Classic Town Reboot
First and foremost, I would like to welcome you to my rebranded blog, a play on E. Hunter Harrison's Precision Scheduled Railroad model as it is being applied to CSX.
Indeed, this blog is not necessarily to be about his changes to CSX which are debatable, for better or for worse, but about how I see the hobbies (LEGO, Trains, etc.) going forward. I want to make needed changes so that those hobbies that I do enjoy can be done more so; and I wish to share the know-how with all of you.
I am undergoing changes to the LEGO hobby especially that I will discuss at a later time. This entry, however, is about a very effective move being implemented on a future train show display.
The NMRA National Train Show is a month away, and we will be missing two very important gentlemen who have contributed immensely to GFLUG over the years. I was watching Beyond the Brick's LEGO Vault video and saw a hodgepodge of, of course, classic LEGO sets, including classic town. Since those that would be enjoying the NTS from above were big on classic town and trains, a light bulb lit up in my head.
I immediately considered a reboot of one of the sets I had destroyed, to be purposed for the NMRA show. Consulting what was in my collection, I wanted something big, and something city. The train roster I have is already complete from my standpoint. Frankly, I thought the #6571 Flame Fighters was an easy grab, except that for one, I used three of the four white window pieces on my McDonalds, and also the baseplate exclusive to the set was one of the first elements I ever sold on Bricklink. I then went with another iconic, and one of my favorite sets ever, the #10159/6597 LEGO City Airport/Century Skyway. It was a no brainer. Despite a couple elements which I listed on BL, which I immediately cancelled their listing, I figured that I had retained the entire set. So far, my inventory of the set is working to my advantage, with only two elements projected missing. For over 850 elements, and perhaps no rivet counters, this works out. (Besides, I wasn't too crazy about the cargocopter, so the smoke window that I have arranged for it will be fine)
The MD80-ish jetliner is still intact despite some severe yellowing, as I held it on top of what is supposed to be the HO train room for 6 years. The fuel car, and a palm tree lying around were available so those bases were covered. That being said, the rebuild should play pretty easy. Only the terminal and the cargo copter, as well as relevant vehicles will need to be done. Of course, I will document the process.
I regret parting the set out, but it was doomed due to storage. The important part is, it is being restored.
The other comeback that will happen, at least for NTS, will be the return of the 4 wide container standard to my MOCs. I have experimented rigorously with the 5 wide standard, and have mixed feelings about upsizing. Eventually, the plan is to go to either 5-wide or 6-wide containers, but there is no emotional will much less funding from me to do so for the foreseeable future,
I maintained a fleet of nine well cars, six of which were a triplet of TTX Double Stack Well Cars (#10170). Again, much like the airport, these were beginning to deteriorate in storage and I eventually decided to phase them out. A new provision is being put in to rebuild five as its own set ("land bridge"), and build up to 6 more 53' well cars, much to the same style. Other members that I expect to display with also have the cars, so.... perhaps the FEC motors will have quite a train to pull at the NTS.
20' and 40' containers are already accounted for at 8 and 16 studs respectively, but 45' and 53' containers, like the Seaboard 45' in the image above, will be introduced, at 18 and 22 studs, respectively.
These decisions, which I felt were necessary to bring out the character of classic town for which I was quite nostalgic, are rewarding. A lot of idled parts will be put into use. Even though my personal preference is for high realism and whatever, the 4-wide standard works in its own respect. It defined LEGO through the 1990s in what was one of the original golden eras (and I will speak my mind on those soon too). Also, I realized a nice connection to the previous Florida NMRA, which I missed for the stupidest reason ever of not knowing, where the ILTCO began a club container program with the first swap at this event.
I expect that these inclusions will enhance the quality of the display tremendously, and spread inspiration just like what happened to me in the early to mid 2000s when I started to get serious about this hobby.
Indeed, this blog is not necessarily to be about his changes to CSX which are debatable, for better or for worse, but about how I see the hobbies (LEGO, Trains, etc.) going forward. I want to make needed changes so that those hobbies that I do enjoy can be done more so; and I wish to share the know-how with all of you.
I am undergoing changes to the LEGO hobby especially that I will discuss at a later time. This entry, however, is about a very effective move being implemented on a future train show display.
 |
| NMRA Display Plan with Airport added in. There is an extra baseplate I had lying around to be included |
I immediately considered a reboot of one of the sets I had destroyed, to be purposed for the NMRA show. Consulting what was in my collection, I wanted something big, and something city. The train roster I have is already complete from my standpoint. Frankly, I thought the #6571 Flame Fighters was an easy grab, except that for one, I used three of the four white window pieces on my McDonalds, and also the baseplate exclusive to the set was one of the first elements I ever sold on Bricklink. I then went with another iconic, and one of my favorite sets ever, the #10159/6597 LEGO City Airport/Century Skyway. It was a no brainer. Despite a couple elements which I listed on BL, which I immediately cancelled their listing, I figured that I had retained the entire set. So far, my inventory of the set is working to my advantage, with only two elements projected missing. For over 850 elements, and perhaps no rivet counters, this works out. (Besides, I wasn't too crazy about the cargocopter, so the smoke window that I have arranged for it will be fine)
The MD80-ish jetliner is still intact despite some severe yellowing, as I held it on top of what is supposed to be the HO train room for 6 years. The fuel car, and a palm tree lying around were available so those bases were covered. That being said, the rebuild should play pretty easy. Only the terminal and the cargo copter, as well as relevant vehicles will need to be done. Of course, I will document the process.
I regret parting the set out, but it was doomed due to storage. The important part is, it is being restored.
 |
| 4-wide containers. |
The other comeback that will happen, at least for NTS, will be the return of the 4 wide container standard to my MOCs. I have experimented rigorously with the 5 wide standard, and have mixed feelings about upsizing. Eventually, the plan is to go to either 5-wide or 6-wide containers, but there is no emotional will much less funding from me to do so for the foreseeable future,
I maintained a fleet of nine well cars, six of which were a triplet of TTX Double Stack Well Cars (#10170). Again, much like the airport, these were beginning to deteriorate in storage and I eventually decided to phase them out. A new provision is being put in to rebuild five as its own set ("land bridge"), and build up to 6 more 53' well cars, much to the same style. Other members that I expect to display with also have the cars, so.... perhaps the FEC motors will have quite a train to pull at the NTS.
20' and 40' containers are already accounted for at 8 and 16 studs respectively, but 45' and 53' containers, like the Seaboard 45' in the image above, will be introduced, at 18 and 22 studs, respectively.
These decisions, which I felt were necessary to bring out the character of classic town for which I was quite nostalgic, are rewarding. A lot of idled parts will be put into use. Even though my personal preference is for high realism and whatever, the 4-wide standard works in its own respect. It defined LEGO through the 1990s in what was one of the original golden eras (and I will speak my mind on those soon too). Also, I realized a nice connection to the previous Florida NMRA, which I missed for the stupidest reason ever of not knowing, where the ILTCO began a club container program with the first swap at this event.
I expect that these inclusions will enhance the quality of the display tremendously, and spread inspiration just like what happened to me in the early to mid 2000s when I started to get serious about this hobby.
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