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Cary Clark / FAQ / all | |
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How do you pronounce LUGNET? From Todd Lehman: ! luhg-net LUG rhymes with rug.
Where can I find a list of the sets catalogued on LUGNET™? From Todd Lehman: ! Here are set lists that are suitable for printing and mark-up. They are tab delimited so they can be easily imported into a spreadsheet like Excel. http://guide.lugnet.com/set/list/ These are kept up-to-date and in sync with the sets database.
When can I use the LUGNET™ name? From Larry Pieniazek and Todd Lehman: ! The word LUGNET™ should be followed by (tm) (or ™), and is OK to use if you’re not implying endorsement or the like. LUGNET should be in all capitals. In casual use, like news-postings, Todd is forgiving about the trademark and capitalization. The LUGNET Logo is trade dress and therefore subject to the usual restrictions. Todd has made a version available for use on web pages, but that’s the only place it should be used without permission. If you use the logo on a webpage, the ALT attribute of the <IMG> tag bearing the logo should look like this example: <A TARGET=”_top” HREF=”http://www.lugnet.com/”> <IMG ALT=”To www.lugnet.com” BORDER=0 WIDTH=width HEIGHT=height HSPACE=hspace VSPACE=vspace SRC=”filename”></A> as shown here: http://www.lugnet.com/admin/logo/buttons/ Otherwise, you should disclaim it if there is any chance that someone would think it implied endorsement or that you were offically affiliated with Lugnet. Lugnet does not endorse things nor does it grant official affiliations.
How do I change what e-mail LUGNET sends me? From Shiri Dori: ! Go here: http://news.lugnet.com/news/mail/ and choose the groups you wish to subscribe to.
How do I change my e-mail address with LUGNET? From Shiri Dori: ! Go here: http://news.lugnet.com/news/post/setup/
How do I post a message to multiple groups (cross-posting)? From Larry Pieniazek: ! A single message can be viewed from more than one group by cross-posting. Cross-posting uploads one post to the LUGNET™ news server, but instructs it to be visible from multiple groups, through the web interface, news readers, and e-mail. The system ends up with only one copy of the post. All replies to the post are kept together, regardless of the group in which the reply is posted. To cross-post using the web interface, separate the newsgroups with commas:
To cross-post with your news reader, consult the documentation. For instance, Outlook Express© and Gravity© use the same interface as above. To cross-post from e-mail, address the post with multiple recipients:
Newsgroup addresses always start with ‘lugnet’, followed by a period. When you cross-post it’s important to set the ‘followup-to’ field as well. When should I set a “Followup-To” as part of my post? How can I set the “Followup-To” when posting a message via e-mail? How can I set the “Followup-To” when posting a message via the web? Click here to test cross-posting. As an alternative to cross-posting, it may be tempting to post the same content repeatedly to different groups. However, each posting will begin a separate message thread that is unconnected from the others. Readers and contributors to these threads may be unaware that the other threads exist, duplicating discussions unnecessarily. Multiple posts created by copying and pasting text should be avoided.
When should I set a “Followup-To” as part of my post? From Shiri Dori: ! FollowUps To allow a message posted to multiple newsgroups to select the best newsgroup for replies. It’s best to note the FUT in the text of your post for e-mail based users and those using newsgroup reading software. Also, it’s good practice to post a topical message only in a specific group instead of posting in /general/ and then setting FUT to a specific group. (Or alternatively, to post the original to both groups and then setting FUT to the topical group).
How can I set the “Followup-To” when posting a message via e-mail? From Todd Lehman: ! If your e-mail app supports setting the “Reply-To” field to an arbitrary value on a message-by-message basis, you can set the “Reply-To” header on your message to lugnet.xyz@lugnet.com to set the “Followup-To” field of your post to lugnet.xyz. Alternatively, you can even set the “Followup-To” field directly if your e-mail app supports it. Netscape Communicator 4.5, for example, supports both “Reply-To” and “Followup-To” on a case-by-case basis in e-mail messages.
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How can I set the “Followup-To” when posting a message via the web? From Shiri Dori: !
Can I use Microsoft® Outlook Express to read and post messages? From Jude Beaudin: ! The discussion groups here are handled by an NNTP server, meaning that you can access them with your favorite newsreader just as you would access your favorite USENET newsgroups such as news:rec.toys.lego. The NNTP settings for this server are:
Configuration is straightforward with most newsreaders. If you run into problems, you may need to get special permission from your system administrator if you are behind a firewall, or you may need to switch to a newsreader which supports multiple NNTP servers. You might also want to try port 1119, 8000 or 8080 if you are unable to access using the standard port 119. From Cary Clark: To add a news server to Outlook Express version 5.5, follow these steps:
You’ll find more details about reading and posting to newsgroups using Outlook Express by going to the Help menu, clicking on Content and Index, clicking on Index, and typing ‘newsgroups’.
Can I use Netscape® Communicator to read and post messages? From Jeff Thompson: ! I’ve written up the steps here: http://news.lugnet.com/admin/general/?n=3976
How do I cancel a post? From Kevin Salm: ! All newsreader software clients have the ability to cancel posts that you have written. Simply locate the target message in the newsgroup as if you were to read it. Select the post and then find the menu option to cancel it. Once replies to your message are posted, canceling your message can confuse the replies. Newsreaders may have difficulty figuring out the threading of subsequent messages now that your message is gone. The Lugnet web interface uses a placeholder for the canceled message. If a subsequent post quotes your message, that text will remain. You cannot cancel others’ posts. Careful thought and wording can eliminate the need for frequent canceling.
Is it normal to get an error message when I post? From Todd Lehman: ! Normally, no, but it depends on the group. If you post to one of the groups gatewayed with an older mailing list, and if there are any obsolete recipient addresses on that list, then you could get one or more errors like “message not deliverable”.
How can I narrow my LUGNET search? From Jude Beaudin: ! Use ‘+’ to require a word in a search, and ‘-’ to exclude a word from a search. For instance, to read only posts containing both ‘classic’ and ‘castle’ use this search: +classic +castle To find posts that include ‘train’ but not ones that include ‘12v’ or ‘9v’: +train -12v -9v Note that searches are case-insensitive (capitalization doesn’t matter). More information about searching can be found at: http://www.lugnet.com/help/search/
Can I attach pictures to LUGNET posts? From Franklin W. Cain: ! No. What you can do is post pictures to Brickshelf, at http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/. Then you can post the URL to your pictures on LUGNET. From Cary Clark: As a LUGNET member, you can create your own page with text and pictures. Here’s an example by Sheree Rosenkrantz:
WELCOME to FabuWorld ! Another possible world in our Universe . . .
FabuWorld is my made-up name for an imaginary world. Fabuville is one community on FabuWorld. Its constructs are made from a combination of LEGO Fabuland® elements and LEGO System® elements.
This page was created using FTX, which allows creating pages using a simple text editor. You can see the source to Sheree’s page here. The pictures were first uploaded to BrickShelf, and referenced from there.
Where can I post messages related to auctions? From Frank Filz: ! It’s always appropriate to post messages related to auctions in /market/auction/. For other groups, read the charter to see if auction related messages are welcome. (They must be explicitly mentioned to be welcome.) The charter for any group is always the first message. So, for instance, the charter for .castle can be found here: http://news.lugnet.com/castle/?n=1. When in doubt, don’t post the auction notice anywhere other than .auction.
What does it mean to “Highlight” an article? From Rick Clark: ! If a member of LUGNET feels that a particular article is noteworthy, and that others might enjoy reading it, the article may be “Highlighted” by selecting from the drop-down menu at the bottom of the page. Three choices are available: “Spotlight” (strongly recommended), “Highlight” (recommended), and “---” (no recommendation). Articles that reach a certain threshold rating are marked with explanation points (in the web interface). This allows all LUGNET users to see which articles are generating the most interest. Additionally, articles that are particularly highly rated appear on the LUGNET Spotlight page, and are listed on LUGNET’s home page. More information can be found here.
What is the difference between “Spotlighting” and “Highlighting”? From Rick Clark: ! Spotlighting is a stronger recommendation than Highlighting. On a 100 point scale, Spotlighting is worth 100, and Highlighting is worth 75. More information can be found here.
Why is the poster’s name sometimes dark and sometimes light? From Todd Lehman: ! In the “brief” article listings, names are displayed in black if there is an X-Real-Life-Name header contained in the article, otherwise the name is displayed in gray. Nearly all articles are posted to LUGNET directly, and have the correct header. These legacy mailing lists allow posting to LUGNET indirectly:
If the poster hasn’t setup for direct LUGNET news-posting, their name is grayed. Build
What are the dimensions of LEGO® brick? From Robert M. Dye: ! A 2x2 brick is 5 plates wide, so the aspect ratio is 1 (stud-to-stud) to 2.5 (thickness of plates). Or, 1 (brick thickness) to 1.2 (stud-to-stud). Or, 1 (plate thickness) to 0.4 (stud-to-stud). From Steve Bliss: ! The basic ratio is 2:5, for stud-spacing to plate-height -- which is why you see Technic models with beam-plate-plate-beam stacked up: this allows beams to be placed vertically, and connected to the other beams. In LDU (LDraw units), the measurements are: Brick height = 24 Plate height = 8 Stud pitch = 20I believe the LU (LEGO Unit) measurements are: Brick height = 6 Plate height = 2 Stud pitch = 5From Robert Munafo: ! The actual dimension (rather than the ratios) can be determined by carefully measuring a properly constructed “wall” of bricks. Vertical dimensions are prone to error caused by sloppy stacking, but long horizontal walls constructed from two or more layers of overlapping bricks are not prone to such error. A wall of this type built from Technic beams made in the late 1990’s shows that the stud pitch distance is 7.986 millimeters, plus or minus 2 microns, when the parts are at 25 degrees centigrade (77 degrees Farenheit). It is also worthwhile to note that LEGO bricks are always made a little smaller than this dimension would suggest. For example, the length of a 2x4 brick is a little less than 4 times 7.986 millimeters. The length is diminished slightly so that there will be a small gap when bricks are stacked next to each other. This gap allows for dust, marred surfaces and other imperfections. If the gap were not there the bricks would tend to push each other apart and the overall construction would be less strong. Using the ratios above and converting to imperial measurements yields the following figures for all three dimensions:
The following popular approximations are often used. Note that the Imperial approximations are each about 1 percent smaller than the corresponding S.I. (Metric) approximation:
From Robert Munafo: ! If you do the math you get: 1 LDU = 0.3993 +/- 0.0001 millimeters 1 millimeter = 2.5043 +/- 0.0006 LDU 1 LDU = 0.015720 +/- 0.000004 inches 1 inch = 63.611 +/- 0.016 LDUFrom Jef Poskanzer: ! Approximate dimensions in millimeters: Spacing of stud centers: 8 Diameter of studs: 5 Height of block: 9.6 Height of studs: 1.7 Thickness of brick walls: 1.5 Outer diameter of cylinders (found on underside of bricks): 6.31 Thickness of cylinder walls: 0.657
From David Eaton: ! Here’s a conversion tool to convert between minifig or Technic scale to real-world units: http://www.suave.net/~dave/cgi/scale.cgi
What are the official LEGO brick colors? From Steven Barile: ! Here’s my attempt to get the RGB color values for many brick colors using a huge paper version Pantone pallette: 
From Steven Barile: ! There’s also a more extensive version that I did for the PNLTC web site. You can find that here: http://www.pnltc.org/articles/article_colortable.html From Suzanne Rich: ! Here’s a different type, one for print colors (CMYK). To read those color values, use something like Photoshop to sample inside framed boxes. Some of these may be considered official, as well as the naming scheme. 
From Kevin Dixon: ! When I was inventorying some of the Harry Potter sets, I ended up using the color names here: http://home.att.net/~baylit/Color.html It seemed to have good distinction between butterscotch, orange, and light orange, which show up in Harry Potter, and are all quite similar.
How can I change the gender (the direction of the studs) on a LEGO® part? From Robert M. Dye: !
From Steve Bliss: !
From Larry Pieniazek: !
From Josh Spaulding: !
From Robert M. Dye: !
What is that goo on the front of a LEGO® minifig neck? From John Gerlach: ! It’s used by the machines that assemble the mini-figures, to tell which side is the front, so it can line the face up properly. From Wayne R. Hussey: ! It helps keep the head on. I’ve removed it before and the head would come off too easily.
I have a part labled FABULAND®. What does that mean? From Sheree Rosencrantz: ! FABULAND is a LEGO theme that was produced from 1979 to 1989. However, many FABULAND parts have showed up in later themes, including Harry Potter. The best FABULAND part registry is at http://members.tripod.com/%7ESybrand_Bonsma/fabu1eng.html
What sets contained brightly colored gears with wide spaced teeth? From Mark Koesel: !
In 1976, these sets were discontinued, to make way for the new “Technical Sets” which later picked up the name Technic and, for a time, used the name Expert Builder in the US.
Also note that the large gears sold through Dacta today are quite different from any of the ones mentioned above. These Dacta gears would be most compatible with the Duplo line, and in particular Duplo Toolo. These gears mount to special larger “Duplo-size” Cross axles and components.
What does “microfig scale” mean? From Jeremy Sproat: ! It’s smaller than minifig-scale. The physical scale is variable and up to the modeller. From Jeremy Sproat: ! Here are some microfig examples:
From Eric Brok: ! Maybe we should call it Bonsai Building, because it’s not only about small scale (Microfig scale), but also about purity, restriction, simpleness, elegance.
Is LEGO® safe for fish tanks? from Dean Husby: ! According to Lego Customer Service, LEGO is safe in fish tanks. It has no effect on the fish, and the plastic will not leach anything into the water. It is a hard plastic and therefor does not contain any or very few of the substances to keep plastic soft. (To be safe don’t put any soft LEGO items in the tank.)
How can I fabricate lights? From Martin Legault: ! An LED will do, use the 1 3/4 mm size since they fit great into technic holes. Brightness will depend on the current you send through the LED. In general, 10 mA will work just fine. The formula for current is C = T / R, where T is the voltage and R the resistance. The LED will drop about 2V (between 1.8 - 2.2, depending on the colors). For example: R led
---/\/\/---|>---
7V 2V
...so take 7V, divide it by .01A, and the result is a 700 ohm
resistor.
700 ohm resistors are NOT the standard value, so you could take a 680 or a 720 ohm resistor. From Tom McDonald: ! If you’re not math-oriented like me, I’ve found that if you use 5 ordinary LEDs connected in series with each other using 9VDC they work fine. If you use LEDs that soak up more current than your average LED (often because they’re bigger and brighter) you can use fewer LEDs. I tried to use all lego for custom lighting on my train station platform; but alas, I had to use 8 gauge copper wire for pole strength and conductivity along with insulated 30 ga. I used pneumatic tubing for the outside of the pole, and clear 1x1’s fit right over my LEDs :) I’ve also used light bulbs. MagLite flashlight bulbs work great as they’re very bright for their size.
Where can I buy rubber hose? From Mike Clemens: ! Aquarium air pump hoses may be the same size as Lego hose, at least for the pneumatic sets. Try your local pet store.
How can I clean LEGO® parts? From Tom McDonald: ! I just use plain water for 80% of cleaning, water with mild dish soap for 19%. Any other solvents or solutions can be hard on the plastic. If you use rubbing alcohol, don’t let it sit on the part for more than a few seconds. Also, avoid getting petroleum jelly on the tires. From Ed “Boxer” Jones: ! I use Palmolive and warm water. One thing I also do is I have a large wire seive (like window screen, only finer) that I place in a larger pot of water and soap. This makes draining the pieces that much easier. For drying, I air dry them. In the past, I have also used the air only setting on the clothes dryer to remove water stuck in crevases. For that, place the pieces in a cotton pillowcase knotted at the open end. From Richard Marchetti: ! A 1/4 part bleach to 3/4 parts water -- or some other milder conconction of bleach to water -- used on white, grey, or clear bricks and left to soak for 1- 2 weeks will whiten older bricks that have been exposed to direct sunlight and yellowed. The result is old, yet very clean, bricks. Actual dirt may be cleaned off with a good soak in a mild detergent like “Simple Green” mixed with water, and then brushed off with a soft toothbrush if need be, or merely rinsed off after some marginal scrubbing with a sponge -- and not the side with the scrub pad, just the plain old sponge part. The scrubbing pad side of a sponge is abrasive enough to polish metal, and will scratch the bricks. From Louise Belles: ! When I needed clean LEGO® pieces to build a candy dispenser, I just bought new ones. I may be taking this quote too far: Phyllis Diller said, “Cleaning the house while the kids are still growing, is like shoveling the walk while it is still snowing.”
Is it OK to use hot water to wash LEGO® parts? From Reinhard “Ben” Beneke: ! I experimented with elements in a precisely controlled oven. Heating bricks in water should have the same results. Bricks, plates and minifigs heated to:
Here are detailed explanations and pictures: http://www.1000steine.de/myimages/album10
How can I clean an already assembled LEGO® set without disassembling it? From Ed “Boxer” Jones: ! What I have done in the past, with minimal “breakage”, is to put the construction in the tub and let the luke-warm water from the shower gently flow over it. It does, however, take a lot longer to dry. And if you are storing it in the basement, it could actually become mildewed. From Sean McInnis: ! I use an old toothbrush and water. It’s good for getting into all the nooks and crannies without taking the whole thing apart.
How can I reapply crooked stickers? From Paulo Caparica Junior: ! Use Undu: http://www.vernlib.com/undu.asp
How do I go about scanning and printing stickers? From Dean Husby: ! I’ve put together a FAQ on scanning and printing stickers. You’ll find version 1.0 here: http://news.lugnet.com/faq/?n=768
Is it possible to restore yellowed parts to their original color? From Richard Marchetti: ! Yes, for some colors, at least. Use 1/4 part bleach (or less) to 3/4 parts water and allow the parts to soak for 1 to 2 weeks. This absolutely works for white, grey, or clear. From Dan Walker: This worked great for whitening yellowed white parts. But it ruined some old light gray castle parts, making them whiter, but further from the original color than the yellowed color. Beware!
How do I remove the center bar from a LEGO® bucket? From Larry Pieniazek: ! Assuming you might want to reuse the bar someday, you need to preserve the tangs on the ends of the bucket pivots. Get a table knife, the kind thats thick and wide bladed, but not sharp. A butterknife works too. CAREFULLY.. slide the knife betwen the bucket handle and the bucket side. Twist the knife to push the handle away from the bucket. This puts a strain on the tangs on the end of the bar. Use your fingers to pinch these tangs together while continuing to twist. The handle should pop off. Do this on both sides. Then spread the bucket to get the bar out. If you’re gentle and careful you won’t deform the plastic, but if you force it you will break the tangs off. I have lately been able to achieve 100% success but when I started doing it was only at about 60%.
How can I remove candle wax from my LEGO® pieces? From Kevin Wilson: ! Put it in the freezer, which will make the wax very brittle and it should come off much easier. From Gary Istok: ! First freeze and then break away the large pieces. Then try using discarded women’s panty hose/nylons to scrub away the wax. Panty hose should not scratch the LEGO. From Beth Reiten: ! I’d strongly agree with the freezer folks, with one minor addition. While still cold, if it looks like you’re going to have a dye mark problem, try some baby oil on a tissue directly on the dye mark. Oil picks up wax soluble dye quite well... if it’s on something that can handle oil (I don’t recommend this technique on the latex paint in your house!) The problem with heat is that most candle waxes -- other than the 100% paraffin used in tea lights -- is that the lowest temperature that it’ll melt at is around 125 - 150 F. Sounds like that’s too high for Legos!
How do I remove the print from a LEGO® part? From Nick Chauvin: ! By using various grades of automotive sandpaper and Blue Magic metal polish. I buy it in the automotive section at Wal-Mart. This may not work as well on translucent, as even though you get the surface to tactilely and reflectively be the same, it may still be a bit fogged. Begin by sanding away all of the offending paint with 800 grit; sanding in one direction to minimize scratches. Do not sand too hard, or else corners on canopies will become rounded. After all the paint is gone, switch to 1000 grit, and sand in a circular motion until the previous scratches are gone. Use 2000 grit sandpaper in the same manner as the 1000 grit. At this point you should have a smooth dull surface. Apply a few drops of the Blue Magic metal polish to the part and buff it in using a piece of an old t-shirt. Use the metal polish in a ventilated area because it contains ammonia. After four of five applications of polish the surface should shine like a brand new piece. From Craig Hamilton: ! Brasso metal polish works like magic to remove pre-printed images from lego parts without a trace. It is a very fine abrasive and will remove the paint very slowly, but your patience will be rewarded. From Craig Hamilton: ! To do selective removals, use a very sharp blade to literally scrape off the re-printed image. Use the same rules and technique as shaving. Move it in clean, light strokes, keeping the strokes in one direction. From Alexander Ericson: There is a much, much easier way to remove print from a lego piece than any that I’ve heard before. It involves no sandpaper, no shaving, and no Brasso. Simply take a piece of white Sculpey Brand “Original Scupley”, knead it for a few minutes to soften it up, then firmly place it over the print that you want to remove. Wait a few minutes, then remove the clay. I’m not entirely sure how this works, but I presume that the plasticizers in the clay eat away at the print. Take a bit of rubbing alcohol and wipe off the clay/print remants. If any print remains, repeat process. I accidentally stumbled upon this process while I was trying to make a mold of a minifig head. After failing at this task, I removed the clay cast, only to find that there was clay stuck to the face. I wiped it off with my thumb, only to find that I had taken the face with it! Original Sculpey is a low-quality polymer clay, as far as sculpting goes. It comes in bricks of 1.75 pounds, in white or terra-cotta.
What paints work best with LEGO® minifigs? From Mark de Kock: ! Have you tried acrylic paints from Games Workshop®? These paints are specially designed to be put on plastic figures. Thin the paint down with water before use. From Justin M. Kopp: ! A different method a friend and I always used: Fine point Sharpie Markers. Last a long time as long as you let them dry and are gentle with your minifigs. Plus, a little rubbing alcohol takes it all off! From Mark Sandlin: ! I use the Marvy-Uchida brand DecoColor markers for colors, and Sharpies only for black. After I paint them, I’ll put the minifig next to a 60 watt lightbulb to dry. (Not too close, or you might cook your fig!) I let them dry for at least 24 hours next to the bulb before I touch them. Here’s an example: 
For more pictures, see Aves and his “Payback” in the “Spacecraft” section of my site.
What’s the best way to bond LEGO® pieces? From Mike McKee: ! I like to use a warm glue gun (not hot melt). It provides a good, solid adhesion. You can get the bricks apart later, with a little extra effort, and then completely peel out the adhesive easily. I’ve also used Elmer’s Glue-All for more solid fixation, but I’ve found it harder to get the dried glue off of the bricks. From Eric Harshbarger: ! I use Oatey All Purpose, PVC, CPVC, ABS Cement. It is available in the US at Lowes and Home Depot hardware stores. From John Gerlach: ! When I worked at the LEGO Imagination Center, we used the ‘Super Glue’ brand adhesive on Technic pieces. I don’t know how well it will stand up to tension though. Put a small drop inside the connector, then push the axle in. This way any excess glue will be inside the connector instead of on the outside. (One of the rules of glueing - try not to let any glue show from the outside!) Also, be careful not to glue your fingers together! For regular bricks, we used MEK. MEK stands for methyl ethyl keytone. It’s a solvent that fuses the ABS plastic together. Very nasty stuff to work with - you don’t want to breath the vapors.
What’s the best way to cut a baseplate? From Will Hess: ! Patience. Clamp the plate and a ruler together and make many (MANY!) light cuts along the surface of the plate with an Exacto knife. This takes a while but it works! From Tom Stangl: ! Exacto knives work just fine with baseplates, just get a metal ruler, hold it down firmly on the bottom of the baseplate, and VERY lightly slide the knife across the first time to set the cut line. Then you can bear down afterwards and cut through in very few passes (but the heavier you press, the more likely you are to stray off of the cut line). #11 blades will last through MANY cuts, and are cheap in bulk. Using an Xacto knife takes no kerf, it basically pushes the plastic out of the way. The only loss is in what you scrape off of the edge to smooth it.
What’s the best way to cut other pieces? From Thomas Avery: ! Use a Dremel, or any other small motorized rotary tool. http://www.dremel.com/Dremel.html The carbide cutting/shaping wheel is preferable over the normal cut-off ones. I think you can also get an accessory that turn your rotary tool into a little chop saw. This is great for making very straight and precise cuts. You may need to use a little sandpaper and a sharp knife to smooth the edges out. From Richie Dulin: ! I’ve used a cutting disk to remove the mask from a Darth Vader Helmet, the neck flare from a crown, and the bat wings from a Batlord helm among other things. I’ve also used it to make a notch in the corner of a 2x2 plate, so I could get a fine hole drilled right in the corner (to make earrings). A fine razor saw is a generally poor alternative -- cheaper, but harder to control, and much harder on the fingers. It’s a good idea to cut quickly, or to do intricate work as a series of small cuts - if things get too hot, the brick/piece you’re cutting may well distort. It’s also a good idea to wear eye protection. CAD
Are there any easy to remember part numbers? These may not be easy to remember, but at least they are in series.
Also in series are these large plates:
Is there an interactive LDraw viewer? From Jacob Sparre Andersen: ! One is being developed at the moment. Development of LDraw related tools is discussed at http://www.lugnet.com/cad/dev/.
Where can I get LDLite? From James Brown: ! http://www.gyugyi.com/l3g0/ldlite/
Where can I get LDAO (LDraw Add-On)? From Steve Bliss: http://members.home.com/steve.bliss/ldao/index.html
From Jacob Sparre Andersen: ! You can use LDraw, LDraw Lite, or MLCad. The file downloaded from LUGNET is always named ldraw.cgi. You may want to rename it as you save it so you’ll know what the saved file represents. Also, by renaming it something.dat, Windows will be able to associate it with one of the editing programs. From Steve Bliss: ! If you use Internet Explorer on Windows 98, you can set it up to associate the download with LDLite.
What does ‘inline’ mean, in the context of an LDraw data file? From Steve Bliss: ! Inlining is the process of replacing a subfile reference with the contents of the subfile. Like this:
If you inlined a into b, you’d get:
Of course, it’s slightly more complicated in LDraw-world. Inlining is good, because it allows you to design parts/models using several files, but only distribute a single LDraw file. Inlining is bad because each reference to a subfile must be replaced with the complete contents of the subfile, which can increase the file size by a large amount. The only inlining tool that I know of is the inliner in LDraw Add-On. http://members.home.com/steve.bliss/ldao/
How do I get a non-perspective view from L3P? From Bram Lambrecht: ! For orthographic bricks ala L3P-LDLite-LEdit, I use -ca1: C:\LDRAW\MODELS>l3p -o -cg30,45 -ca1 somedat.datFrom Lars C. Hassing: ! There’s even more information here: http://www.netby.net/Nord/Mandelvej/Hassing/l3p_ca.html Castle
What is Castle World? From Tony Hafner: ! A great many of us have deep and creative fictional worlds linked to our Lego hobby. The castle folks, much more so than the other theme fans (such as space and town), tend to develop characters and storylines to go along with their creations. Check out the Castle World website: http://www.geocities.com/castle_world_temp/index.html And the related lugnet newsgroup: http://www.lugnet.com/castle/org/cw/
What posts belong in .castle, and what belongs in .castle.org.cw? From Shiri Dori: ! Posts that belong in .castle.org.cw can be: - Updates to Castle World related sites, stories, characters, creatures, structures or any other creations. This includes Isle of Mist-related creations. - Updates to the Castle World or the IOM site (made by the admins). - Questions or inquiries regarding the nature of Castle World or the IOM. - Any other posts that specifically relate to Castle World or the IOM. Posts that belong in .castle are simply - any castle related posts that should not go in .castle.org.cw! By the way, the only posts that belong in .castle.org are suggestions for new organizations, or questions about castle orgs in general. Right now, since Castle World is the only castle organization, there should be no posts in the group. In practice, some posts end there by accident (people leave off the .cw suffix).
What Castle themes has LEGO® released? From Richard Noeckel: !
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What are some good resources for Castle building? From Mark van ‘t Hooft: ! While digging around for sources for my modular yellow castle I ran across two great books. I found them in the juvenile section of the local public library. They are similar to MacAulay’s book: Castle: Stephen Biesty’s Cross-Sections (DK Publishing; ISBN 1-56458-467-4) A Medieval Castle (Inside Story) by Fiona MacDonald (Peter Bedrick Books; ISBN 0-87226-340-1) These are valuable resources for castle construction as well as village structures. From John P. Henderson: ! Here’s some links with pictures and info of medieval peasant cottages: http://www.wealddown.co.uk/poplar-cottage-construction-thatch-wattle-and-daub.htm http://loki.stockton.edu/~ken/wharram/peasant.htm This book also has a few black and white photos of an Anglo-Saxon settlement reconstruction from 500 AD: Life in a Medieval Village by Frances and Joseph Gies (HarperPerennial, 1990; ISBN: 0-06092-046-7) From Chris Maddison: ! Give David MacAulay’s Castle (published by Scott Foresman; ISBN: 0-39532-920-5) a try. It focuses primarily on the construction of a castle, from meager beginnings to the glorious final result, through sketches. Awesome book. It has a lot of village information in it. Also, Eyewitness: Castle by Christopher Gravett (DK Publishing; ISBN: 0-78945-888-8) and other Eyewitness books have a lot of great medieval information. From Marc Nelson, Jr.: ! Timber-Framed Buildings of England (Sothebys Pubns; ISBN: 0-70906-092-0) by R.J. Brown is a great book. It is focused on the late medieval period. From Bruce Schlickbernd: ! The Medieval Fortress by J.E. Kaufmann & H.W. Kaufmann, illustrated by Robert M. Jurga (Combined Publishing; ISBN: 1-58097-062-1) has numerous examples of the details of castles: crenels, allures, hoardings, machicoulis, loopholes, gatehouses, drawbridges, bartizans, wells, cisterns, etc. with examples of how they work and were designed. It includes siege techniques, general history, Motte and Bailey, how castle design evolved, and has a great eye for detail in the photographs of castles that you generally don’t see elsewhere. A must-have.
What are Motte and Bailey castles? From John P. Henderson: ! According to the book Life in a Medieval Castle by Joseph and Frances Gies (published by HarperCollins; ISBN: 006090674X): Most castles erected by the Normans shortly after their invasion of England, and most early castles of continental Europe as well, were made of timber and earthwork. These required unskilled labor, were cheap and quick to build, and could be constructed anywhere a fortification was needed, regardless of terrain. The “Motte” (or mound) was steep, sometimes natural, sometimes artificial formed partly from the earth dug from an encircling ditch. The top of the motte was flat and ringed with wooden palisades. The central keep within these walls was simply a house or tower, made of whatever material was available nearby (be it wood or even stone). This is where the lord or castellan would reside, and the top of the motte could hold a garrison for very brief times. But to house the daily living of a regular garrison, a larger area was cleared below the motte, given a ditch and a wooden palisade. This “Bailey” was connected to the higher motte by an inclined drawbridge. The bailey was often round or oval in shape, but might vary to follow contours of the land. Some of these early castles may have two or three such baileys. From Enrique Durand: ! Here are some links to images of historic motte-and-bailey castles: http://www.castles-of-britain.com/castlesa.htm http://www.castlewales.com/motte.html http://www.conisbroughcastle.org.uk/history.htm http://homepage.mac.com/mfeinberg/castles/types.html
What period in European history does Castle represent? From Lindsay Frederick Braun: ! The latest theme, “Knight’s Kingdom” appears to be closer to the 14th/15th/16th centuries. The hat and armour configuration, as well as the Queen’s hair, eyes, and dress style, strongly suggest French and Italian influence. From Bruce Schlickbernd: ! The “kettle helm” or “kettle hat”, introduced in “Knight’s Kingdom”, originated around the year 1200 AD. Kevin Hall: ! Some of the timeline can be deduced from the shape of the castles. The descendants of the Romans built round castles. The Normans built square castles. Later castles have had renovations upon renovations so the original shapes have changed somewhat. The Internet Medieval Sourcebook provides a lot of helpful background information.
What nationalities are represented by various Castle themes? From Bruce Schlickbernd: ! Forestmen/Dark Forest: English Royal Knights/Knights Kingdom: English Crusaders/Classic: French and Burgunds Black Knights: Teutonic Black Falcons: Austrian Dragon Masters: Hungarian Fright Knights: Wallachian Wolfpack: Black Forest (Germanic) From Kyle Peterson: !
Ed. note: Click on the ‘!’ link for this FAQ entry to learn more.
Where are web pages with LEGO Castles? From Leonard Hoffman: ! I’ve put together listing of castle sites here: http://www.lugnet.com/~1168/websites/ From Shiri Dori: ! Frank Filz has put together a comprehensive listing: http://www.mindspring.com/~ffilz/Lego/castle.html From Tony Hafner: ! The castle folks, much more so than the other theme fans (ie space and town), tend to develop characters and storylines to go along with their creations. Check out the Castle World website: http://www.geocities.com/castle_world_temp/index.html And the related lugnet newsgroup: http://www.lugnet.com/castle/org/cw/
What does ‘barding’ mean (and other Castle terms)? From Bianca Nebab: ! Any piece that is used as armor on a horse is a “bard” (“barding” collectively). However “barding” can also be applied to the ornamental drapings of a horse like what you see in a tournament. “Trapping” or “trappings” are pieces that are ornamental. So it depends on the purpose. If you have the horse in a tournament joust, they are either trappings or bardings. If you have the horse in a combat situation, it’s technically barding. From James Brown: ! The two places I look first when I run across something I don’t know are:
From Jeff Johnston: ! I’ve found http://www.dictionary.com to be fairly complete when I’ve used it. For instance, I used it for to sanity-check what a ‘gambeson’ is. (A ‘gambeson’ is a quilted and padded tunic, usually underneath other armor, like mail, to provide padding.)
Where can I find spare parts for Castle? From Richard Noeckel: ! Some of the most desirable parts for Castle have only appeared in a very small number of sets, all of which have been out of production for years. Popular parts, and the sets they appeared in, include:
I’m building a large castle. How can I provide access to the interior? From Stuart Curtis: !
If the castle’s occupants move around, I’d combine the first two options, and hinge the rear wall. If the castle is more for show, I’d stick with the third option. From Eric Kingsley: ! Technic beams and pins are useful to hold open sections of the castle together, forming a solid closed-wall structure. From Paul Davidson: ! If you go with a hinged structure, you end up with two castles: a 360-degree viewable castle for display (in unopened position), and a double-big cut-away castle to show off the interior. From Rick Kurtzuba: ! Instead of simply having the floor nestled between supports or held in place with Technic pins, I make the walls of the floor uneven on the bottom, with the ceiling of the floor below it (topped with tiles) shaped the same way. The removable floor fits onto the larger structure like a puzzle piece snapping into place. Since there’s no “peg to hole” construction, the room slips off on easily.
How are lights, pneumatics, or motors used in Castle creations? From James Brown: ! I use 9 volt lights and they work fairly well, although they are a bit dim. However, with a red cap they work well as ‘glow’ from a fireplace. I use them behind stoves, and underneath fires. I put the light brick right into the back wall of the fireplace, and piled the fireplace high with trans-red, trans-yellow and trans-orange 1x1 round plates. This makes a really cool-looking effect, especially with 1 or 2 flames sticking up. My kitchen has a bread oven, a stove and a kettle all side by side. In this case, I put several lights behind the wall, and just left holes in the backs of the stove et. al. to let the light through. It works, but it is very dim. (That might be because I’m running several lights off a single battery pack.) The model backs into a mountain, so all the wiring is hidden on the back side. I used 1x3 arch bricks to keep the wire runs neat. My wife hides the wire runs in her castle in the chimneys and under the floors. From Frank Filz: ! As you string more lights together, the individual lights will dim. Be careful; a battery under a heavy load can dump its energy quickly, and get very hot. From James Brown: ! Here’s an illuminated fireplace: http://www.lugnet.com/castle/~11/blankshields/mount2c From Stuart Curtis: ! I used a motor in a castle was for a working water-wheel jutting from the side of the castle into the river-area. By building a fairly large wheel out of bricks and Technic elements, and gearing the motor down slightly, I managed to make the wheel turn at a very slow, realistic pace. The motor was built into the the castle wall, the battery box had a couple of BURPs covering it. A technic rod activated the concealed battery box button. The same castle also utilised a pneumatic system for the drawbridge. From Eric Brok: ! I used pneumatics to make a castle tower extend as a telescope. 
The Frost Castle is in the Buildings section of my web site.
How can I make minifig capes in different colors? From Carlo Catuogno: ! Buy a small amount of the desired colored fabric and place an already made-by-lego cape over it. Use a razor blade or X-Acto knife to cut around the edges and finally use a hole puncher to make neckholes. From John Carroll: ! Buy a pack of construction pape with the colors you need. Trace the original lego design onto it. Cut it out using an X-Acto knife (or sissors). The hard part is the holes (the paper often rips at the narrowest point). You might be able to find a hole punch that has the right diameter but I just winged it. The paper idea works really well, though you might want to make a few extra; they aren’t as durable as cloth.
What is Castle Wars, and where do I find the rules? From Mark Chittenden: ! Brikwars http://www.brikwars.com is a bit massive on detail, but it can be used to do LEGO wars from Castle to Space. From James Brown: ! If you want quick & easy rules, try http://www.lugnet.com/fun/gaming/~11/legowars. If you want something that’s more complex, try BrikWars as Mark suggested. From Aaron Dalan: ! Brikwars is better for small groups of men and vehicles, and Jame Brown’s rules works better for larger scale battles. Or you could just buy some 20-sided dice and make up your own rules. That is what my friends and I all did as kids. A roll of 11 or higher scored a hit, plus one for every additional piece of armor you are wearing or if you have protection from the terrain. From Magnus Lauglo: ! Making your own rules can be fun! In my experience, the more rules you have, the slower play will progresss, but the more realistic the game can become. If you will be using many figs each, it will be least cumbersome if you don’t have to keep track of each man’s health on paper. Another thing I learned playing Brickwars is that it can the most fun if the objective is something other than “eliminate all enemy troops.” If instead the objective is a variant of “capture the flag” or hold a bridge/ hilltop/castle for certain number of rounds, it may seem less realistic, but is far more playable. Otherwise you are likely to end up just pitting two forces against each other in a melee where the guy with the most troops will probably come out on top. Starting out with not that many troops may be a good idea. In my experience a battle with two sides of 50 men each, can easily take several hours. If one side is defending a castle, they will be at a great advantage and should be outnumbered significantly for it to be a fair battle. 100 men, two castles, plus a village should give you more than enough fun for a day. Have fun!
What sets have yellow tudor walls? From Heather Patey: ! The parts database at Peeron.com is a good way to find out.
What sets have female minifigs? From Shiri Dori: ! According to Peeron, these sets have Castle Maidens (with hats):
From Thomas Garrison: !
What are the different helmet designs that have been produced? From Cary Clark:
What are the different cannon designs that have been produced? From Jeff Stembel: ! The first year of production (1989), all the cannons fired. The next year (1990) saw the introduction of black-ended non-firing cannons. I’m not sure when they replaced those non-firing cannons with the single piece ones. This was only for the US market. In other markets, all cannons are the original shooting model. From Stephen A. Campbell: ! Firing cannons have a plunger that pulls way back and launch a 1x1 cylinder. Transition cannons (black plunger) pull a short way back, but do not fire. Solid cannons do not fire at all. The transition model can be modified with a small hobby spring (or a pen spring) but you have to disassemble it first.  Picture courtesy of Clark Stephens
Why did Dungeon Master’s Castle (6086) change its name? From Jeff Stembel: ! Trademark Issues. Dungeon Master is trademarked by TSR (now Wizards of the Coast, a division of Hasbro, Inc.), the makers of the Dungeons & Dragons role playing game. I assume TSR asked Lego to change it.
Some Castle sets have pins and holes. How do they snap together? From David Eaton: ! The castle sets with technic pin connections are:
6081 is wierder. It’s only got 1 peg hole, and what’s more, the battlements where it connects is 2 bricks and 1 plate too short. Very odd. 6074 is unusual in that it has four holes for connection.
Why was the Yellow Castle yellow? From John Herre: ! Many of the medieval castles that I remember seeing in central Europe were brown/tan/red instead of gray, depending on the local stone supply. Yellow may have been closest to what they thought was the right color. Also, the yellow castle first came out in 1978, when gray was not common. The only medieval castle that I remember seeing at Legoland in the mid 70’s was yellow with gray trim. 
From Richie Dulin: ! Grey elements didn’t become generally available until Classic Space was introduced in 1978 and they didn’t become that common (not that they’ve ever really been common) for a while after that. (According to Peeron the first grey brick appeared in set 452 in 1979) 
From Cary Clark: Yellow castles, though not common, do exist in Europe. Hohenschwangau Castle in Southern Germany was built in the 12th century. It was destroyed by Napoleon and restored by Crown Prince Maximilian 1832-1837. (It’s unclear if the exterior color changed when it was restored.) 
Dear-Lego
How does The LEGO® Group determine which pieces go into which bags in a set? From Larry Pieniazek: ! The process is automated. Some digging on Dejanews will get you a number of posts that describe it in detail. These posts, originally to rec.toys.lego, are no longer available. As far as I know, no one has ever said how LEGO® set designers make the partition the set into bags decision. It is clear, though, that size is a factor, You will almost never find a 2x4 brick and a 1x1 round plate in the same bag except for the smallest sets (pre Town Jr. that is... all bets are off now.) So the set into bags decision may soon be a lost art. From Cary Clark: Different production runs of the same set contain different parts in the polybags. There is some speculation that the different styles of polybag -- perforated or non-perforated -- are stuffed at different production facilities. I’d like to put a reference to that post here, but I can’t find it. Since the parts differ from production run to production run, one can only assume that the bag contents depend on where the bags are packed, the physical limitations of the packing machines, and the relative size of the parts.
Why are certain set numbers skipped? Why are some reused? From Richard W. Schamus: ! No one knows for sure. Some items numbers are only released in certain regions, or certain countries. Perhaps others get scrapped as a production line, only to have that number assigned at a later date. From Dan Boger: ! Some of the lower set number have been reused many times. 214 and 700 have been used with 11 different sets! FAQ
What do the ‘?’ and ‘!’ in the FAQ entries mean? From Cary Clark: The question mark is a link to original question. The exclamation point is a link to the original answer. Sometimes the questions and answers have been edited to make them more general and relevant.
How do I add or correct information in the FAQ? From Cary Clark: Additions and corrections can be posted publically to http://news.lugnet.com/faq/ or posted privately to: cclark2 AT nc DOT rr DOT com Ideally, a new addition should include the following:
What is the exact format of this FAQ? From Cary Clark: This FAQ is written in FTX. You can see the source of any page by adding index.ftx to the URLs of the catagories or adding .ftx to the URL of the specific entries. For instance, this page source can be read here: /~330/FAQ/FAQ/format.ftx and the catagory can be read here: /~330/FAQ/FAQ/index.ftx Each catagory also has an ‘all’ page includes the body of all catagory entries. Here’s the one for the FAQ catagory: /~330/FAQ/FAQ/all.ftx
Why wasn’t all of my posted wisdom included in the FAQ? From Cary Clark: The FAQ entries attempt to distill the question and answer down to their essense. If anything, many of the existing entries still contain too many words and sometimes too much information. I’ll continue to edit them down as time allows. The FAQ reader can always visit the original question by clicking on ‘?’ and the original answers by clicking on ‘!’. However, should the distilled version misrepresent the entry, please let me know so I can fix it right away. Fun
How many LEGO® bricks would it take to stretch from San Francisco to New York? From Richard Dee: ! A little over 304 million bricks, assuming that you are stacking 2 high to attach them, and the distance were 3000 miles, and that the distance is over a flat plane. 2 (bricks high) x 12 (inches per feet) x 5280 (feet per mile) x 3000 (miles) / 1.25 (length of 2x4 brick in inches)
Is there a utility to generate random set names? From Suzanne Rich: ! Oh yes, great fun. :-) I don’t think Todd would mind my telling you where it is: http://www.fibblesnork.com/lego/namegen/ Hee-hee, just got some good ones:
How can I make a LEGO bookmark? From Todd Lehman: ! To make a bookmark with the big red LEGO® logo at the top and cool LEGO imagery on the rest -- cut up a small LEGO box. For instance, I used an extra 6856 Planetary Decoder box: 
that I had sitting around, hacked it up with a scissors, and voila -- I now have 4 single-sided LEGO bookmarks (or 2 double-sided LEGO bookmarks if I go buy a glue stick and some laminating sheets).
What’s the German word for the sound that rummaging through LEGO elements makes
? From Steve Martin: ! “Gruschteling”, which is pronounced groo-shte-ling. (From http://www.lugnet.com/pause/legoqa.html).
How many elements did The Lego Group make in 1999? From Suzanne D. Rich: ! From http://www.lego.com: “2,172 is the total of different moulded elements in 1999. There are -- 97 LEGO PRIMO elements, -- 399 LEGO DUPLO elements, -- 157 LEGO SCALA elements, -- 903 LEGO SYSTEM elements, -- 357 LEGO TECHNIC elements and -- 137 LEGO DACTA elements – and that’s not counting the many colour variations.” From Jasper Janssen: ! The remaining 122 elements are unaccounted for. General
Am I too old for LEGO® toys? From Jeremy Sproat: Nope! You are never too old to enjoy LEGO toys.
Am I too young for LUGNET? From Cary Clark: LUGNET is, by definition, a Lego User Group, inclusive of age. However, part of its Terms of Use asks that users under the age of 18 receive parental permission before using this service. The LUGNET community tries to keep the content appropriate all ages, but the LUGNET service does not screen postings that some might find offensive. LUGNET includes links to regional LEGO organizations which may or may not welcome minors. Contact the club in your area for details. As of August 2000, here are some of teenagers who use LUGNET:
What does the “ob” (as in “oblego”) mean? From Jeremy H. Sproat: ! “Ob” is an abbreviation of “obligatory”. Among other things, it’s an old Usenet trick to insert an on-topic remark into an otherwise off-topic message. From Shiri Dori: ! If you’re looking for an acronym mentioned on lugnet, try this: http://www.lugnet.com/~88/acronymfaq/
SW LEGO®? What’s that stand for? -or- What common acronyms are used on LUGNET? From Shiri Dori: ! If you’re looking for an acronym mentioned on lugnet, try this: http://www.lugnet.com/~88/acronymfaq/ From Jason Spangler: ! http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/9639/rtlspeak.txt contains rec.toys.lego specific acronyms and jargon, courtesy of Derek Schin. From Larry Pieniazek: ! SW is Star Wars® (except to a train nut like me in which case it’s a prefix for a series of EMD switchers... SW-1, SW-9, SW-1500 and others).
Where did the names DUPLO™ and SCALA™ come from? From Todd Lehman: ! DUPLO is like “double” or “duplicate” or “duplicity” -- i.e. 2x, which is how much bigger LEGO DUPLO bricks are compared to LEGO SYSTEM bricks. (Well, 2x in each of 3 dimensions, anyway.) SCALA was originally used for a line of LEGO jewelry for girls in the 80’s. They re-used the trademark for the dolls line. I think it made more sense in the old line since it suggested “scalability” and “scales.” (The watches had interchangeable tiles.)
Who is Timmy? From Robert M. Dye ! Timmy’s actual name is “Tim.” 
©1996 LEGO
This minifig first appeared in the Time Cruisers sets. You see it some in the Freestyle stuff, too. He is held in contempt, I think, because he is sort of like Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: the Next Generation. What was Picard thinking, letting that little brat fly a starship? What was Dr. Cyber doing letting a kid like Timmy have access to a time machine? It’s a kids’ toy, but this is the AFOL’s (Adult Fan Of Lego) reaction to the figure.
What set contained the first fully articulated minifig? From Kevin Loch: ! In 1978, a number of sets contained minifigs. It’s difficult to say which one came first. See: http://www.brickshelf.com/scans/catalogs/1978/c78us/c78us-13.html http://www.brickshelf.com/scans/catalogs/1978/c78nl/c78nl-08.html http://www.brickshelf.com/scans/catalogs/1978/c78nl/c78nl-09.html
Who is Susan Williams? From Matthew Miller: ! Many letters from Lego Consumer Affairs are signed “Susan Williams”. Susan Williams isn’t an actual person; it’s a pseudonym for the Consumer Affairs department. From Gary Istok: ! The German version of Susan Williams is Paul Pudel.
What is “Town Jr.” ? From Cary Clark: The Lego Group introduced a line of town-themed sets that bridge the gap between its Duplo™ and System which it called Town Jr. It was aimed at four to seven-year olds. It generally replaces small model parts that build, for instance, a vehicle chassis, with a single large and less flexible part. New parts introduced by Lego that could have been made of multiple common parts are termed “Juniorized”. From Tim McSweeney: a message to the newsgroup “Dear-Lego” I’m not minifig kind of guy, Back when I was a kid I used to get space stuff and so on, but at some point I moved on to technic and didn’t really look back. When the information started coming out about the Mindstorms stuff I decided to get back into the swing of things. I started buying Technic sets again to get myself up to speed, I joined Lugnet, I put a Lego wallpaper on my computer. One lunch time at work I bought a couple of tiny sets, (a ninja, and a bat-lord I think) To sit on my computer.now I’m hooked, My desk has been taken over, I’ve bought a lot of the larger Adventurers and Ninja sets for home... you know how it is. I’ve watched the complaining about Town Jr. with mild interest. Everything that people said made sense. Dumbing down the sets seems like a bad idea. Lego is about construction not just Action figures, You know the drill. I went and had a look at some of the new Town sets just to see what everyone was complaining about. They didn’t look too bad, Sure they are a lot simpler and less detailed than some of the recent Town Stuff, I can see how people Who have come up through this golden age would complain. If anything the looked to have less specialized pieces than some of the more detailed Town Stuff. (bear with me, I am going somewhere). The also reminded me a lot of the Town sets I played with as a kid, Very Simple(No Doors) Check out  ©1978 LEGO
and  ©1978 LEGO
To see what I mean Was This really just Lego Going back to it’s roots? Feeling Rather Nostalgic I decided to buy one:  ©1997 LEGO
I Got Back to My Desk and opened the Box. Inside where three printed bags I had been warned to expect these. Tearing open the first bag I pulled out the instructions. I knew something was horribly horribly wrong when I saw that the plans consisted of only TWO steps. Looking at the pieces I suddenly knew what everyone was complaining about. The base of the truck thingy which I had blatantly assumed to be made up of half a dozen pieces was one great solid piece of plastic. A few decorative bits stuck on the top and that was it. I assembled all three models in record time and sat staring at them in disbelief. Editor’s Note: Here are two examples of juniorized car bases. Set 6565 contains one or both of these, or similar parts.  
I had never even thought it possible that one could feel dirty while playing with Lego but now I look at my hands in disgust. I Apologize to all those people who previously took the time to complain about town Jr. I had you silently catalogued as overly sensitive whiners. Now as I join your ranks I understand the great crime that has been committed. That’s it for Town Jr. and me. No more will I throw money at cute LOOKING Stuff. It’s proper Lego or nothing.
What’s the connection between Samsonite® and Lego? From Gary Istok: ! In the early 1960’s, The Lego Group licensed the Samsonite Corporation of Denver Colorado to serve the markets in USA and Canada. Between 1961 and 1972 all US Lego boxes said “LEGO by Samsonite”. In 1973, TLG took over and the USA Lego headquarters were moved to Enfield, Connecticut. Samsonite provided LEGO for Canada from 1962 to 1986. Some sets produced by Samsonite have no European counterpart. Sometimes the sets were the same, but the set numbers were different. Some service packs had the same number, but the Samsonite boxes were larger, and usually contained more parts. In my opinion Samsonite produced two of the most beautiful and interesting LEGO sets ever made.
Why are some colors more rare than others? From Steve Bliss: ! Here’s one conjecture: Green, brown, and a few other colors can be easily used for military models, and LEGO is non-violent; so green and brown aren’t allowed, except in limited situations. From Cary Clark: Here’s another conjecture: Lego’s color production has historically been limited to mostly red, blue, yellow, black, white, and grey. Other colors required silo space that was not permanently available, and were only used to produce parts during limited production runs. Over the last few years, more colors have become available in a greater variety of elements. New “System” sets often contain tan, dark grey, green, brown, and orange bricks. It appears that a change in manufacturing has loosened the former color restrictions.
Where can I find web sites created by Adult Fans Of Lego (AFOL)? From Jeremy Sproat: ! Try looking for “Lego” in any of the popular search engines. If you want to start your search off with some really really good sites, check out LUGNET’s Cool LEGO Site of the Week, at http://www.lugnet.com/cool/. A rather comprehensive list of Lego fan sites can be found at Everything Lego, http://lugnet.com/links/. You could also check out the Legomaniac’s Webring at http://www.zacktron.com/ring/. Please note that these Web sites are unofficial fan-authored sites. LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize, or endorse non-TLG sites. The absense of a disclaimer on fan-authored sites should not be interpreted as endorsement by LEGO. When in doubt, e-mail the author for clarification, or go to LEGO’s offical Web site. You can visit the official LEGO Web site at http://www.lego.com. From Cary Clark: More AFOL creations can be seen at http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery.
What are some rules for Adult Fans Of Lego (AFOL) Websites? From Jeremy Sproat: ! NOTE: The author of this answer is not a lawyer, nor does he represent the LEGO® Group. For legal issues or questions concerning the LEGO® group, always check with them first. Their Web site is at www.lego.com. The LEGO® Group has a strong policy concerning how you, the LEGO enthusiast, publishes LEGO-related information on the Internet and other place. Happily, the LEGO Group’s policy is very easy to work with. The LEGO Group has published a document called Fair Play, at http://www.lego.com/info/fair.asp. In this document, the objective of the LEGO Group is to:
Included among the things which the LEGO Group requests fans who publish LEGO-related information, to keep in mind:
How can I request newer set instructions from BrickShelf? From Jeremy Sproat: ! http://www.brickshelf.com/scans/ doesn’t have the instructions for newer sets. To quote the site: Note: due to self-imposed restrictions, we do not have instructions for sets released in 1997 or later. You may want to see if anyone has a copy they are willing to sell, trade, or give away. The newsgroup /market/buy-sell-trade/ is a good place to advertise. Alternatively, you could ask someone to put a copy into a Jambalaya box that you are in line for. Give the newsgroup /market/jambalaya/ a look. Market
Is there somewhere online where I can order sets directly from LEGO? From Robert Munafo: ! There are two online order sites affiliated with the LEGO® group, but neither allows you to order what you would call “ordinary” LEGO model sets. The PITSCO Dacta Online Store allows you to order anything in the Dacta catalog, most of which is directed primarily at classroom applications. However, experienced builders will find the “spare parts” section particularly interesting; here you can order a set of assorted yellow plates, or a package of 100 8-tooth gears. Unfortunately, some colors and many types of parts (most notably tiles) are not offered. From Brad Justus: ! September 11, 2000 was the scheduled launch date for the introduction of LEGO Shop At Home online. We have decided not to introduce online shopping at http://www.lego.com until early October. Ed. note: As of mid-October 2000, Shop At Home online is now available in a number of countries.
Does LEGO® have any retail outlets or attractions? Lego has company-owned Legoland theme parks in Billund, Denmark; Windsor, England; and Carlsbad, California USA. Lego also sells directly through these outlets: LEGO Shop-At-Home Service (CT, USA) 800-835-4386 800-4LEGOLA(ND) LEGO Outlet Potomac Mills (VA, USA) 703-490-1335 LEGO Outlet Georgia (GA, USA) 706-216-2800 LEGO Imagination Center (Mall of America, Bloomington, MN, USA) 612-858-8949 LEGO Imagination Center (Orlando, FL, USA) V:407-828-0065 F:407-828-0059
Will LEGO® ever market towards adults? From Thomas Main: ! Quoted from Marketing, Sept. 10, 1998 issue: The aim is to broaden the brand’s message to include adults as well as children. “The idea is to take Lego back to what adults believe it is about, which is creativity and the art of construction, rather than playing with readymade toys,” said a source close to Lego.
What is DACTA®? From Ben Gatrelle: ! Dacta is the Education division of TLG (The Lego® Group). Go to http://www.lego.com/DACTA/ for direct info. They sell through a partnership with Pitsco (http://www.pitsco-legodacta.com/html/products.html) and other education supply companies. (http://www.lego.com/dacta/addresses/wheretobuy.asp)
Do LEGO® catalogues differ from one country to the next? From Simon Robinson: ! I’ve just received my first US catalogue as a result of swapping with my UK ones - and I can’t believe how different they are. Sure, the sets are mostly the same, and a lot of the pictures are pretty similar, but apart from that, the designs completely different. The US/Canada catalog is a lot smaller and has hardly any text, whereas in the UK we get set names and write-ups about each set. Plus, we often get descriptions of who the various minifigs are (lots of them have names) and what they are doing (though not as much this year as last year) - there doesn’t seem to be any of that in the US/Canada catalog.
What is a jambalaya box? From Todd Lehman: A jambalaya box is a diverse mixture of new or used LEGO® elements, sent around for exchange, under the theory that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. You can join the fun at http://news.lugnet.com/market/jambalaya/. You can read the jamalaya FAQ here. Buy-Sell-Trade
Where’s the best place to buy LEGO®? From Kevin Wilson: ! I wrote a FAQ about buying LEGO®. Here it is:
Can I sell LEGO® for ‘Best Offer’ in market.buy-sell-trade? From Todd Lehman: ! Sealed Bid Auctions belong in /market/auction. Or Best Offer belong in /market/buy-sell-trade. Considering the best offer among multiple offers is a completely natural part of putting something up for sale or possible sale. OBOs and SBAs are similar in underlying algorithm but very different in human perception. Some have felt that it was inappropriate to post an OBO into .buy-sell-trade, because OBO sales were a kind of auction. An OBO sale is about as much an auction as a scarf is a glove.
Should I keep the box a LEGO® set came in? From Bram Lambrecht: ! If the box has reasonably strong walls (eg, a big set like 8880 or 6982) I often cut off the flip-top and use the box for sorting/storage. The smaller trays from medium size boxes are also good for storage. From Nick Taylor: ! I save the back panel from most boxes since they show alternative building ideas. From Frank Filz: ! Having the box will generally make it easier to sell a set later, and you will generally get more for it. I keep all the boxes for sets which I don’t break down for parts to be sold. I flatten all the boxes except the largest ones which don’t flatten (I store the smaller set boxes and inserts etc. in those). Currently I even save the little plastic “neat parts” display trays (and the plastic sheet which covers them). I’m inclined to ditch those however. From Jason Catena: ! I take care of inventorying the sets I’ve bought by cutting the UPC bar code (which contains the set number) from the box before I flatten and throw the box away.
Can I get money for my old LEGO®? From Todd Lehman: ! Yes, absolutely -- anything that says LEGO® on it. Many people have sold off their LEGO® Space collections so they could focus their building talents in the LEGO® Castle arena, and vice-versa. Many people have discovered vintage theme sets at obscure toy stores and have been kind enough to buy them and make them available to other people on the net. Many people have become addicted to bidding in LEGO® auctions and some have even become addicted to holding LEGO® auctions. There is a huge barely-tapped market for old LEGO® sets. In the small world of news:rec.toys.lego alone, hundreds upon hundreds of dollars of LEGO® sets are auctioned each month. Sell your old LEGO® and you will be rewarded. But don’t sell it to the first bloke who offers you $10 for it -- seek out the people who seek what you have, and both of you are winners. From Cary Clark: Thousands of auctions of Lego are active all of the time on http://www.ebay.com. eBay is also useful to gauge the value of your collection, by searching for similar items among the completed auctions. Items may be posted for direct sale on the LUGNET newsgroup /market/buy-sell-trade/. Also, http://www.brickbay.com allows you to set up a shop to sell Lego parts and sets.
Which sets are sellable? From Todd Lehman: ! All sets can be auctioned or sold for a set price. For every LEGO® set ever made, there is someone who seeks it. Some sets are in demand more than others -- for example, Forestmen and original Blacktron sets -- but all sets are sellable. Even sets in the current product line -- still on the shelves of every store in the world -- can be resold by individuals. Some people have sold brand-new sets at less than the going retail price. If that sounds silly, consider the opportunities presented when a large department store goes out of business and has a 60%-75% off sale.
How complete does a set have to be? From Todd Lehman: ! Anything goes. You can sell LEGO® pieces, LEGO® boxes, original LEGO® building instructions, LEGO® Idea Books, LEGO® comic books, LEGO® catalogs, anything. It’s all been done. Just be sure to let people know how complete the set is and generally what condition it is in. You don’t necessarily have to list all the missing pieces, or every scratch or blemish, but your efforts will be appreciated if you do so. If you’re selling a LEGO® set, you’ll get the most for it if you have all the pieces, the original instructions, and the original box (in particular the front and back panels of the box), but you generally won’t get much more for it if it’s mint-in-box than if it’s been opened and played with -- as long as it’s still in good condition. Some people already have the pieces to a set and are only seeking the box or the instructions -- for example, they found the pieces at a garage sale, or their dog chewed up the instructions, or their dad threw out the box. Some auctions or parts sales consist purely of LEGO® pieces, where the seller buys dozens (sometimes hundreds) of brand-new LEGO® sets and divides them up into specialized parts packs. This is a time-consuming but lucrative business.
How can I determine whether my LEGO® is in demand? From Todd Lehman: ! You can get a sense for demand by posting a “What is this worth?” message in /market/appraisal, but that won’t tell you what people are willing to pay -- it will only tell at a minimum how many people are interested. If you happen to get three people who say, “I’ll pay up to $75 for it,” there’s a good chance you’ll get $85 or $90 or more for it. You can get a sense for what people are willing to pay by looking at the history of other auctions and sales (assuming you watch the group regularly), but that won’t tell you what people are willing to pay for your particular item -- it’s only a rough guide. The only way to be sure about demand is to actually go through with the sale.
How do I determine value? From Todd Lehman: ! Generally, the older the set, the higher its value. Theme sets with mini-figures are especially valuable. A set starts becoming valuable when it is no longer part of the current product line, simply because it is difficult to find in mainstream stores. LEGO® Shop-At-Home Service carries most sets for an additional 12 months and some up to 36 months. A set becomes more valuable when it is no longer available through Shop-At-Home (S@H), now because it is nearly impossible to find in local stores. Smaller sets increase in value much more rapidly than larger sets. Here is a graph to give you an idea:
You can see the graph here. There seems to be a glass ceiling for most sets around 10 years old -- these seem to go for around US $80 to $100, regardless of their original price. There have even been $2 U.S. and European-only sets that have sold in this range. But basically, you auction a set if you think you can get more for it than you just paid for it, or if you have it lying around from childhood and it’s just not that interesting anymore. The only way to be sure about value is to actually go through with the auction.
Should I trade, sell or hold an auction? From Todd Lehman: ! An auction is a lot of work. It is rewarding, but sometimes there are better ways to get rid of something, for example if you are lucky you may be able to do a simple LEGO®-LEGO® trade with someone. But finding a good equal LEGO®-LEGO® trade is not always an easy thing -- most of the time you will end up doing an unbalanced LEGO®-LEGO® trade padded out with cash (either direction) and this is a great way to test the waters. Think carefully about what you’re considering selling. If it’s something you still play with or is nostalgic, you should probably hang on to it. Otherwise, what good is it to you? Put it up for adoption to the highest bidder and reinvest that money into something more to your liking. If the reason you’re hanging on to it is for the neat pieces, look around at sets currently in stores -- maybe newer sets have those pieces too. Think opportunistically. Also think how wonderful it will make a collector feel to acquire a missing set. Watch out for other enterprising folks. If you price your opening bids too low and there is little demand, someone with better marketeering skills may snatch it up and sell it a month later at a better price -- a frustrating experience, but one to grow from. The selling price of an item is a function of its potential value and the promotional skills you use in selling it. The potential value of an item is a function of its condition, its completeness, and its demand at a given time of the year. Shipping
What are the advantages of UPS? From Todd Lehman: This discussion assumes you are visiting a real UPS branch office. If you go to a third-party UPS client such as Mailboxes Etc, all bets are off. UPS has good rates for large, heavy packages. Using UPS Ground service, you can expect to spend between $3 and $5, in extreme cases $6, to send an average LEGO® package inside the U.S. The rates vary depending on the location -- UPS divides the U.S. into several zones. Shipping time is 3 to 5 business days -- very reasonable. UPS has good rates for insurance. The first $100.00 is free; it’s $0.35 per $100.00 thereafter. UPS barcodes and tracks all packages. You can call a toll-free 1-800 number to check the status. When someone signs for the package, UPS keeps a computerized image of the signature and can supply this to you if you need it for a claim. There are at least two versions of tracking service:
UPS is now on the Web! Here are some relevant links:
What are the advantages of USPS (the US post service)? From Todd Lehman: The USPS has good rates for small, light packages. You can expect to spend from $0.50 to $4.00 to mail a typical LEGO® package inside the U.S. The rates vary depending on the location and the speed of service required. Up to and including 11 ounces, Third Class serivce is the same rate as First Class service. As a rule of thumb figure $0.30 per ounce for small packages. Parcels sent First Class generally arrive in 2 to 3 days. Parcels sent Third Class generally arrive in 5 to 7 days. Shipping parcels overseas (out of the U.S.) via USPS is expensive. The rates of course depend on the destination, but you can generally figure airmail to Europe is roughly 4 to 8 times as expensive as normal First Class mail inside the U.S. Airmail delivery times are typically one week. Mail to Canada is neither prohibitively expensive nor slow. Always ask your options at the counter. Surface mail to overseas countries is much less expensive, but can take 8 to 12 weeks, for example to or from Australia. USPS offers insurance, but you pay extra. UPS is now on the Web! Here are some relevant links:
How should I pack LEGO® for shipment?
From Todd Lehman: ! Count on package damage in the mail -- take measures to avoid it. Learn from the mistakes of others. Pack your LEGO® shipment as you would pack a crystal vase or fine china.
From Todd Lehman: ! For best results use a cardboard box. Boxes are cheaper than mailing envelopes -- free if you ask around at the right places -- and can’t be folded or crammed into a mailbox. Use padded mailing envelopes for floppy paper items or things of little value:
Some have had success sending mini-figures in bubble-padded mailing envelopes. Cassette tape mailing boxes (around $0.50 at the U.S. Post Office) also work well for mini-figures and small LEGO® parts.
From Todd Lehman: ! If you choose to use an envelope, use the smallest envelope that holds the item securely. Don’t fold the item just to fit it in a smaller envelope and save twenty cents. Use either padded envelopes or manilla envelopes with a piece of firm, flat cardboard backing so the items won’t bend easily as they journey from mailbag to mailbag.
From Todd Lehman: ! If you choose to use a box, use the smallest box that holds all the items securely, but that leaves enough space for padding. Don’t use a box that just barely fits all the items unless you are sure the box is strong enough; the goal of packing is not to be clever or frugal but to do the job right -- to get the items there unharmed. Don’t use shipping insurance as a crutch.
From Todd Lehman: ! Good padding avoids problems in shipping. Most cardboard boxes need 1 to 2 inches of padding:
If your box is exceptionally sturdy, you won’t need as much padding. If your box is old, tired, and seeing its last days, use a bit extra -- especially near the top corners, where other boxes are likely to smoosh it.
From Todd Lehman: ! UPS (United Parcel Service) recommends including a copy of both the sender’s address and the recipient’s address on a 3x5 card inside the package in case of emergency. Ask your bidders to supply an extra card with their address. Before sealing the box, shake it. If it doesn’t make noise, shake it vigorously. If it’s reasonably quiet, you’re ready to seal the box. LEGO® sets in a mailing box should sound like a muffled cereal box being shaken. If you hear a rattling, you’d better figure out what you did wrong. Remember, the goal of the padding step is to avoid problems. The goal of this step is to find any problems you may have missed. Use a good, strong tape. Test it on your arm -- if it pulls the hair off, you’ve got a good tape. If you can pull it away from the cardboard on the box and re-stick it, you’ve got problem tape. Start with the bottom of the box. Make sure the flaps line up well and nothing is loose from the last time the box was used. Re-tape the bottom edges and the centerline if necessary. On the top of the box, apply mailing stickers, 3x5 cards, or write directly on the box in clear, legible letters. Make sure your digits are unambiguous, espeically between 1’s and 7’s, 6’s and 0’s, 4’s and 9’s, 9’s and 7’s. Don’t get fancy. Someone once made a beautiful calligraphic 9 that looked like a 7; the $400 package he sent was delivered to the wrong house two blocks away. Cover both your address and the recipient’s address with clear packing tape. Press it down firmly -- run your fingernail or a pen across it, especially around the edges of the seal. Finally, seal the top of the box. Try peeling off the tape -- make sure it doesn’t come loose easily. If the box is small, you might want to go all the way around the box with the tape.
From Todd Lehman: ! Drop the box from shoulder-height onto the floor. Throw it a few feet. Kick it. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, then it’s probably not packed well. If the tape moves or comes loose anywhere, you should consider buying better tape. Ask yourself, How are packages typically handled? Gently? How many times do they change hands? Will your box be at the bottom of a pile or at the top? Can someone put a pair of speakers on top of your box? Can your box roll 50 feet down a sorting treadmill and slam into another box? Is your box of precious cargo any more special to a mail handler than other box of equal shape and size? What if when the package is delivered, it is left in a window well outside someone’s house?
Is there anything special I should look out for? From Todd Lehman: Some countries charge a import tax, so you may not want to insure your packages, or you may want to give a very low declaration of value. For example the Netherlands charges the recipient 25% of the cost of the package when it is claimed. When sending something to another country, always find out your options, and ask at the counter if there is anything you should be aware of. Some countries are even considered an insurance risk, and you can’t insure a package sent there even if you want to. This section could grow as more data is collected. Send horror stories to the FAQ maintainer.
What if a package is lost or stolen? From Todd Lehman: Both UPS and the USPS are extremely reliable. If a package does not arrive at its destination, it was probably either delivered to the wrong address by mistake (usually an addressing error) or delivered to the correct address and stolen -- in either case the recipient should ask around in his/her apartment building, neighborhood, post office, or UPS branch office. If you have insured the package, check with the carrier and begin the claims process. Keep in close contact with the recipient so neither of you panic and start mistrusting each other. Off-Topic
What the heck is a Fibblesnork Uber-Garlic pickle? From Todd Lehman: http://www.fibblesnork.com/uber-garlic/pickle/ The only pickle with hang time.
Where can I find a free nntp server? Network News Transfer Protocol servers provide access to newsgroups like rec.toys.lego. -Ed. From John Keating: ! This list on Yahoo may help: http://dir.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/Chats_and_Forums/Usenet/Public_Access_Usenet_Sites/ I find that www.dejanews.com is good too as it allows posts from a browser as long as you register (which is free). From: Matthew Marshall: ! There’s always dejanews, but it is really slow and sometimes my posts don’t ever show up on their server much less anyone else’s. I’ve been looking for a free one that allows you to use Microsoft Outlook as a newsreader but no luck so far. If you find one please tell me. Publish
How do I photograph a LEGO® model? From Michael Hopkins: ! These pages http://www.baylug.org/ninja/original/Photography.html discuss the photographic techniques I use and image post-processing. From Joe Davenport: http://208.167.185.36/Photo.html shows how I used some paint programs to add in backgrounds to the pictures. From Jeremy Sproat: See the photographing techniques page at Suzanne Rich’s site: http://www.baseplate.com/info/colophon/photo.html
What color is this? From Suzanne D. Rich: ! I have a finished rough draft of an element color chart: http://www.baseplate.com/colors/ Since the colors are rendered by HTML table background specs, 8-bit displays may be inadequate for viewing. Color names given are rough -- I have yet to check through documents for better ones.
Where can I get a free site for my LEGO® creations? From Larry Pieniazek: ! Yahoo, for one, maintains links of service providers that have free hosting: http://dir.yahoo.com/...very long URL.../FreeWebPages/ While you can post text and pictures using a LUGNET Member’s page, FTX, and BrickShelf, if you want to publish binaries then it’s best to have your own web page.
Do I need permission to link to a site from my web page? From Todd Lehman: ! It depends on what you’re linking to. If you’re linking to a site or sub-site’s top-level homepage, for example:
then you rarely need permission. However, if you’re linking to a top-level from inside a frame, then ask for permission first; the frame makes the site look like it’s part of your site. If you’re linking to a deeper page, then, in general, the deeper the link (the longer the URL), the higher the probability that the link will break at some point. Web authors tend to rearrange pages and HTML does not handle this gracefully. If you need to link to a page deep in the hierarchy, then ask the site’s owner if the page’s location is stable. Always ask for permission before linking to a JPEG or GIF image, or any other type of non-HTML resource, especially if you’re including the image on your own page directly via the <IMG> tag. Don’t ever embed other people’s images without their permission. Of course, never link to something if the owner has specifically requested otherwise. Robotics
Where can I find additional robotics resources on the web? From Janet and Carl McIver:
More information on RCX sensors, including homebrew sensors, can be found at: http://www.plazaearth.com/usr/gasperi/lego.htm Trains
LEGO makes trains? Where can I get them? From Cary Clark: LEGO has been making trains for over 30 years. The 9V train sets pictured below are currently available from LEGO Shop At Home. The 4561 is also available at many US toy stores. Train accessories such as extra track are only available in the US through Shop At Home.
Additional LEGO train engines and cars are available separately from Shop At Home. From Reinhard “Ben” Beneke: ! Many LEGO train enthusiasts prefer 12V, even though the sets are no longer in production. The older sets can still be acquired at a reasonable cost through outlets like eBay, especially in Germany. The German eBay site has a separate catagory for LEGO trains, and some sellers will ship internationally. From Frank Buiting: ! In most European countries, LEGO trains have always been easily available in toy stores.
I’m new to LEGO trains. Should I choose 12 or 9 volt? From Reinhard “Ben” Beneke: !
I’d recommend 9V if the train is for a child, or if the track must be disassembled frequently. Adult train enthusiasts may prefer 12V, especially if they are starting from an existing 12V layout. Modern trains from LEGO S@H will run fine on 12V track by switching the motors. One may use 12V and be happy with it, if there is an existing 12V layout as a start. 9V waggons run fine on 12V track and engines can be adapted in both ways by exchange of the motors.
Will the current 9V trains soon become obsolete? From Larry Pieniazek: ! All LEGO trains, including 4.5V, 12V, and 9V, use the same gauge. This has remained unchanged for over 30 years. It’s unlikely to change soon. From Matthew Bates: ! The 12V system was an afterthought to the original 4.5V battery trains and was not terribly reliable. LEGO introduced more flexible 9V components in the late 80’s. By converting trains over to this system they made all their electrical elements interchangeable.
Are 4.5V, 9V and 12V trains compatible? From Larry Pieniazek: ! From Josha Delahunty: !
9V trains replaced both 4.5V and 12V trains, and replaced the plastic rails with conducting metal rails, starting in 1991. From Thomas Main: ! The track gauge is the same for all three; even the motors are approximately the same size. 12V has the advantage of neat accessories like remote stop signals and remote switch track. 9V has the advantages of being more reliable and currently in production. From Dan Parker: ! The newer, 9v wheels (on both wheelsets and on the motor) are narrower than their 4.5v counterparts. They tend to derail when negotiating 4.5V/12V points (switching rails). From Christopher Masi: ! Reinhard “Ben” Beneke has put together a history of LEGO motors, including how to convert a 9V motor to run on 12V track. To run a 12V train on 9V track, the motor must be replaced. 9V motors are available through Shop At Home. The 9V wheels roll better than the 12V ones, so they will also need to be replaced for cars to move with the least resistance.
Where can I get an original Metroliner, or another older train? From Cary Clark: ! Older trains are highly valued and hard to find. Try posting a request in lugnet.market.buy-sell-trade. Older trains are often available on eBay, and may be offered on BrickBay from time to time.
What are points? -or- Where can I find train jargon explained? From Larry Pieniazek: ! Points are the rails in a turnout that move. You’ll find an extensive train glossary here: http://my.voyager.net/lar/gloss.html From Cary Clark: Here’s another good train glossary: http://pavel.physics.sunysb.edu/RR/RailroadDefinitions.html From Jeff Christner: ! On the railroad that I work for (Norfolk Southern), one refers to the points of a switch, as in “Make sure there is nothing fouling the points before you throw the switch” in case something is preventing the points from moving freely. The points are the parts that move, the switch is thrown, and the turnout is the whole assembly. I’ve never heard it called a turnout at work; the yard dispatchers always call them switches.
What’s a rack railway? From Larry Pieniazek: ! Rack railways are also called cog railways. In addition to the two weight bearing rails there is a central toothed rack that a cog on the power car engages. When the limits of adhesion are reached during the ascent (typically around 5% grade or so) the cog engages and powers the ascent. Similarly on descent, the cog takes the primary braking load.
Where are some good general train websites? From Mark de Kock: ! Try the NGLTC’s Train Depot. It’s great! http://www.ngltc.org/train_depot/ From Larry Pieniazek: ! Here are some other good ones: http://www.pnltc.org/ http://my.voyager.net/lar/lego.html James Mathis’ Brickshelf images http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/9639/trains.html From Cary Clark: And a few more: http://www.baylug.org/train/ http://users.rcn.com/cjmasi/lego/ http://www.lightlink.com/demlow/trains/
What are good references for creating engines and stock? From Larry Pieniazek: ! The Walthers 2000 Big Trains Reference Book or the Walthers 2001 HO Scale Model Railroad Reference Book are good sources. They’re available directly from Walthers and are often stocked by your local hobby shop. The magazines Model Railroader and TRAINS have loads of ideas. These US prototype lines have websites: Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, ConRail, Norfolk Southern. Then there’s the National Model Railroad Association site. Also, try news:rec.model.railroad for sources from other model railroaders. From Robin Werner: ! More ConRail, new and old: http://crcyc.railfan.net/locos/locomotives.html From Mark de Kock: ! This link has European Trains; there are loads of pictures of railways in Europe. http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/pix/ From Josh Baakko: ! http://www.northeast.railfan.net/railphotos.html From Kevin Maynes: ! This one focuses on Canadian railways: http://stewart.railfan.net/rail/engines.htm From Ross Crawford: ! Here’s a site that specializes in Australian railways: http://www.railpage.org.au
Where can I get details about real-life railroad operations? From Larry Pieniazek: ! www.nmra.org - National Model Railroad Association. www.kalmbach.com - Kalmbach is a leading publisher of ref material, as well as publishing the US magazines TRAINS (prototype) and Model Railroader (models). www.railfan.com - Carstens Publications, Kalmbach’s competitor. http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Transportation/Trains_and_Railroads/Railway_Enthusiasts/ From Larry Pieniazek: ! Another good approach is to try to find the websites of fans that are devoted to particular lines, or to the prototype lines themselves (NS and BNSF come to mind as potential sites (http://www.bnsf.com/, http://www.conrail.com/, http://www.nscorp.com)
Where can I find pictures of Maintenance of Way cars? From Bob Parker:! Maintenance of Way cars include ballast spreaders, tie cranes, flangers, spike pullers, bunk cars, and so on. Try these sources for pictures: http://www.klutts.com/inventory.html http://www.northeast.railfan.net/mow.html http://www.railroaddata.com/rrlinks/Maintenance_of_Way/
Can I run different trains using the 4519 cross track? From Jasper Janssen: ! Yes, since the cross track is electrically isolated, separate train loops can cross each other. However, a figure eight is only a single loop, and can only have one controller. So, to run trains on separate loops, you’ll need two or more cross tracks. From Zhengrong Zang: ! With Mindstorms RCX control, it is possible to run two trains without collision with a single cross track. http://legochina.virtualave.net/MOCs/RCXCrossDualLoops.html
What can I do with two ovals of track? From Simon Robinson: ! If you use one of the ovals to do the ends of an oval, and use pieces from the other oval to fill in the sides in a curvy pattern, then you can do anything, as long as you put the same or mirrored arrangement in both sides of the oval. From Larry Pieniazek: ! Matthew Bate’s track designer program for Windows is an excellent resource to figure out what you can do with the track you have. You’ll find it here: http://www.ngltc.org/train_depot/td.htm
What’s a good height for an overpass? From Michael Hader: ! Matthew Bates has created a good tutorial for overpasses and inclines: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/train_depot/inclines.htm From Larry Pieniazek: ! At least 13 bricks if not higher. The trick is figuring the slope of track leading up to the overpass. The track slope is limited by the horsepower-to-weight ratio. As you increase the slope, slippage also comes into play. At 3 plates per track segment you are going to have a hard time pulling even 1 or 2 cars up a grade with a single motor. A motor by itself will have a hard time at 4 plates per slope unless you add extra weight to improve adhesion. I tend to use 1 plate per slope, but I like long trains and usually budget 2 motors per locomotive. Also, allow for transitions. Do not change the rate of change in elevation by more than 1 plate per section, so to get to that monster 4 plates grade, you should be using 3 transition segments of 1, 2, and 3 plates of increase. Never change the rate of change on a curve, or on the section next to it. You can get away with two plates per section, even curved, without derailments, if you come into and exit the curve at the same grade.
How steep an incline can a train climb? From Michael Hader:! Matthew Bates has written up a good tutorial for building inclines here: http://www.ngltc.org/train_depot/inclines.htm
Can I run more than one track with one regulator? From Matthew Bates: ! You can attach many trains to a train controller. I’ve had 4 running without any noticeable decrease in speed. You can also attach additional non-train motors to the train controller. It’s nearly impossible to damage the train controller no matter what you do to it. The train controller has a voltage regulator in it that has built in overload protection. So if you overload it, it just shuts off. From Patrick Gili: ! The clip wire has two terminals, one for either side of the track. One clip directs current from the regulator to a load such as a train motor. The other provides the return path for the current. Without a train motor on the track, there’s no circuit completion, so no current is drawn, regardless of how many clips you attach to the regulator. When you apply a load, current is drawn from the regulator. The amount current drawn depends on the resistance of the load. The train regulator does not control current; it controls voltage. The regulator has a limit on the amount of current it can provide. A free running motor draws a constant current, independent of voltage. The motor will draw more current if a mechanical load is applied to it (e.g., the friction of running on the track, the weight of the train and its payload, and inclination). From Cary Clark: Long stretches of track provide some resistance, dropping the voltage that is available to the motor. By using more than one clip from the same regulator to different sections of track, it’s possible to keep the train running at a uniform speed. If you accidentally reverse one pair of the clips, you won’t hurt anything. The train just won’t run. You’ll notice that the light on the regulator will dim when the clips are mismatched.
Can I have two controllers on one line? From Ben Fleskes: ! I recomend one controller on each loop, with a pair (or more) or switches connecting the two loops. With this sort of layout you can move your trains between loops easily. It takes a little practice to understand how the switches impact things. In summary:
I used a multimeter to discover that the voltage on the track is the larger of the two voltages that the two controllers puts out, if they have the same polarity. If they have opposite polarities, then they always short out and there’s a small residual voltage (about 0.3V) on the track. There isn’t any noticable effect on the speed of the train if you put an extra controller on the track.
How do I build a reversing loop? Manfred Moolhuysen: ! Here are the plans for a reversing loop: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/train_depot/reverse2.htm It’s possible to modify this plan so that the point’s switch is not moved. The only restriction is that the train always runs through the loop in the same direction. In the original version of the reverse loop, the inside rail between the switch and the isolated section is unpowered until the point switch is moved. By eliminating the isolation tape used on the inside rail near the point, the inside rail receives current from the isolated section up to the point junction. The train easily pushes the spring-loaded points open to continue on the powered rail. Zhengrong Zang: ! I have automated my reversing loop using the Mindstorms RCX or Scout with Microscout. http://legochina.virtualave.net/MOCs/RCXReversingLoop.html
What are the electrical limits of 9V trains? From Simon Robinson: ! The controller supplies a variable voltage. As you move the speed regulater from zero to the first of the 6 marks the voltage jumps up to about 3V. It then increases linearly up to about 9V for the maximum speed. The motor power unit has a resistance of 8.7 ohms, so at maximum speed, it’s using about an amp, which works out to 9 watts of power. For a typical controller, expect:
How do I make remote-controlled points (switching rails)? From Ben Fleskes: ! I use a small technic pneumatic cylinder with a modified switch track. I modified a switch track using Steve Barile’s instructions on the PNLTC web page. This change took at most five minutes and I found it very easy with an exacto knife as my only tool. After the modifcation, the switch could easily be switched from one position to the next with little resistance. To build the pneumatic switch, you will need the following parts: (1) small technic cylinder (1) 1x2x1 brick with side peg (1) gray technic connector peg (1) modified switch track Pneumatic hoses, valve and a pump.
From Christopher Masi: ! Here’s my design, which copies some features found on other automated points. http://users.rcn.com/cjmasi/lego/trains/tech/pointsmarkii/points.htm From Wessel Burgers: ! And here are the building instructions for my automated 9V points. http://www.wez.myweb.nl/points1.htm
How do I convert my train to DCC? From Tom Cook: ! Digital Command Control (DCC) transmits signals through the track to trains and train accessories. It can be used to control the speed of the train, for instance. LEGO does not support DCC, but the train engine can be retrofitted with a DCC decoder. Find out more at: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/cook_thomas/Trains/DCC/dcc.htm
Can I use my train with an RCX? From Larry Pieniazek: ! If you are willing to have the RCX be stationary, just connect one of the motor controls go to the track. If you have a 1.0 RCX, then you’ll be able to run it off a wall transformer. Otherwise, the RCX will have to be battery-powered. To have the RCX control the motor without powering the rails, connect the RCX to an external power source, such as a battery box, and then connect it to the top of the motor. It’s not possible to have the RCX onboard, powered by the rails, and controlling the motor, without modifying the LEGO train motor. Additionally, you’ll need a custom cable to get power from the motor to the 9V (wall transformer) input, if you have the older RCX version, or to the battery terminals if you have a 1.5 version. You can’t feed power into the RCX using a sensor connection.
What scale are LEGO trains? From Irving De la Cruz: ! O-scale prints match the LEGO train scale although they might be a bit too big depending on your preference. From Tom McDonald: ! LEGO trains don’t match an established model railroad scale. The scale I would most like to operate in would be to have the trains accomodate the minifigs as much as like a real train as possible. LEGO track is six studs from rail to rail; US Standard gauge track is 4’8”. Given these and if you assume that six studs represents a scale of 4’8”, then it stands to reason that since most cars are in the 8’ wide range that six studs for car width is not enough: ten studs is a more accurate representation. I like the six stud wide trains and make them anyway. From John Neal: ! LEGO track gauge is somewhere short of G scale but bigger than S. I have experimented with making 1 foot equal 1 stud. This scale isn’t too bad- the track is a little too wide (6 studs vs 4.66 studs-4’8”), the wheels are a little too short (3 studs -36” vs typical 40-44” wheels on a modern diesel), but the minifigs are 5 studs tall (5 ft) which is okay.
Should I build My Own Creation 6 wide or 8 wide? From John Neal: ! Most trains from LEGO are six studs wide. But eight stud wide cars and engines which allows for more room and better modeling. From Larry Pieniazek: ! If the length is scaled up to stay proportional to the increase in width and height, it becomes difficult to build train cars that can negotiate the tight LEGO track curve radius. Six wide trains match minfig scale better.
What are my choices for building a train car base plate? From Braden Fox: ! You can build your own out of technic plates layered two thick. The bogie plate’s pin will mate with the technic plate holes. Or, put a 2x2 turntable on the wheels and avoid the bogie plate altogether.
Is there a LEGO train club in my area? From Cary Clark: New train clubs pop up all the time. Check this map to see if one is in your area: http://www.lugnet.com/map/ If not, consider starting one of your own. To get organized, post to: http://news.lugnet.com/trains/org/
What’s a good size for a train club’s exhibition table? From Ben Fleskes: ! If the table dimensions are multiples of 30.25 inches, then they can be covered with nine 32 stud by 32 stud green baseplates, or four 48 stud by 48 stud grey baseplates. At a minimum, I suggest 30.25” by 60.5” for long linear runs. For extra depth, stack them two deep. From John Neal: ! At GMLTC, we use about a 30” by 45” table, equal to exactly 6 large gray baseplates.
Why do some train clubs build up the table top by 20 bricks? From Larry Pieniazek: ! Some train clubs, like PNLTC, have tables. They put their tables together and they build the layout by putting track together and placing buildings on a brown or green colored table. This makes for a highly flexible layout, but it may take a long time to set up and tear down. Other clubs like GMLTC have modules. Each module is a complete and the track is attached to the LEGO below. GMLTC modules are more like model railroad modules in that they are pre-built. This makes for a fairly rigid layout that is fast to set up. The modules are 15 or more bricks high to be strong enough to be lifted up, flipped over, stacked on top of each other, and so on. The height also allows features like subways and bridges built in at track level.
How do I make a four car monorail train? From Larry Pieniazek: ! James Mathis for a three car monorail done in a very clever way with springs and the technic link. http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=1631 From Tim Courtney: ! If you take the wheels off the bottoms, you can plug them into technic plates with holes in the middles of them. Get a lot of wheels and make your own car connectors. Hook your monorail cars together with ball and socket connectors and use normal plates and make your own. From Cary Clark: ! Here’s a four car monorail modeled after the Airport Shuttle that uses ball and socket connectors: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=16055
How can I build a water tower? From Larry Pieniazek: ! Try the 4x4 quarter round bricks, or build an octagonal one (prototypical) use the 2x2/1x4 plate hinges, or build a square one (also prototypical). From Mike Nickel: ! How about the oversize barrels that come with many wild west sets? From Thomas Cook: ! Some pictures of my water tower can be found at: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/cook_thomas/Trains/Structures/WaterTower/WaterTower.htm
How do I make a 2-man handcar? From Ben Fleskes: ! For an idea, look at the one that comes with the LEGO Loco CDROM. Or as an alternate, I built one similar but changed most of what was above the 4x6 plate. It works something like this: One top of the 4x6 plate with small train wheels, put two 1x2 tiles w/ center stud on top on either side of the 4x6 plate. Place one 1x1x1 technic beams on top of each 1x2 tile with center stud. use a 2x2x1/3 with technic peg holes underneath and use technic pegs to connect it to the 1x1x2 technic beams. Then use two 1x2x1/3 ‘space lasers’ (they have thin rods sticking out either side for a distance of almost two studs) on top of the 2x2x1/3 plate mentioned above. Place the ‘space lasers’ such that they point to the sides, not front to back. From Russell Clark: ! I usually refer to it as a gandy dancer. There are also instructions to build one in the 7777 Train Idea Book: http://www.brickshelf.com/scans/7000/7777/7777-03.jpg
Why is the 4551 called a crocodile? From Brian Williams: ! LEGO set #4551 bears a striking resemblance to the Austrian Federal Railways class 1020 electric locomotive. Märklin produced a now out-of-production miniature bearing the paint scheme. The prototype was more orange than red.  Forty seven of the class 1020 operated in Austria after 1945. These locomotives were manufactured in Germany as the popular class E94 before the war for the most part (later reclassified by the Deutsch Bundesbahn in Germany as DB class 194). The E94 possessed features similar to the popular Swiss class Be 6/8III in that it was powerful, articulated and had two coupled power trucks with a cab in between. The Swiss Be 6/8III was nicknamed “crocodile” because the long, dark green hoods covering it’s power trucks were reminiscent of a crocodile. Because of the similarities between the locomotives, the German class E94 became known as the “German Crocodile.” For more information on the prototype visit http://www.bockholt-lokomotiven.de/en/mod/sbb_ce68ii.html. Later, the Lego “class” 4551 retained the nickname “crocodile” although the published set name varied by country. The United States S@H called it “Trolley Locomotive”.
What can I use for spare tires for 4.5V or 12V engines? From Peter Simpson: ! Old 4.5V and 12V trains use rubber bands around the wheels for traction between the train motor and track. As they age, the original bands dry out and crack, becoming useless. A much more durable substitute is heat-shrink cable sleeving. The sleeving is cut to size, put over the tire, and then heated gently to fit. Be careful not to heat your LEGO too much -- it will deform and melt. From Reinhard “Ben” Beneke: ! I got this tip from Pascal Breard of France. I have not tested it myself. Cut a bicycle’s inner tube (the smaller one for a racing bike) into 4 mm sections. It works well, it’s cheap and lasts longer than the original LEGO tyres. Here’s the brand I use: Hutchinson 700x18-20-23 VF 53mm
How can I make custom stickers? From Brian Williams: ! Most inkjet and laser printers can print on transparent labels, but few color printers can print white. Alps printers http://www.alpsusa.com/ are dye sublimation printers that print CMYK along with opaque white and metallic inks. The inks can be layered so that portions of the artwork (a logo for instance) can be underprinted with white. Also, colors can be enhanced with metalic silver and gold.
What’s the difference between LEGO’s buffers and US couplers? From John Neal: ! The LEGO design combines the buffer and the coupler. US train trucks do not have buffers. In fact, one way to convert the LEGO design is to cut the buffers off. From Ben Fleskes: !
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Princess Storm)
Willa the Witch)
