Hello fellow brickers,

For the past 5 years I have been collecting the Creator Expert buildings and have all of them except the CC and MS .

I really want to do more with LEGO and decided to build a city. Now I am having trouble on how to start the city. Last week I have ordered a few creator buildings (the 5 currently available) to increase my bricks (these are the first sets I've bought besides the Creator Expert buildings).

For a while I have read a lot of city building stories on the internet and know that I have to keep buying sets for a start and that I have to decide how big the city will be (maybe with the use of BlueBrick). For the roads I want to use the official road plates from LEGO, but I want to have different levels and don't know how to implement this in the city in combination with road plates (which way to create the different hight). I want to have three different levels:

- Street level

- Mountain (this can be build on top of LEGO plates

- Lower level for a canal/river (so I can build a bridge over it and have boats/harbor)

I hope you guys/girls can help me out on how to start building multiple levels for this city. Thanks!

Check out cimddwc's work on Flickr (sorry for some reason I can't paste the link on my phone!?!)

His layout is outstanding. You'll spend hours being inspired!

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/24588874@N08/sets/72157631828796862/

Oh it worked! Here you go - enjoy!!

Thanks. :) But note that I'm using brick-built roads which are more flexible than the road baseplates, but require quite a few bricks. Still, you can do different levels with road plates too, just build some supporting structure underneath, doesn't need to be pretty if it's hidden in the end. Bricks do for smaller or medium-sized areas, especially more flexible ones, wood (+steel) is useful for larger areas like my upper town above the train tracks.

Thanks Eanair and Cimmddwc for your response.

Maybe I have to look into brick building the roads (but it is expensive). I really like the double table/planks in your city, that is the best way for elevation.

I agree,use wood for elevation,i started using bricks but it worked out too dear and hard to cover the distance required to cover over curved train tracks

I also am opting for brick built roads and they are slightly more expensive but you don't have to go as wide as a standard baseplate,this keeps the cost down.

But it gives heaps of flexibility in width and length as modulars have sidewalk on the anyway.

I have used arches and and a lot of two by two bricks to cover some up the upright space in areas and and BURPS and LURPS finished off with extra bricks and slopes to get rid of the repetitivness for other areas.

This has been a recent change so i have ordered another 40 BURPS at the moment but will require a further 60 to 100 to finish off i think, but will have to be aquired at a steady pace.

You can also build bridges between the raised areas and am planning a waterfall for another gap.

Yes, that is exactly my idea. To create bridge(s) between the raised areas.

If I am going for brick build roads, then I have to move the Modular building to other LEGO plates to create a hight difference between the sidewalk and the road.

Or is there an easier way to do this?

If I am going for brick build roads, then I have to move the Modular building to other LEGO plates to create a hight difference between the sidewalk and the road.

Or is there an easier way to do this?

I have run 6mm mdf under my buildings and put 4 16x16 dark bluish gray plates on top of the baseplates so my side walk is all dark bley instead of seeing the baseplate.

If you want to add more slope then add more bricks /plates between as cimddwc has done. He is a great builder and following his example will lead to the best results if you are after the not so flat look.

I got around to taking some images https://flic.kr/s/aHskvCQhHn if you are interested.

Edited April 28, 20168 yr by Wookiee

That is a very smart idea, I have never thought about putting MDF under the buildings. It is the less expensive and time consuming solution, thanks for sharing this!

The pictures on Flickr are very nice, gives a really good idea of how to use the MDF.

Building up a (hidden) under structure out of Duplo pieces has some advantages. They are cheaper than, but compatible with, Lego bricks, unlike custom built wooden structures.

Building up a (hidden) under structure out of Duplo pieces has some advantages. They are cheaper than, but compatible with, Lego bricks, unlike custom built wooden structures.

i just had a play around with this, i found that it would probably be fine for uprights but you still have the issue of the amount up supports needed if you are using plate, this works out needing a lot of bricks and plate.

I started out going the all lego route but it was working out very expensive compared to the wooden structure and it was difficult to cover the train curves when running track next to each other as you have to allow overhang for the trains as well. It was basically a grid with baseplates sitting on top. I needed a beam every 16 studs or so to take the weight. The wood i used was all scrap i had around the house except the 6mm mdf.

Wood has allowed more scope for multi level terrain and to span larger areas.

It depends how much of a purist you want to be and how large your budget is. I have convinced myself that it not an issue as it really is just a multi level table instead of a flat table.

I used some polystyrene panels (3cm) to raise the city. Cheap, lightweight and easy to cut

Wow, good idea. I assume you're going to build the dock walls? Looks good so far...I'm following this thread because I have similar questions.

Polystyrene is also a good solution, but I think that wood offers a more solid structure.

The dock is looking nice indeed!

Thank you!! Of course I'm going to build dock walls...I'm thinking of using masonry bricks...

Thank you!! Of course I'm going to build dock walls...I'm thinking of using masonry bricks...

Another option for the dock walls would be, what they're officially called...I'm blanking on, but log bricks. They come in 1x2 & 1x4. Since its fresh in my mind since I rebuilt it recently, the blue tavern from 10193 Medevial Market Village has them at the base of it.