Posted February 4, 200916 yr I, like so many others, have long dreamed of owning the rarest monorail, 1990's Airport Shuttle. Unfortunately, I took the cheapskate route and bought a seriously incomplete, pillaged example. Seriously, the below pictures do not begin to describe how badly the few pieces I received had been abused. Still, the core of the set was present, and the motor worked 18 years after its release. Even though some of the gray tracks had mashed teeth and other scary damage, the metal cog of the motor was so strong that it actually straightened out the bent teeth of the track over time. That's right, monorails can heal themselves! I'm a bit of a perfectionist about brick quality, though, so all the bitten and yellowed bricks had to be discarded. Basically, only the rare pieces (monorail chassis, red motor cover, electricals, windows, baseplates, arches, pylons, tracks) were preserved; basic bricks were replaced with new ones from PAB or nicer ones I had lying around. Total cost to restore the monorail was $250 (including the original "set" I bought). That's quite a lot, especially considering the time put in, but it was a labor of love and a pleasure to complete. As you can see in the following pictures, the 6399 Airport Shuttle is the perfect way to anchor a small classic town layout. A wide angle view. The set contains two stations, of which this one is the larger. The yellow panels at the top of the picture are especially hard to find. Fancy a snack? This food stand should have a large sticker of a hamburger across the two 1x4 white bricks. In its absence, I converted it into a pizzeria. Sorry for the rotten pic quality. This is the back of the main station, which shows you how substantial it really is. Look at the beautiful "elevated train" supports and long platform! Unlike the 6990 and 6991 space monorails, Lego put serious effort into making the monorail's two stops relevant and exciting to build. Top view. My road plate is slightly incorrect; the correct version is light gray with a white printed crosswalk, but it is also very expensive. This is the other station for 6399. Locating it on the ground level and on a green road plate associates this station with the Shuttle's raison d'être: most airports have green baseplates, while downtown sets of the era were on gray. The white and red awning is a work of art and also forms the "T" logo that appears on many of the set's (missing) stickers. Once again, another wide platform. You can add a crowd of extra civilians to this set and still have room for more. A few shots of the 6597 Century Skyway I purchased to accompany the Airport Shuttle. I know this is not a formal review, but here are a few closing thoughts: The 6399 is unlike any public transit set released so far for Town because of its versatility; the monorail tracks allow for multi-leveled setups, and the tough, simple 9V battery system means that there are no cords to mess with. Besides, monorail tracks are only 4 studs wide, freeing up major space. Plus, I have never had more fun building and playing with a Lego set: for the price of a UCS Star Wars set that just sits and collects dust (cough*Death Star II*cough), I chose to own a classic.
February 4, 200916 yr Very nice restoration, Voltio. That arch/ curved panel technique is indeed beautiful. Simple, yet effective How can your DSII gather dust when it is so neatly covered? Beware the dark side of the Force; it has the power to shrink-wrap!
February 4, 200916 yr Author Thanks for the appreciative words, but I still have one improvement to make: I used MS Paint and online scans to prepare some replacement stickers for the set; all I need now is some decal paper, and I'm in business. And about the dust: dust really infuriates me, so I cover my larger, more expensive sets with Saran Wrap when not in use. Dust FTL.
February 4, 200916 yr Nice town! I used to love this train, but the high price one has to pay for it now is simply not for the weak of heart... Congrats on owning one of the most sought after sets of Lego~ Beautiful layout there! Esp. love the tunnel which the train passes through... Nice!
February 4, 200916 yr this was my favourite set i remember getting it one christmas, i still have it and it works but its not set up currently. The strange thing is the battery box is black and im not sure where my red one is but i know i have it somewhere! I also remember not being allowed to buy the track extention pack :(
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