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1. MOCs - My Own Creations, 1.2 ... And More, 1.2.2. Space, Uncategorized

Classic Space G1 Moon Base (27 Baseplates)

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A childhood dream come true: This is the Moon Base I would have loved to have when I was a kid: 9×3 baseplates filled with stations, vehicles and spaceships.

It was 1979 when I saw the first pictures of the new Lego Space sets. Everything was so new, so cool and so different from what Lego had been before. Lego Town (now City) had just started with the new minifigures and sets where those could live and work and move with. The only space set available before was the “bricky” Lunar Lander 367 from 1975.

And then came Lego Space, the first generation (G1) with the iconic blue/grey/trans-yellow colour scheme. We all wanted to have the three space ships (LL 918, LL924 and the epic LL 928), the space station, the rocket base and everything else from that catalogue.

I was lucky to get about half of the sets, but after a few years the G1 sets disappeared from the shelves without a real chance to get the missing sets. There was no Internet, no Lego shops and the kids who had the sets wouldn’t give them away. So when the first sets started to appear on local flea markets I was already spending my money on Lego Technic or games for the Commodore 64.

After my dark ages, the discovery of bricklink and with more money that I ever had as a child, the old dream of a really big G1 space base came back.

My first CS model after my dark ages was built for the first MOCpages Classic Space Pocket money contest. With 100 parts or less the goal was to build a model that could have been a real affordable set in the Classic Space years. The result was my 892 Surface Explorer. It was a lot of fun to build that and it’s still on the moon base today. This one really restarted my enthusiasm for Classic Space.

The model was followed by a small space ship, a mod of the 6890 Cosmic Cruiser in G1 design with “Vic Viper” applications and a G1 version of the 6876 Alienator.

That was more or less when the idea of the big base really took form.
My original plan included the most iconic G1 sets:

  • LL 918 One Man Space Ship
  • LL924 Space Cruiser
  • LL 928 Galaxy Explorer
  • 920 (Alpha-I) Rocket Launch Pad
  • 926 Command Centre

I also wanted to build some of my all-time favourite newer Classic Space sets with a realistic G1 look, including:

  • 6929 Starfleet Voyager
  • 6927 All-Terrain Vehicle
  • 6890 Cosmic Cruiser
  • 6980 Galaxy Commander
  • 6952 Solar Power transporter

And the centre of the base should be a modular, big station with detailed interiors and as many functions as possible.

The most important part of that is the word “modular”. I wanted to have a module unit similar to a standard (ISO) shipping container for cargo units. station modules and more. I decided to use a box with a size of of 8x16x8 (WxLxH) bricks as a “Space Container Unit” (SCU) for that. The rest of the base started evolving around that idea.

Instead of buying or rebuilding 926 Command Centre and 920 (Alpha I) Rocket Launch Pad I decided to build my own versions of them based on SCUs. I call them SC 926 and SC 920. I also adapted my new versions of 6927 All-Terrain Vehicle, 6952 Solar Power Transporter and 6980 Galaxy Commander to carry an SCU. And finally I built my big “Gamma I” station based on 6 SCU modules.

My first layout had 18 (3×6 baseplates) and was already too small when I assembled it the first time:

The next step was a 8×3 layout with more space for space ships, vehicles and cargo.

After that I was lucky to get the Classic Space collection from one of my oldest friends for a price that satisfied both of us. It included a 926 Command Centre and a 6970 Beta I Command Base, adding 3 more crater plates to the layout, now with 27 (9×3) baseplates. This is now the maximum size for a long-time display in our quite spacious corridor.

So let’s take a closer look…


A walk around (1/6)


A walk around (2/6)


A walk around (3/6)


A walk around (4/6)


A walk around (5/6)


A walk around (6/6)


Top view (left side)


Top view (right side)


Details (1/9)


Details (2/9)


Details (3/9)


Details (4/9)


Details (5/9)


Details (6/9)


Details (7/9)


Details (8/9)


Details (9/9)

That’s it, my Lego Classic Space Generation 1 Moon Base  with 27 baseplates. It’s my biggest Lego project so far and really a childhood dream come true :-))

 

1. MOCs - My Own Creations, 1.2 ... And More, 1.2.2. Space, Uncategorized

6927 Mod: Light Grey All-Terrain Vehicle

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Febrovery 2020: What if the 6927 All-Terrain Vehicle would have been released one year earlier? How would it have looked like? Maybe this way: Light grey with green windows and red rims.

I always wanted to have the 6927 set and now I was lucky to get one when I bought the whole Classic Space collection from one of my earliest and best friends. It should become part of my CS Moonbase, but the white/blue colour scheme didn’t really fit into the look of the base. I had  to change the look a bit to get it right.

I still wanted to have a contrast between the vehicle and the small control station, so I chose the light grey/trans-green colour scheme from other sets from 1979/1980. The green windscreens are quite rare. I decided to order three of them in the US via BL instead of placing two or three orders in the EU.

I wanted to have a real 1980 look. With a few modifications I was able to replace the new parts from 1981. And this is it:


Front left view: Six 2×3 inverted slopes to replace the big inverted window.


Rear left view:  The control station fixed to the vehicle.


Unloading: The control station is unchanged. All parts should already have been available in 1980.


Mod vs. original: I think it looks cool both ways. The ladders were available in light grey in some train sets in 1980, but I preferred the CS logo instead.


So this is my Mod of 6927 All-Terrain Vehicle in light grey and trans-green for Febrovery 2020.
I hope you like it! :-))

 

 

 

1. MOCs - My Own Creations, 1.2 ... And More, 1.2.1. Minifig Scale Vehicles, Uncategorized

Audi TT MkI (6-Wide SC Minifig Scale)

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img_0547

A 6-wide Speed Champions model of my Audi TT MkI (8N)

The 75873 Audi R8 LMS Ultra was the first Speed Champions Set that I bought for my son (OK, I bought it for me, too, to get some of the new parts). Stickers on Lego Models (as well as on any other thing in our home) don’t last very long because of the special attention my son gives to them (1. pull off, 2. put on again, 3. go to 1.), so I have to replace them on all Lego models, especially the head and tail lights. I don’t really like them, so that’s no big deal.

In case of the R8 it led to additional inspiration. When I modified the front and rear end of the R8 I came to a version that looked more and more like a TT. So after building the R8 I was eager to build a TT. Of course, it had to be blue, just like the one I still have parked in the garage. So I bought a set of the 75871 Ford Mustang and modified the design of the R8 until it looked like a TT.

This is the result:img_0549
Finally, a matching ride for BrixoNils :-))

Side View:
img_0550I decided to put on the spoiler, because the real one does have it, too. It doesn’t look too bad and it’s not wise to go at more than 200 kph on a German Autobahn without it…

Side/rear view:img_0551
Only one exhaust pipe for the FWD version (the quattro models have two).

img_0546
So this is my 6-wide Lego Speed Champions Audi TT MkI (8N). I hope you like it :-))

1. MOCs - My Own Creations, 1.2 ... And More, 1.2.5. Other Stuff, Uncategorized

8845 Dune Buggy Reloaded (Studless Technic)

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img_0510

A new (studless) version of the classic Technic 8845 Dune Buggy from 1981.

Yes, I’m a big fan of the 8845 Dune Buggy, I still am. I’ve already had the idea for this classic model built with new Technic elements a few years ago. I started building an LDD model and then I kept “in the drawer” until it was time to build it “for real”.

I remembered my “old love” a few weeks ago when I wrote a review for the original model for The Lego Car Blog and I thought: “That’s so cool, maybe now it’s time to order some bricks for it”. But when I looked at the LDD model the first time after all that time I wasn’t a 100% satisfied with it, anymore.

So I started optimizing the design a little until I was. Then I uploaded it to Bricklink into a new Wanted List and used the new “Buy All” function for the first time. The experience was just “Wow, it has become so easy to get all bricks!”

After a few days I had all the bricks and got started immediately when the last of the three envelopes arrived. This was the result a few hours later:

img_0513

The basic design is as close to the original as possible. Most “old” 8L bricks are now 7L beams, 8L bricks are 5L beams, and so on. The roll cage has the same dimensions (in the side view) as 8845 and the angles between the axles are the same, too.

img_0514

The main differences are: The new one is one “stud” wider, the wheelbase is half a “stud” longer and I’ve added a second beam on each “lever” of the rear suspension to add some rigidity.

I’ve also added a HOG steering, something I had done on my old model when I was a kid (As I didn’t have an extra gear for the “right side” I used a longer axle going through the steering wheel, a second cardan joint and another axle plus a “spare tire” for the steering).

Here I used an additional gear on the front, a complete second steering column and a small black ball as “steering wheel” for the HOG steering (I tried out quite a few elements, even a spare wheel – but I think the ball looks best and it really works fine).

img_0515Top view: You can see the front part of the HOG steering.

img_0516Bottom view: And here is the rest of it.

img_0518Bird’s view: Looks cool for me…
And it’s so much fun to play with it, especially for my 3-year-old son.

img_0519The Next Generation: 8845 and his studless new friend.

With the studless model finished I also got my smaller versions of 8845 out of the glass cabinet and reworked the roll cages with new holders and rigid tubes.

img_0526Family picture: The classic 8845, the new studless model, the 6-wide Minifig model (with BrixoNils at the wheel) and the 4-wide model.

img_0511So, that’s my new studless version of the classic Lego Technic 8845 Dune Buggy. I hope you like it :-)) – Maybe not as much as I do, but who could expect that? ;-))

(MOCpages Backup), 1. MOCs - My Own Creations, 1.2 ... And More, 1.2.4. LEGO Puzzles, Uncategorized

MOCpages Backup: Black/White Checkered Soma Cube

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A MOCpages backup

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Added February 29, 2012

Black/White Checkered Soma Cube

A classic Soma Cube with a black and white checkered pattern.

I’ve posted the LDD version of this puzzle a while ago. With my last Pick-A-Brick order I’ve finally odered the last parts to be able to build it with real bricks.

So this is the result:

I’ve built the puzzle pieces in the simpliest way, which means the orientation with the most single cubes connected in a vertical way. The horizontal connections are more complicated, I used 1×2 Technic bricks with two holes and connected them with Technic pins with friction. For the corners I’ve combined 1×1 Technic bricks and 2×2 corner bricks. You can take a look at the images of the LDD version to see how it works.

I’ve designed this cube by myself, but later I found out that a similar cube had been done at least twice before: One built by Topsy Cret and one by Jeremy Moody. It looks like they both have a similar (if not the same) design inside.

So this is my checkered Soma Cube.
I hope you like it :-))