Lille Landsby, a Microfig town. Update: 5/27 Final Layout pictures.

[Eilif]

So, I've been mostly out of LEGO since my son was born. Dabbling here and there and posting around here once or twice a week. Finally, though I've got a project that's got me interested. I'm going to build a small layout in Microfig scale. Also, I've got to get it done quick since I need to have a 40"x30" module ready for the NILTC show in two weeks!

I'm really intrigued by Microfig Scale. It seems to result in simple, abstracted structures that sort of resemble architectural models. Depending on how you estimate it, It's somewhere between the common military model scale of 1/72 and the 1/64 often used by die cast cars collectors. It's also not too far from the scale used in classic 1960's LEGO sets such as Town Plan which leaned toward 1/87th scale. I'm kicking around the idea of combining this with similarly scaled toys such as PlaRail trains and Matchbox DieCast, but none of that sort of heresy for now...

I've got several buildings done. Some of these are completely new and some are going to be buildings from my "Brickington" layout that have been torn down and rebuilt smaller. I'll put one up every day or so. Let's start out small. Here's one of the simple houses I first built as a proof of concept.

Front. Classic trees look alot better in Microfig scale, and of course windows can become French doors.

Side

Rear. I have a small stock of vintage windows and doors, many of which look quite good in microfig scale such as this patio window.

[Electricsteam]

Really nice use of the windows and doors man! I really liked the old towns to begin with, nice to see something new in that scale

[Eilif]

Thanks! I was very inspired by the old sets and by LEGO Historian's work as well.

[Modelmaker]

Hmmm!.. Now you've got me thinking....

I'm a diecast collector and have a few hundred 1:87 cars in my collection, maybe even some Lego/wiking cars

small sample

I have no space for a modern lego town but lots of vintage windows, doors and bricks...

Plus smaller scale takes fewer bricks.

ARGH! now look what you've gone and done

Edited May 1, 2016 by Modelmaker

[Eilif]

ARGH! now look what you've gone and done

I've given you a mission!

Really great collection you have there. I'm not terribly knowledgable about vintage toy cars, but I see alot of vehicles in there that would look great on a vintage-inspired, town-plan-style layout.

As you say, it takes far fewer bricks. I'm estimating less than 1/4 the bricks of a similar building in minifig scale.

[Eilif]

For today's model, here's an in-progress store. It's basically finished, but It won't get an interior and signage until it is on it's final base. I may also slightly deepen it as the space to fill between sidewalks is now 16 studs deep.

[Modelmaker]

Nice, very "boulevard of broken dreams" looking

but what is that inside the right hand side window in the second pic?

[iammac]

I like the way this project is going. Keep it up!

Also interested in how that store comes out looking once you add the signage...Both models here remind me of a suburban town circa 1960's or so....hopefully not a nuke town!

[Eilif]

Nice, very "boulevard of broken dreams" looking

but what is that inside the right hand side window in the second pic?

Thanks!

Not sure what you mean. I don't see anything.

I like the way this project is going. Keep it up!

Also interested in how that store comes out looking once you add the signage...Both models here remind me of a suburban town circa 1960's or so....hopefully not a nuke town!

Definitely not a nuke town. I've got more than enough derelict buildings in my wargaming terrain. My LEGO stuff is almost always pleasantly idyllic.

I'll have another one up later today.

[Eilif]

Another small building today. This is another of the small houses that I did when I was first experimenting with microfig scale. I think it's rather cute.

The front.

Side. I like the idea of a roof that is symetrical even if it isn't centered over the building.

Another nice patio/deck on the back.

[Electricsteam]

This is giving me a lot of idea's I should make a tiny town... like that simpsons episode

[Eilif]

Here's today's building.

This is the "Double Shark Bar" from my "Brickington" layout taken apart and rebuilt in microfig scale.

Maybe it should now be called the "Single-Shark Bar"?

This one will definitely be expanded to at least 16 deep, but other than that it just needs a bit of patio detail.

[agadoijo]

This is really nice! Very inspiring, I hope to make something in this scale someday, but will have to find replacements for the classic pieces.

What will you use for roads? I guess that probably the classic road plates would look fine.

Looking forward for updates and the final layout!

[Eilif]

This is really nice! Very inspiring, I hope to make something in this scale someday, but will have to find replacements for the classic pieces.

What will you use for roads? I guess that probably the classic road plates would look fine.

Looking forward for updates and the final layout!

Thanks!

It can be a challenge in that many of the pieces regularly used in town-style buildings will have to be creatively substituted or brick-built.

As for roads, I'm using rows of the basic road plates, set 16 studs apart (I have a couple of plates cut in half). This results in rather wide sidewalks that are 7 studs deep, but it looks pretty good and I'll be doing some landscaping on the sidewalks (greenery, benches, etc..). I've built all the road sections and basic sidewalks already.

I'll post up another building later today. A place of cubicle employment...

[Pertyn Sawk]

All look great, but the 1st one is my favourite.

[Eilif]

Here's today's building, an office block.

Honestly I'm not as happy with this one as the others. The detailing is just ok and it's awfully square. However, it will probably be in the last row at the rear of the module, so it' doesn't matter as much. A nice driveway and some landscaping should help.

[Eilif]

Sorry for the delay, I've been madly building in preparation for this weekend's show.

Here's today's addition. A grain elevator. It's a bit more colorful than the all-grey units usually seen in the countryside, but I like bold contrasts. I had do disassemble the top of my lovely lighthouse, but such is the price of MOC'ing....

It breaks down nicely to fit into the small boxes (around 11x11x5.2 inches interior) that I have purchased for storage and transport of this layout.

[agadoijo]

Keep them coming!

The silos are a bit to red for me, but that just my personal taste.

Good work!

[Eilif]

Thanks!

No pics yet, but I've been working feverishly to be ready for the show setup this Friday.

-Finished expanding the Shark Grill to 16x16 footprint and added a patio dining area.

-I also added some flavor to the shop.

-Based up the office building

-Built an industrial building

-Shrunk and re-detailed my train station

-Built a pile of streetlights.

I'll try and snap a few pics today and get another building posted today or tomorrow.

[Eilif]

So I finished the layout in time for the show this weekend and it also gave me a chance to photograph everything else. Still, I'm going to drag this out and post a something from the town every day or two and the whole layout when That's done.

Today I've got a water tower and a truck.

The tower was on the top of one of my previous minifig scale urban buildings, but for microfig scale it stands alone with a modified railing and a new pipe going to the ground.

I'm not totally satisfied with the panel truck. It probably needs some kind of logo or detail on the side, but it does have a pleasantly "vintage" LEGO look to it. I came up with a design for a microfig LEGO car (coming later this week) that looks pretty good, but the metrics of LEGO mean that trucks are MUCH easier to build in microfig scale than cars.

[Eilif]

Today I've got a pair of garages to show. The little houses I first built for this project seemed a bit plain on their own. However I think adding some detached garages and just a touch of landscaping really brought a sense of realism to them.

First a cinderblock or brick style garage.

A

And something more like a siding-clad structure on top of a cinderblock foundation.

I was already well acquainted with the brick'd surface, but now I'm really liking the reverse side of the brick profile bricks. The scale isn't perfect of course, but It's a great option for representing garage doors and vinyl siding.

The microfigs in the picture are standing on top of 1x1 plates which are paired with right angle tiles. I picked up a batch of the tiles in the last lugbulk on a whim, but almost every one of the figs on the layout are standing on a combination of 1x1 plate and right angle tiles.

Coming up next. The Train station!

[Eilif]

Here's the Train Station. This was very much a simple shortening of my earlier station with a bit of redetailing with brick profile bricks, but I think it looks quite good. Even better actually, in this scale than in it's original size.

Coming up tomorrow a closer look at Minifig scale cars.

[Eilif]

Here's the Bus and some cars I made for the layout. Truck sized vehicles are naturally suited for 4 wide in this scale. Cars are a bit trickier.

The cars I've made are fine for now, but I don't think they're quite perfect yet. Perhaps I need to tweak the height and maybe try for 3 wide.

[Junior Shark]

Wowzers! That train station has some really neat details. I commend your efforts, they've turned out beautifully!

[Eilif]

Thanks Junior!

Here's today's pics. Updates for the Shark Bar and Boutique and a proper base for the office building.

The Boutique got just a bit of window dressing (will probably add a few more colored microfigs later) a slightly updated parapet

and some old-school Paradisia signage.

The Shark Bar was expanded back to 16x16 and got tables inside and out and a small patio. Not sure why the bar is a bit askew here.

On the layout it lays flush with the edge of the tiling and the fence.

All together. The office building looks much better on a nice tiled base I think. You can see one of the first cars I built here also.

I've kept it, but alongside the others it looks more like an SUV now.

If you look closely in the foreground you'll see that the trees are mounted on pieces of baseplate, not plates. I have tons of small green baseplates so I cut some of the 16x8 stud plates in half to use them where I need grass. This saves my small stock of green plates for future landscaping. As most of you know a baseplate on top of studs is exactly the same height as a plate built on top of a studded surface so it works out well. It also makes it easier to pack the sections and add additional landscaping or models later.

That's all for today. We're getting near the end. Just a couple of industrial structures left...