My Winter Village Project

Switchfoot55

^What candle bits are those?

TheOriginalSimonB

^From the new Harry Potter sets I believe.

milamber

Switchfoot55 said:

^What candle bits are those?

6234807: Candle, No. 1

6236437: Flame, No. 1

Both in new Harry Potter sets 75953 and 75954. As were the goblets. Very useful sets for parts when building a church!

bandit778

Finished putting together my Christmas display for this year.
Due to a complete lack of space at our humble abode it's built round our coffee table in the lounge.

After some extensive winter train modifications after last years display and making it twice as long (and twice as heavy)...

... coupled with the horrendous wheel slip on the original, I completely overhauled the coal tender as well so the train now has twin motors making pulling away a lot smoother and straight forward..

Couldn't figure where to put these this year so as my station doesn't look overly wintery they have been put to use as large inflatables on the roof. (works in my head and that's all that matters). :)

Used whatever minifigures I had lying about or in other displays to populate the scene.

Perhaps not the safest place to have stalls and a kids ride but hey ho.

Ski slope and Lodge for a bit of downtime.

Elves hard at work in the tunnel.


Mrs Claus looking after some very lost Christmas singers.

And just because I had to fill in this end with something, a vampire hunter and vampires along with an oblivious police officer and road worker (they were hanging about so stuck them in).

Switchfoot55

I like the extended engine as well on your train. Another thing I may have to steal!

I seriously need to up my white bricks and plates collection!

bandit778

@Switchfoot55, help yourself.
Some better pictures of the engine from earlier in the year.
Had to remove the rear wheels as they really didn't like the tight corners and caused all sorts of problems. There were a couple of other small changes to help it run better without shaking parts off as well but the bulk of the train is the same.

milamber

Getting there I think. Found the stained glass window and the techniques required to build up and around it quite hard. Not entirely happy with that end, but better than it was a few hours ago! Just the tower to go. Moved the font to the tower and replaced it with a Christmas tree.

Switchfoot55

^Love the window!

Is it three plates thick? The 2x2 turntable base, the trans plates, then another turntable base?

milamber

Switchfoot55 said:

^Love the window!

Is it three plates thick? The 2x2 turntable base, the trans plates, then another turntable base?

No, just the turntable base and the trans plates. Didn't occur to me to put the turntables both sides. Mind you, didn't need another layer of thickness. Difficult enough as it was.

Switchfoot55

Got it. They are transparent enough that the outline of the turntable bases looked like it was on both sides. I like it! 

LuLego

I love the windows!
You’ve made so much progress in the last few days.

For my build (pictured on previous page) I also used this technique of turntables (copied the idea from Arkham Asylum).

But, then I also played with cheese slopes... If you’re after a different headache, try trans cheese slopes to create a mosaic effect. 

I must admit that my round window uses glue!

LuLego

These mosaic windows by Katie Walker are amazing and well worth a google image search:

http://mosaicbricks.blogspot.com/2012/06/cheese-slope-mosaics-tutorial.html?m=1


http://mosaicbricks.blogspot.com/2010/10/interview-katie-walker-eilonwy77_14.html?m=1

LuLego

@milamber please keep the photos coming as I’m genuinely really enjoying seeing the progress on this. It’s such a magnificent build so far.

milamber

Last one for today. I'm built out.....I wasn't entirely happy with the end with the stained glass window which is probably just as well because when I turned it around to start the other end I'd placed the roof in the wrong position and needed to move it along one stud. Bit of a pain, but I'm much happier with the stained glass end now. Less thick and looks less blocky. Roof on now and wall built both ends. Just the tower to complete. Though I have had a delivery of masonry bricks which I'd ideally like to have used randomly throughout the main building!

WhiteDove

Your church is lovely. All the windows look good, especially the stained glass but also the side windows. I really like the roof supports but also the (tiled) stone floor looks perfect. 

Switchfoot55

Yeah, top notch work @milamber!

milamber

Done, at least for now. There are a few things I'm not totally happy with. The clocks are too small for one and ideally I'd perhaps have used a wider variety of bricks in the main church build. Too many different and it looks odd though.

milamber

Ironically having spent so much time on the stained glass window I can't have the winter village out on a large baseboard downstairs this year (small grandchild now walking......) so it's along the top of my storage cabinets upstairs and once the church is fitted in you can't see the window!

mdtvandy

Great job on the church, I particularly like the dedication to St. Peter (the chicken!). What part is the font?

One tiny comment--shouldn't the altar be purple, blue, white, or gold as it's no longer Ordinary Time?

milamber

On a different note, does anyone know how to hold the grey bit of these hinges more securely on to the roof, short of superglue? Every time I open it, they pull off.

Switchfoot55

I've never tried it, so it may not work, but could you put a 1x4 plate w/ 2 studs (part 92593) across the top to give at least a little extra support?

milamber

mdtvandy said:

Great job on the church, I particularly like the dedication to St. Peter (the chicken!). What part is the font?

One tiny comment--shouldn't the altar be purple, blue, white, or gold as it's no longer Ordinary Time?

You are obviously way more up on this than me! The chicken was from the Old Fishing Store set - no idea it had any other relevance than looking quirky. Same goes for the altar cloth - dark green was the only colour I had in the tiles I needed. I assumed white would be normal, but used them all for snow :) I'll correct it to the right colour if I manage to get the right tiles. Thanks

Not sure what the correct part names are for the font pieces, but I'll pop a photo up of them later

milamber

Switchfoot55 said:

I've never tried it, so it may not work, but could you put a 1x4 plate w/ 2 studs (part 92593) across the top to give at least a little extra support?

Tried that. Sadly the studs on the 1 x 4 aren't deep enough to connect. Never used glue before, could be a first time!

560Heliport

I don't know if you can get it in the UK, but on Amazon there's a product called Le Glue. A co-worker saw it on an episode of Shark Tank and told me about it. It was designed for LEGO (and other brands) as a temporary glue- it comes off with warm water. I haven't tried it. It's about $13 for 2 ounces, or a pint for $25.

milamber

mdtvandy said:

What part is the font?

Just used the same pieces as these, but in dark and light grey. Had to snip the brown bar slightly as it was too long.......

DadsAFOL

milamber said:
Just used the same pieces as these, but in dark and light grey. Had to snip the brown bar slightly as it was too long.......

FYI, the rigid hose is the same diameter as a standard bar, and much easier to cut.  Next time.

DadsAFOL

milamber said:

On a different note, does anyone know how to hold the grey bit of these hinges more securely on to the roof, short of superglue? Every time I open it, they pull off.

If you use 

and

then you can "strap" the hinge plate with more plates across the back.

Or just use 4 or 6 of the hinges you are already using, instead of 2.

milamber

DadsAFOL said:

Or just use 4 or 6 of the hinges you are already using, instead of 2.

4 on already, but like an idiot it's just occurred to me that if I pop a couple of 1x1 plates either side of the hinge then the 1x4 plate with 2 studs should have more depth to click in to and hopefully do the job. Away just now, but will try it tomorrow

MCNwakeboard

Put up my winter village sets today. I feel like I’ve almost hit peak LEGO winter village with what I can fit under the tree. 

Switchfoot55

^Looks great!!!

Can anyone measure the height of the train while on the track? 

I don't have mine built yet and am working on finishing my table construction and want to make sure I make the tunnel tall enough. 

milamber

Switchfoot55 said:

^Looks great!!!

Can anyone measure the height of the train while on the track? 

I don't have mine built yet and am working on finishing my table construction and want to make sure I make the tunnel tall enough. 

About 14cm, give or take a mm or so. That's to the top of the 'smoke'

tamamahm

I just pulled out my sets this weekend and cleared my shelf. I bought the passenger train on high discount last holiday season, and have the power functions that I am now adding into the holiday train. That and buying the latest winter set is as far as we have gotten. I have not decided what sets will go out this year.

Oldfan

MCNwakeboard said:

Put up my winter village sets today. I feel like I’ve almost hit peak LEGO winter village with what I can fit under the tree. 

If I took up that much room under the tree with my Lego, displacing the space allotted for presents, my kids would kill me...but it looks nice!

mustang69

I just noticed in the new modular that they are using the earth green window frames again. Hopefully this means they’ll be available on the BnP site again eventually so I can update my Christmas Mansion.

Switchfoot55

Thanks @milamber! Much shorter than I had originally thought.

Pictures forthcoming with my table updates. 

I'm starting with a 4' x 4' table and now thinking that may not be adequate space. Yikes!

The highlight of my weekend was co-building both the Toy Shop and Cottage sets with my wife. I know there are a lot of members who build with their significant other, but it's not something I've really had the privilege of doing. It was fun to get to share something so important to me with someone so important to me. 

milamber

Switchfoot55 said:

Thanks @milamber! Much shorter than I had originally thought.

Pictures forthcoming with my table updates. 

I'm starting with a 4' x 4' table and now thinking that may not be adequate space. Yikes!

The highlight of my weekend was co-building both the Toy Shop and Cottage sets with my wife. I know there are a lot of members who build with their significant other, but it's not something I've really had the privilege of doing. It was fun to get to share something so important to me with someone so important to me. 

I had an 8' x 4' board last year and was running out of space. These things run away with you if you aren't careful! Can't use it this year because of the marauding granddaughter, so it's literally everywhere I can fit a bit.

I managed to get my wife and daughter slightly involved in building the Winter Train last year, but they aren't really interested. On the other hand my wife doesn't really care how much I buy either and does quite like the Christmas stuff on display so it's not all bad :)

Djblythe05

I built the winter train with my wife last night, she actually asked me if there was any Lego we could build I was delighted. So pleased with how it fits around the tree. 

Boardshorts85

Djblythe05 said:

I built the winter train with my wife last night, she actually asked me if there was any Lego we could build I was delighted. So pleased with how it fits around the tree. 

The Winter Village train is the one LEGO set I own that my wife continues to be interested in.  I've found her sitting by the tree running the train while she and the dog watch it go.  Must be something therapeutic...

tamamahm

I change up my display every year, simply because I would never have enough room to display everything. This year, I am going a bit more traditional. About 2/3 is more traditional winter village. I have not had us build the firehouse yet, but it would go over there if it fits. The right side... I have part of our unmotorized train coming out from behind the winter village and to a train station and going to a Christmas village... lots of elves, Santa, etc.

milamber

41323 Snow Resort Chalet is £23.99 against an rrp of £39.99 just now on Amazon UK. Has been slightly cheaper before, but retiring soon and unavailable at Lego online. A nice one to mod for a winter village.

eMJeeNL

Just started building the first stored WV sets the last days (market done, toy store in progress); but today my last PaB order showed up (finally!), so this pile is up next!



Stoked to finally start! :)

eMJeeNL

Oh, those LBG arches nor those red roofbricks are part of the build, they are for a different MOC... (as not to ruin any speculation ;))

Switchfoot55

^A candy or sweet shop perhaps? Gingerbread house?

Looking forward to seeing it come together!

eMJeeNL

Yeah, it's Mouseketeer's  Gingerbreadhouse. Only I just found out I forgot to order the trans-lightblue windows. Argh.

Gonna MOD Mouse's Firehouse a little to have a larger door (the firetruck only JUST fits the opening); will order the windows together with what I don't have for that project.

also, MODded #10263 to become a apartmentbuilding (or so, did nothing to the inside yet); what do you think?:

Switchfoot55

Looking forward to seeing the Gingerbread house! I like the MOD to the fire station too! I hope to build mine out tomorrow morning. 

I've done a poor job tracking my progress this year. However, I have all but my Train Station, Train, Fire Station, and Santa's Workshop left to build (that's it....?). Time has definitely gotten away from me this year. 

It has been a fun building season though. My kids have enjoyed putting together some of the small sets and side builds to the main sets. My wife put together the Bakery a couple of nights ago. It was her first solo build and she loved it! I think she's hooked now as she's starting to talk about other sets she might want to buy/build. WOO!

Here are a couple of photo updates:

I've been waiting to build the Marketplace for a year now. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it!


Trying out some initial lighting techniques. I'm liking the overall look. May layout is in shambles right now, but once I solidify where everything will be, I'll light the remainder of the buildings. I think it'll really bring things together! 

eMJeeNL

Looking good. I’ve started building without a proper place to stage everything. Unsure where the WV will end up in a weeks time...

But ey, building keeps me happy:

replaced the Nougat on the roof with Dark Tan (had that in stock), and forgot the trans-light blue windows, but they are on their way, thanks 2 @obelix1971 . Also forgot to order 2 extra 4*12’s, so replaced them with 6*12’s.
@Mouseketeer : you’ve done a fantastic job with this build!

inklingbricks

Thank you very much @eMJeeNL :D Really glad you like it!

eMJeeNL

Oh no. He did it again. More cars for the Winter Train coming... ;)

Switchfoot55

I've been hitting my head against the table for a bit too long now and figured I should just come here for a bit of help. 

Can anyone who has placed the battery box and IR reciever in the tender for the Winter Holiday Train confirm a few things for me?

How many studs long is your tender now?

What does the construction of the base look like between the motorized base's pin and your train base?

Has anyone modified the engine and tender with the magnetized buffers on the engine/tender and battery box/reciever in the tender?

I've been sick the last couple days and my brain clearly hasn't caught up. 



.... anyone else feel like your Village setup time has slipped away at lightning speed?

bandit778

@Switchfoot55
Can't help with the IR receiver as mine is still in the engine to run both the motors that I fitted to mine but when I get home from work this evening I can take some pics of the engine and tender with how I fitted the magnetized buffers and the motor to the tender if you want?