New book: LEGO Train Projects
Posted by Huw,
No Starch Press continues to publish high quality LEGO titles, although its output has slowed down a bit recently. This year, two books are due, High-Tech LEGO by Grady Koch, and the subject of this article, LEGO Train Projects by Charles Pritchett.
The 210-page paperback contains instructions for building seven items of rolling stock: five wagons, one passenger coach and one locomotive.
The models in the book are based on US prototypes. There's certainly a good variety and if you were to build them all you'd have an impressive and interesting mixed freight train.
As is usual for this kind of book, there's a brief introduction on how to use the instructions and where to buy the required parts. The instructions themselves are clear and concise.
A bill of materials is provided with each, and parts lists are also available online which can be imported into BrickLink or elsewhere to ease buying the required pieces.
The instructions for a electro-diesel EMD FL9 locomotive, which were built in the 1960s for use on the line between Connecticut and New York, will be reason enough for many to buy this book. A pair for double-heading your train would, I suspect, look very impressive.
It's not powered: the author suggests building the box car and placing a motor in it.
The presentation and content of the book are second to none, as we've come to expect from No Starch Press, and if you want to build some American-style rolling stock to supplement official sets on your layout you will find a lot to like here.
It's published at the beginning of September and can be pre-ordered from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com, and also directly from No Starch Press, where you can buy a digital copy, or receive a free digital copy with a physical book.
Thanks to No Starch Press for sending a digital copy to facilitate this article. All opinions expressed are my own.
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21 comments on this article
Oh yes. That looks interesting. One for the Christmas list, methinks!
I'm definitely getting this book... I've been trying to build a low-belly car with a transformer load for a while now. Can't quite get the load quite right!
Might be getting this.
Otoh, if they made a similar one based on German prototypes it would be a day one purchase.
I think I might get this for my Dad who is a big fan of trains.
There's a further contents pdf page on Amazon. Seems to be instructions for different types of wagons, coaches and locomotive. To replicate something similar directly from the photos is probably not that difficult, but that is generally the way with small builds. Finding the pieces may take more time, but they have steered away from steam trains which are the hardest to source. Also worth checking out the Lego Trains Book, which although is 5 years old, the designs do not really change that much.
I've been getting into trains quite a bit more lately. I don't necessarily have the room to expand my track, but I have been wanting to make some train MOC's. This looks right up my alley!
nice
Looks interesting.... sorry to read that the flatcar is depressed. Cheer up flatcar!
@Bricklunch said:
"Looks interesting.... sorry to read that the flatcar is depressed. Cheer up flatcar! "
It's not on the top16 list of best sets since 2000. No wonder it's depressed. ;-)
Man, sometimes I feel like a depressed flatcar...
Cool, a gift idea for the family for Christmas!
@AustinPowers: There is no justice.... well, except mob justice.
Ive always wanted to build one of those EMD 1950s/60s locomotives! The Sante Fe Super Chief from Lego was really good but sadly I missed out so maybe this will do!
Hmm. Not a train person myself, but I like it.
Listen up LEGO, this is what the people want...as official sets!
This is really interesting, I was pondering getting into the trains line to complement my modulars, once I have more space. This might be the way to finally convince me to get into it. Really cool builds with good variety as well.
I wonder if the rear bogey on that locomotive gets tight in the curves...
As a big fan of Lego trains, I think this is a great idea! I loved the train cars released as individual sets back in the 2000s and am so sorry that Lego has not done that approach to Lego train sets since then. There is SO much potential there for a neat variety of train cars. Lego must feel it wouldn't appeal to a large enough market. I will concede on the Ideas site, there are a lot of cool trains/engines that fans have built, but they are/were not even close to getting enough votes to reach the 10000 review threshold. So trains might be too much of a niche market for Lego to justify having a large number of trains sets taking up the present assembly lines. While the Crocodile was not my first choice of train engines for Lego to pitch to the AFOL market, I think it is a nice set and hope that the sales will be encouraging enough so that they release more sets of this caliber (and more frequently). Something like the Big Boy or the Polar Express Berkshire would be so exciting! And sell sets for the passenger cars to go with it! But for now, a book like this where it has the instructions for several different cars/designs is exactly the kind of stuff we need until Lego decides to up the game in the train theme (still dreaming). I will perhaps pick this up!
@TomKazutara said:
"this is nice, but it would be much easier if Lego just produce more train- and train accessory sets"
I have been on that soapbox for years. The last rolling stock set was 2126 from 1997 and the individual rolling stock sets from My Own Train and the TTX Intermodal 10170.
Every time the push something like those out, I grab multiple copies.
With the new Powered Up, you should be able to put a motor on the front axle set of that EMD FL9 as long as it's a six-wide build. I was able to Power Up my Santa Fe engines off of 9V with those but it is a little expensive.
Well Brickset, you've done it again! I purchased a 60198 Cargo Train set to get started, and the book is preordered. Now where can I find enough space for it...