after these many years, may surprise. The name of my Flickr folder is "LEGO Collection for Sale Pics". I would like to sell the whole lot. My passion has always leaned toward the process of model design, and I've transitioned from play and display. Those years 1997-2002 where fulfilled with the physical brick builds. What do I do with these models? They sit there. I suppose if there were a museum they might find their way onto display. As it is, these were built some decade ago-- very fun builds! They took me to a few awesome conventions where I made most excellent times and made some life time friends. The effort was incredibly rewarding with such opportunities to help design the Santa Fe Super Chief train cars and the Hobby Train set. These models have sat about in a dark box for years in a storage geographically far from where I live. I've enjoyed rediscovering these and other sets, as well as my own creation models, but they do seem now more space-takers than memory-makers. I've got those, and pics to prove. I still enjoy sitting down with a new set, spilling the bricks on the table or floor, and discovering the internals and techniques of fantastic creative designs and new elements delivered by the Master Builders and play theme creators. I love building sets and designing models. Once the process of creating the design is complete, I'm usually pretty much done. Sometimes these days I will go out and source the specific elements to build the model. It is then that I enjoying building it and seeing if the model in my mind and the virtual build stand up to the real brick build. In a reminiscent mood, my models, as well as many others' train models from years ago beginning around 1995-1996 and the early formative days off the online community rec.toys.lego represent a bit if our shared history and the transition of our hobby from isolation to publication. I'm thrilled to see that the passion continues with such talented and creative designers producing, creating, sharing and discussing the art of trains with LEGO elements. Anyway, Cleaning house... Clearing mind. Time for something new for something old. Aloha, James

Thanks. Back in the Summer of 2001: DB103 accompanies coaches from set 7740 with red train baseplates. http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=4993 Nearly 14 years ago. Here it is with a TEE Vista Dome car. http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=58560 That was a fun challenge back then to work those 1/4-curve clear wall elements into the dome. The new tan, dark red and curved windscreens are beautiful. I would love to see one of the current DB103 sets become a LEGO® IDEAS set. Very nice models. Thanks. -James

After over ten years boxed up in dark storage, I feel like I've opened a mini time capsule back to 1997-2001. It's a bit like a train and truck graveyard. Here are a few off my long-ago creations. For posterity... James

I would LOVE to see DB E103 offered for sale via LEGO® IDEAS set. This incarnation as a reimagined 7740 is so iconic and, in my humble opinion, quite appropriate. James

Great design work. Wonderful to see your iterative design process and trade study toward your unique and well executed solutions. A noble set of coaches to complement the venerable Emerald Night. Nicely done, James

The emotion and passion are the highlights for me from your review. Certain things we do not get nor achieve in life at one stage drive us throughout our lived to continue to dream and strive toward a goal. Bringing this Metroloner into your hands rewards and satisfies. I know this experience from the perspective of not getting either the original 4558 Metroloner or Club Car. However, when thd Legends cane out, I made sure to get them. It was quite an honor and surprise to see these Legends revealed in the privacy of the First LEGO Train summit meeting in New York City with a few LEGO train community friends at the invitation of then LEGO Direct Vice President Brad Justus and Jake Mckee. How could I resist the buy?! Your review of the Legends Metroliner warms my heart with bricks in my blood. :-) May your Metroliner run friction-free with new wheels. -James

Simply grand: in scale, detail, and design. Magnificent. I actually appreciate that you included the collection of official LEGO® trains into such a wonderful custom layout. It adds a nice nostalgic touch. James

Aloha Pief, BR 38 and BR 41 I like. One of my goals with my "Super Mega Steam Power Train Builder" LEGO IDEAS project is that one could build an approximation of such steam locomotives as BR 38 and BR 41. The novice builder gets an "in-the-box" more generic build that fairly easily converts wheel and lengths, while the advanced MOC builder can combine two sets and/or parts from their personal collection to refine the model to have much more specific like-life characteristics to really look the part of the real life source material. https://ideas.lego.com/projects/86744 Another goal if SMSPTB was to provide builders with a basic locomotive platform that provides only the wheels, drivetrain, and couplers upon which the builder can populate any kind of imaginable cab, boiler... https://ideas.lego.com/projects/86744/updates http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=6195361 Even possibly make it a diesel or electric. While I have yet to try a diesel of electric from the currently proposed in-set parts, I think it might be possible. I'll likely need to add in some specific parts suitable for pantographs, electrics, exhaust vents, and the like... Looking forward to any and all "what's next" train offerings from TLG.

Yeah. First: thanks to every one else who wrote compliments to your build, SteveB-- saved me a lot of gratuitous typing. ;-) Second, yeah, wow, fantastic model and very well done photography. Scenic to say the least. Chip's Ice house exudes the quality of design and brick built implementation that you have refined over the last two decades. A bit out if context, but I took a stroll through your Flickr gallery, and I must say, I am still entranced with your Japanese Garden and ready for a shoot-out at high noon in the Wild West-- or at least hobo on a box car. Great stuff, SteveB. Aloha, James Mathis

Thanks for the advertisement. Sharing the support: I'm a supporter of your project. A classic style no doubt, and always nice to see innovation inspired by necessity with the Power Functions bits. Challenging. -James

Nice looking "simple" build. That's not so simple to achieve! A great build that looks the part. I like it. James

Sorry to resurrect an aging thread, but perhaps appropriate as I am aging myself-- but, I'm not gray, yet. But, right now, I admit, I feel a bit out to pasture. ;-) Catching up to speed from years of idling by... this is a fantastic model. Stunning, irrespective of the passage if time. I have a lot of browsing to do of amazing MOCs. So glad to see such care, talent, encouragement, and enthusiasm persist, evolve, and revolutionize train building with LEGO. Hopefully, an old old dog can learn some new "Trix". Aloha, James

Unfortunately, I don't know how to render hi-Rez LDD LXF files on a Mac. I would love to. I used to have a good Window OS setup and worked in LDraw, MLCad, POV-Ray, Mega-POV, and LPub. Alas, no longer. James

Aloha and thanks for the support. Truly appreciated. If not this SMSPTB set as a 10 grand candidate, then hopefully a train... someone's train will make the grade up the seemingly insurmountable pass of 10k summit. "I think I can... I think I can... I think I can...," said Our Little Engines that could. Mahalo, James

I am so grateful to you who are LDD experts for posting information about creating custom "theme" User Palettes. This is fantastic! This will really assist my efforts-- and hopefully others who might participate-- in designing multiple alternate train-related models from a specific assortment of pieces-- and quantities-- that I have used to create a LEGO IDEAS project call Super Mega Steam Power Train Builder. http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=102817&st=0 I'm really excited and incredible grateful for the ability to create these custom User Palettes. I hope to find-- or create my own-- User Palette that contains only parts from the S@H Pick-a-Brick assortment. I often like to try creating models using strictly only the S@H online PaB elements. By chance, has someone already created such a PaB User Palette already? I found the instructions to display the hidden folders and files on Mac OS very straightforward here: http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/3104/os-x-show-hidden-files-and-folders-in-mac-os-x-finder/ Thanks, again, mahalo, James Mathis

Fantastic! I found the custom UserPalettes thread and created the "UserPalettes" folder (Mac OS) and saved the parts LXF file for SMSPTB. http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=78072 The SMSPTB user palette LXF will be available for download once the Brickshelf folder is again moderated: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=550498 I welcome suggestions for modifications to the part assortment, such as an equivalent complement of black train wheel large and small, and black train motor side wheel decorative elements. Thank you so much for the information regarding creating custom "theme" User Palettes. This is fantastic!! I will be looking for-- or creating my own-- an LXF file of the Shop at Home Pick-a-Brick assortment, as well, since I often like to design from within the PaB selection. mahalo, James

Oh! In the. Brick. By Frank STENGEL. I hope it's worth it. I'm a little nervous, now. Standing by... -James "on the other side of the track" Mathis ;-?

Aloha HoMa, Thanks for the support and announcements at your webpage and 1000steine. I tried to click-through to the link to 1000steine, but seems an error message pops up. mahalo, -James

Perhaps some of the other nine design contributors of the Hobby Train set 10183 might be interested in providing their expertise and insight regarding a next-generation Hobby Train set? http://www.docstoc.com/docs/142340561/LEGO-Hobby-Train---Frequently-Asked-Questions Holger Matthes Steve Barile Pierre Normandin Tim Gould Ben Beneke Jeremy Spurgeon Mike Walsh Ben Fleskes Chris Masi All are invited to show and tell, not just these folk, anyone, everyone. The LXF file is there if you want it. I'd love to see what other designs are hidden in the pile of virtual loose brick. -James

Black and red wheels = YES! Broaden the appeal. AFOL train community support is essential. I wasn't aware of folks being able to make a custom theme of parts in LDD-- that is so cool! (I'd love to have an LDD part list theme that includes only S@H Pick-a-Brick elements.) More builders. More designers. More input on the part palette. More alternate models = more Super Mega! I would love to see the models that designers such as the esteemed Carl, Cale, and SavaTheAggie, and all-callers could create. Nothing like a big box of loose train parts to bring out inginuity of brilliance in the face of compromise. Multiple sets to expand and build bigger = Super Duper Mega! I really appreciate that you recall the 10183 Hobby Train set collaboration. Getting to collaborate on that set with such talented train designers was an incredible experience for me. Truly an experience greater than the sum of the parts. Here's looking forward to a next- generation LEGO Hobby Train set. A collaboration would be great. If it could be this Super Mega, then nice. If some other more versatile assembly, then sweet! I'm a bit out of date and out of touch with the AFOL train community these days. Any support or advise or introductions would be greatly appreciated. I've posted the Super Mega LXF LDD files for your examination at Brickshelf gallery for any and all those interested to tinker and build with. I very much welcome you to scrutinize my builds or work the challenge of alternate models with the parts within. http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=550498 Daedalus504: great thoughtful feedback. Thank you. Mahalo, James

Take a look inside this Winter Village Express Train. See how it is built. I've updated the project at LEGO IDEAS. https://ideas.lego.com/projects/85295/updates Hope you enjoy the view. And, as always, thanks for the critical comments. mahalo, James

I've just updated the project page to illustrate the base platform of the steam locomotive. The LXF Digital Designer files for the locomotives and cars are also available in a link to my Brickshelf gallery. https://ideas.lego.com/projects/86744/updatesI hope you find the build interesting. Comments on the design most certainly welcome.-James

Congratulations. Great diorama. Second the greatness of the trees. Very festive scene, station and train. I've been waiting to see this since you mentioned it some time ago. Glad it gets a featured showcase! Well done. James