Dusting off a few old trains

[James Mathis]

After over ten years boxed up in dark storage, I feel like I've opened a mini time capsule back to 1997-2001. It's a bit like a train and truck graveyard. Here are a few off my long-ago creations.

For posterity...

James

[dr_spock]

Nice HHP-8.

[zephyr1934]

Welcome back to the light age. So many of those models still look contemporary even though they were built with the bricks of over 10 years ago, e.g., the DB 103 is similar to the one in this thread only lacking the tan (presumably the yellow was to be consistent with 7740 and I think tan was very rare back then) or the TGV compared to the HE. Great stuff and even more impressive given the bricks that were available at the time, thanks for sharing.

[James Mathis]

Thanks. Back in the Summer of 2001:

DB103 accompanies coaches from set 7740 with red train baseplates.

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=4993

Nearly 14 years ago.

Here it is with a TEE Vista Dome car.

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=58560

That was a fun challenge back then to work those 1/4-curve clear wall elements into the dome.

The new tan, dark red and curved windscreens are beautiful. I would love to see one of the current DB103 sets become a LEGO® IDEAS set. Very nice models.

Thanks.

-James

Edited May 9, 2015 by James Mathis

[ScotNick]

Wow such a great collection with with trains from so many countries!! Sadly the ICE didn't make it, but all the other trains seem to be in pretty good condition. Although they were made some years ago the amount of detail you put into those trains is stunning (even more when looking back at the available bricks at that time).

So what are you gonna do with those models? Redesign them, leave them as they are, ...?

[James Mathis]

Thank you for checking out the trains and commenting with the most relevant question.

The answer, after these many years, may surprise. The name of my Flickr folder is "LEGO Collection for Sale Pics". I would like to sell the whole lot. My passion has always leaned toward the process of model design, and I've transitioned from play and display. Those years 1997-2002 where fulfilled with the physical brick builds.

What do I do with these models? They sit there. I suppose if there were a museum they might find their way onto display. As it is, these were built some decade ago-- very fun builds! They took me to a few awesome conventions where I made most excellent times and made some life time friends. The effort was incredibly rewarding with such opportunities to help design the Santa Fe Super Chief train cars and the Hobby Train set. These models have sat about in a dark box for years in a storage geographically far from where I live. I've enjoyed rediscovering these and other sets, as well as my own creation models, but they do seem now more space-takers than memory-makers. I've got those, and pics to prove.

I still enjoy sitting down with a new set, spilling the bricks on the table or floor, and discovering the internals and techniques of fantastic creative designs and new elements delivered by the Master Builders and play theme creators.

I love building sets and designing models. Once the process of creating the design is complete, I'm usually pretty much done. Sometimes these days I will go out and source the specific elements to build the model. It is then that I enjoying building it and seeing if the model in my mind and the virtual build stand up to the real brick build.

In a reminiscent mood, my models, as well as many others' train models from years ago beginning around 1995-1996 and the early formative days off the online community rec.toys.lego represent a bit if our shared history and the transition of our hobby from isolation to publication. I'm thrilled to see that the passion continues with such talented and creative designers producing, creating, sharing and discussing the art of trains with LEGO elements.

Anyway,

Cleaning house... Clearing mind.

Time for something new for something old.

Aloha,

James

[cgarison]

Amazing work. And I agree the HHP-8 is a great build. And this version of the TGV feels more true to the original than that created by Lego for the HE.

Thanks for sharing.

[James Mathis]

cgarison, you are kindly generous; but, thank you very much.

What eats five Halloween buckets, a few snow speeders, and two Pod Racer sets from 1998/1999?

A TGV.

;-)

http://brickset.com/sets/3047-1/Halloween-Bucket

http://brickset.com/sets/7130-1/Snowspeeder

http://brickset.com/sets/7171-1/Mos-Espa-Podrace

I think that was just about the extent of orange back then.

I think the HE set takes a cue from and may pay homage to the TGV prototype. I never got an HE (wish I had) to experience the build, but I did browse through the illustrated building guide and enjoyed seeing a great many reviews, pics, and MOC-mods. I think Jamie Berard did a great design, paying homage to some great historic MOCniques, as well as incorporating some original, clever, and detailed ideas. So much to be learned from Master Builders and Designers inside and out.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/TGV_001

Oh, for the love of orange.

James

[peterab]

I would like to sell the whole lot.

When you put them up for sale please provide a link.

[James Mathis]

I'm going to try to sell my whole collection in one bulk lot. The collection of MOCS and road plates shown on Flickr is on Maui. The rest of my collection that is shown in the Flickr pics bins, boxes and plastic zip bags is in Oregon, USA. I live on Maui, and I'd like to keep the collection in tact, since I'm not readily capable nor that interested to part it out and since I'm fairly confident that the sets that comprise my collection are complete or pretty near complete, including well-preserve building guides, in case reconstituting ages old sets are of value to someone. But, I can't guarantee completeness nor check completeness in response to inquiries. Here's my set list:

http://brickset.com/sets/ownedby-jmathis

663 sets, 475 different

125,000 pieces

I need to look for the Eurobricks sales forum. Sorry here.

James

[detjensrobert]

:wub_drool: :wub_drool:

...need i say more?

Wow. Those are some really amazing sets, especially considering the pieces (or lack of) back then.

[wondermonkey]

Wow. I moved away from Maui not long ago and had no idea you lived there. I bricklinked several trains together thinking I was probably the only one on the island with a love of Lego trains, never really saw much on Craigslist or anywhere else for that matter. Found my Super Chief engine on Kauai had it displayed on my wall. It's still full of red dust from the cane fields.

[James Mathis]

Hi wondermonkey,

That's a bummer. I thought I was the only one, as well. Back in 2007 or 2008 I was at a playground in Keokea. I met a man there who said he built models with LEGO elements and knew about, or had a collection, of the LEGO Santa Fe Super Chief train sets. We exchanged names and talked about our LEGO hobby a bit. Unfortunately, I'm terrible with names and contacts, and we never met up again nor contacted each other. Else, he thought I was wacky, with my having said that I helped designed the cars for the LEGO Super Chief train set. To this day, I'm rather bummed that I failed to meet up with him again.

I have heard that there is a German fellow who lived in Kihei that designs models with LEGO elements. I don't recall his profession or his name, even though I recall looking up his website some years ago. (Sigh). I think his primary designs and builds are LEGO sculptures and mosaics.

Looks like I missed this. Very nice from you.

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=63868

And this UP looks great

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=82114&st=25

Aloha,

James

[Duq]

I would love to own an original James Mathis train but right now I don't have an appetite for an entire collection, nevermind the 7000 mile shipping charges...

[James Mathis]

Depending on the responses I get from some that I have solicited about the entire collection, I may keep separate those junkyard MOCs of mine if there is sincere interest in others taking ownership of them. I'm so glad that my BOB train and Eurostar train have survived relatively unscathed.

BOB:

Pre-2001 (original photo may have been 1998 or 1999 before I started uploading to Brickshelf):

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=4604

Today:

Eurostar:

Over a decade ago:

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=11818

Today:

I think BOB was my first truly satisfying mature train replica in which I pushed the elements, my mind, and brick set purchases to source all the parts in the required colors to achieve the model in my mind.

I want to remember Eric Brok (LEGO On My Mind) my he rest in piece, for I remember fondly his brilliance of train design and his original contributions to the foundation of "close-coupling" techniques and tilting mechanisms.

http://archive.pbrick.info/LEGO%20on%20my%20mind%20%20Roboworld.htm

And, to so many others from whom I learned great train building techniques. I sincerely wish I could remember the train builder from Japan whose Shinkansen utilized the SNOT-wise 1x2x3 window panel arrangement to achieve the fantastic train car window aspect ratio. I first used it I'm my Cisalpino, and everyone who built the Horizon Express got to experience it.

Cisalpino:

Back then:

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=4991

And today (what has survived obliteration):

So much history from so many.

So much more to be writ by those who create the train models of today and tomorrow.

Should keep some?

I should share some.

Perhaps none of these sourcing trains of mine should be destined to the brick-recycler, even though they be incomplete junk or not quite nice in comparison to MOCs of today, should be preserved instead of parted out into a random collection?

Maybe some day there will be a model hall of historic train MOCs from designers from around the world?

Again, there are so many contributors and persons of influence in the art of creation trains using LEGO elements.

Can you imagine a place where surviving MOCs of hobby artist designers from around the globe, who have since passed from this world, are gathered together and on display to preserve and recognize the history and blossom of a burgeoning hobby into a mature art form?

I would not envy the curator of such a venture. But, if this is art, then it will happen. Who knows what will come, or what junk today might be a treasure tomorrow? Deconstruction only serves to deny this preservation.

Who knows what will be relevant in the future, but from my personal recent experience opening this 10 to 15 year old time capsule of trains, it would seem a shame to have these MOCs of mine-- or anyone's' MOCs-- sold off as bulk only to be parted-out into their loose aggregate. However, the irony of the basic tenant that LEGO models are as such, by design and intent, meant to be designed, built, played with, enjoyed, then taken apart to become something new, is not lost upon me.

The ego is a tricky fellow!

I take heart in the fact that most of my designs are preserved in different ways:

1) my own brick builds

2) LDraw and LDD virtual designs

3) and the inspired MOCs that others have built and fashioned into their own beloved creations based on my original designs (mostly design studies, incomplete, or faulty finds when the creation is realized in the real brick.)

To this end, and the articulation of desire to own one of my original creations, I will indicate to prospective buyers of my collection that my MOCs on Maui may not be coming with. This may complicate matters in terms of complete sets, but even though I am confident in the preservation of parts in my collection, I can't fault any would-be buyer from hesitating to trust me. So, perhaps keeping my MOCs is of minimal consequence? Since the buy may have to be based on bulk weight and a smidgeon of intrigue based on the set list for potentially high value sets and the occasional rate and highly valued element.

What a wind I've blown. Tooting my own horn. Wondering if anyone else "out there" is as "out there" as I? Anyone? ;-)

"I can feel the conflict waging inside you?" ;-)

Aloha,

James

[zephyr1934]

Depending on the responses I get from some that I have solicited about the entire collection, I may keep separate those junkyard MOCs of mine if there is sincere interest in others taking ownership of them. I'm so glad that my BOB train and Eurostar train have survived relatively unscathed.

...

So much history from so many.

So much more to be writ by those who create the train models of today and tomorrow.

Should keep some?

I should share some.

...

What a wind I've blown. Tooting my own horn. Wondering if anyone else "out there" is as "out there" as I? Anyone? ;-)

"I can feel the conflict waging inside you?" ;-)

Aloha,

James

Oh, you might be a few standard deviations out there, but the long tail spans much further beyond you...

You should definitely keep a couple of your favorites.

For the rest, you have taken the time to take all of these fantastic shots. You should sell some of them individually on EBay. There are few folks who could afford your entire collection, but many folks who can afford a few pieces and many folks who would treasure having just one of your originals. There are folks selling copies of Tony Sava's models for a hefty sum on EBay (though the hard part there is simply collecting all of the pieces, if you include labor I'm not sure they are coming out too much ahead). Since you already have the parts, the labor is moot. You also have the name recognition. Try selling a signed model and see what happens. Your name recognition should boost the sale price and collector value. And since you've been so generous with your designs over the years, it would set the original apart from the reproductions. Who knows, some of your MOCs might even wind up in a museum some day.

[James Mathis]

Paul's Ohio St stadium is massive. One billion bricks. (Dr. Evil moment) thanks for pointing me to that story. Incredible.

[James Mathis]

My collection has a lot of monorail track and some other items, which I'm selling here, Brick Built Trains & More.

https://www.bricklink.com/store.asp?sID=3388

Unfortunately, I only have 83 posts out of the requisite 100 to post a for sale announcement at the Eurobricks buy, sell, and trade forum.

-James

PS: administrator monitor, I understand if you need to remove this post if it is in violation of forum rules. My apologies.

[wondermonkey]

My wife and I just happened across your Sugar Cane Train video. Loved it. She wants me to build one now that it's no more. I never saw that Oahu engine run, but I always saw it sitting out by the highway. Anyway, if you're looking to give it a good home, we may be interested but you should probably hang on to that one.