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I finally completed my lastest project, The Adventurer’s Expedition Train.
Finally, Johnny Thunder, Miss Pippin Reed, and Professor Kilroy can travel in
style as they cross the continent looking for adventure.
The train consists of 4 custom train cars, a modified stock Lego engine with
tender, and a modified stock caboose.
My goal for this was to make a complete train, based on the Adventurer’s line,
that had a high playability factor.
I started with the stock engine from set #4535, and modified it a bit. I added
a second motor, changed out the windows, added a smokestack, plow, and extended
the nose a bit. To give it a bit more of the Adventurer’s feel, I added a bit
of decoration on the front, and added my train engineer, Ivan.
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/taltosVT/AdventuersTrain/dscf0003.jpg
The second car holds the major equipment for any expedition. The car and
trailer combination will hold two minifigs (perfect for Johnny and Miss Pippin),
two crates full of gear (currently two pairs of snowshoes, binoculars, 2
pistols, 2 ice axes, two different hammers, a screwdriver, a wrench, an oil
can,a hatchet, and a sextant), as well as 2 rifles, a pickaxe and a shovel.
There are also backpacks attached for those times when travel by foot is the
only way to go. The car, with its trusty steam powered engine, also has a handy
trunk, just right for bringing home all of that hidden treasure.
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/taltosVT/AdventuersTrain/dscf0012.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/taltosVT/AdventuersTrain/dscf0026.jpg
Next in line is the first sleeping car. It has bunk space for two, a table, and
a nice warm cast iron stove (difficult to see in the pictures) which vents to
the outside. The roof of the car lifts away, so that the inside may be reached
during play.
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/taltosVT/AdventuersTrain/dscf0027.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/taltosVT/AdventuersTrain/dscf0029.jpg
Being the gentlemen that they are, Johnny and Professor Kilroy insisted that
Miss Pippin have her own private car, so the third car in line serves as a
second set of living quarters. I tried to match the color scheme of the first
car, but I ran low on brown log bricks and green windows. My 8 year-old saved
the day by coming up with the alternating green/brown idea. As it turns out,
fewer windows meant more privacy for Miss Reed while she sleeps in her
four-poster bed. Her car also includes a table (with flowers provided by Ivan),
and a warm stove. She has the additional luxury of a gas-powered lamp just
outside her door to help her find her way on those cold nights.
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/taltosVT/AdventuersTrain/dscf0039.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/taltosVT/AdventuersTrain/dscf0041.jpg
Following the sleeping cars is a second flat-bed. This car carries a large
row-boat with oars secured inside, as well as Professor Kilroy’s travelling
study. While crated up in boxes, the Professor’s books and gear stay securly
stowed by the tight cargo net attached to the train car. When unpacked, the
crates and chests serve as both a desk, and large bookshelf for the learned
scholar. While Pippin and Johnny are out in the field, Professor Kilroy has
ample time to ponder his maps and tomes, as well as enjoy a hot meal.
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/taltosVT/AdventuersTrain/dscf0047.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/taltosVT/AdventuersTrain/dscf0055.jpg
Finally, the train is ended by a stock caboose, also from set #4535, just with a
change in the color scheme (and a few bricks) to make it fit with the
Adventurer’s train. The caboose also features a table and stove, so that Ivan
can stay warm and fed while the others are away on expedition.
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/taltosVT/AdventuersTrain/dscf0046.jpg
And finally, just to prove that it really does run without all the cargo and
minifigs spilling all over the place, there’s a quick AVI at the end of the
folder showing the train rounding a corner of track.
Complete folder (with many more pictures) after moderation:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=106002
Quick building note: The most difficult thing to do with this train was to get
everything secured onto the flatcars so that the train could take corners at
high speed. My daughter and I had a great time testing this out.
Go Adventurers!
-Elroy
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Message has 7 Replies:
 | | Re: The Adventurers Travel in Style
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| (...) I know I've seen something cool when I keep thinking about it later. "Man, that is so cool. It's like a mobile HQ for the Adventurers". Later at dinner: "I'm not even into trains and this thing had me excited. Its totally something they would (...) (20 years ago, 23-Nov-04, to lugnet.adventurers, FTX)
| | | Re: The Adventurers Travel in Style
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| Very cool. I'd been considering doing something similar, but nothing as nice and original as yours. I think I might have to steal the idea from you and incorporate it into my Adventures of JT series.I really like the sleeping cars. And the flat car (...) (20 years ago, 24-Nov-04, to lugnet.adventurers, FTX)
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