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The book is finally here! I saw today that you could order the book from Amazon,
which means most other sources should have it now or VERY soon.
If you've already read the book, please post a review on Amazon if you are so
inclined.
Oh, and if you are still considering buying, there are links at the bottom of
the press release for the sample pages.
Thanks!
===
For Immediate Release
Contact: Leigh Sacks, No Starch Press (nostarchpr@oreilly.com or
leigh@nostarch.com, 415-863-9900)
GETTING STARTED WITH LEGO TRAINS
Inspirational Ideas and Instructions in Full Color
San Francisco, CA - Building and running model trains has been a popular hobby
for decades. From small oval tracks running a simple locomotive to tracks that
take over entire basements, model train enthusiasts come in all types. A subset
of model train enthusiasts use an alternative medium for their creations;
instead of building trains out of model wood and plastic, LEGO(r) train builders
create their locomotives and rail cars out of LEGO bricks, using official LEGO
train sets or a collection of their own bricks.
Until now LEGO trains builders have exchanged ideas for models and connected
with each other through an active online community and user group network. Now
well-known LEGO trains community member and LEGO employee Jacob H. McKee has
written the first book dedicated to LEGO
trains: "Getting Started with LEGO Trains" (No Starch Press, $14.95 US, 4
color). Sure to be an essential reference for experienced LEGO train builders,
"Getting Started with LEGO Trains" is also for LEGO train novices who want to
get started with this creative hobby.
"Getting Started with LEGO Trains" begins with the fundamentals of LEGO
trains: setting up the track and electrical components. It then proceeds to
detail three projects - a GP-38 Locomotive, an old-style refrigerator car, and
an intermodal container car - complete with full-color, professional-quality
instructions. These projects can be built by following the color instructions,
just as models are built from the kits that LEGO sells. Each project chapter
also teaches the essential elements of locomotive and rail car construction as
McKee explains how each project was conceived and brought to life.
More than just a how-to guide, McKee takes readers to the world of advanced LEGO
building and the culture of model railroading. Sometimes the lingo takes a wacky
turn: How could a model be built with SNOT? Connect the LEGO bricks in
unorthodox ways to have Studs Not On Top, or SNOT, perfect for advanced
constructions. And what about the chapter on refeer? That's the refrigerated
rail car model, the type of train car called a refeer by model builders and
train buffs in the know.
Interviews with expert builders and a section on advanced track layouts are sure
to inspire the master builder and budding train enthusiast alike. With "Getting
Started with LEGO Trains," newbies and old pros all have something in common - a
great book to help them grow with their hobby. As McKee explains, "LEGO Trains
are the 'hub of the spoke,' so to speak. LEGO Trains are what bond a LEGO
universe together. Once you set up your first starter train set, you want more
track. More track leads to more train cars. More cars leads to city. City leads
to airports. Then space, then..."
All aboard!
GETTING STARTED WITH LEGO TRAINS
by Jacob H. McKee
1-59327-006-2, February 2004, $14.95 US ($21.95 Cdn), 120 pp., ages 12 and up
Available at fine bookstores everywhere To order from the publisher: visit
www.nostarch.com, email orders@nostarch.com, or call 800-420-7240
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The author's site: www.bricksonthebrain.com/trains
LEGO Users Group Network: http://www.lugnet.com/
Official LEGO Trains website: http://www.lego.com/trains International LEGO
Train Club Organization: www.iltco.org Book table of contents:
http://nostarch.com/frameset.php?startat=legotrains_toc
High res sample from the book (3.5 MB):
http://www.nostarch.com/legotrains_ch5_highres.pdf
Low res sample (239 KB): http://www.nostarch.com/legotrains_ch5_lowres.pdf
Big cover image: http://nostarch.com/frameset.php?startat=legotrains_big
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jacob H. McKee has been building LEGO creations since he was a young boy. He is
now a well-known figure in the LEGO trains community and the LEGO Community
Development Manager for North America. Jacob has worked on more than 400
websites and countless community projects, including the official LEGO Trains
website (www.lego.com/trains).
ABOUT NO STARCH PRESS
Since 1994, No Starch Press has published unique books on computing, with a
focus on Open Source, security, hacking, web development, programming, gaming,
and alternative operating systems. Our titles have personality, our authors are
passionate, and our goal is to make computing accessible to everyone.
For more information, or to request a review copy or schedule an interview,
contact Leigh Sacks (nostarchpr@oreilly.com or leigh@nostarch.com, 415-863-9900)
====
Jake McKee
Webmaster - BIP
http://www.bricksonthebrain.com
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In lugnet.books, Jake McKee wrote:
> The book is finally here! I saw today that you could order the book from Amazon,
> which means most other sources should have it now or VERY soon.
>
> If you've already read the book, please post a review on Amazon if you are so
> inclined.
> snip<
Jake and all,
Jake,
Congrats!
I just checked Amazon by the ISBN and it also suggested:
"Buy this book with The Brick Testament by Brendan Powell Smith (Illustrator)
today!" Buy Together Today: $25.42
(which just happens to qualify for FREE Super Saver Shipping)
and...
Customers who bought this book also bought:
Virtual Lego: The Official LDraw.org Guide To LDraw Tools for Windows by Tim
Courtney (Author), et al List Price: $39.95/Price: $15.98/60% off!!!
We got us an AFOL/LUGNET love-fest!
Such deals,what are you waiting for???
--
Bill
(TooMuchDew)
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In lugnet.books, Jake McKee wrote:
> The book is finally here! I saw today that you could order the book from Amazon,
> which means most other sources should have it now or VERY soon.
>
> If you've already read the book, please post a review on Amazon if you are so
> inclined.
>
> Oh, and if you are still considering buying, there are links at the bottom of
> the press release for the sample pages.
>
> Thanks!
I ordered the book about ten days ago and I got it today! (I'm in Taiwan)
(Actually I order 10 books for TWLUG - Taiwan LEGO Users Group,
http://www.twlug.info)
The book is really great and it gives the biginner a clear concept of LEGO
trains.
I took some pictures and wrote a "Chinese" introduction for Taiwan LEGO fans.
The web site is
http://lego.bluebird.idv.tw/Articles/Books/StartedwithTrains/
(If it's not allowed to put the book's photos on Internet, I'll delete them
immediately)
BTW, Jake, I have another translation of your interview (on BimP)!
http://lego.bluebird.idv.tw/Articles/Interview/00_JackMckee.htm
It's Traditional Chinese and the coding is "Big-5".
Josephine Shih
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In lugnet.books, Jake McKee wrote:
> If you've already read the book, please post a review on Amazon if you are so
> inclined.
My copy has arrived, and I've read it and I'm not impressed.
As requested, I've tried to leave a review at Amazon, but as they still list the
book as unavailable that doesn't seem to be possible, so I've posted my review
below.
I bought the book as my eldest daughter is starting to get into Lego Trains
(mainly as a way to rebel against being unable to play with Daddy's monorail).
Although our Lego collection is of a reasonable size, we only have one train set
(the World City Cargo Train) and it seemed like the book should be a good
introduction to this unknown area for us and give us ideas as to where to take
our collecting next. (I have extensive experience of railway modelling and have
many fond memories of leafing through Hornby, Peco, Lima, Joeuf, et al catalogs,
track plans and "how to" books and pamphlets as a child. Perhaps those
experiences unfavourably biased me in what I was expecting from this Lego Trains
book.)
--------------------
Getting Started With Lego Trains – Wait for the 2nd Edition!
Initial impressions of “Getting Started With Lego Trains” by Jacob H McKee (No
Starch Press) is of a glossy but lightweight book that has no clearly targeted
audience.
The title of the book implies that the target audience is relative newcomers to
the Lego train scene, and indeed the first couple of chapters, with their chatty
style, touching the basics, history and currently available sets of Lego trains
and references to how to set up your first out-of-the-boxes Lego train set bear
this out. The following chapters outline the design of, and give step-by-step
building instructions for, freight train stock. However, these use a large
number of parts which I would not expect to find in a beginners collection
(either by dint of the sheer number required of a particular part in a
particular colour, eg 18 yellow 1x2 plates with handle for the flatbed car, or
the relatively scarce use of the part in recent Lego sets, eg 7 right hand 1x3x1
doors for the loco), but, the instructions use steps with very few parts added
per step which does seem to indicate that they are aimed at the beginner
builder. The last chapter covers some intermediate concepts of track planning
in depth while completely ignoring other more basic ones, so it would seem that
some prior knowledge, and perhaps previous experience of model railways, is
assumed.
106 pages for a RRP of $19.95 (19 cents a page) make it considerably more
expensive than other Lego related books I have recently purchased (which have
averaged 8 or 9 cents a page) so I was expecting the content to be impressive.
The first three chapters are interesting, with a brief history of the different
train systems released by Lego, a review of currently available Lego sets and
train specific parts and a guide to setting up and using your first train set.
Some sidebar information seems strangely misplaced for later reference. For
example, the side bar on the SNOT technique would be more at home in the loco
chapter where it is first used and the sidebar on track composition would seem
to more logically reside in the Technical Details side bar in the Track Layout
chapter.
The next three chapters comprise the bulk of the book and cover the design of,
and step-by-step building instructions for, stock for a freight train. The
chapter introductions and interviews offer fascinating insights to the design
process but leave a number of questions unanswered. What parts inspired a
particular aspect of the design? What general design patterns can be abstracted
from the models presented? How could alternative parts be substituted? What
kinds of alternative designs are possible for sub-assemblies? How can working
lights and sirens be added? Answering these questions, and thereby producing a
reference of useful sub-assemblies, would make the chapters much more useful as
a reference for later building of your own models. Such a reference of
sub-assemblies could also address the glaring omission of stock for passenger
trains, without the need for full step-by-step instructions.
At first glance the building instructions seem clear and concise, if a bit
over-simple in some steps (where only 2 of 3 parts may be added). The most
obvious omission is of a complete Bill of Materials for each model. This
oversight is compounded by errors in the parts list for a number of steps in
each of the models – the Intermodal Container Car has errors in (at least) steps
2, 7 and 18, the Reefer Car has errors in (at least) both sub-assemblies on step
19, and the Loco has errors in (at least) steps 13, 15, 21, 28 (bottom left) and
29 (right). These parts lists errors, although annoying, are minor compared to
the errors in the instructions for the Loco. Steps 10, 11, 16 and 17 fail to
show the parts added, additionally step 16 is actually a “backwards” step (and
therefore step 17 does not seem to follow from any previous step) and step 19
suddenly rotates the loco end-on-end with no indication. Coupled with the parts
list errors these combine to make the loco very hard to build by a beginner.
The purpose of step 3 in the Reefer Car is also a mystery. Either the models
were never “test-built” from the proofs for the book or some serious issues have
occurred during print production.
The final chapter briefly touches on track layouts. The chapter launches
straight into a monster plan of some 110 track pieces; there is no initial
discussion of track geometry or the importance of maintaining track centres
and/or parallel ends. A number of “track patterns” (inner and outer quarter
circles, facing points, points around curves, parallel sidings, passing loops,
junctions, etc) would be a useful introduction to the plans that follow.
There are 10 suggested track layouts but there is no clear progression from one
plan to the next. With designs apparently at random, the beginner is going to
be confused by what to do (or buy) next. I had expected to see a series of
plans all building on the basic out-of-the-box oval and then on each other by
adding more track, for example, oval with sidings, passing loop, twin train
running (by adding a second set), through station, terminus, goods yards, etc.
Furthermore, there is no indication of the space required to set up the plans or
where to attach the power clips. There is a discussion of the perils of reverse
loops but no discussion of the isolating nature of points and the need to feed
power to the toe of the point. There is an in-depth discussion of inclines but
no mention of “loading gauge”. Track layouts (the title of the chapter) are
also far more than track plans – where are the station buildings, footbridges,
signal boxes, signals, engine facilities, goods yard features, tunnels, bridges,
level crossings and associated scenery?
My final impression of this book is one that has been rushed and missed a myriad
of opportunities with shoddy production. It could have contained so much more,
and the numerous references to the Bricks On The Brain web site imply that the
author wanted it to contain more. With the lack of general content, this book
is little more than instructions for three models and a few track plans and,
with the atrocious production of the freight train plans, if I had bought this
book from a UK shop I would certainly be returning it for a refund, however, as
it was bought at discount from the US it will spend its life gathering dust on
the book shelf. Anyone considering this book should certainly wait for the
second printing to correct the building plans, if not for the second edition
which (hopefully) will add all the missing content.
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William Howard wrote:
>
> My final impression of this book is one that has been rushed and missed a myriad
> of opportunities with shoddy production. It could have contained so much more,
> and the numerous references to the Bricks On The Brain web site imply that the
> author wanted it to contain more. With the lack of general content, this book
> is little more than instructions for three models and a few track plans and,
> with the atrocious production of the freight train plans, if I had bought this
> book from a UK shop I would certainly be returning it for a refund, however, as
> it was bought at discount from the US it will spend its life gathering dust on
> the book shelf. Anyone considering this book should certainly wait for the
> second printing to correct the building plans, if not for the second edition
> which (hopefully) will add all the missing content.
I can only agree with William's analysis of the book, but wanted to be
careful in making what might be seen as overly negative comments about
something that is likely to be strongly defended.
What I really wanted, but certainly wasn't expecting, was a 7777 like
production - lots of ideas, from relatively simple bricks. As William
has suggested, there are too many complex pices in the models. I have
an extensive collection, but I'm not sure I could build any of the models.
Some of the content was obviously copied from various websites (track
layouts, stuff on includes) - especially from the Train Depot.
I think it really could have done with better proofing. Apart from
a few spelling/grammatical errors (I have sent in corrections although
no reply yet), there was too much repeated content, or stuff said in
different ways. This, along with the too detailed instructions meant
that much more could have been fitted in - after all, 100 pages is
potentially a lot of content.
Good things about the book - well, the price was right at under 10UKP -
user group bulk order plus UK postage.
Conclusion? It's tried to be too many things to too many people,
and not really been anything in particular to anyone. The book needs
more focus, and if it's really an introduction to lego trains,
there needs to be a good progression of development of ideas, and not
just a few complex models. Wait for the 2nd edition, and hope there are
some considerable changes.
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