The 4.5v Idea Book! PF Style!

[Electricsteam]

I Was looking at the 4.5v Idea book and it looks amazing enginuity of Lego back in the day!

But I belive Lego now has not achived the same level of enginuity compared to that time.

So I was thinking that we should recreat some of the things from the 4.5v Idea book using Power functions!

There are so many track side buildings, cranes, mines, airports, trains screaming to be built with today's Legos!

There are pictures of the Santa Fe Super Chief in the Idea book! A few of my favorites is a Space-Streamlined locomotive and a few cool cargo depots.

Here is the Great Idea book Link! http://www.peeron.com/cgi-bin/invcgis/scans/241-1?ct=1

Edited April 17, 2013 by Electricsteam

[Electricsteam]

Hey guys I need help to scale the art deco streamlined locomotive in the first picture to a larger size. anyone got some ideas?

[Hey Joe]

There are so many more parts these days, it seems more difficult TO DESIGN WELL now than it did then.

4.5v was 'my time' and given enough bricks - Mom! Dad! C'mon! - could've built the things in that book at the age of eight. Also, the buildings were certainly smaller and simplier, weren't they?

Lego trains never used to turn me on much, they were too 'blocky' IMO. They were also quite expensive at the time.

Maybe a better way to look at it would be to say that consumers are lazier now? We can just buy cool sets.

Anyway, it looks fun to build that stuff. I'd like to make a crane car and station myself but am planning on using modern parts.

Have fun, Joe

Edited April 18, 2013 by bjtpro

[Hrw-Amen]

I think part of the problem nowadays is that there are just so many parts that it is almost as though if a thing you build does not resemble an actual scale model of something people are going to trash your efforts, whereas back then as long as it was vaguely the right shape that was then reasonably good. Yes those days were fun and I did enjoy the trains back then, but I would rather have what we have now and the ability to build something more realistic in a LEGOy kind of way. I would love to see a new LEGO Trains Ideas book brought out that was up to date though. It is handy to have a reference book or picture of what you are trying to build, especially as my building desk is nowhere near my computer desk and even on different floors!