LEGO Bricks and Pieces Online Ordering

One thing I discovered when researching parts for an order is that LEGO now has one bettered Pick-A-Brick online. For any sets currently in production, you can now buy individual parts direct. Only thing is, the limit is 200 parts.

https://service.lego.com/en-us/replacementparts/#BasicInfo

I believe that this is no secret -- Brickset has this site listed as a way to buy virtually any part.

How this works is that after selecting age and location, and selecting "BUY A PIECE" you search a set #, place an order for a part, and list the desired quantity (again, up to 200). You then go to checkout by placing contact info and they will give you a quote. You end up paying - somehow - then they mail it to you. It'll take a while though, I'm sure, as the parts come from Europe.

Only thing is, I don't know how good it is. It raises some questions:

Are the parts marked up? ie: $0.25 for a 1x4 brick in Sand Green...

Will you get a better deal the more you place an order on a certain element?

Regardless, the system looks pretty good. I have to try it out.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, a photo by brickbuilder711 on Flickr.

( NEW LEGO City 2013 60009 Helicopter Arrest )

Dis set ( NEW LEGO City 2013 60009 Helicopter Arrest ), a photo by LegoIiner PiIot on Flickr.

Shared by Colby M to Flickr.
New Helicopter set. Sort of under wraps but now the cat has left the back.

All I can say is AWESOME. This is something I could consider getting.

Announcement: LEGO Christmas Layout

For the umpteenth time, I am proud to have another under-the-tree layout for the Holiday season this year! A tradition that started in HO in 1999, then migrated over to LEGO Trains when I discovered them in 2001, I usually run one or two loops (2005) of trains under the tree.

This year I am looking forward to operating one elongated loop of trains. There is a chance it will be one extended dumbbell loop.

There are a couple of new things planned for this year. One of them is the addition of a footbridge done with classic Spanish architecture, which will peek over a double track mainline and carry the electrical wiring that will power the tree and tracks. The bridge is complete and for the most part under wraps. Another will be the addition of LED lighting for the Tree, which has been powered by incandescent lights for ages. This will be a hybrid as the lights don't come cheap, but an improvement nonetheless. The Fortress, a 2010 Restaurant MOC, may be replaced in its position by a recently built McDonalds while that undergoes a renovation. I also plan to make good on landscaping and beautifying the layout as the previous years' were not very much landscaped. There may be an industrial spur or mini yard. I will also make good on posting video to YouTube, and may throw together a similar layout from '07 in a separate package.

LEGO Grab Bags to be Discontinued

Despite the exciting news of the 10233 Horizon Express which I will be very happy to have, I have some bad news from the man himself, K. Hinkle.

According to a thread on Eurobricks, and with him quoted, they are no longer allowing Brand Retail to sell Grab Bags. Reason being, there are legal implications to the quality of product and they probably are following legislation to prevent any future lawsuit over "broken" parts, or maybe scratches, or some legal mumbo-jumbo. This obviously seems bad and uncomfortable for the expert builder like myself who has recently begun to live off of these (see a couple past and future entries).

I will look at it in a different eye. He says he is trying to arrange for a solution for us AFOLs, since we are a reasonable fraction of the company's clientele. What can be done?

• All schools where I am at ban the sale of food in "competition" with the cafeteria (seriously, how is someone going to run the cafeteria out of business?) Victims are fundraiser sales for clubs and "(insert holiday here) Grams". Now, if the food is "given" in another sold package (of "Balloons" for example), there is a little bit of going around it.
• In context, clients can be "Given" the parts to fill in a Paid Pick-A-Brick Cup. But to keep it within reason and compliance, I would limit it only to AFOL and people who have known staff of their store. The idea is to prevent any complaint from anyone not seriously into this (general consumer). If you are an AFOL, it is certainly understood any 1-in-1000 complaint is genuine and you're not trying to screw the company. It makes ZERO sense for anyone to inspect the contents of your pick a brick cup, so we all can get our Dark Tan 1x6 bricks there. No one is going to inspect the PAB stock sold anyway. It's just get a plastic cup and fill it with whatever you want. Gum wrappers, megablocks, or maybe real LEGO.
• Now, if the parts have to be given away to someone, maybe WE can benefit from it. The idea is stores may not profit from Grab Bag material [used brick, brick from damaged sets, excess/mistreated PAB brick]. The parts can be given to trusted LUGs as we AFOL are truly the only people that can be "trusted" with used material and will probably not complain at all like any ordinary client could. Lots of fans would not want the material to be thrown away or recycled as it is LEGO and it can last 30-40 years. Remember that this stock is already losing market value when opened and built, and that it already generated big bucks by being advertising space for said set. (Economic principle, think opportunity cost of NOT displaying it!)

I really hope something positive and helpful to us works out in the future.

-$0.02

BIG LEGO Train Surprise! 10233 Horizon Express

10233_box1_na, a photo by fbtb on Flickr.

HOT OFF THE PRESS:

LEGO has JUST unveiled cover art for a new skilled train set! This looks a lot like the TGV in France.

More info:
http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=74649

Price to Piece ratio is affordable, at under 10 cents a part. I think having this as part of Creator is brilliant as it is indeed one of those types of sets.

If you ask me, I find it one of the most beautiful sets ever produced. Very realistic, sleek, and modern. I will be getting this for Christmas!

CUUSOO - Curiosity Rover and Effectiveness of Ideas

I paid a visit to the CUUSOO website just a few days ago to see what was new and came upon an interesting observation.

Modular Western, as well as several other large projects have passed the 10,000 supporter mark that is required to be considered for a set. All these 'big sets' have hit the mark easily like a knife through butter but the problem was, LEGO didn't like them.

Yet I see that this other model, a Curiosity rehash, has passed it and I think that THIS will be it.

I may be offering a little trick as to how to get your idea approved with the content of this post... So why do I think that this is it, so early into the review stage?

Look at the other sets that got approved. Their price points/sizes fall in the mid-size, $30-50 range. They are not too small yet not too big. They may require a license here and there (and Minecraft got one easily) but otherwise they are fairly generic ideas.

Curiosity serves three liberties... it's medium sized, it's not a model that would require some ridiculous licensing, and most importantly... it's educational.

I think clients will scoff when they see a set that's priced over $100.00. It would be only accessible to the richer members or the zealots of the community. While items like SW UCS sets and the Modulars have sold with flying colors, the colors are not flying high enough to match smaller sets.

I think a product idea has to be truly accessible for it to work, which is why the reviewing committee has turned down many big projects. This is something I think will be successful because it allows play while not being overwhelming (which is the flaw of a town).

But then again, the size isn't the only factor.

I believe another requirement is the generic value of the model. Licenses are expensive and sometimes cannot work out, something I think killed the BTTF Delorean project. They are still possible, hence Minecraft, but I think a general and appealing theme/type is what the reviewers are looking for.

Hence, we have Curiosity which I can bet money will be #004. It isn't necessarily a license, as it could simply be called "space rover" or something to that effect, and it promotes a sense of research. Alas, the educational aspect. Plus, it just simply looks cool. Mechanical models can catch quite a number of eyes and the moving parts evident in the design seem to post a big plus. It is also current. As pretty much everybody would know, NASA expedited a mission to Mars with Curiosity and it landed last month. To "Relive" this experience would be a big plus for the consumer, and it teaches them history, science, and is good for the STEM side of the brain.

I will be looking forward to seeing this design go gold, and hope to have one and be able to review it for you all. Maybe this will also be an example "hint, hint" on how to make ideal and attractive models that will get CUUSOO reviewers unanimously saying "YES" to your design.

2013 January City Sets

This thread on EB has written information about the more-or-less confirmed January releases for the city line:

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=74000

With all due respect, LEGO... Why fire and police...again? I understand SWAT is a new look at things but already the agents line looks SWAT enough. All that this Fire, then Police, then Fire strategy is going to lead to is so much redundancy that will lead to virtually no sales. Kids turning 11 years old today would already be exposed to two maybe three fire stations since they met the 5 year old age group, starting from the 2005 Fire Station to the 2007 then the 2010 or 11 (I don't even remember!).

The only plus about the police line is that there will be a different series of sets. Instead of having a full station there will be a Museum Heist... that reminds me of LEGO Studios in 2001 with the bank set. The chase is interesting but we've seen similar sets in the past.

Now the great vehicles are OK this year. I appreciate the updates to the Tow Truck (from 2009) and the Cement Truck (from 2007) but another fuel truck, and a shorter one at that isn't necessary. If I were LEGO I would invest more into a delivery truck/van, city bus, food truck or the like. In that sense, I agree with what Klaus-Dieter opined in page three.

I hope and duly hope that in the summer of this coming year that we see some variety. If LEGO took to doing buildings such as a supermarket, post office, or corporate office, then maybe there would be interest in those. I do expect to see new LEGO trains in 2013 maybe in the summer even though the cargo train came out in 2011.

It seems like the City line is not being taken to its full potential... Not such a great move, LEGO.

A Big Reveal - CSX C40-8

I had this one planned for a few weeks as to foster a LEGO built rock train.

Recently CSX Train K996-10 stalled on a hill in Central Florida, which definitely made it a more remarkable catch in my outing. Once I saw it, the shot turned out a classic. These Standard cabs have been gaining on me as a more unique model compared to the widecab version. CSX purchased these before the C40-8W was made. If you ask me, these engines work better than the -W.

Needless to say, I saw two of these in "Fresh" YN3 lead Q453 to Miami on March 19, 2011. This shot somehow proved to be iconic due to this fresh coat and the more unusual delinquent pair of these Standard Cabs.

Hence an idea was born. Recreate a South Florida Rock Train for the Tampa layout. It would look iconic and cool to see. To start - a CSX C40-8.

This 40 stud engine uses various borrowed, old, and new techniques to draft this engine. I could say I had an epiphany with the back section there; the radiators seemed to snap in beautifully with that particular build. There are channels inside for Power Functions wires to flow and the motor is just a placeholder, to be changed to a PF Motor when possible. The cab can accommodate the new LED lights. Cab is also removable but is a bit tougher due to a limited DkBlue palette. Now the flaws. It turned out a bit taller than desired but that is so the tank can function beautifully and realistically. Also I can't find a good way to jump the nose over without requiring dk tan 1x2 tiles of which I only have one that I was lucky to find in PAB on 11-11-11. Cab windscreen design was a bit limited but I made what I could.

A new truck design was crafted, kind of on the footsteps of 10219 (Maersk) but with the personal touch of yellow grills. In the front since it uses the wheels it works but out back it doesn't; there is a one stud overlap.

The dark tan was a nice experiment to see what it would do to the engine. Many cameras distort light; add ambient light to the function and you could have a really different hue. If taken just right, Dark Tan will look precisely like Dulux Gold, which is the color listed in YN3. I kept reflective stripes yellow since it is a bright tone. Otherwise it is a completely different approach.

With two existing engines and a shell of a third, I was quite limited in my parts palette. Luckily I had the aid of the Star Wars Droid Tri-Fighter to serve in some wedges and 4-stud tiles. I couldn't find many 1x1 and 1x4 plates which are fewer in number but was able to do with almost none of them. This model celebrates five years of an era I moved into in Summer of 07. With an online order of Dk Blue brick, plus ~6,000 parts of Pick-A-Brick in three sittings out of Orlando, I  entered what I call the "Modular" era which began to instill earth tones (dkblue, dktan, dkgreen, tan, dark red, et al) to my MOCs. I miss those days on PAB when we had all sorts of fancy shmancy variety (I have Dark Green 2x4s from there!) but at least we're reliving some of it with today's palette. 

Comments... suggestions... the like... All appreciated.

Winter Village Cottage - My $0.02

Photos have surfaced all over Eurobricks of the new Winter Village Cottage, 10229.
Key Deeplinks
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/grogall/10229/c_10229_detail_1.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/grogall/10229/d_10229_detail_2.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/grogall/10229/h_10229_detail_6.jpg

There are more featured on this thread: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=72048

I really like this set and may consider it for purchase. It is like a townhouse but set to winter.

It continues to deliver technique such as roof SNOT which has been mainly seen in this series.

Dark tan elements and dark blue ones number well. If I get this one I will have quite a number of DkBlue 1x1 tiles. Brick bricks in DkTan also number well, laid out in the facade and chimney.

Playability does not disappoint, though I know I won't be playing ;) ... It comes with all that a house has be it kitchen, living room, bedroom. The fireplace will be light-able as happens in most of these sets. There are even accessories like gold sinks, toy planes, and bread.

The look is classic and it promises a nice holiday treat for any family. I think this large one is up there as a favorite from this series, even though I don't have any of the sets... Yet, I've seen the Post Office, the Bakery, and the Toy Shop.

I Like Grab Bags

Grab bags are the loose part bags LEGO Brand Retail sells. In these are parts from old floor models, PAB wall selections, or sets damaged in transit.

I bought three of them on Thursday and they were well supplied with common and uncommon parts. They were a great way to stock up on supporting basic bricks for Element while getting the value on rarer elements. 24 dollars (I'll say 21.50 to split the 5 bucks VIP rewards that was used on the purchase of this and PAB) bought these three and the total parts count was 674.

Bag 1 was probably the best and most numbered bag. In there were 1 light brick, several orange bricks (like in all 15), a dark pink slope, dark tan 2x2, lots of the greens and rare elements in md blue (like cheese and arches). 270 pcs.

Bag 2 was a Friends laden bag with the pink 8x16 and the slopes. Had several parts of interest and few more in the grays, white, and black. Also a hidden brick brick in DkTan and 1 silver antenna. 225pcs

Bag 3 was varied in color. Azure, pink, trans light blue elements plus a friends torso. 179 pcs. When I had this taken parts like a bright green 8x16 were in the box already. Ugh.

Not too bad where as the cost per part was 3.2 cents after the discount.

I love grab bags because of the ability to have this sort of access. It takes luck and timing to get it right. No two grab bags are alike, and it serves as a little reminder to the days when 4679 had the 500 part bonus that fit this description. Those were more bizarre elements but at least this comes close to some extent. I had one with Maersk Blue elements, one with dark orange elements from the Sandcrawler, and one with some Market street parts.

As I always do, it is suggested to ask your store if they have grab bags available.

Compression... Challenge Accepted

Slightly against my wishes to maintain a square, 64x64 property, Element will very likely be under a drastic overhaul project this weekend. I am only giving myself a whopping 3 days to do it: Friday , Saturday, and Sunday. I don't want the 2 dedicated months to prove a waste in the giant's progress but I want it to fit better with Robin's Skypoint, which apparently was completed and posted on Flickr. Actually, I'm surprised it came out that short; it's supposed to be a bit taller at 375 feet.

Element can bear:

• Left and right 4 stud concrete walls dropped to 2 studs
• 6-8-6 garage bays dropped to a 4-6-4. Canopies stay the same.

The model will still take up 2 baseplates, and yes with the outside section it will hit about 56 studs. But it is going to work out well. The 4 to 2 reduction will work the same on the other sides, reducing that span from 66 to 62 studs initially, though I should end up gaining it back with the grille details at the end. The catch with the 2 baseplate occupancy though is that the outside 4 on the West side will build in to Tampa St. leaving the rest to fiddle the remaining 44 to 48 studs out. This allows Franklin to sneak in to the last 16 studs but it will S-curve right like the real deal with some innovative way. Lots of engineering but as I said, I have put 2 months and don't want to have to put those to waste. Most of these are stacked up so the transition should be smooth save for knocking the inside wall down.

Another Impostor Company Strikes....

I can really care less when a clone brand comes in and sells LEGO. Technically it's legal as the patents have expired already, but what I really hate about it is the fact that they really compromise the quality and then LEGO's the bad guy when it comes to quality issues since it's the known name.

Why I'm blogging them...
I just find it hilarious how this company has shot themselves in the foot. Their website, bythepound.ca has ripped off the company's own image of plastic bricks. While the image is not current, I have seen it in the past. You can retrieve the image by clicking on one of the buckets, of any color. If you drag the image to the URL bar, you can also identify the file name as Turnbull_Lego_large or something like that. While they may be proven innocent by the idea of making plastic bricks, they can be proven guilty real easily by simple copyright infringement. I can bet they did not get consent from the company and just copied, then reproduced the image. The image looks to be older and from a past brick bucket or brick box, indexed under "Individual Bricks/Building Accessories" on LEGO SAH.

Seeing the embedded, you can tell this company's bricks are of lower quality. Brick Show endorses this for gifting, but I endorse LEGO's parts buckets any day. Shamefully those have inflated in price, however. In 2004, set 4496 the Bricks and Creations tub was 1,000 elements and only set one back 20 USD. Now a 650 part box sets one back 30 USD. Ridiculous. My best swag was Set 4679, a variant of 4496, except with an additional 500 parts which were absolutely random and colorful. I was about to get a second one year later but had to pass as I think 7046 the Fire Boat and one of my all time favorite World City sets was on shelf.  Anyway, back on, LEGO has much better intentions.

Element = Independence Day Progress

The Fourth (Happy late 4th!) was truly the last day at which I was able to make Element, the Tampa, FL Skyscraper that I'm building, grow before this Central Florida trip. This Central Florida Trip will yield at least two expected cups of Orlando PAB with useful treats for the tower and similar projects.

Anyway, the tower is now topping off in the South Side. It is amazing how it can be constructed with one side up sky-high and the other barely a floor up. 

 Garage doors

 Straight on closeup

West side grills

Overall, the east side had a bit of work done to strengthen it.

A closeup on the building from a cool angle

 Ceiling grills up close

The Interior. It is a true super supporting mechanism. Buildings need quite a bit of stability, and truly I don't want the baseplates to topple in when I carry it.

I am leaving South Florida right now with nearly two months of progress. This level of work is truly encouraging me for the future progress and continuing to be a motivating factor in the project. In all truth it did hit a point of no return. All the money expended plus progress and stability leave it to continuing to do the job.

LEGO Fan Survey (2012)

The Survey Results

LEGO has a wonderful tradition of annual fan surveys. They are a short, 10-15 minute jog through the park of voicing your opinion to the company online. This publication of the results, which is the first that I am reading, tells a lot about them.

First, they are using their heads. They are being aware of the demographics of their clients; no, not where they are from but their age and gender.

I am pleased to be reading that a lot of respondents are adults, quoted to be 7/10 ages 18-44, took the survey. Yet, this raises a question. Are they legit AFOLs or are they parents? I believe I took the survey and did not recognize many a question that deals with this strand. Yet, they hint that many parents indeed took it since the team indicated that fans and LUGers are a minority.

The best news. Fan participation. LEGO has hit the social books like no other. Digitally, MANY people have taken to posting videos on YouTube, sharing photos on Flickr, and participating in Rebrick and others. But what matters is the rise in events in the likes of Brick Fiesta, BrickMagic, and the rising popularity of BrickWorld. I really like how this is becoming such a medium of communication that allows networking, insight, and camaraderie. The team hints that this result comes from the influence of LUGs. Gotta love this. LEGO has gone from bud to rose in a matter of years. I agree but also disagree with their contention. I think it is the outburst of YouTube videos, viral or not, and company promotion such as LEGOLAND and new stores, that has influenced the added fan interest. LUGS... yes, but only a part of it.

Lastly, the MOCs results makes LEGO stand out as an art. The reception of work is what makes this truly enjoyable, and with their statement I agree. I love it when people critique my work; it makes my vision melt with theirs. It is a point of conversation that builds up the points about fan involvement.

Overall very encouraging results. But they are not entirely asking about the products but the fan experiences. Past surveys would ask people what lines they liked, what was missing, etc. Perhaps this is a new aim? I could see this as the roots for which LEGO handles PR in the coming years.

In closing, I love the improved quality of the company. They are opening up. They are looking to the fan and the consumer to find out how to create the business. They are finally becoming well rounded and not only serving kids but all ages. They are catering to the mixed purposes of the brick even though I see the use of the word "play" in the statement. They are now focusing on the WHOLE audience which consists of not only children who play with it but the adults who build, display, and enjoy the brick.

Maybe I would ask, is the LEGO brick itself a toy after all?

Element Tampa Update

Took a break from June 20-25 to do a McDonalds location using bricks from a particular order, mainly to clean that lot off and turn it into something. With the McD's complete (I want to show pics at a certain time!), I returned to Element with a fresher mind!

The Concrete behemoth is continuing to develop. With some red elements sorted I got motivated to work the structurals first to take the slack off of a well-filled up container. I want to get Red pieces into ONE small Sterilite bin (8.5x11x2") so that would push the rest of the "Reds" into service or for sale. Now the South side is finally shaping up and some of the integral elements are finally being clamped to form a super supporting backbone.

Robin of the GFLUG also began to do the Skypoint tower. His model is lookin' sleek and is suited for the 1x2 city block. Oh wait, I said 1x2. Why is this 2x2? I feel it will toll the look of the model to tighten the long section to the 1x2 space. There is a solution that can integrate this item into the city beautifully that I can impose:

The big 2x2 section is obviously Element...
The left 24 studs can be 2 lanes (8 studs each) of Tampa St. 4 left and 3 right can be the sidewalk.
The gray section can be Franklin. (2 lanes, 6 studs each) The road takes a turn in real life so it may work in for the road to be quite off. 4 Stud sidewalk that narrows closer to Polk (imaginary line down south) can let the road slightly inch to its aligned self.
The right section can be the old time buildings, some of which I can try to construct. There's this old theater and this other building that appear easy.

When will this be completed?
Yes, I know Robin got about 2/5 of Skypoint done in one Sunday afternoon. I am digging through all my gray elements trying to construct the garage section and should expect to run out clean of it. I may be taking to a couple of cases of elements from the ORLANDO LEGO Store, such as Gray 2x4 and Clear 1x2 brick. I anticipate two trips to Central Florida to three, one on my own terms while the other two are strictly Train Trips. The cup purchased on May 27 from the Sunrise store has almost been depleted save for a few clear 1x2 plates and the Medium Blue bricks (windows), as expected. I expect to have the garage section completed by August 1st. The second section which may put me 2/3 way to the top will probably be finished around January 1st and the building should be topped off, LEGO Style, by March 25, 2013.

"Streamlining" - Preview

You are a LEGO builder who has 100000+ parts. You have tried sorting time after time but each system was both incomplete and obsolete (hey, that rhymes!). The time has come. A new sorting system, a new way of handling things. Other interests need focus and space. Models not in use nor expected in use are waiting to be put aside. How can it be done? With a clever system. The following posts will demonstrate step by step how it can be done.

Ninjago No More...

It has been  revealed that the Ninjago line will be taken off LEGO's market once the third line is released...

...which surprises me after hearing what has been quoted by Jason (The Brick Show).

I have not been a fan of Ninjago myself but the line has been of decent appeal to youngsters. I am not surprised that it was the second most money making line for the company. It is an action line but the playability is there.

The quoted replacement was implied to be something that will be better than the Ninjago series.

With my LEGO interests being lines of more realistic and basic elements for architectural reasons (with a few Star Wars thrown in for good measure), I will probably not be changed by the new line. I do buy up some fantasy themes mainly for parts so this doesn't mean too much. But it is still noteworthy considering the level of success the company has gotten out of it. I hope the audience itself agrees with the promising quality noted at Brick Cascade.

Art and Culture Back with Sawaya Exhibit

Nathan Sawaya's famed works will be back in Hollywood, FL's cozy and historic Art and Culture Center for a third time beginning this weekend. I have liked his exhibits in the past as they manipulate the LEGO brick to a really mind blowing degree. 2008 was the first rotation and outdid the center's expectations while 2010 seemed to have produced a successful year. (Now, I missed the 2010 show due to an international trip.)
You guys should check it out. He manipulates physics to which small points of contacts hit the ground, making the center of gravity of each model both interesting and challenging to redo.

The other treat is the contest held each exhibit. With a (new?) entry fee, one can put their models for show and get prizes. I succeeded in 2008 (almost mistakenly calling myself a group, but glad I didn't!). I want to express a new idea this year with a new, wholly thought out model. I am indeed shooting for a signature train build this year and give it a more innovative diorama. We'll wait and see as the months progress; I have a bit of time to enter my piece this year.

http://artandculturecenter.org/nathan-sawaya has the full scoop.

Element, and modern buildings...

This weekend should be a great time to continue Element. Of course, rainy days are in turn building days. I have purchased parts from the Sunrise PAB wall last week in hope of utilizing them on this building and they may just be used up tomorrow!

Even though it is not Café Corner scale the whole way up, I still like building these edifices. I have been sick of dealing with suburban or rural 1-2 story midgits and the Modular series.

In fact, if you ask me, what has been offered in the modular series was not my taste and not really modern enough to suit it. The old buildings are nice structures and architectural challenges, do not get me wrong. It is just that I want to see more flashy, cool and sleek modern structures get that same treatment, to be released by the LEGO company.

It is like saying; the modular buildings define the main streets of the town, but the new skyscrapers define the future. But then again, LEGO would not see cost effectiveness in producing a 7000 part skyscraper. Yet keep in mind, there are 1 to 2 story modern buildings that can be replicated in detail as well.

Anyway, what I do like is the presence of challenge and motive to create. If these sets were spoon fed, I wouldn't be able to really think of doing much.

Element has been looking pretty good. Some of the garage has made it to the third floor and the windoes are coming in for some sections. Though, the rest of the building has probably not been raised above a brick's height. The interesting idea will be that the complete lower garage module will look a heck of a lot like a square stadium. It will be 20"x20"x18" in height, so "humongous piece" must be the right set of words to describe it.

Yet, Rob W. of the GFLUG told me something I would consider very motivating. By identifying the build as a challenging model, I am now in the phase of engineering a way to complete the structure effectively. Challenge you ask? More like the curved glass panels that span the rest of the building are the hardest thing to model. I'll probably make things in blocks of 6 and 2 studs with a slight angular turn.

Another challenge is allowing for incredible redundancy with balconies to be displayed. Supposedly, SNOT is my best friend but it can be more difficult to implement. Every 3-brick floor I will end up needing to put in plates with the patio section protruding from the model. Multiply that by about 400.

All I can say is... if I can dream it I can build it. Challenge accepted. Expect Element in display from 2013.

LEGO 9463 The Werewolf

Probably one of the finest parts packs this year, the 9463 Werewolf is a neat little diorama set for the new Monster Fighters theme. Features some dark tan mortar bricks, plenty of Dark Brown elements, and the new olive green leaves. I reviewed it. Not crazy about the whole line but I guess it has some appeal with the kiddies.

CSX Tampa Street Running and MORE

Element at night in this one :D... I will be putting in PF lights, possibly, when the GFLUG comes to doing a lights out display like they have at BrickMagic

The Itch to Build a Skyscraper

With the LEGO hobby, sometimes you have to be an economist. I like to cater to areas compatible with Greater Florida LEGO Users Group Layouts, because my opportunities to head up that way are increasing with time. Needless to say, in 2011 I have hit my first Festival of the Masters in three years, hit the Tampa Train show being the first display in a year, etc. (It's funny how I wasn't too easily recognized over at Tampa probably due to one year's physical and active changes). Anyway, now I have matured to which I shall be finally capable of offering display pieces, and as such have been communicating over ideas.

A rendition of Plant City is my current long running project. It encompasses the Depot, parking lot, Car show details, and about 4 -> 5 buildings. Yet, these are small town sized. I have also ventured into modern suburban buildings probably since that's the environment I have been living around my whole life. But then, these small typical structures have a very limited effectiveness.

To suit the craving for a large, massive, and iconic building, I have turned to two skyscrapers.

Hollywood Station is out of place for the LUG, and takes up immense real estate. Located a good 200 miles from Downtown Tampa, yes, out of place is right, but it has appeal with me and pretty much I can relate to it having railfanned the area since 2008.

It's a monstrous building and will make for an aesthetically pleasing centerpiece. Though, what it could do is distract attention from the Downtown Tampa skyline. It will be nice to have two opposing downtowns, or "West" and "East" Florida, and as such, the LEGO rendition will be finished by the end of 2012. This will aid in completing Hollywood, FL in the brick which will in turn have its 3-year renovation. This calls for Firestone to be rebuilt in Nougat/Tan as the building was just painted, the construction of the Hollywood Building (which houses a Gyro place), and the furnishing of the (former) Magic Shop, now Orale and another restaurant on the NE corner.

I did more soul searching around Tampa. This is where I go by efficiency; I want a building that can fit that hasn't been done yet. Apparently Channelside and around are the domain of the LUG. But, this beast isn't. Element, a new 34 story tower is located at Franklin and Polk Sts, completed 2009. Currently on that area Sam Gibbons is the only replicated model; this one hasn't been touched. I hereby announce that with no regard to any outside circumstance (ie. this model is taken) that this will be constructed and complete by Summer 2012 in the LEGO brick. Element was chosen since it has that Miami feeling and since it's quite easy to model. I will just wind up having a bit of an issue with the windows, but otherwise it's fine. I also like how the tower sandwiches the garage, as that will make for a cool effect. Enough talking, off to engineer these behemoths.

Note: images found on the internets

Pick A Brick 2012

Now's that time of year. LEGO Pick A Brick's palette usually changes around April of the year for the summer season. A refreshing look is what I totally approve of. While we sadly moved away from dark colors in Spring 2008, we did move back into these interesting pieces last year, and now Mike Huffman of BrickBuildr reported that purple and trans-purple had to be added to the iPickABrick directory.
I write this to ask around. Aside from the TransPurple cones and the purple 2x3 plates, recent discoveries, what else do you guys expect?

New E-Book

Over the course of the next few months, I will be writing an E-Book. A LEGO City The Right Way will demonstrate all of the aspects of a functioning LEGO town, the ideal aspect of it, how to procure it, and simply put the hobby into writing. Not much more to say here than that certain models will be instructed or shown accordingly through YouTube.

FEC Heritage Unit

I love reverse engineering. Sometimes it makes certain engines a lot easier, yet it leaves a lot of room for you to customize your works.

The FEC heritage unit is one engine where you can't put the one piece backbone that the Maersk train has. I also made headway for A/Cs, a true K3H (I accidentally called it an RS3L), and a couple other things. This thing will be truly done the day white strips are added where SNOT doesn't permit, and the same for the FLORIDA EAST COAST graphics.

Just like LH's continuing commitment to Boeing with their order of B748s, I continue to commit to FEC models with this beauty.

Town Hall Out

A friendly reminder to our modular fans that the Town Hall (10224) is now out. I am having a nice long list of Modulars to get, lol. I need to get the GE fast as I am skipping the Fire Brigade, which is out of stock now (clearance, LEGO?) First, Grand Emporium by Summer, then Pet shop by Christmas (parts packs only since I had the leisure of building it last year) and then this beauty by late next year. I am not that crazy about the TH due to its simplicity though it is nice seeing the huge size of it. It is truly a dark orange parts pack and I may just sustain it elsewhere.
Though, if you guys get some LEGO by March 15th, you get double VIP points, and everyone loves those double VIP points!

Second Tropicana Reefer

Whether I am going or not to Plant City this year, I am building a second Tropicana Reefer. Unlike the first, the new model will be 4 studs longer. The master plan calls for the existing car to be reconsidered as a 64' TrinCool and relettered as UP ARMN, while the new one is anchored the Tropicana decals. The new car will also begin to impose different grab iron accents as the faucets are less available.
Photos will be following soon, and an update on whether I can or cannot go to PC this year.

Plant City - Trains Running

The following units, consists, and what not are planned to be lugged to Plant City. If the depot goes through it'll fit much more nicely.

My CSX locos 4556 (SD70MAC, not decalled) and possibly a modified GEVO (to be 843) will be power.
FEC 714, RA 106, and FEC 701 are options, and I know I want to carry 714 because it is just that beautiful.
714 has to be given stickers and because it is backwards compatible with the Maersk Train engine I am using the trucks from it.

One Tropicana car is complete. My goal by March is to get two more done. Also, an intermodal consist may join me, but usually those are already on display. If you put two and two together, you know that not only can a mini Q741 (Juice Train) be run with 3 whites and 2 oranges (GFLUG product), but also FEC 202 with intermodal and Tropicanas and manifest on top.
I plan on carrying: the boxcar, bulkhead flat, covered hopper, and FRKX hopper
If I magically come up with 89ft. flats, those can come too.
But having four engines and seven cars is enough to go.

I am still waiting a response for the move to get the depot there. I hope it is understood such will put them in benefit as well as those show staff will probably front page it. lol

Plant City 2012 Display

As is the usual, GFLUG will have a laid back multi-loop train display at Plant City, as has been for about 10 years now. Where has the time gone?

The HBPRRHS has had train shows for a long time now, 21 years now and counting. I have been to three shows, the 2007, 2008, and 2010 ones. 2007 was more of a bad try at a day outing; the weather sucked, I was tired out, and everyone wasn't in the best of moods. 2008 was a much happier event and I got to enjoy it to its fullest, also getting my second CSX video. In 2010, things were a carbon copy of 2008 except I got a rarer-than-ever S604 in Lakeland on tape; as usual I got to run the trains and have camaraderie with many railfans and people my age (more so people my age), except the train pickings were awfully low and Paul Mathis of the SFRM said so. 2012 is here, around the corner, and I expect a blast out of it.

Why you ask? I am going for it. I have just sent a proposal asking to make the GFLUG the first ever operating layout to display a model of the historic Plant City Depot! N-scale diorama? Nope. HO-scale diorama? Wrong area. LEGO? Can do... and I will hopefully make it happen.

In my end the trip is in the planning stages, but it was promised. My folk said either this or Railwatch, and for this I will be honored to do this.

This thing can do it... it can make the papers again! The big icon of Plant City is indeed the station downtown and I am sure the staff will go bananas seeing it in the brick. It'll even be a cooler touch installing this section right up on a curve, just like the real deal.

Hopefully I get a yes, and for this continuous publicity, I believe there is no reason for them to say no. If I can do whatever is needed to get this done, I should be all set.

--
Should this get approved, the trip will be carried out in two days;
Friday we rent the car in the early A.M. (7 am), depart 9 am, arrive at the setup 2:20 pm. (2007 I left 8:30 am and arrived 1:30 pm). I believe setup is until 6(?) so I can deviate for one train or two.
I'd probably railfan Lakeland-Plant City from 4-7 and move up to Orlando and sleep well for the night.
Saturday, be up 7:30 am and leave for the show 9:00 am, as always, hopefully unlike 2011 no big jam that holds me up well. Perhaps this time we'll scout a Mickey D's in Haines City to save time.
We'd arrive around 11 am and hang around until 3, catching any necessary and proper train (ie. T081 or the like) in this frame, leave the show at 4 after tearing down, and head to the LEGO store after some railfanning.

--
The section being proposed is the depot as seen in Flickr. 3x1.5 BP.
Should I have to fill a half a baseplate, it will be for parking. Should it be 4 and a half, to fit a 6x3 area, it will be parking on the south/north and Reynolds St. on the north. Perhaps I'll begin adding the old cars for the big old car convention every 3rd Saturday (mentioned on the article).

Funny how Biz said that I am recreating a Firestone Pizza, I only mean that I am building the very not-so-flattering Firestone Complete Car Care!

City Car Park

IMG_0003, a photo by Eiker86 on Flickr.

I LIKE THIS Set! This is the new 2012 City Car Park. Looking to be a 80 dollar set, it is a close remake of the 6394 with new features. Four cars are included and behind it there is a gas pump. Very functional set, a must-have.

New LEGO City Garage (No Pics, sorry)

This summer, as I had dreamed of for the longest time, LEGO will be producing a city garage/car park sort of thing. Amazon unveiled the info advertising the product for pre order. Should be a huge set and a fun one. I miss this sort of thing; I am one of those who wondered why LEGO never re-released 6394, the Metro Park/Service Center. Those sets have action, they feel very metropolitan, and are very modernistic.
To this end I believe this, the quarry, and the Town Hall will be the only three sets I ever touch this year additional to the 4438, 4432, 4437. Otherwise I have a few considerable orders I will be low key on until the final product, the models the special elements will be used on, is shown.

Trainz - an inspiration to the LEGO Central Florida Project

Since 2010, which has led a preliminary version of what I am about to talk about, I have been working on a rail route in Trainz Simulator 12, which carries forth modern rail operations out of Tampa, FL.

It should be no surprise that it is the inspiration for me to model key parts of Central Florida, some to the inch (Plant City Depot) and some very improvised (Bypass Canal).

GFLUG themselves has been at it building the downtown Tampa skyline with tens of thousands, and lately have taken to improvising Polk St. and making it double track and run-through grade.

One interesting thing about working on two things at the same time is this... Your research and photos, videos, and whatnot kill two birds with one stone. This means photo and video of the 78th St. bridge have helped my LEGO and Train efforts. I'd say it's efficient.

But one idea I just developed today while doing Rockport in Trainz Simulator is this. I want one of the dueling yards to BE Rockport! Dueling yards, a 2010 concept, is where trains get stationed in two polar ends of the layout, then sent in various channels of trackage through the layout, allowing 5-6 to run simultaneously.

After a bulk purchase helps me finish parts of Plant City, I'll be planning for Rockport. Perhaps my work on there will be simple. I am looking for these gems:

• The rock conveyors... this will be a fairly complicated construction using technic parts and whatnot. They don't have to be that large in retrospect. 
• The BIG shed that holds all of the wet rock shipped in on trains like O842, O843, the works. I'll be looking at 40x90 studs for this one; it's a large structure and cannot be mistaken aerially with the CSX logo on top. I'll be looking for a 2013 purchase to include the grounds for a "curve the 1x2" technique to happen for the roof
• 4 yard tracks on the opposite end of the conveyor/rock transload. I guess this can hold the trains that are waiting while an outside track that passes the chute holds the mainline trains, passenger and freight. Remember, compromise. 1 chute, 1 mainline track, 3 yard tracks on the emptying side.
• a little loading dock to Tampa Bay. This can accomodate the tug from the 2011 harbor, 4644, provided minor modification.
• US 41 crossing - I guess if space is out like candy, lol

If positioned right, Rockport can give the north view a gaze of Downtown Tampa in the close distance. Because this area is only best known by railfans, I best recommend any fruition that comes of this to be in the Tampa or Plant City big-league shows. It will make a terminal point very interesting just to gaze at, making the layout space much more efficient, while it is known it's green table cloth and 9v track as it is. Also, at its finest, I can run a wet rock train into the rotary facility and have a little fun. :) It'll be nice to have a PF controlled engine pair pull the cars in and out slowly as they get "rotated" (either figuratively or literally, depending if I can get ahold of old magnets and technic hole brackets)

Let's see how it goes. Of course, it's all in the drawing board, but who knows.

LEGO Digital Designer 4.2

So the new version of LDD is out. Finally. But wait, what happened to Design by Me? Where is it?

Design by Me was abandoned by the company for God knows what reason. Oh wait, I know. It is just too inefficient the way it is. They say it could not have been meant to be, and I agree. You cannot write home a system which has a 10 USD processing fee, already overpriced elements, an untold amount of days processing, and an untold amount of days shipping. I think it lasted a little longer than deserved. I like the idea, and I'm sure millions did, but I guess LEGO saw it as an embarrassment to them.

It is ridiculous sometimes to order a tile for 9 cents a piece when Bricklink has it for cheaper. Same with the bricks. A 1x2 brick in red goes for 11 cents a piece while in store PAB you can fill a cup of them for 2-4 cents. Online PAB still exists, fortunately, but some parts of that are too much. Though the harm from ordering parts and paying premium is not completely evident in Online PAB, multiply the single ripoff element by hundreds when doing DBM. You really have to be rich or have superfluous income to do that.

What I would rather wait for is for LEGO to have a better streamlined custom order service similar to LUGBULK, but less complex. Maybe a faster, cheaper one will do as well. Maybe domestic set making would be a better idea as well, instead of doing it in Denmark. The palette can be shipped in K-boxes and unloaded to a distributor in the US whereas they bag up your set. Or maybe the next idea is to do the design for CUUSOO, but that you have to be 18 and the model has to be an ingenious design.

Now the GOOD thing about it is one stop designing. Now LDD is a considerable CAD rendering program, like MLCAD. LDD has two conventional modes, but I'm happy with the former. LDD mode and LDD extended are the names. LDD extended is like your LEGO Universe mode but it has been simplified. But I do like what they did to the selection of the casual. They added 183 new types of elements and fixed 70 bugs. But additional to the new elements, they provided many existing and new colors for the existent bricks. Yes, some colors that don't exist are there, but what I do accept about that is the ability to create a LU LDD mode model easier without constantly changing the color. Pretty much what I need is on there, and for that I am happy. Besides I have not even ordered from the online service since 2007, so it does not register for much of a loss by me.

LEGO CUUSOO Age Restriction

So, LEGO CUUSOO, the design what you want, post it, and let 10000 people support it service has restricted full privileges to adults. This is due to legal binding housekeeping they don't want to impose. I'm OK with it as I probably won't have much eye candy until I turn 18 anyway; besides you don't want one with 10,000 supporters blown away because the creator is too young and his parents may be snobbish brats and hold him off. The email I received, with no personal information but my name, is reproduced below.

---

Hi Tolga,

Thank you for being a member of LEGO CUUSOO (http://LEGO.cuusoo.com/).

The LEGO CUUSOO Terms of Service and Project Guidelines have been updated, and
you now must be at least 18 years old to create a Project. We determined this
change was necessary for the legal agreement required should a project reach 
the 10,000 supporter threshold.

You're receiving this message because our records state you are under 18 and y
ou currently have a project or draft project on LEGO CUUSOO. In accordance wit
h the TOS change, any published projects you own have been un-published and ar
e no longer visible on the site.

You have not lost any of your work; we have not and will not delete your proje
cts. You can still access your projects via the Projects tab on your My Page, 
and you can re-publish them when you turn 18. When you do, you won't lose any 
supporters. When you re-publish your project, the supporter count will show th
e same number you had before.

If you have questions, please first check out the LEGO CUUSOO blog. If the pos
ts there do not answer your question, email us by replying to this message.

LEGO CUUSOO blog
http://LEGOCUUSOO.posterous.com/

We realize this is disappointing news, and we're sorry. You are, of course, we
lcome to keep supporting other projects and leave comments to encourage the cr
eators. 

Thank you,

The LEGO CUUSOO Team

LEGO 10224 - Town Hall

Town hall, a photo by Chicken Boy on Flickr.

This is the new 2012 Modular Building produced by LEGO, another Jamie Berard design, and a continuation on the use of bizarre colors to get the design done.

Once I saw the dark orange, I was very happy. Dark orange is a color I haven't had much of except for slopes and a few plates. Just recently I added a wee 20 or so parts off of the Pharoah's Quest line. Now the ability to have "cold, hard brick" is here.

It looks like the outlines of the 1x8 brick are visible, which is just great. In Plant City, FL there is a tavern which is painted the equivalent. This can really help my build. I am believing by the small thumbnail images the baseplate (or the tiles) are dark tan so that helps.

This building is also the tallest of the modulars according to a stand-by-stand comparison with the two previous buildings. You can even make out that it's a hell of a structure here. It beats the Grand Emporium by about four inches.

What I like is the focus on the first floor entrance. I like the capitol style awning over the entrance, and the steps. The clock is an excellent touch as well.

Now, what I DON'T like are the following:

The Dark orange components of the façade impose a very basic look. It looks blocky especially with the log bricks. Yes, there's bits and pieces of something on the window tops but it looks a bit simple compared to the likes of the Brigade and the GE.

It looks too much like Fire Brigade in structure. But then again, how would a town hall look? Though, you can imply it is a direct replacement of said building.

As much as I like the provision of dark orange, it does not look right in a Town Hall setting. Maybe Berard is thinking deep / out of the box in that most brick buildings have a nougat color in retrospect.

But anyway, the set looks great and I am looking forward to an overall review. As they say, don't judge the book by its cover. And I am showing you a share of its cover.

Filling Up a Pick A Brick Cup the Right Way

Continuing frugal LEGO bologna, while I had my camcorder working in winter break (which it incurred the same problem from November by the end of the break) I managed to get a how to recorded on a sort-of efficient way to fill up a pick a brick cup off of the LEGO store. The two part video will be uploaded as follows:

Part 1. The base and the spine. The base of the gimmick large cup can suit a multiplicity of certain elements, mainly 1x2 or the like. The clearance and capacity will be specified in the video. Cups should also have a spine, mainly if you want to grab some brick. It also makes filling in the top of the cup much easier; this section is definitely another challenge.

Part 2. The sides and construction. You can master the sides in various ways. Do expect some airyness, though. I show various ways and even ways I do not recommend. At one point I did not fill one side completely to capacity but since I was on a sort of a rush I did explain how to do it right; mainly this entails big plates and whatnot. In the end I will have a practical with the finish of the cup and explain the parts to load on.

Recommendations: While not in the video these are the parts you should cup up, the parts you shouldn't, and the parts that can be saved for K-boxes, in the voice of a city builder.

DO:
Plants, foliage, as needed. Tiles, 1x2, 2x2, etc. Plates: 1x2, 2x2. Bricks should be fairly small, the spine is for the big 2x4, 2x6 makes.

DON'T:
Round 1x1 plates in lime or orange; these are good filler but they become absolutely worthless. Big bricks, gears, and super sized plates that are not bulked in the center. Duplo elements (if ever) and animals are not strongly recommended save for light bulk.

K-BOX:
Bricks, plates, tiles that are essential to the city (ie. 2x2 dark tan, 1x4 gray, etc. Parts that you know will make a sort of profit reselling in the long term (dark red wedge, foliage, even dark tan tile if they rotate out of it)
One person got 10 cups of 1x2 bricks with the joiners in white (ie. the hinges seen in Diagon Alley). 10 cups = 150 bucks, and he paid only 50. I do believe they go for 70 bucks, though.  Always ask (if you have a big budget for PAB bulk) what's in the back and if you can get it.

Other advice:
You know it; the PAB cup itself is a way to sort of rip off novice or low interest enthusiasts. People often are too lazy to stack anything, and sometimes just throw stuff. The 10%, the frugal people of course patronize the space with a sort of strategy, but even with strategy you leave open air. It's I guess what's to the best of your ability. If you do it right you can have 500-700 elements in the cup.

ALWAYS! Use the 50c. discount when you can. It certainly drives your cost down a little bit. Also you're putting less junk in your house (excess PAB cups).

More to come, including the PAB Holiday box, as it is filling season for that without a doubt.