L@go

Thank you for your very constructive feedback.

Yeah, I know them quite well, plus a certain modular house builder from the Netherlands - and I think they're all going this year. Was just wondering if anybody else were planning on going over, but Cecilie tells me there aren't normally any more Europeans than that.

Again? Had a sip of Cooper's, have we? ;)

Thank you for all your kind words, guys, I appreciate it! ...? ;) Thanks, the Bryggen buildings certainly have quite a bit of the same vibe to them as the ones you can find in Amsterdam. But then they are from roughly the same period, when there was a lot of trading going on between Bergen and the German towns - which also traded with the Dutch ones. So there was quite a lot of culture exchange going on. That is more than likely - I was certainly there, and I talked to a lot of people, so you were probably one of them, although I can't specifically recall a lanky git :) I won't be posting the TV van in this thread, as I've already posted that before, but you can find pictures of all my updated classics in this album on Flickr. I managed to get one more batch of pictures done tonight (it's 5am here...) so here's number four: 4. Auto Service, a modern interpretation of set #646, with the same name, from 1979. Source material: This is probably one of the first LEGO sets I got, seeing as it's only two years younger than I am. And even though I do have a few sets from the year before, 1978, as well, this is certainly the first one that featured those doors and could have a minifigure properly seated inside, which made a big impression on me. I based this update on a similarly-scaled minivan I built three years ago, with some modifications to make it communicate more of the original set's design cues: Auto Service 2 by L@go, on Flickr Auto Service 6 by L@go, on Flickr The details I've kept from the original, 35-year-old set are obviously the colours and basic shape - except for the roof that I added - and those very characteristic stickers. Normally I say 'all stickers are official LEGO stickers' but for the first time in the roughly three-year-long history of this project I had to give up on finding original, unused stickers. They just don't exist for a set this old. So I had to resort to reproduction stickers from MiniStickers.nl - for a second choice, it's certainly not a bad one. The colour is almost bang-on, and although they have a vinyl feel to them rather than the paper-y feel of the old stickers, the replacement ones are more than good enough for my use. I've also updated the minifigure to one with clothes in the same colour as the original - but, for the sake of gender equality, it's a woman :) The roof of the rear compartment comes off for better access: Auto Service 9 by L@go, on Flickr Auto Service 8 by L@go, on Flickr ...and, as you can see, there's quite a lot of stuff in that rear compartment. It all fits in there, with a bit of fiddling around, and it won't obstruct the doors, either. There's also a rear-mounted searchlight above the rear doors, so the mechanic can actually see what she's doing when she's called out to help stranded motorists in the middle of the night. The particular motorist in the picture above is driving a car which will soon feature in this thread - you can probably tell which old set that's an update of... Auto Service 10 by L@go, on Flickr Finally, a picture of the original set next to my updated version. 35 years separate these two designs. I have to admit that the stickers on my old set had taken a bit more of a beating than the ones you see in the picture - those were the best I could find on BrickLink. The old ones weren't really fit for displaying after the set having been extensively played with over more than a decade... Again, thanks for watching! More updates will follow soon, and as always: More pictures in this album on Flickr :)

So many lovely entries - again! I can't believe there's still so much creativity left even after several years of these contests here on Eurobricks. My votes are as follows: 23. CM4Sci - 2 10. 6kyubi6 - 1 22. Emma - 1 24. Kristel - 1 Honorable mentions to StevenV, who would have got a point for his lovely water mill if it had had an open back like the other Winter Village sets... and most certainly to antp for providing the biggest laugh. Very creative - and funny!

Hello, fellow Eurobrickers! (Alert! The title says 12. For now, there's only eleven - but the remaining one will be added in the coming weeks. It's built, but not yet photographed!) It's been a while since I've stopped by this part of the EB forum, mainly because it's so popular that if you stay away for more than a week it just takes too long to page through all the new content - and then when you don't feel up for it, it just keeps on piling on. Today I was finally able to have a look through all the posts I've missed and there's still some amazing content here. You're brilliant builders! Some of you may remember my Updated Classics project (link goes to the project album on Flickr). Long story short: I grew up with the Classic Town sets of the late '70s to early '90s, and when I came back to LEGO a few years ago I discovered that the game had moved on quite a bit since then - the modern vehicles and buildings were a bit bigger, more streamlined and simply more detailed and realistic. I liked the way the new sets looked, but at the same time I felt a strong connection to the sets I grew up with, and when put side by side the scale was just completely off. So I thought: Can I take the essence of those old sets that I love so much, and update them into what I think they could have looked like today - with LEGO's current parts selection? I started off with this one: Modern 6624 1 by L@go, on Flickr ...which proved quite popular, and so I continued building modern versions of the classic sets, 16 of them, to be specific, and I even updated some of the smaller buildings, like this one: Snack Bar 21 by L@go, on Flickr ...which was also very well-received when I posted it here on EB in June - it was even frontpaged, to my utter delight! I've displayed these, along with their classic counterparts - rescued from the dark confines of the closets back at my parents' place, complete with genuine Norwegian dust - at conventions in Norway, Denmark, Germany, Portugal, and the UK, and they have generally been quite popular, undoubtedly partly because the original ones are so instantly recognisable to so many people - some of those sets must have sold in the tens of thousands. Hopefully, some people are also drawn to my builds, even though there are always somebody who will just point at the old stuff and go 'those are so much better'. Never underestimate the power of nostalgia... :) Anyway: I was invited to show my Updated Classics at BRICK 2014 in London, and I felt that to justify having Warren and Kitty and their excellent organising team cover most of our travel expenses, driving 2700 km from Bergen, Norway all the way to London, I should probably expand the project a bit. So I did: Over the past few months leading up to BRICK, the number of sets I'd updated went from 16... to 32. In this thread I'll post the 12 new vehicles I've added to the project, as soon as I get the pictures shot and edited. The other four are quite substantial buildings, and I'll be posting thosse in their own separate threads. So, on to the MOCs! 1. Town Runabout, a modern interpretation of set #6501, Sport Convertible, from 1987. Source material: A very basic design, so the updated one needed to be the same. I wanted to use the modern mudguards, while still being able to have openable doors, so it would necessarily have to grow a bit in length. I ended up with this (which really isn't particularly special, it's just a compact convertible): Town Runabout 6 by L@go, on Flickr Town Runabout 4 by L@go, on Flickr These updates are all about keeping the iconic details of the original sets. So I've kept the colours, obviously, the grey stripes below the doors and the grey grille, and I've added a roll bar, albeit a bit lower because the windscreen is lower on the modern one. I chose to omit the tile on top of the windscreen - it just wouldn't look right. And I went with an updated minifigure that still somewhat resembles the original one, although the modern minifig apparently doesn't like sharing the limelight with some old hag driving a 27-year-old classic car: Town Runabout 8 by L@go, on Flickr 2. Patrol Car, a modern interpretation of set #6506, Precinct Cruiser, from 1989. Source material: As you can see, it's very similar to the slightly older Sport Convertible. Which means my updated version also shares a lot of DNA with the Town Runabout: Patrol Car 1 by L@go, on Flickr Patrol Car 6 by L@go, on Flickr The main difference between my version and the original is, obviously, that I've added a roof. Seeing as one of the features of this project is to add realism, it felt like the right thing to do - after all, when did you last see a convertible police car? Apart from that, it's a very basic design. It has flashlights mounted in the rear window, and also features concealed flashlights behind the grille. All the stickers come from original LEGO sets, and they add a splash of blue to the design, which is practical considering most of the LEGO police sets from recent years have blue accents. Patrol Car 9 by L@go, on Flickr Here's police officer Mehmet, the cousin of a slightly more famous construction worker with a similar hairdo, checking out the classic Precinct Cruiser, while his retired colleague tells him what life on the force was like back in the day. 3. Jeep, a modern interpretation of set #6514, Trail Ranger, from 1994. Source material: Another very basic design, which I decided to try to beef up quite a bit, so I turned it into a six-wide Jeep: Jeep 7 by L@go, on Flickr Jeep 4 by L@go, on Flickr Again, I've kept the colours: Yellow body, grey bumper, and a white roll bar - I even kept the same piece for further recognition. The windscreen... ah. Yes. More on that later. But the windscreen is also the same colour, and I've kept it low, like on the original. The increased width meant I had room for a Jeep-style grille between the headlight, which makes the car look less cross-eyed and more realistic. And again, all the stickers are official LEGO stickers. Here's the mandatory comparison picture, complete with the updated driver, who has sunglasses, like his older counterpart, and a very nice torso from a SpongeBob set. He does appear to have shaved, though. 20 years separate these two builds: Jeep 10 by L@go, on Flickr So... about that windscreen... Jeep 8 by L@go, on Flickr Yes. I did. A major oversight in LEGO's current parts selection is the lack of proper six-wide windscreens - and this one seems like such a logical addition. But since it doesn't exist, I cranked out my saw and made one, from two perfectly good four-wide windscreens. I know some of you don't like that kind of thing, but hey - it's my bricks and I'll treat them as I like :) I've camouflaged the cut by using residue from a white sticker sheet. Jeep 12 by L@go, on Flickr Just for the fun of it, I added an optional hardtop for the Jeep as well, complete with a pair of (covered) searchlights. The more eagle-eyed of you may have noticed that the driver seems to be wearing a cap when driving with the top off, which is actually for two very practical reasons: a) driving a convertible without a hat does mean things to your hair - trust me, I speak from experience - and b) that cap is actually too tall for the driver to fit underneath the hardtop when he's wearing it... So, there you have it: Three of the 16 new additions to my Updated Classics project. More pictures in (the bottom of) this folder on Flickr - and even more pictures and, not least, my trademark excessive amount of words, will soon follow, with more updates. Thanks for watching (and maybe even reading?) - hope you like it! L@go

It's a very good idea to see how people rate the modulars - I can see that there are quite a few people that have very differing opinions from my own, which I find surprising, I thought there was a general consensus on most of them! But that probably just goes to show that taste is individual, and I'm all for that :) I've got all the modulars on a shelf right above my computer, so I'm looking at them as I type this - here are my thoughts: 1) Parisian Restaurant. There's nothing that I don't love about it - the colour is nice, the amount of detail is astonishing, and the interior is, as far as I'm concerned the best in the modular series so far. It's also a very enjoyable build. 2) Green Grocer. My favourite until the PR came out - and it's only coming second because its upper floors are rather empty. The exterior is pretty much perfect. It's a classic. 3) Café Corner. Quite a lot of nostalgia connected to that choice, as it's the one set that more than any other is responsible for bringing me out of my Dark Ages. It has its flaws - like the missing interior - but it does look great on my shelf. 4) Pet Shop. I like the idea of two different buildings, and it's got some very nice details - like the painter :) I also like the architecture. 5) Market Street. Another nostalgic decision, but there's just something right about it that I can't put my finger on. And it is, essentially, a 16-wide modular building, which I wish LEGO would do more of. 6) Grand Emporium. A nice, big building, with some lovely colour combinations (tan/dark green!) and a good-looking sign on the roof. But it's very empty inside, and has one-way escalators... :) 7) Town Hall. A behemoth of a modular, but its major selling point is probably its size. It certainly looks imposing, and that entrance is majestic, but it's still a bit bland. 8) Fire Brigade. My first real disappointment of the modular series, which probably is mainly because it has only two floors. It's just never been a favourite of mine. 9) Palace Cinema. I don't feel it fits with the rest of the buildings, it has major design flaws, and don't get me started on that hideous car. I know a bit about the design process of this one, which was everything but smooth sailing, but that can't save it in my book. Worst one! I'm excited about the Detective Office - I think the colour choices could have been better, and I'm not entirely sure about the architecture, but I love the attention to detail. Will be getting it in a month or so, and until then I'm deliberately avoiding detailed reviews. Don't want to know all the surprises :)

I just have to leave a little comment here as well, not just on Flickr - it's just bringing back too many memories from my childhood. After all, I grew up on Sørlandet :) The characteristic sound of these... you other guys really to know what we're talking about. Combine that with the sound of seagulls and waves washing gently over the rocks, and you have the summers of my childhood!

I'll give this astonishing creation a well-deserved bump by repeating the praise I've given it on Flickr. It really is something truly special - but then again, so are your other builds. You have an amazing eye for colour combinations, and when you add that to your truly, to me, baffling sense of geometry ("each wall is the hypotenuse of a 20-21-29 perfect triangle..." yeah. Right.) you get some wonderful MOCs. And your photography skills aren't half bad, either... :) Seriously, knowing that this will be on display at BW Chicago is one of the major reasons for me to want to go. I think this year will be the year I make it to my first event on your side of the Atlantic.

I'm embarrassed to say that I saw this in Skærbæk but really didn't appreciate it for what a great build it is. Now that I see your pictures - which are very good and just dark enough to set the perfect mood for this kind of MOC - I feel bad for not looking more thoroughly at it! I very much like what you've done here and the attention to detail is great. I especially like the partially collapsed building and those two hobos just visible in one of the pictures. Very nice, and well done :)

Just got the chance to catch up on some of the stuff that's been happening in the Town forum over the past month or so, and this stood out to me as something that needed a comment - sorry for the bump! But I really like the design of the church and those steps - and, maybe even more importantly, that you've placed the church itself at an angle so it doesn't sit completely on the grid. Everything tends to get slightly more interesting - because it often feels more realistic - when not all the lines meet at 90 degree angles. Well built! :)

Anybody going over from Europe this year? I'm very much considering it - I've been to several events over here during the past few years, but none in the US.

Wow. Some spectacular techniques used here! I love the use of tiles in different lengths to simulate the red bricks, and that straw hut looks amazing. Brilliantly done!

I've been away from these parts of Eurobricks for a while, and upon coming back this is definitely one of the builds I just had to comment on. The building is very neatly designed and so well packaged, the furniture is lovely (although that's a very shallow refrigerator...) and the colour combinations work very well. And then you've topped the whole thing off with a superbly detailed landscape - wonderful! Very well done. My only critique would have to be that you've spelled Norwegian wrong :)

Next time you're wondering about a sticker sheet: Just search for any of those two numbers on the bottom of the sticker sheet on BrickLink. It's that simple :)

Chris, who's running the Brickstand site (and is a very nice guy), has built several of these arenas, and his goal is to eventually build all 92 arenas that are used in the English Football League. He's already done Goodison Park, as you'll see if you follow the link I provided earlier :)

Why don't you just ask the designer?

The L tile is new this year and has been in sets like the Simpsons House, Benny's Spaceship and the Fairground Mixer, but it hasn't been produced in red before. It's a very versatile piece and a logical way to expand the tile family :)

I quite like this, although I have to agree with sonicstarlight that it lacks the elegance of the PS, which is my absolute favourite of the modulars thus far. But I've found that I'm always more impressed when I actually see the finished thing in front of me than the first time I see the pictures, so I'm very much looking forward to purchasing and building this :) And the pub/bar seems to be called The Highlander, which is hilarious. That's a pub/restaurant in Billund, where LEGO people tend to go to eat and drink :) That's not entirely correct - it's been in a couple of this year's early City sets as well. But it's a 2014 part, that's right.

Arrgh. I hit the wrong button, was never going to reply. But it appears you are right - the editor for some reason changes that 'd' to lowercase, and Brickshelf is case sensitive, so that means it doesn't work. Forum software bug?

Haha. I can see which store you've been to :)

I've just gone over the exhibitor floor plan at BRICK, and although I don't know everybody there I can't immediately see anybody who I know will be exhibiting mainly Technic stuff. You're right about the Volvo, though, it will be there, in two (very) different sizes :) I think it will be worth visiting no matter what kind of LEGO you're into (or, for that matter, even if you're not into LEGO at all). There's going to be a lot of impressive models on display!

I was there last year and would very much have liked to go back, but I couldn't make it as an exhibitor, and it's a bit far to travel just to visit, even though it's a great show. Maybe next year...

My thoughts exactly. I'm also very fond of the Café Corner, but that's probably more because it was the set that pretty much brought me back to LEGO than because of the actual build - although I still do like the architectural details on the CC facade. Fire Brigade, on the other hand, I just never liked - that's my least favourite of the whole series. But then other people say they just love it, so it all boils down to the question of taste :)