In this article, I’m going to take a break from the technical topics of motors and train power systems and talk about some thoughts I’ve had about trains and building style! Over the past few years, I’ve been thinking about the “conflict” between the two key attributes of LEGO train rolling stock: Appearance - Aspects such as prototype fidelity, details, and scale define how the model looks Practicality - Aspects such as robustness, reliability, parts consumption, and buildability define how easy a wagon is to build, how well it runs and whether is it just a nudge away from falling to bits! Why have I been thinking about this topic? The key reason is that I often publicly exhibit LEGO train layouts with the expectation (both mine and the viewing public!) that the trains keep moving. Keeping LEGO trains on the move makes demands on things like battery endurance, available rolling...

A nice easter egg from the designers. Some time ago, a good friend of mine (Richard from The Rambling Brick) pointed out that the Collectible Minifigure newspaper kid is holding a newspaper with a front-page article on the original classic town police officer. What’s more, though, is that the headline, judging by the ascenders and descenders of the heavily obscured text, appears to read Happy Birthday! In this installment of Behind the Design, I take a look at the iconic LEGO minifigure smile to reveal its design secrets, learn how it has evolved, and show examples of how it has been utilized over the decades. In The Beginning The original LEGO minifigure designed by the late Jens Nygaard Knudsen has remained an icon in the toy world since its inception in 1978. But if you look closely, the original 1977 patent and indeed the earliest sets depict an ever so slightly...

We recently talked about the new LEGO City Space sets, but they are not the only awesome LEGO Space sets this year. LEGO Friends also got a Space sub-theme this year with three sets, and they are designed to be compatible with the LEGO City Space sets for the ultimate space exploration experience! The new […]Original linkOriginal author: Thita (admin)

As we discussed previously (see: 2024 LEGO City Space Sets Overview), LEGO City got an extensive space exploration sub-theme this year. Most of the sets were released back in January and have been very well received by LEGO fans. This month, LEGO added one more set to the 2024 LEGO City Space collection, the #60439 […]Original linkOriginal author: Thita (admin)

J. R. R. Tolkien imagined Bilbo Baggins’ door as a circular construction, green and impressive in size (for a hobbit). Peter Jackson ran with the description and the gently rustic feel of the Shire and created an organic-and-tudor style mix that Gus has wonderfully captured here in the blocky medium of LEGO. There are so many details to love in this scene; the fence is made from a pair of whips, while the circular window to the right of the door is a bicycle tire! The organic side of the hobbit style is on full display as Gus has achieved both a cobbled circle for the windmill tower, and a smooth roof-line mimicking the slope of the of the hill – not to mention the striking red of the wood slats in the door. With all of this excellent building on display only one question remains; are these two folks Bagginses...