BrickLink Designer Program Series 8 finalists revealed!

I love (and voted) for the balloon and the university, so I may have to get them, once prices are announced and budgets can be balanced. Definitely excited!

Aha! Tax Collector's Castle :o) Very nice indeed.

I'd certainly be interested in the Brick Railroad. Reminds me of the push-along Lone Star Union Pacific Diesel I had as a kid. Used to love Lone Star Trains almost as much as Lego!
https://images.app.goo.gl/cMgoQBM5YiY1ReAz8

@sjr60 said:
"I'd certainly be interested in the Brick Railroad. Reminds me of the push-along Lone Star Union Pacific Diesel I had as a kid. Used to love Lone Star Trains almost as much as Lego!
https://images.app.goo.gl/cMgoQBM5YiY1ReAz8 "

I was hoping for the Railroad Retreat myself, but this also works.

https://www.bricklink.com/v3/designer-program/series-8/2690/Railway-Retreat

4k pieces what is that $400...anyways glad most you like them...
Will Arnett Out, Nick Cannon In as LEGO Masters Host next year,
scheduling conflicts.

Three of them, the train would have been included if it had carriages. As it is, another expensive but interesting series.

Will probably get the hot air balloon and maybe Coconut Cape if the price is okay.

@daniellesa said:
"Three of them, the train would have been included if it had carriages. As it is, another expensive but interesting series."

I tend to agree that the engine looks a little less attractive without more.

Likewise, I wish the pirate building was finished on all sides.

The castle, balloon, and university are fantastic. The castle does look a little vacant inside. Maybe some detailing will occur before the final model is approved.

That train is so obviously a warbonnet that I'm curious if Lego is playing dumb or if BNSF has agreed a licensing deal?

Oh, that train locomotive is beautiful.

@daniellesa said:
"Three of them, the train would have been included if it had carriages. As it is, another expensive but interesting series."

Just buy the carriages separately....oh wait, this isn't the 80s anymore....

I want all of Series 6, none of Series 7.

Series 6 will hurt the wallet. And since don't want any from Series 7, I'll be able to recover and save up for the two in Series 8 I want.

Duskmark Keep
Coconut Cape

@tedgarb said:
"That train is so obviously a warbonnet that I'm curious if Lego is playing dumb or if BNSF has agreed a licensing deal?"

I doubt they're playing dumb, that'd be a really hard position for them to defend given 10020 even if that was 25 years ago, surely their legal team is more competent than their IT department [cheap shot?].

BrickLink Designer sets are likely to have a comparatively higher overhead relative to retail sets because of the limited run, and the designer gets a cut as well. Its hard to imagine they'd consider shrinking the pie any further with a licensing deal, especially on such a limited run set when they could have chosen any of a host of other sets [or a dozen other trains for that matter] without the complication. They picked this version of the three versions the designer submitted, so it must have hit the price-point they wanted and they must not consider it an issue.

I wonder if TLG's legal team determined the shape of the locomotive is "generic" enough not to be considered an EMD F series engine, and that the livery [without the pinstripe?] isn't specific enough to be a "bonnet"? Alaskan Railroad runs a dark blue and yellow livery as do a number of others.

Maybe the "warbonnet" ["yellow bonnet" here] isn't subject to trademark/trade dress any longer? If BNSF isn't actively "using it in commerce"/protecting that livery its possible the trademark is considered abandoned [would model railroad licensing deals keep the trademark protected? those are probably a thing right?]. Its hard to believe that would be the case with what is probably the most recognizable livery on rails.

Or, perhaps TLG have revisited/renewed their previous deal with BNSF and we'll see a licensed train sometime in the near future?

Its an interesting pick considering, not that it isn't just a really nice looking model.

@yellowcastle said:
"I don’t need Tortuga. I don’t need Tortuga."
Keep saying the same thing in my head

@WizardOfOss said:
"Nice locomotive! The only one I would be actually interested in.

I do quite like the balloon though, particularly the way it is displayed with the clouds. As for the other three, all seem like great detailed builds, but just not my cup of tea. And again two 4k piece sets, how many €400 castles do we need?"

Yeah, the big castles are seriously losing impact if they release one every single year. At this point I need to get selective of what castles to get. Duskmark Keep has an interesting desert setting, but because of that it doesn't really fit in with any of my other castles, so it may be the first Bricklink castle offering I'm going to skip. Even though it looks fantastic.

Coconut Cape is another beautiful Caribbean-style building with a marvellous colour scheme that would blend in perfectly well with the pirate-themed sets, but at the same time I notice I'm not as impressed with it as I was with previous offerings. I feel this is a set I wouldn't necessarily miss if I skipped it, which doesn't mean the design isn't great, but we've been getting spoiled with pirate and castle sets lately, and it's all just a bit too much of the same thing -- especially if you don't live in a castle-sized home yourself. :'-)

@Sarge10 said:
" @yellowcastle said:
"I don’t need Tortuga. I don’t need Tortuga."
Keep saying the same thing in my head
"

Ordered it with Transylvania. Couldn't let it pass.

Each one is awesome!

Definitely wil get Coconut Cape. I like the colors, not too big so I hope the price will be acceptable. And it is a very nice addition to the pirates theme. I will order Dustmark Keep too. Love the idea of a desert setting and it looks great opened up. The university looks great too, but a third one will be a bit to expensive I am afraid... Maybe the balloon. Not too big, so I might convince myself to add it to my order if the price is reasonable.

University of Science looks incredible and Hot Air Balloon is beautiful too. I hope they won't cost an arm and a leg.

Coconut Cape looks delightful; smashing job!

At first I thought Dustmark Keep was another lighthouse. Then I realised that horses in an orange sea was a bit strange!

@bricks4everyone said:
"University of Science looks incredible and Hot Air Balloon is beautiful too. I hope they won't cost an arm and a leg. "

Two arms, a couple of legs and your firstborn child.

Much better selection than series 7. This might be the first series that I consider buying all 5 sets... although it'll depend on the prices. They're all beautiful though.

Happy Papa’s Day to all the fathers. Reward yourself with some Tortuga. :o)

Main upside of this is that in a year the exchange rates might improve for old Norse… even if do want a few of current series, just hard to go that deep right now. More than double cost compared to modular.

Woluld love a creator spotlight or overview article, as someone mentioned no Smurf / mushroom this time, but seems similar names as well..?

Also kudos to Lego for finally slotting in Almost limitless production run, no excessive fomo and likely less scalpers hoarding

For Reference:

Starting with Series 7, Fan Designers may only be selected as a Finalist once per calendar year. In earlier series, there was not a limit. While we love our repeat Finalists and their creations, we're setting this limit to ensure more people have the opportunity to be selected and see their sets produced.

So the 2 JonasKramm submissions were eligible and can be resubmitted for the next series.

We’ll lose Brickproject and KingCreations for a few cycles, though.

I can’t wait for more from krackenator and SleeplessNight.

2025
Series 7 - BrickPerfection, LeeWan, Brickproject, Shram, terauma
Series 8 - ThomasRoeder, BallisticBricks, brick bucket, KingCreations, exesandbox
Series 9
Series 10

@antiochdj said:
" @bricks4everyone said:
"University of Science looks incredible and Hot Air Balloon is beautiful too. I hope they won't cost an arm and a leg. "

Two arms, a couple of legs and your firstborn child."

And don't forget 7 kidneys. Luckily you only need one.

For anyone wanting to build the balloon 18 months early, some partial instructions showing how to do the main shaping were already released some time ago on eurobricks.

https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/forums/topic/202977-moc-hot-air-balloon/

@sjr60 said:
"I'd certainly be interested in the Brick Railroad. Reminds me of the push-along Lone Star Union Pacific Diesel I had as a kid. Used to love Lone Star Trains almost as much as Lego!
https://images.app.goo.gl/cMgoQBM5YiY1ReAz8"

First N-scale trains ever, correct?

I've got a little set with a tank loco (plus two box cars, a small flat car, and brake van), but the track has proven hard to find. I've got maybe half an oval. I may end up just buying some N-scale track, but I've heard that the diecast track was not standard gauge for N-scale, but Treble-O-Lectric was.

@cody6268 said:
" @sjr60 said:
"I'd certainly be interested in the Brick Railroad. Reminds me of the push-along Lone Star Union Pacific Diesel I had as a kid. Used to love Lone Star Trains almost as much as Lego!
https://images.app.goo.gl/cMgoQBM5YiY1ReAz8 "

First N-scale trains ever, correct?

I've got a little set with a tank loco (plus two box cars, a small flat car, and brake van), but the track has proven hard to find. I've got maybe half an oval. I may end up just buying some N-scale track, but I've heard that the diecast track was not standard gauge for N-scale, but Treble-O-Lectric was. "
Lone Star was 000 Gauge (9.42mm rather than 9mm for N Gauge). Rails went from die-cast metal for push-along to metal/plastic for Treble-O-Lectric then to solid plastic for the final push-along (which I had). Some of the Treble-O-Lectric items seem to be labeled 000/n gauge but the compatability seems to be more by luck than judgement!

@yellowcastle said:
"I don’t need Tortuga. I don’t need Tortuga."

Hang in there bud, I'm saying the same XD

@yellowcastle said:
"Happy Papa’s Day to all the fathers. Reward yourself with some Tortuga. :o)"

Finally! Sheesh.

Happy Father's Day!

Dissappointed the Mushroom Haven didn't get selected. Not really sure about this series overall, but will be picking up the hot air balloon at least.

For me, University

read you can get double insider points but not jane austin

F for the "Galactic Space Ferry 'Mariner'," has the author published the instructions?