Heppeng

I will see what I can do, I have the LDD files from which it is possible to create instructions and a parts list, however I may want to edit them slightly before release! I would actually quite like to put them up for a lego ideas project, trouble is that train stuff is notoriously difficult to gain votes for. Mind you, if the next creator train happens to be a suitable steam loco...

Got all the bricks now. Well as usual almost all of them - no matter how hard I try and check and re-check I always seem to make an error in ordering! So far I missed the 1x1 reddish brown plates, and I am short of a 1x6 reddish brown plate too. I will build them without the missing pieces anyway - probably the best way to find out any more omissions! There are also one or two minor design errors which I might take the opportunity to fix. As always it looks like I will need an extra follow up bricklink order to complete them!

I wonder.... What if lego changed to G-gauge and perhaps 8 wide as a standard? It is only slightly wider, you could still use the existing PF motor, but with maybe a half bush behind the wheels, the only other change would be a new wheel holder and longer axle. Lego could still make their own plastic track for the train set market, but it may open up new markets - there are many G-gauge garden railways out there and if only lego could be run on them directly... And then no problems with expanding your set with third party tracks ever again...

I like your thinking... That hints at a new Creator steam train with a new motor...

This is brilliant! It captures the look of utter desolation and ruin so well! The carcass, the broken boards, I love it!

The blinking is of constant frequency, about two blinks per second. However the circuitry is designed to run two 12V bricks, and any other combination will affect the blink rate, fewer bulbs means slightly slower blink. (I just tried it on mine to see).

I suppose a yellow 'La Poste' version is theoretically possible, but you would either have to use the eye-wateringly expensive BNSF baseplates or build on yellow plates...

Official position is that it is just to deal with the Christmas rush (presumably customer services have enough on their plate without B&P on top) and all will be back to normal in the new year.

The A1 trust actually bought it. The tanks, still showing the BR Blue/grey livery, were by then completely rusted through so it was stripped down to its frames. However I think the A1 trust wanted roller bearings, and the original frames were plain bearing and would require some work to convert, so they decided that they may as well build new. The frames and running gear were then sold on, and ended up having a new tank made and used for Bittern.

The Tender has been refurbished and is now used on occasion by A4 Pacific 'Bittern'

One thing about 4.5v - it was designed so that it would run for a decent time on the batteries of the 1960's. On todays batteries they seem to go on for ever! I have bought one set of batteries just to resurect my first childhood train, a motorised 133. It has already lasted several times longer than my Power functions 60052, and is currently trundling around the base of my Christmas tree without any sign of slowing down. I am anticipating the batteries will last in to the new year, albeit not in continuous use!

I am very very impressed. The real locomotive is impressive, and not only have you captured the look well, you have also managed to get it to work on lego track? That is some achievement!

I like re-colouring. I wanted to add another unpowered 7725 to make a total of six cars. Initially I was thinking of another red version to match, but when browsing bricklink for parts I discovered this white/blue/red striped train door which was only issued in one set, and not a train one at that. There was even one vendor that had six for sale at a good price. I could not resist and this is the result!

Better still buy direct from lego, currently available at 59p each in the UK Bricks and Pieces.

One thing I did not quite realise was the number of parts in the colour I wanted that were only introduced this year: The 3x2 windows for the doors - only in the Parisian Restaurant and the Simpsons House The dish for the lampshades - only one in the Fairground Mixer The gold bar for the handrails - only in the Tumbler The Reddish brown bracket used for the SNOT on the brake coach - only in the Sandcrawler Plus quite a few others which did not appear in that many sets, but at least are not particularly expensive. If the only way to get parts was to purchase complete sets, that would taken 11 Fairground Mixers alone - thank goodness for Bricklink and Lego Bricks & Pieces!

Oh well, goodness knows why it did not work! Mind you, when she asked 'is there anything else?' I was tempted to answer 'Yes, what are you doing Saturday night?' :)

Yes it does! Anyway, placed my order by phone - they really do have very cheerful and helpful customer service assistants which makes it an absolute pleasure, and she gave me a discount on account of the hassle too, so result!

I have ordered the bricks now. Despite getting the lowest humanly possible price for the bricks, the total cost is around £130 inc postage for the four coaches, and that does not include the admittedly somewhat limited bricks that I already own! Mind you, its still well under half the price that I would have had to pay for four Emerald Night coaches.... My wallet must hate my Lego addiction!!!!

A thought has just occured - if you are using PF and technic Axles, you could increase the distance between the wheels so that the train runs on unmodified gauge 1 track, I think a technic half bush behind each wheel would probably do it. You would of course have to replace all the standard wheelholders with technic axles, but I bet it would suit eight wide and up very well...

It looks pretty good. You might want to stagger the joints in the bricks to give the walls a bit more strength mind.

Well I have discovered the issue... Just noticed in the small print that there is a limit of 100 bricks maximum per order. This must be a new thing as I am sure it was not like that before! I need 275. If I have to do three separate orders its going to bump the price of postage up....

I do quite like that!

Hmm, I was using Chrome... Still I will have another go tonight, and if it does not work I will just have to phone the order in.

That sounds like the answer, although I did not think the quantities were particularly high, about a dozen types of small brick, varying in quantity from something like 5 to 75 of each. That is very annoying.