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THE ISSUE Big Boys Toys BIG by Mark Stafford Finding the Builders of Tomorrow USS Harry S. Truman by Malle Hawking THE ISSUE Big Boys Toys BIG by Mark Stafford Event Reports The Real LEGO Factory BrickStructures AND MORE! by Adam Tucker Now Build A Firm Foundation in its 4th ® Printing! for Your LEGO Hobby! Have you ever wondered about the basics (and the not-so-basics) of LEGO building? What exactly is a slope? What’s the difference between a tile and a plate? Why is it bad to simply stack bricks in columns to make a wall? The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide is here to answer your questions. You’ll learn: • The best ways to connect bricks and creative uses for those patterns • Tricks for calculating and using scale (it’s not as hard as you think) • The step-by-step plans to create a train station on the scale of LEGO people (aka minifigs) • How to build spheres, jumbo-sized LEGO bricks, micro-scaled models, and a mini space shuttle • Tips for sorting and storing all of your LEGO pieces The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide also includes the Brickopedia, a visual guide to more than 300 of the most useful and reusable elements of the LEGO system, with historical notes, common uses, part numbers, and the year each piece first appeared in a LEGO set. Focusing on building actual models with real bricks, The LEGO Builder’s Guide comes with complete instructions to build several cool models but also encourages you to use your imagination to build fantastic creations! The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide by Allan Bedford No Starch Press ISBN 1-59327-054-2 $24.95, 376 pp. AVAILABLE NOW Available in bookstores everywhere or directly from the publisher at www.nostarch.com. Visit the author’s website at www.apotome.com for more information. Volume #1 Issue 5 Contents From the Editor ................................................................................................. 2 Commentary: The Future of 9v Trains? ...................................................................... 3 Events Klodsfest 2006 .................................................................................................. 4 FIRST LEGO League World Festival ........................................................................... 7 7 Building Tomorrow Campaign Launch .................................................................... 13 Paris International Model Show ............................................................................ 20 Gaming BrickSpace ...................................................................................................23 The LEGO Group Building LEGOLAND .........................................................................................26 The Real LEGO Factory ........................................................................................31 MegaBuilding Television Tower, Stuttgart, Germany .......................................................................37 23 Building Medieval, LEGO-Style ..............................................................................41 What a Ride! (Rollercoaster) ..................................................................................45 Ferryboats, Rockets, Towers and Totems ...................................................................48 USS Harry S. Truman ..........................................................................................50 Mark’s Modular Movers. .59 Reaching the Sky with LEGO Buildings .....................................................................65 Space Shuttle Discovery ......................................................................................71 People In His Own Words: Pat Bunn .................................................................................74 In Her Own Words: MisaQa ..................................................................................77 26 Building You Can Build it: Tractor and Equipment ...................................................................80 You Can Build it: MINI Invisible Hand .........................................................................82 Microscale Train Building .....................................................................................85 You Can Build it: Street Vignette ............................................................................90 You Can Build it: CL415 FIrefighting Plane .................................................................91 Minifig Decal Application ....................................................................................97 Designing and Creating a Custom Minifigure ...........................................................101 MINDSTORMS Building: Railroad Crossing ..............................................................106 Not Quite LEGO 45 Stickfas ........................................................................................................109 Last Word .....................................................................................................112 AFOLs ...................................................................................... Back Inside Cover 77 From the Editor: I’m late. Real late. Summer 2006 I got overloaded with some things, so Volume #1, Issue 5 I couldn’t attend to BrickJournal - and I apologize. Things got real busy and Publisher/Editor in Chief some things that were more immediate Joe Meno got my attention. Assistant Editor The biggest thing that I worked on while Jim Foulds I was away was BrickFest®. That was a tiring, exhausting, fun and exhilarating Photography Editor project - and I am happy thatI was able Geoff Gray to do it! And there will be coverage next issue on BrickFest and many other con- Business Manager ventions in the US and elsewhere—the LEGO hobby is an international hobby, and BrickJournal will be going where the events are happening! and Proofreader Carin Proctor Other things are happening too—BrickJournal is starting to work toward becoming a true print publication! Some planning is being done right now, and well, I was Copy Editor dared at BrickFest to get this printed, so do I have a choice? :-) Allan Bedford This issue’s theme is Megastructures, or as I call them, Really Big Things. WHile West Coast Editors most of us are used to building models of houses and cars, a few of us in the com- Todd Kubo munity buld larger. Much larger. So this issue spotlights a few of them and their Ashley Glennon creations, from skyscrapers to ships to everything between! Writers: Maike Büscher, Chris Paton, On another subject, BrickJournal passed its first year of publication - and it’s been a Allan Bedford, Sean Kenney, Didier good year! We have gone a long way, with hundreds of pages written by dozens of Malon, Stefan Garcia, Jim Hughes, writers from all over the world. The LEGO Group is also supporting us, which is a Holger Matthes, Magnus Lauglo, Matt testament to the staff and their work. Way back when, the question was whether or Chiles, Malle Hawking, Mark Stafford, not BrickJournal could maintain a quality quarterly 48 page magazine. There are no Adam Reed Tucker, Brian Hastings, Pat questions about that now. Bunn, MisaQa, Jason Allemann, Chris- topher Deck, Didier Enjary, Norbert There’s a lot more stories to tell and places to explore, so there will be more pages to write and more photos to show, so hang on for the ride! Black, Greg Hyland. Many thanks to the websites And check out what the LEGO Group gave as a birthday card! who have serve as mirrors for BrickJournal: www.lugnet.com Joe Meno www.bzpower.com Editor www.brickshelf.com www.peeron.com P.S. Have ideas or comments? Drop me a line at [email protected]. Or go to www.brickmodder.net www.LEGOfan.org or www.lugnet.com and leave a comment on their forums! I’m www.rustyclank.com open to suggestions and comments and will do my best to reply. About the Cover: Well, they are all big! Photos by the LEGO Group, Malle Hawking, Mark Stafford and Adam Tucker LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not spon- sor, authorize or endorse this magazine. All articles, photos, and art are copyright BrickJournal Media, LLC 2006 and the respective writers, photographers, and artists. All rights reserved. All trademarked items are the property of their respective owners and licensees. 2 BrickJournal • Issue 5, Volume 1 • Summer 2006 Most LEGO fans will know that at the beginning of 2006, the LEGO Group announced the possibility of discontinuing the 9 Volt (9V) train system. A new remote controlled system was developed that tested Commentary: very well with children. However, adult fans all over the world are outraged, sad and disappointed to see one of their most favourite 9v Trains themes within the LEGO product range go. These adult fans (not just a few of them) are very loyal to the 9V system. There are more than 30 clubs dedicated to LEGO trains in the worldwide and extensive train displays have been a regular feature at LEGO fan events like The Future of 9 Volt Trains? BrickFest®, 1000SteineLand and LEGO World. In particular, the huge The question has been on many LEGO Train display put together and manned by the International LEGO Train Club Organization (ILTCO) in collaboration with builders’ minds this year, and a LEGO several LEGO Train Clubs at the NMRA (National Model Railroad Association) show in 2005 and 2006 was incredible. employee raises some possibilities... Emotions are running high and AFOLs are discussing the future of their beloved LEGO trains on discussion forum websites. Their Article and photos by Maike Büscher arguments, like their passion, are strong and difficult
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