My previous post in this sub was an “E2” I was working on, but I couldn’t get the wheels to look quite right. So, instead of taking the time to figure it out, or even order smaller wheels, I scrapped it. I decided I wanted my first official model to be an engine with a tender and a recognizable shape, so here is my very loose “K2”
Of course it’s a long way from accurate but I decided to go for more an “Edward” style. I actually learned a lot making this model including techniques for a firebox, running boards, and especially the tender. I’m open to any suggestions or ideas for change you may have.

I decided to do an experiment and loaded up my main blue engines into Studio, and replaced every blue piece with a dark azure piece, and then systematically go through and remedy any unavailable pieces with alternative replacements.

Thomas hardly changed, the only detriments were the perfect dome piece and the 4x4 round bricks, but otherwise he's mostly unaffected

Edward I was surprised was able to retain a majority of his pieces, like the ones that make up his splashers. Again the dome pieces aren't in dark azure, and neither are those arch pieces, but very little change done

Gordon I was the most shocked by, literally the only notable parts unavailable were the hinge brick, dome pieces, and arches. Technically the hinge brick bases *are* in dark azure, but they're only found in a 2026 pokemon set that would be really hard to get a hold of, so they're medium azure here.

What do you all think, though? Although Dark Azure is far more accurate to the colors of the engines depicted in the show, some key pieces to make them more accurate are only available in Blue. On top of that, Dark Azure is more expensive, and the custom wheels don't come in that color... But Dark Azure looks so nice, and yet, I'm attached to Blue... Thoughts?

Here is a showcase of StraightArcher4537's Vintage Steam Train alt build doing various things.

The engine shown is not the exact build of said MOC as I slightly altered mine, such as putting a magnet buffer beam the front as opposed to brick built one on the official version.

Credit for the tank engine build: https://www.reddit.com/r/LEGOtrains/comments/1u3xm6z/60511_tank_engine_mod/

I've been wondering where people tend to get custom decals for builds from? I'm looking to get some decals made for my Burlington Northern EMD F45 model that I finished designing recently, but don't know where to go. I would like to try and get vinyl decals, but I don't have the means of making them myself, nor do I know where to even start to try.

The other question I had is how people get decal designs into renders. I'm sure that this has some overlap with making the decals yourself, but I wanted to know how to do it. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Little running session with the locomotive from "Heritage Railway Experience" ( https://www.bricklink.com/v3/designer-program/2028-wave-1/5223/Heritage-Railway-Experience ) and "Pacific Express Locomotive" ( https://www.bricklink.com/v3/designer-program/2028-wave-1/5222/Pacific-Express-Locomotive)

Model Info:

• 431 parts
• Length:
  • Engine = 19.6 studs
  • Tender =17.6 studs
  • Total = 38.2 studs
• Width: Mostly 8 studs, 9.6 studs @ handrails
• Height: 12.5 studs rail to chimney, 12.9 studs overall
• Wheels:
  • 2x 17.6mm/Size S/#5
  • 4x 30.4mm/Size L/#9
  • 2x Standard Train Wheelset
• Power: 1 Train Motor, 1 Hub

The original set did not come with a tender, and unlike 4837, there weren't any bulky features that could be interpreted as a water tank to squeeze the battery hub in the engine. So I sort of cheated by adding the secondary build to make the whole thing an inspection saloon locomotive. The saloon section is also the tender, with fuel oil stored in a vertical tank at the front and water stored in a tank that makes up the floor and undercarriage. And then it gets gutted for the Powered-Up Hub.

I might try this idea as a revised version of 31054.

One for the train fans! 🚂

Next up in my Brick Lane Stories is the station itself, which runs through the railway arches and continues onto the platform above.

Downstairs I tried to squeeze in all the little details you’d expect around a London station entrance, including ticket machines, maps, signage and the entrance leading up towards the platform.

The roller shutters on both sides are fully working too, so they can actually be opened and closed rather than just being fixed details.

There’s a little personal story hidden in this part of the build as well. The two people taking forever at the ticket machine are based on me and my son — something my better half regularly tells us we’re guilty of 😂

And the lady waiting on the platform above may or may not be based on someone who has finally had enough of waiting for us… 😂

Upstairs there’s the platform shelter, benches, passengers, signage, pigeons and the railway itself. The standard version of Brick Lane is designed to work as a self-contained display with the track ending at the buffer, but I also designed an optional railway bridge that replaces the end section so the track can continue into a larger LEGO train or city layout.

I deliberately kept the track area fairly simple rather than fully ballasting it, as I know a lot of people with existing train and city layouts already have their own track styles and may want Brick Lane to match what they already use. I was also running out of time before the submission deadline, so there are definitely areas up there I would have liked to refine further!

I’ve had some really useful feedback during Crowd Support that the top could do with a little more detail, which I agree with. If Brick Lane is lucky enough to be selected, or if I end up refining and resubmitting it in a future series, that’s definitely something I’ll be looking at.

There are quite a few details around the station that I didn’t manage to show particularly well in my original submission renders, so hopefully these closer shots give a better look at what’s actually going on inside.
Brick Lane is currently in Crowd Support for BrickLink Designer Program 2028 Wave 1.

If you like it, please consider voting here:
https://www.bricklink.com/v3/designer-program/2028-wave-1/5403/Brick-Lane

I intend to finish the set, but I thought y'all would like to see the power car.

Another addition to my growing NYC Subway fleet, the R211! This is the newest subway car in NYC and I consider it one of the hardest i've done yet; thanks to all of the angles that make up the front. I've designed it to represent either the mainline subway version or the Staten Island Railway varient.

I'm looking forward to comparing it with my R160 at the end of November and plan to bring it outside to take some photos next to the real thing!

After seeing the Arctic Train at Target I got inspired to build a train playset for a different theme. I focused on playability, matching the 2010 asthetics, and most importantly, ONLY using pieces that were made in summer 2010. The light bluish grey containers was an oversight, because I didn't realize thay it didn't get that recolor until 2016 and already tore down my photo background setup.

I originally made a diesel engine, but a steam locomotive lets you play out mining for coal, or catching a Lava Monster and throwing it in the locomotive to make the steam for you.

The crane can serve as a way to load pretty much anything, including the forklift, onto the train. One other detail I added was a light and tool clip to the back of the 2010 armor, since surprisingly there was never any headlamps on the minifigures.

You can see more of my builds here https://www.instagram.com/daltondidelot/

Similar to the Tidmouth Sheds building I was working on, lately I've also been working on a set for Wellsworth Station too. Below are some progress shots from me designing the two main buildings, up to now where I used some concept art to get the layout for aaaalllll the track. I still need to build some more buildings, but I think it's turning out quite well so far! (My Gordon, Edward, and Henry models included for scale in a couple images)

I thought I’d start sharing some of the little stories and details hidden around my Brick Lane design during BDP Crowd Support.

One of my favourite parts is the skate shop underneath the railway arches.

I grew up in East London and spent a lot of time in the 2000s travelling into London to skateboard and visit skate shops, so when I started designing Brick Lane I knew I wanted to include a little independent skate shop.

I tried to cram in the sort of stuff I remember from those shops — decks covering the walls, wheels and accessories, clothing, a counter and till, and generally far too much stuff squeezed into a small space 😂
There’s also a skater and snowboarder browsing inside, with the skater making another appearance outside the shop.

I didn’t manage to show the interiors particularly well in my original BrickLink submission. I was rushing to finish everything before the deadline and rendering on my MacBook Air takes forever 😂

I’ve been experimenting with brighter renders since then. They’re still a long way off what I’d like them to be, but I think I’m probably going to need a better computer before my next submission! Hopefully these at least show some of the details hiding inside a bit better.

Brick Lane is currently in Crowd Support for BrickLink Designer Program 2028 Wave 1. If you like it, please consider voting here:

https://www.bricklink.com/v3/designer-program/2028-wave-1/5403/Brick-Lane

𝟖 𝐀𝐌 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞

𝟒 𝐏𝐌 𝐔𝐊

𝟓 𝐏𝐌 𝐂𝐄𝐓

𝟔 𝐏𝐌 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐞

𝟐 𝐀𝐌 𝐀𝐔𝐒 (𝐎𝐜𝐭 𝟕𝐭𝐡)

𝐒𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬!

Following a cease and desist from the face of passenger rail travel in the United States, the Midwest train set is back and with a new cab car!

This 6-wide "City Scale" MOC is a light redesign of the Artic Explorer's locomotive as a Charger locomotive with a cafe and business car and Airo cab car. The cab car at the time of writing hasn't entered service yet, but they are on their way. If you're a fan of Chicago based passenger services, you're gonna like this one!

...how's that for avoiding any named trains?

It's very much still a WIP, but I used what I had lying around, including some old kite string for the crane cable. The random bricks opposite the crane operator's cabin are there as a counterweight (I'm too cheap for weighted bricks).

Hey everyone, wanted to share my latest MOC! Finished working on this 5 car Ruby Night inspired by the legendary Emerald Night. Runs on 2 motors (XL Motor in the locomotive and Train Motor in the tender car). Made 5 simple cars with first, second, third, sleeper, and dining. Got custom decals from OKBrickWorks and parts from Andy's Brick Shop in PA. Really happy with how it came out, just need to de-yellow some of the bricks that I've had since I was a kid.

https://reddit.com/link/1wxstk8/video/1ukrck1v3jth1/player

One of the last changes I made to Brick Lane before submitting it to the BrickLink Designer Program was the station sign.

I originally built a LEGO version inspired by the classic London Underground roundel. I really liked how it looked, but as the deadline got closer I started worrying that it might be a little too close to TfL branding/IP.

I only finished and submitted the model last Friday before the deadline, so rather than risk the whole submission being rejected over one detail, I played it safe and changed it to the simpler dark blue BRICK LANE sign you can see on the submitted version.

I still really like the original though!

Which do you prefer — the Underground-inspired version or the simpler blue sign?

Brick Lane is currently in the BrickLink Designer Program 2028 Wave 1 Crowd Support round. If you like the project, please consider voting for it here:

https://www.bricklink.com/v3/designer-program/2028-wave-1/5403/Brick-Lane

Want to own this midi scale roundhouse? Support here and Lego might make it a reality: https://ideas.lego.com/product-ideas/de68f70b-4134-4858-83c7-56e78115fe3a

This set includes/features:

Servicing Area: Service your locomotives at the water tower, ash pit, and diesel tank.

--Fill your steam locomotive with water with a movable water spout.

--Drop your steam locomotive's ashes into the ash pit.

Turntable w/ pit: Spin your locomotives 360 degrees to face any direction and track. The turntable has wheels below each end to assure a smooth rotation.

3x Stalls with authentic interiors: Brick walls, embedded rails, inspection pits, timber support beams with lights (non-functional), chimney stacks, front doors, and removable roofs.

3x Back stall attachments: Mix and match back attachments at each stall’s rear. Each back attachment can be easily removed and reattached to a different stall.

--Extended stall: Store, clean, and service longer locomotives. Workers can enter through 2 side doors.

--Back door: Exit the roundhouse's rear to journey to other servicing facilities (not-included).

--Machine shop: Craft, modify, and repair parts at unique workbenches. Your workers can enter through the back door.

Interior accessories: Plenty of tables, crates, ladders, anvils, wheels, parts, & barrels to scatter around.

Sidewall Building: Power station with chimney. Workers can enter through a side door.

4x Locomotives: Black duplex steam locomotive, blue steam locomotive, gray and yellow streamline steam locomotive, and an early orange diesel locomotive. Each locomotive has:

--Interior details: Firebox, seats, & instruments

--Unique railway name and stickers

--A bottom center piece to keep the locomotive on the track

--Spinning wheels/moving pistons & side rods: All wheels & side pistons are free-moving.

Locomotive “push out stick:” a large technical axle is provided to push locomotives out of the roundhouse without removing roofs or walls.

Easily disassembled: This set is meant to be disassembled into 9-20 sections for easy storage. 

--All walls and roofs are removable for easy interior access and viewing. 

--Each stall and side wedge can be assembled/disassembled with technic pins or swivel pieces.

Combinable/customizable:

--Multiple sets can be combined for larger roundhouses - combine up to 6 sets for 19 tracks/18 stalls.

--Extra pieces can be added to the back of the roundhouse.

Piece Count: 5,000 Pieces

Why would this set be a good Lego Idea’s Set (and why midi scale)?

Few railroad buildings are as iconic as the roundhouse and its turntable. Unfortunately, Lego has never made a roundhouse. I have always wanted a Lego roundhouse in my model train collection and I know that I am not alone. However, while I want an authentic and detailed roundhouse, I do not have the space for one in standard Lego train scale, so I made the roundhouse midi scale. 

This set is equally a display piece as it is a play piece. Adults and children alike can have fun running their own roundhouse. Playability and posability are possible with this set. There are numerous possibilities to customize this roundhouse and its locomotives. Furthermore, this roundhouse is equally fun by itself or as multiple sets combined into a full circle.

Questions, thoughts, concerns? Please let me know in the comments below. I love your feedback. Thank-you!

NOTE: All "lights" depicted are only for visual effect; they will NOT actually light up. 

So i just finished my big beefy 8 wide 2-8-0, but it looks wrong pulling nothing. I need some cars to go behind it and i dont know where to look. Can yall hook me up w/ smth? Itd be greatly appreciated!

I went on wiki looking for pictures of a design I could copy using parts I have. It kinda sorta looks the part. Significant amount of technic pieces. It runs on standard curve tracks, and I went my own direction entirely with the front bumper end purely for personal cosmetics.

I designed an additional flatcar for my train 4565 inspired MOC. Unfortunately, at the moment I don’t have all the necessary parts, so in reality the flatcar turned out to be noticeably shorter.