Conor Hyland

Thanks allanp - that's what I was hoping for!

Thanks NioN! What about play between the top and bottom halves of the turntable? Is there much loose movement like what was in the old ones, or has this been tightened up? It looks like the clips holding the 2 halves together are on the outside of the new version.

Great to see that people are enjoying building 42043. Looking forward to getting my hands on it! Those of you that have it built, or have opened the box - how does the new turntable design compare to versions 1 and 2 of the old style turntables? Is there much play in it, or is it close fitting and sturdy? Does it revolve relatively smoothly under load? I hated the older ones due to the amount of play in them. Can't wait to get my hands on the new pneumatic cylinders! Is the 11L x 1L relatively sturdy when fully extended?

If you look at the video from where I have it queued, you will see that he is not using HOG to steer it at all - he is using the far wheel / tyre from the second axle. When he steers it this way much more slack and lag will appear in the linkages (due to the stackup of tolerances and play in the linkages). If he used the HOG like he should, the steering movement will work great. Just watch one of the videos where he shows the steering using HOG and it works well. Using HOG method the tolerances and play in the linkages are still there, the play just happens together at the same time for both axles, instead of play build up between the back axle to the steering pivot and again from the steering pivot up to the front axle (thus producing the premature movement on the second axle, or the horrible lag effect on the front axle - whatever way you want to view it). There is nothing wrong with the steering, just the way he is (ab)using it. Also, I hate the way he has the jib pushed sideways at an angle, so he can operate the valves. TLG, can I have that job next year?!!

Hats off to Promobricks once again for the extra detail in the new video. Thank you very much!

It's possible that the slider groove will give added rigidity to the mechanism over an existing 13L rack assembly, designed to do the same job. I think this new part will look a lot neater on jib extensions too. It looks like the connection points are limited to each end, but the outriggers sure look sturdy on 42043. It may in the future be available in more colours too!

This is a much needed part and will indeed come in handy for boom extensions and outriggers. The front outriggers on 8258 look rather flimsy IMO.

It's a straight 6 for sure - no doubt about it. Have a look at this video and stop it where I have it queued (2:23): We can clearly see 2 and a bit cylinders in front of battery box (4.5 studs). Now count the studs back between the front of the engine and back to and including the HOG steering vertical shaft (10 studs). Now look at this video and stop it where I have it queued (2:36): Here you can clearly see one more cylinder (6th cylinder) behind the HOG vertical shaft and underneath the turntable. 10 studs = 5 cylinders + the one we can see here = 6 straight cylinders.

I like the fire plane. The red and white colour scheme looks well. Great to see some nice pics of it now! The image on the box for the fire plane isn't the final one either, as the stickers aren't on the model on the box.

Yep - looking at the video that is 3:58 / 3:59 long and playing / stopping it from 2:36 to 2:40 - you can see the last of the cyclinders in under the turntable. Counting the studs back, it sure looks like a straight 6 to me! Is that a new DBG cog / collar piece at the front of the engine?

Looking closely at them long pneumatic cylinders, it looks like the black piece at the top of the silver ram is slightly bigger in diameter than the silver piece, which might suggest that part of the black piece might not go inside the ram like the older double acting ones did. This part of the ram could still be in prototype stage though as its colour is different in each truck. Does anyone know the fully extended length of these new longer rams? It looks like its closed length could be 11L, but what could its open length be? 16L?

I was surprised to see just one large LA for tipping. I was hoping that there might be two of them. The tipper has a lot of leverage over its length, when compared to the position of the LA to the pivot. The LA seems to be geared down enough, but whether it could tip a load full of Lego bricks, without the clutch slipping remains to be seen. If there were 2 of them, then the load is halved between them.

It appears to be LA's, whether one or 2, it remains to be seen. My guess is that there will be 2 large LA's, but it's definitely motorised as seen in the video. Looking at the video with the 12 tooth gear perpendicular to the turntable, the cogs on the turntable must be bevelled too as I don't think this arrangement is possible on the V1 or V2 turntable. Also, if you can imagine the crane at full height and folded in towards the front, so as to tip the clamshell at the front of the tipper - it looks like the jib might struggle to get up high enough to clear the load at the front of the truck. Can anyone else see what I mean? What's that below the compressor on the box? Does it say 4 x valves? It doesn't really look like the valves we all know, but what does the text say?

It is shown on the box as being between the two rear wheels, so I guess this is what it could be! The jib on 42043 rotates via a motor for sure.

This is probably showing us that some minor colours and changes can still be expected between now and August. Hopefully they will change the colour of them yellow 1x6 half beams to red on the jib too between now and then. Jurgen has also started a thread for Link Belt 250 David as well! I know you don't like the Link Belt 250, but I think it is an amazing looking excavator.

Thanks ZitterdBricks. They look black on the box behind. I hope they keep them black. Does anyone like them yellow?

Great spot Milan. You are 100% correct! The tops of the cylinders are black on the first video and yellow on the new video uploaded today. Here's hoping that they keep them black as I think they look better. I thought I seen something yellow last night on the top of them cyclinders, but then when I went to look, they were black and I thought I was seeing things! I wonder why they have them 2 6x1 half beams at the top of the lifting ram on the jib yellow? They would look better red I think.

I just seen that on YouTube now . I like the idea for cranes and excavators. Would prefer ball bearings inside though for smoother rotation. I got a V2 turntable on bricklink for the PF Backhoe V2, that was so tight, it could barely be rotated by hand, so much so that I couldn't use it in the model! That one has cogs on the inside though. Would prefer if they were on the outside.

Haven't seen one, but can you post a link?

Definitely not this year as TLG have done so much for us this year to be fair! But I'm right there with you Balrog re the turntable. Maybe we can start up a new thread soon with ideas for a new turntable. I'd love to see one that is slightly bigger, definitely more rigid horizontally with ball bearings and also has two swivel connectors with unlimited rotation, to allow 2 motors to be connected below. This would mean the 2 motors could be placed below with a much simpler, more efficient gear train that delivers more power to the tracks. Power loss to one of the tracks in the Zorex-220 is really noticeable, due to the complex gear train above, so much so that it goes slower than the other one once the slack in the collars through the turntable is taken up. And all shafts are running freely. It's just power loss routing shafts around a complex structure. When I'm setting up a model for permanent display that has a turntable on it, like a crane or excavator, I have to have the unit on top of the turntable level. I hate to see it sagging to the front under load, or to the back when the bucket or jib is lowered, due to the weight at the back. I hope TLG hears our cry for a fix for this issue soon though. In the meantime, we can enjoy all the new parts and new colours in our models and MOCs!

Stop the video at 2:32. It looks like the clamshell is new for sure. Which part of the cylinder do you mean? Is it the top of the stainless ram? If it is then they all look black at 2:22 in the video.

Yep, HOG via the beakon lights. They managed to fit in so many functions into 42043, well done TLG! Try get some sleep tonight MOC designers / builders, AFOL and Technic fans alike - tomorrow is going to show even more exciting pics and videos!

I am guessing that it could be either of the beakon lights, or both. When the video shows the wheels turning, I noticed that the second axle from the front was turning before the front one and possibly sharper, which shouldn't be the case. But this seems to be down to the fact that he is turning the left wheel on the second axle by hand and also the slight play in the linkage. No doubt it will work as designed when turned through HOG. Didn't notice his hand behind all that Lego until now! The steering mechanism looks great. Isn't it a similar way to this that trucks with 2 steering axles work? I can't wait to see a video showing the pneumatics themselves working more. It only shows a tiny bit of them working. Also how high it will tip!

The b model for 42043 is said to be a flatbed truck. As for the other 2 models, nobody knows yet!

It could take a good few scoops of the Zorex-220 to fill it though!