New book on 1980s trains now available

@Jack_Rizzo said:
"That diorama on pages 200-201 is delightful!"

Or Legorama, if you will :)

The ‘Google Translate’ app is your friend for this.
The camera function will translate on screen as it sees the page.
It’s not perfect but I’ve used it for other non English books quite successfully, especially for books like this that aren’t walls of text.

I really enjoyed German at school, but then got 'unclassified' for the O Level, so I guess I didn't understand it as well as I thought!

I have set 7720 the Diesel train set and it was one of my favorite sets from that time. I always wanted to build a full diorama with trains, and a village on a large board but never had enough sets to full do so. I was amazed when I went to Legoland Denmark as a child and could see huge cities and trains along with the airport and all the vehicles would move around. It was mesmerizing.

@spence said:
"“…and instructions for models designed in the aesthetic of the era, using only parts available at the time.”

Is it just me or are there several parts in that little cargo lift that weren’t available in the 80s?"

Great looking book that really oozes the same vibes as ideas book 7777.

It's not just you though. In the 3rd image they explain in the text that the bridge over the river is deliberately constructed with studless technic beams to obtain a realistic triangled structure. The studless beam wasn't around until 2000. The last image shows a reddish brown crate (1998) and in the 3rd image again one can see that the tunnel entrance uses masonry bricks, available since 2012 - and in tan since 2016.

Not a train guy myself but I do love the throwback look to the old catalogues of the 1980s and early 1990s…!

This is fantastic. Tempted to get it despite my inability to read German. This is the type of expansion, alternate instructions and set integration that I wish lego would do with today’s trains/city sets.

Gliding back 41 years (ouch) to Christmas 81 and I received my first Lego 12V set and transformer, I also got hold of the ideas book 7777 but never had the means to actually construct anything really that was shown, Bricklink and a reasonably well paid job / room to put it all would have to wait! But this looks like my dream type of layout from the early 80s. I still have the inter city train with box (although most of the actual parts seem to have disappeared) and what is left still powers up and goes around the track but my city is currently without a railway...

Really hoping for a US/English translation.. Too bad its not available now in the US or it would be added to my Christmas wishlist ASAP

I really like the 7745 - 4558 -mash-up on the fourth picture! :-)

Nice, very tempted to order this....und glücklich verstehe ich Deutsch ziemlich gut :-)

I'm told NoStarch Press have had discussions regarding an English version.
Email them to say you would like an English version - info @nostarch.com

LEGO trains in the '80s were something I only ever saw on the pages of catalogues and dreamed of having; this book takes me right back there!

(I am unashamedly stealing that water tower too...)

@ajf350d said:
"The ‘Google Translate’ app is your friend for this.
The camera function will translate on screen as it sees the page.
It’s not perfect but I’ve used it for other non English books quite successfully, especially for books like this that aren’t walls of text."

There is a much better alternative to Google translate: deepl.com

The idiomatic and grammar accuracy is superior. The downside is that you need to supply the text, you can't just point at text with your camera like with Google lens.

How badly do people want this translated? I could probably do it with a few small errors but I'm not sure how we would package the translation

Those elaborate setups look like some horribly over-engineered public transport infrastructure dreamt up by town planners who have a little bit too much enthusiasm for trains.

But they look like ridiculously good fun for fans of Lego trains :D

I would *love* to see more of these retro idea books with a focus on keeping the content period accurate, maybe with a smattering of modern technological improvements that don't break the aesthetic.

Especially for space and castle themes.

@Huw I can help with translation. Looks like another great book from HoMa.

We really need Control+ lights and swtiches, better availability of straight track and a less curvy track. Why come with al lstatic crap like Star Waks (thats how the kids call it), Eiffel towers and Bonsai when we can have moving stuff on the attic adults can actually play with?

Ich auch:-) Aber Englisch verstehe ich besser:-))

I got my first 12V set (7730) around 1983, followed a short while after by the ideas book 7777. I pored over the catalogues each year, and my dream was to find 7750 in a British shop... sadly it only ever seemed to be available on the Continent.

The first photo of the steam train with two triple wheeled motors would solve all my problems with moving more than three carriages (which the modern motor struggles with). I'm assuming the middle wheel is not powered, but the aesthetic with the power rods also look a lot better than possible now, where the motor is usually placed under the tender but this is not ideal location.

The workshop in the last photo is cool, although the grey beam support with 3 stud connector to roof looks a bit odd.

@Rare_White_Ape said:
"Those elaborate setups look like some horribly over-engineered public transport infrastructure dreamt up by town planners who have a little bit too much enthusiasm for trains."
You've never been in Tokyo I guess ;-)

https://i.imgur.com/9oXNySJ.jpg

(to be fair, that Legoramas need less mountains, more buildings)