Raceway

Well, now that we've seen the race contenders, let's take a look at the raceway.

And by raceway, I mean the start/finish line.  It's a combinations of two sets, 6337 Fast Track Finish and 6551 Checkered Flag 500.  The left side has the elements from the former, while the right has the latter.  It's nothing special, really.  Three officials overseeing the race and two spectators.

I still need to build a pit row.  One day, perhaps.

Side views of the Start/Finish Line

Front and rear views of the Start/Finish Line

Close up shots of the race officials

Uh...  drivers, you're going the wrong way...

Sets used: 6337, 6551

2015 Upcoming Sets

I'd like to write about Lego's I've bought, but they haven't arrived yet.  They aren't the only Lego sets and bricks I'm anticipating in 2015.

• Lego Classic - I've already got a Lego Creative Suitcase, but I need more bricks.  I like the variety these sets offer.  They don't even carry some of those bricks on Pick-A-Brick (on the wall or online).  These sets don't come with any minifigures, but I've got, like, 700 of them.  They come with ideas (but probably not any instructions.  I'd like to build some more animals to put in my Playground.
• 31036 Toy & Grocery Shop - These stores will help me expand my Plaza area from one gray baseplate to two.  In addition to assembling those two buildings, I'd also add the newsstand to the plaza.
• 21020 Trevi Fountain - A fountain would be a nice addition to my town.  Everyone loves fountains.
• 60072 Demolition Starter Set - I don't plan to tear down any buildings in my city with this.  I plan TO BUILD.  The foreman will go in my Construction Site's office with the small bulldozer helping to level some ground outside.  The toilet will be for sale in the Plumber's shop.
• 60073 Service Truck - Another set that'd go to the Construction Site.  This will help the team transport equipment on and off site.
• 10677 Beach Trip - I need to build up the beachfront for the part of the city that faces the sea.  I've already got a Marina for beachgoers to get stuff, like spearguns or coffee.  This lady will be hanging out with all the cool surfers there.
• 10684 Supermarket Suitcase - I was not aware this existed until I just looked it up.  If I got a separate grocery store, then I could use most of the Toy & Grocery Shop for just a toy store.
• 60097 City Square - Uhhh...  OK, I might be going a little overboard trying to expand my Plaza.  Meh, I'll figure it out.
• 75917 Raptor Rampage - I'll FINALLY have a Chris Pratt.  He plays Owen in the new Jurassic World movie.  I have such a man crush on Star Lord.  But I'm digressing...
• 75902 The Mystery Machine - Scooby, Scooby Doo.  Where are you?  Oh, right, you're in the Mystery Machine...  And every other Scooby Doo set.  I get it, it's Scooby Doo, not the Fred Show or The Adventures of Velma.  But it would have been nice if they'd have one set with just Daphne and Velma, or one with the whole crew.  I don't like duplicate minifigures based on pre-existing fictional characters.  It's why I don't want any Avengers sets (I need Hulk, Black Widow, Nick Fury and Phil Coulson, not Iron Man, Cap, Thor, or Hawkeye).
• 40121 Painting Easter Eggs - I like Seasonal sets because they can also double as holiday decorations.  My wife and I have these two small shelves in the dining room that we'll rotate Valentine's Day, Halloween, and Christmas Lego sets on.  It's nice.
• 30303 The Joker Bumper Car - If you know where I can find this, please let me know.  Unless it can only be purchased at Walmart.  In which case, please steal one for me.

There will be more, like the Big Bang Theory IDEAS set.  But until someone thing official is released, like pictures or whatever, I won't add them to the list.

If you wish to give me any of these items, please feel free.  Or Lego gift cards.  Those will work too.

Racing Garage

With the Great American Race, the Daytona 500, coming up, I'll be using my February scheduled posts to talk about my Racing Lego sets.  Today, I'll talk about my Racing Garage.

Side and front views of the racing garage

All the race cars parked in the Racing Garage

With so many different shapes and sizes of race cars, it's tough to come up with a reason all these cars would be racing.  I finally came up with something a few months ago.  What about a Le Mans-style race?  OK, so they don't race on a track the shape of a basic loop, but they do race with several different styles of cars. And they don't go on normal streets, like the Monaco Grand Prix.  Meh, it works for me.

The various race cars parked in their stalls

The race loop give me a basic town shape, then I'd line up all my buildings around the outside of the track, with my pile of extra bricks in the middle.  Racing was never a safe activity, as wrecks would take out most of the buildings.  Then I'd have to rebuild everything.  I wasn't as creative as a child, so the only way I'd build things were just taking my Lego sets apart and putting them back together.

Fast forward twenty years.  I'm not racing my Lego race cars against each other, but I needed a new place to put them until it was race day.  That's how I came up with the garage.  I've got 10 slots, one for each race car (which was sufficient until I got car #11 for Christmas in 2013).

There's not much room IN each garage for stuff like tools or pit crews.  It's just for storing the cars.

Race care Red 3, the pit crew, and the trophy

I do have these extra decorative sloped elements that I could use to build cars, but I don't have a place to park those extra cars after I build them.  Unless I build another garage.  But I don't want to.  So there.

Extra race car decorative elements

The racing garage sitting on my coffee table while I watch House (I think)

Sets used: 1461, 5398, 6337, 6510, 6528, 6546, 6551, 6646, 30150, 60053

Lego Haul - Cargo Terminal

For my 34th birthday last month, my mom was kind enough to get me a 60022 Cargo Terminal.  I wanted this as the foundation of building an Airport for my Lego city, which has always been a must have but I could never find the set to best get the ball rolling there.

60022 Cargo Terminal

It contained parts and instructions for a control tower, vehicles for moving cargo, cargo, a gasoline truck, and a big ass plane.  It's awesome...  But it could be better.  I'd like to have a passenger plane as well.  And an actual terminal building.  I am thankful for my gift though.

I guess I could try to turn the rear portion of the plane into a passenger cabin, but I'd have to increase the size of the plane, and I don't have the pieces for it, unless I bought another Cargo Terminal

Contents of Bags 1 through 6 

Fuselage and wing pieces

 Instructions and sticker sheet

With the Cargo Terminal now sold out, I hope Lego will create some more air travel-related sets in 2015.  Perhaps I'll get a passenger terminal and plane for my 35th birthday.

The plane (note that it measures 22 inches long)

Control tower, cargo vehicles, cargo, gas truck, pilot, and extra pieces

Cargo conveyor belt and forklift trucks

 Control tower and air traffic controller

 

Gasoline truck and pilot

Inside the cockpit

 The plane's cargo holds

Opening the tail of the plane (I have no idea why this is here, as this is not a military plane)

Lego Haul - 1/31/15

Made another Lego run and I finally got my Hot Dog Man and Double Decker Couch, along with a large cup of bricks.

The Lego haul for January 31st. 2015

I should have waited a day to buy these things, as Lego started a new promotion for a free construction driller with any purchase of $35 or more.  Oh well, I need to do an online Pick A Brick anyway, and that will push me over the edge to get the free set.

This time around, I don't have any firm plans for anything yet.  Hot Dog Man will probably go to the costume party at the Grandstand, but part of me wants to put him with the hot dog stand I have out at the Fairgrounds.  The bricks I filled my cup with don't serve any immediate future, so they'll probably be sorted into my containers for later use.  And the Double Decker Couch doesn't have a place to go, as it won't fit into any buildings.  I guess I could split it apart into two separate couches, but I don't have a lobby area anywhere.

This is what happens, too many Lego's and not a place to put them all.  YET...

70818 Double Decker Couch contents and finished product

Pick A Brick large cup contents 

Hot Dog Man, or as my wife likes to call him, Gaseous Weiner