henryhotspurs

Additions to the Winter village theme I would like to see: Train Station Cottage Clock Tower Hardware store Tea house Footbridge and stream Riding stable with sleigh

I have a large layout in my garage 60" x 144" and am getting ready to remodel the entire layout. What I have learned: 1) Make your setup as modular as possible. You will want to make frequent layout changes until you find something that works. If the layout is one big piece it will be hard to change later. It will not be long before someone asks you to move or display your layout. Pieces have to be portable to do so. 2) Use quality materials and good construction techniques. Plan the height of your layout based on what you can stack underneath. Plastic parts cabinets come in various heights. Measure the ones you want to use and build your tables so they fit underneath. Likewise, add storage space for trains not on the tables. I added shelves, with spare track, to display my trains. Try to keep everything as level as possible. Trains that run uphill, pulling long consists, wear batteries quickly. Each of my modules has leveler "feet" consisting of an adjustable bolt, nut and washer to keep everything level. 3) Use a Lego scale when building modules. I use a 3 x 3 green baseplate scale (30" x 30"). Each base plate is roughly 10 inches square. This will save headaches later. Yes, there is more lumber involved but my modules can be bolted together to create larger tables. 4) Have reaching access to as much of your layout as possible (meaning all). Trust me, that inaccessible back corner will give you fits unless you do. 5) Have viewing access to all of your layout. Unless your layout is small, being able to walk around the entire layout is what dazzles the crowd. 6) Try to get as many trains running at once, as is possible. At least one in an opposite direction really gets the "oohs and ahhs'. Two speedy passenger trains, seemingly hurtling toward each other, is fun to watch. 7) Don't forget tunnels, bridges and train "hide and seek". Kids love that! Try using various levels of track or building additional wooden levels to save on bricks. 8) Lastly, add lots of sidings and on-table, train storage areas. Constantly having to take a train off the table and put a new one on is not fun. Add lots of switchable sidings and at least two independent main lines to alleviate this problem and keep the action moving.. Good Luck!

I would like to see sets that support trains and offer playability for those fans that do not actually own full trains. For example: Issuing a lumber mill with some "logs" to cut, a work crew, a small siding and a lumber car. This could easily be added to town and definitely to train. Likewise, how about a small livestock pen with loading ramp, a couple of cowhands, cows/horses/pigs, a couple of track lengths and a cattle car? Tire manufacturer with boxcar? Grain shipper with hopper? Coal with gondola? Passenger platform with carriage? I know I'd buy them all! Virtually any industry imaginable could be condensed down to a small playable set. Include a siding or small length of track, and the appropriate rail car, and the set would be a hit. Collect all of the sets and you'd have the basis for a great train setup. Think about it. We'd get new cars, more track pieces, goods to ship, and more playability. Town fans could justify getting into trains and "Junior" now needs Mom and Dad to pay the extra bucks for locos to pull the railcars.

Welcome, welcome welcome! Certainly a great creation with which to introduce yourself. I like it alot!

Avery impressive build! Good Job.

A very vivid scene and great fun to look at...Keep up the great work!

By far the coolest cop car designs I have ever seen. What Lego robber would risk getting into a chase with one of these?

Very Nice. What I like the most is that it is easily discernable as a Ford! Keep up the great work!

I like your rendition. Very cool!

I like the engine and will most likely buy the set, but will cannabalize everything but the engine. I always have a need for sliding doors, train wheels, base plates and couplers. It's a shame it's so <insert that tiresome argument>...

I just located a bunch of those concave dish pieces from the soccer stadium. Those are pretty unhelpful too. The older rocket motors and cylindrical, pillar style "landing gear" I have never found a use for either. Maybe as filler under a mountain?

I think a nice all around history of Lego trains section would be nice as well as a full color collector's checklist of the various train sets. Additionally, a section on constructing locos, rolling stock, trackside structures and simple scenery would be neat. Maybe a section with build instructions on motorizing switch points or incorporating Mindstorms programs to automate a layout. How about a reference section with part numbers and pictures of commonly used train parts, slopes, wheels, roof pieces, buffers, etc.? It could be a ring bound, layflat technical manual. I'd Gladly pay $40 for a quick reference manual that I could use to find everything on Bricklink...

What's your opinion about the least useful Lego parts? I have used most of my available Lego parts constructing my town. It seems I have stacks of four-way intersection plates that cannot be used in my current road system. Any parts you can't use?

I love the detail! Simply amazing work!

Well I tried it out in our Arizona swimming pool. It should have been named the "Minnow" as in "...the Minnow would be lost..." The two inch rollers were enough to swamp the hapless craft in mere seconds. The life jackets were of very little help. Fortunately, the shark was in the deep end and didn't pay alot of attention to the hapless floaters... I never invested in the Coast Guard sets. More's the pity. They could have used the rescue chopper. Gilligan and Son's fishing trip ended tragically I'm afraid. Now they are relegated to the "Book Shelf Navy" aka every Lego pirate ship ever made...