The newsletter of the Brickish Association Issue 22 ...brickish.com/bi/bi22.pdf · The BRICK...

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Issue 22 – Spring 2011 – £2.50�

The BRICK ISSUE�The newsletter of the Brickish Association�

TRAINS!�Running 9v Trains with Power Functions�David Graham’s LEGO Train Shows�Running an AFOL Train Layout�

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LEGO in Wexford�Tranquility Base�

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Contributors�Louise Dade�

Richard Forster-Pearson�James Shields�

Andrew Summersgill�David Tabner�

Chairman’s Report�It’s AGM time again! For those members that have never been to a�Brickish�AGM�(or Annual General Meeting), I thought I’d explain the format a little. The AGM is�our annual chance to all get together just as a private event! Of course as the name�would suggest, the AGM does have a meeting component to it – but don’t worry if�that's not your sort of thing! The actual AGM takes up only a small part of the�weekend and there are plenty of opportunities to chat, show off your MOCs, take�part in competitions or of course, the famous BA auction! We do have some impor-�tant items on this years’ agenda though so it would be great to see as many of you�there as possible.� You might also be interested to know that the name of�Brickish� is spreading far�and wide inside LEGO! In fact, as I write this I'm in a hotel outside Bremen on my�way back from Billund. It seems that everyone there knows of�Brickish�and the�great displays that we put on (their words, not mine!). So, a heartfelt thankyou from�LEGO and me. It really is appreciated!�

Play On!�

Warren Elsmore�chairman@brickish.org�

Editor’s Letter�Welcome to this�Brick Issue�, which�seems to have developed a train theme!� Many of the public shows organised�by�Brickish�members are based around�LEGO train layouts, and such a layout�can often provide an opportunity to in-�troduce LEGO into existing exhibitions.� David Tabner has written an article�based on his experiences of running�such shows, providing some perhaps�less obvious advice for any new mem-�bers hoping to start exhibiting in public.� Plus, Richard Forster-Pearson has�provided an all-LEGO solution for run-�ning 9 volt trains with the Power Func-�tions variable speed controller.� Meanwhile, James Shields provides�some non-train content, as he continues�his excellent work promoting our hobby�in the Science Fiction scene.� And, of course,�Tranquility Base�,�Brick-oku and 5 minute model.�

Read On!� David Mackenzie�

newsletter@brickish.org�

President�Martin Long� Chairman�Warren Elsmore�

Vice-Chair�Julie Greig�

Treasurer�Michael LeCount�Secretary�Emma Smith�

Committee�Huw Millington�Duncan Titmarsh�

Brick Issue� David Mackenzie� William Howard�

LEGO is a trademark of The LEGO Group�of companies which does not sponsor,�

authorise or endorse�The Brickish�Association� or this publication.�

The Brickish Association�www.brickish.org�

Association Matters�The�

Forthcoming Events�

AGM Agenda�3�In This Issue...�

Designing a LEGO Train Layout�David Tabner’s recipe for a successful public LEGO train display�4�David Graham’s LEGO Train Shows�Review of recent public events in Scotland�5�Running 9 volt trains with Power Functions�Brick trick from Richard Forster-Pearson�5�LEGO at Wexford�James Shields holds a LEGO workshop at Wexford in Ireland�6�The Back Page�This issue’s “Brick-oku”,�Tranquility Base� and 5 Minute Model�8�

9th Brickish Association AGM�Wadsley Parish Hall, Worral Road, Sheffield, S6 4BB. The Agenda is on page 3.�

Apr�9 - 10�

8th Petersfield LEGO Show�A well-established and popular free public event, held at the Community Centre in Petersfield.�

Apr�23�

AFOLCON�Running for five days at the Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester. Visit�www.afolcon.com� for full details.�

Apr�28�

LEGO Trains at Glenrothes�Public event at the Lomond Centre, Glenrothes. Anyone is free to bring a train or building, or simply help out.�

May�14 - 15�

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AGM Agenda�

9 – 10 April 2011: Wadsley Parish Hall, Sheffield, S6 4BB.�

1 Report by the Chairman�

2 Report by the Treasurer�

3 Election of Chairman�

There are two candidates:� Ed Diment� Warren Elsmore�

4 Election of Treasurer�

There is one candidate:� Michael Le Count�

5 Proposed Constitution Changes�

6 Election of Auditors�

7 Any other business�

4�

I take a Lego train layout to about four events a year. Some of�these are model railway exhibitions, the rest are AFoL dis-�plays or events.� The first aspect to designing a layout for display is what it�will be on. Taking your own tables is a bulky affair, so I make�use of the tables which are available at the venue. The prob-�lem is though that the tables are always of different dimen-�sions for each venue, so the layout is different each time;�usually requiring a complete rebuild for each display. The�tables need to be lipless, because track and scenery don’t like�an interrupted surface. Also they need to be flat; I have had�to use bowed-in ones before and this prevents continuous�features of scenery being used. Once you have your tables, you�can choose how many you want and in what arrangement to�set them. A solid block of tabling is the simplest, but limits�access to the front of the layout when you are operating from�the back. The next option is the horseshoe, which allows�operating from the middle so you can reach everything. But�this requires large ends to return the track and takes up a lot�of space. The final option is the donut - a complete ring of�tables which is most efficient in operation but least in opera-�tor access. I have overcome this somewhat by using my floor�to table viaducts in substitute for the rear table, making the�ducking-under to get in and out easier.� The next aspect is what to put directly on the tables. A�quick solution is to use coloured cloths or nothing at all, which�is the optimum for short duration displays. I prefer to use�baseplates where I can; to cover the tables in a sea of studs.�This though requires that the tables be flat and lipless, but it�enables you to place track and scenery precisely, as well as�reasonably securely. The dimensions of tables don’t often�match those of baseplates so you are forced to compromise.�You can create gaps in the tabling beneath them; otherwise�invisible, which enables much better alignment and support.�You can use light grey or tan for trackbed and blue or green�for scenery.� With the scale of LEGO trains, non-continuous layouts are�not realistically achievable so we principally work with loops.�The most I’ve had is four on a layout, but typically for a�weekend display a couple of running loops is fine. You might�wish to statically display rolling stock. The American LTCs�have massive stock yards on their big layouts for precisely�this purpose. I find though that having at least a couple of�long sidings on the front and sides of the layout is a good start.�Grown up visitors like to see as many train models as possi-�ble, whether they run or not. I built tiered stands for static�rolling stock display where I couldn’t put enough trains di-�rectly on the layout. Additionally you will also want to have�

sidings for operational reasons – to be able to interchange�trains on the running loops. I find that two sidings per loop�allows for three trains to run in turn, keeping the stress on�them down. The best sidings are bypass lines – those with�points at each end, but the space constraints of a layout often�don’t give you the opportunity to use these.� Buildings come next. A good layout is arranged around a�significant station – stations are where most people see trains�up close, so train layouts without lack that real-world connec-�tion. A station on its own though is a white elephant, it needs�context. I usually try to arrange my layouts with a road near�the station (and a level crossing too), then additional urban�buildings can be placed. Industrial buildings do not need that�and can go in almost any space. Big buildings are great but�there needs to be small buildings too, such as a signal box. My�layouts tend to be of the urban sort so I use a back wall on my�layout in the arched style of masonry embankments. This lets�me visually divide the display side of my layout with the�operational rear, which includes the returns of the loops and�the fiddle yard. I have also used the back wall to help support�an elevated loop. For the last three years I have contained the�train controllers in an office block building I redesigned to the�specific dimensions necessary to hold internally three control-�lers, effectively concealed from the front. Level crossings and�bridges help to break up the visual appearance of the track.� Next, there’s the scenery and ephemera. A busy layout is�an interesting one. But it also takes time to set up if, like me,�you can’t transport the layout in intact sections. Firstly, the�squareness of the baseplates can be hidden with plate, ex-�panding the grass or water areas (green and blue), or with my�most recent method of decoration – depositing 1x1 round and�square plates in heaps about the layout. If you’ve got roads,�tiling a pavement always looks good and adding lampposts too�helps. Trees and plants (flowers on the green, weeds around�the track) gives random variety while fence lines help to�delineate areas. Vehicles and figures are the final touch to a�layout – railway maintenance crews with their diggers etc.�working beside the track. The roads look best with with cars�and lorries. Fire engines and police cars are popular with�younger visitors. The pavements and platforms need to be�populated too – you might want to (if your platforms are tiled)�put random studs on, to place figs more securely. Otherwise�you need to keep a regular eye that none of them have been�knocked on to the tracks. Crash proof buffers are a must if the�siding ends at an edge – solidly but simply made from brick.� Finally there’s the running issues. These only show up�when you have the layout built in situ at the venue. Issues�such as clearance obstructions can only be determined when�

fully tested and minor mistakes with�dimensions may have cropped up and�need quickly and innovatively correct-�ing.� I hope this little piece is informa-�tive and will help you to design and�build your own LEGO train layout. The�display I organised at the Bucks Rail�Centre in June last year hosted seven�different AFoL LEGO train layouts.�Hopefully there will be even more this�year.�

by�David Tabner�

LEGO Train Layout�Designing a�

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Brick Trick: Control 9v Trains with Power Functions�

Parts Required:�1 x 2868�9v Train Controller�1 x 9833�9v Train Transformer�1 x 8886�9v to Power Functions adapter cable�1 x 8881�Power Function Battery Box (no batteries installed!)�1 x 8884�Power Functions IR Receiver�2 x 8886�9v to Power Functions adapter cables�2 x 5306�9v Track Power Cables�1 x 8879�Power Functions Variable IR Controller�

Steps:� 1.� Connect the�9v Train Transformer� to the�9v Train Controller�.� 2.� Power it on. The green LED should light on the�9v Train Controller�.� 3.� Turn the speed dial of the�9v Train Controller� to full.� 4.� Connect the 9v end of the�9v to Power Functions adapter cable� to�

the�9v Train Controller.� 5.� Connect the Power Functions end of the�9v to Power Functions adapter cable� to the�Power Function Battery Box�.� 6.� Slide the power switch of the�Power Function Battery Box� until the green LED lights up.� 7.� Connect the�Power Functions IR Receiver�to the�Power Function Battery Box�. The green LED should light up.� 8.� Connect the Power Function ends of the two�9v to Power Functions adapter cables� to the�Power Functions IR Receiver�.� 9.� Connect the 9v ends of the�9v to Power Functions adapter cables�to the two�9v Track Power Cables�.� 10.� Connect the two�9v Track Power Cables�to two lengths of 9v track.� 11.� With the�Power Functions Variable IR Controller�you should now be able to take advantage of using Power Functions�

to control your 9v trains!�

by�Richard Forster-Pearson�

I have been assisting David Graham at his LEGO train shows�for a few years now. The recent show at Cupar, Fife, was�David’s 75th public LEGO show, which I think is an impres-�sive achievement!� There are usually four or five of these shows each year –�mostly around the Fife area of Scotland.� The format of these shows is usually pretty straightfor-�ward: a relatively simple (by AFOL standards) “table-top”-�style setup with three loops of 9v track, each with a passing�place and siding. There’s usually a substantial block of town�to which I can contribute buildings, vehicles and minifigs.�Each loop of track can run one of two trains, with the other�parked in the passing place. The controllers are placed at the�corners of the table, and the younger visitors are encouraged�to operate the trains.�

This puts emphasis on what LEGO is really about – for�children to play with. It is a refreshing change from display-�ing large complex layouts that would be beyond the reach of�any non-AFOL.� We often hear parents saying it’s nice to have something�for the children to play with. The more well-behaved children�are given the chance to swap the trains and perhaps try a bit�of shunting and a closer look at some of the other models.� The shows last for two days, and David’s exhibit is “the�LEGO one” amongst many other more traditional model rail-�way layouts. Over the years you recognise the same visitors�coming each year. They often remark that their children have�been looking forward to playing with the LEGO layout – it�would seem David has a loyal fanbase!� Over the past few years, a surprising number of visitors�have commented that they have bought the IR trains, and it’s�great to see children recognise the trains they have bought�running on the layout. However, there have also been quite a�few people saying they weren’t aware that LEGO made�trains. The IR trains are obviously popular - people are buying�them and building up a collection – but perhaps they need�marketed more?� I really enjoy helping David at his events - and it’s also a�really good way to get a feel of the buying public’s thoughts on�LEGO and what they are finding popular. If you ever have the�chance to come and see us in action, I thoroughly recommend�it!� I should add that several of the Scottish AFOLs – includ-�ing our Chairman – first “checked out” the Scottish LEGO�scene by coming to one of David’s shows!�

David Graham’s�LEGO Trains�

by�David Mackenzie�

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I really didn’t know what I was taking on when my good�friend James Bacon asked me to put together a display for the�science fiction festival he was running in the town of Wexford�on the south eastern corner of Ireland. All he asked for was a�display of Star Wars sets. Nothing specific, just show up and�set them up. Then, about a week before the event, we have a�conversation.� “So how's the diorama coming on?” he says.� “Diorama? You said nothing about a diorama. All you said�was a display of Star Wars sets.”� “Yes,” he says. “Obviously we can’t just display the Star�Wars on their own. They have to be in a diorama.”� “Is that obvious?”� “Well, yeah.”� ”Oh.” I say.� So what's easy to throw together in about a week? A week�that I really don't have time to do any serious building, I�might add?� “I suppose I have most of the Hoth sets. If I pack a couple�of thousand white bricks, I can probably throw a Hoth base�together in an afternoon.”� “Perfect,” says James. “But it has to be even more awe-�some than the one we did at Eastercon.”� So I arrive in Wexford with a big stack of LEGO sets, and�several thousand white bricks, and we start setting up. I say�we, though it’s mostly me. Liam, my non-AFOL assistant,�does some sterling work reassembling sets that have been�stored in sections in their boxes, and successfully assembles�an AT-AT and numerous other sets, even if it takes him quite�a while.� Meanwhile, I’m busy building the scenery. I block out the�main walls of the base. I had pre-assembled a set of large�doors for Echo base, so the first task was some rocky walls�they could slide into. I wasn’t going for any fancy building,�just using white bricks to make jagged white cliff walls. I had�the recent Wampa set, so I decided to incorporate a Wampa�cave into the wall, which used pieces from the set, but ex-�panded the cave to be fully roofed. The centrepiece of the rebel�base was the UCS Millennium Falcon set, and it really looked�the business in the middle of it. Along the sides I built hanger�bays for snowspeeders and X-wings. At the back, I added a�command area, which just to make interesting I built a long�curved wall with viewscreens (it looks like the Rebels run�Windows on their computers) around the walls. I used trans-�parent panels spaced around the middle of the command area�for tactical displays.�

After several hours of construction, the display was look-�ing quite impressive, and all that remained was to populate it�with vehicles and people. I had two imperial AT-ATs, and�James Bacon was able to provide a third, though it needed�rebuilding, and some parts had gone missing in transit, but I�managed to make it look serviceable. Unfortunately the AT-�ATs in Lego sets are a little small relative to the minifigures,�while some of the other vehicles are a little larger than they�should be, so things weren’t perfectly to scale.� LEGO have produced no less than four versions of the�rebel snowspeeder over the years, I had them all with a�duplicate of one of them. Despite slight differences, they�looked well together, with the differences making them looked�like they were cobbled together from left-overs, just like in the�movie. I also pulled various rebel gun turrets from various�sets and pad them out with soldiers to make a convincing�rebel line. It would have been nice to raise up the landscape�to make a proper rebel trench, but that would have required�a serious amount of both bricks and time, so I had to let that�one go.� Inside the base I arranged various support vehicles, tech-�nicians, rebel pilots and any other rebellious looking figures I�could find. In the command centre, I arranged princess Leia�and some other rebel leaders, while on top of the huge Falcon�I put Han and Chewie, desperately trying to get the ship�spaceworthy.� At the end of Friday the display was looking quite impres-�sive. As an extra display, I arranged a collection of Star Wars�ships along a couple of tables, grouping them by movie so that�all six films were well represented. Many of the sets were�from the first few of years of Star Wars LEGO, and are long�out of production, so it made an interesting history of the�theme, although it was by no means complete.� The hall I was using was being set up as a sort of floating�market, with various traders such as poster sellers, comic�sellers and someone selling wooden swords and shields. On�the other side, someone was constructing a life size replica of�a snow speeder. Every couple of hours they would turn up�with a few more sections of it, but it was looking seriously�doubtful that it would be finished by morning. I left the hall�in the early evening, and went for dinner and beer, but went�to drop something off in the small hours of the morning and�met them making yet another drop-off. I suspect they may�have been at it all night.� As we went back to our hotel rooms, there were a few�flakes of snow falling. We had a laugh about how funny it�

Wexworlds�LEGO at�by�James Shields�

Wexford, 27 – 28 November 2010�

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would be if we got snowed in.� We weren’t laughing the next morning, We woke up and�looked out the window, to see everything covered in a blanket�of white. Not just a sprinkling like we’d usually get in Ireland,�but a serious six inches. I was rather glad that I’d got every-�thing set up on Friday and wouldn’t need to move the car�again, but just walking down to the hall required a lot of care.� I arrived to find the snowspeeder people had just managed�to finish their assembly, and the speeder was set up in the�middle of the hall and looking very impressive. Okay, it�wasn’t up to prop builder’s standards, as some of the details�were a little flat and the big guns looked suspiciously like�drain pipes. But for a home made replica, it was seriously�impressive.� Some of the traders were busy getting ready, but several�others were held up by the weather. I also started getting text�messages from friends who weren’t able to get through the�snow. One person who did brave the weather took five hours�to cover a distance that normally takes two.� We waited for the doors open and people to come flooding�in. Unfortunately, the flood was more of a trickle. Clearly the�weather was having a big impact all over the country, with�road conditions very poor in many parts.� So while everyone said the display was very nice, there�were never more than a handful in the hall, and during the�day it was only seen by a couple of hundred people, instead of�the couple of thousand we’d been expecting.� During the afternoon, we were joined by Emerald Garri-�son, the Irish Star Wars costuming chapter. Like many,�they’d been held up by the weather, but they made it in the�end, and they succeeded in adding a bit of atmosphere to the�hall.� As it looked unlikely there would be a last minute rush,�some of the traders were wrapping up early. We dutifully�waited till the hall closed then started packing away. My plan�was to just break the Hoth scenery into chunks and throw�them in a crate, but Liam was offering to help, and he very�kindly broke everything into individual bricks and sorted into�bags by brick type. Meanwhile I was packing vehicles into�their correct boxes, splitting them into easily re-assemble-�able chunks, handy for the next time they are needed.� Fortunately it took a lot less time to take everything apart�than it had to put them together, and we were able to join the�other event organisers and got for dinner. We topped the�night off with a cabaret show of mixed quality, though the�highlight was certainly a reading by the fantastic writer Eoin�Colfer.�

By night, the snow had largely turned to slush, and we�were still thinking it might be a freak one day event, but�Sunday morning revealed a fresh covering, even deeper than�the previous morning. We checked out of our hotel anyway,�joking that we might be back later, then very carefully drove�to the hall and loaded all the LEGO into the back. I’d missed�most of the activity during the day on Saturday, so I went to�one of the science talks, which was about fun things you can�do with chemistry, before it was time to get ready for my next�LEGO related item.� I was running a LEGO workshop for kids. I arrive at the�room, to find lots of young people waiting outside, except we�can’t figure out which room we are in. After a bit of running�around, we establish it’s in the one that the writing workshop�is overrunning in, but after a little gentle nudging, the bud-�ding writers wrap things up. We set up the room, moving lots�of tables together to make one huge space. I spread three�boxes of bricks over the whole lot. That’s a lot of bricks! I then�try to call the room to order. I probably should have done that�the other way around, but eventually I get everyone's atten-�tion and announce the event.� Then about thirty kids pour into the room. The organisers�had asked how many I could take, and I’d said fifty. I suspect�if it hadn’t been for the weather it would have been a sell out,�but thirty was more than enough.� My plan was to build “micro-scale” ships, and asked the�kids to imagine that every brick was the size of an office block,�and their task was to build a rag-tag armada of giant ships on�a centuries long voyage across the galaxy.� Some of the kids took to this brilliantly, and there were�some fantastic and imaginative ships built. Unfortunately, if�I had wanted to take it seriously, I probably should have�taken out all the minifigs, as people immediately started�grabbing those, and incorporate them into their ships. Not�that this was a problem, as there was still great imagination�being displayed. Not everyone wanted to build spaceships,�and who was I to argue? One girl built a fabulous dolphin pool.� So the armada of micro ships fell by the wayside, but�everyone was having a great time, so it didn’t really matter.�We got everyone to pose with their models and took lots of�photos.� Finally, it was time to pack everything up. I was due to�give someone a lift to the airport, but her plane was cancelled.�I was checking the weather, and conditions sounded pretty�treacherous, and as I wouldn't make it home before dark, I�decided to call quits and check back into our hotel for an extra�night. I then went and enjoyed the last couple of events of the�festival, a science demonstration by doctors Emma and Heidi,�and the closing ceremony.� It was an excellent weekend, and it was really good fun to�run the LEGO display and workshop.�

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The Back Page�

BI-21 Solution�

Brick-oku� devised by�Pabs�

As with a Sudoku, the aim is to fill in�each of the small grids with the�letters in the phrase LEGOBRICK.�

In addition, each letter should appear�just once in each row and column.�

5MM: Launch Harbour Master� by�David Tabner�

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