Starting a city layout

orodes · March 2013

As the title says i would like to start a city layout, and basically want to know what everyone here did to start there city, start out big with the modular buildings or did you start small, with a couple of the creator houses? If you had to start from scratch, what would you do? Thanks all.

ludzik · March 2013

I looked for the biggest table that I thought would fit my needs .... just to find out that it wasn't big enough ;)

bricksan · March 2013

I started doing a classic city then swtich to modulars and started again

Here is how far I have gotten in LDD

and here is how far I have gotten in reality

My build area for City is over 10ft :-)

Briking · March 2013

Modulars for the town centre, with 4 old creator houses as a suburb at one end.

jdylak · March 2013

I use NOTHING new and just do classic Town. Looks WAY better plus more variety of sets to use. Yea, the buildings look simplistic, but when you get everything set up, looks awesome. I would love to see a nice layout tho using only modern City sets. Not into using modular buildings in a town layout tho. I like them but if you are going to base a true town layout on them, you will need a TON of room otherwise your layout will just look like a crammed diorama. I want to see a CITY. Not a street or block.

bricksan · March 2013

^ hence why I have a 10ft space ready for a large scale city, classic sets IMO are crap and too childish to look good from an AFOL view point, but hey each to their own ;-)

emilewski · March 2013

I am working on building a modular city as I am going for LEGO "realism" and detail. That will mean all the modulars and designing and building my own (when time/funds become available). I have the creator houses as a suburbs in as well. As for a table, I use $10 Ikea LACK side tables...They are the right height for me and I have six of them currently. They are "modular" and I just keep adding tables to the city as my city grows in whichever configuration required.

dejavu · March 2013

I have 5 of the Modular buildings on one block. On the next block are the three Winter Village shops, "de-winterized" with green, brown, and grey roofs, and a workout gym that I built from a cannibalized Harry Potter castle and some bright red, yellow and orange bricks I got from the wall at a LEGO store. I built this block on two of the large grey baseplates with a sidewalk setback that lines up with the Modular block, and a parking lot behind the shops, since they're not as deep as the Modular buildings. I'm also building a park on three green base plates. Haven't added any City buildings at this point, although the workout gym is modern in design, vs the old-fashioned Modular and Winter Village buildings. I'd like to do a Creator suburb eventually, but I'll probably run out of space. I also am seriously debating leaving out the street plates because A) it pisses me off that I'd end up with far more corner pieces than I'd need, and B) they take up a lot of space which is a bigger problem.

dejavu · March 2013

Bricksan, love the water scene.

jdylak · March 2013

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=410928&n=94

That's too childish? That is what a city should look like. It's awesome. I am doing the same thing with my city. Soccer stadium as a major focus. I used Main Street and made 4 city blocks as my "down town" district. Harbour area is mad of 5 of the old seaports. I have 3 diff trains running thru town. Plus the monorail acts like the L train. Residential areas all on the outside. A beach area. Yes, I have the entire basement to work with but if I had to stay to just a tiny 10 foot or under area, not worth it. I am going to start on city number two actually in another of the rooms in the basement since I have 2 of a lot of things from the 80's. Two airports, police stations, fire stations, etc. Even have an "old time" area set up with a classsic 12 volt steam train, the old Town Square sets. Made some more similar buildings and it looks great.

Just wish I had another huge area to make a classic castle layout since I have amassed massive amounts of 80's castles and sets.

bricksan · March 2013

For me it does not give me the wow that is amazing factor that modular cities do, I am not a classic town fan so will stick to my original view. This is not attack on you just my personal view on classic city layout hence why I swapped to modular styles as it takes a city to a whole other level.

Unlike other AFOLS I have no desire to build 80's sets, as I already said each to their own

emilewski · March 2013

I like jsylak's city. The two approaches (classic and modular) give completely different feels and both are fun in their own way. If I had the funds, space and time I would consider doing both types of layouts (separately). However, since I do not I will focus on the highly detailed modular city. With LEGO it is all good.

prevere · March 2013

Have a working city layout as well. I have 3 10ft tables of city in a U shape. Thinking of stacking them all together for a single block effect. This would eliminate "children" accessing my "modular-core" in the middle.

The kids can build stuff on the outer edges, and the more details items can be inaccessible.

Basically, trying to build a nice city that all can enjoy from 5-year-olds to adults. Thoughts?

BRC · March 2013

I've started a City layout too. Got it set up on a table-tennis table. I don't have any modulars yet but have a Cottage and Police station, winter bakery and post office, bank, Airport, etc. It's getting there slowly.
I need some more road plates.
I wish Lego made a passenger bus, coach etc.

CCC · March 2013

BRC said:

I wish Lego made a passenger bus, coach etc.

Download the instructions for #8404 and build your own!

http://cache.lego.com/bigdownloads/buildinginstructions/4603381.pdf

Buzzsaw · March 2013

A TRU near me still has about 10 of those, and BELOW RRP!

dougts · March 2013

10 of the 8404? buy them all if true

Briking · March 2013

^^^^ Or the one from #7641 City Corner

rangermatt · March 2013

I've tried to get the green bus from #8404 from lego replacement parts but it was something like £40 unfortunatley which I didn't was worth it

Wodanis · April 2013

If so Buzzsaw how much were they?? I'd wish I had started collecting again a year or two earlier lots of cool sets to be had. I would like to create my own bus. Started working on my own city project. :)

Buzzsaw · April 2013

^ I went in the other day - and they were all gone. :(
Pity, since I was hoping to get another one using a voucher, for the second voucher and free set. Oh, and they were £69.99

BRC · April 2013

CCC said:

BRC said:

I wish Lego made a passenger bus, coach etc.
Download the instructions for #8404 and build your own!

http://cache.lego.com/bigdownloads/buildinginstructions/4603381.pdf

Thanks, I didn't know it existed. I'll check it out.

Brickography · April 2013

I built an 8ftx8ft table for my town. Mine wasnt amazing either. I used all the current city buildings, a few creator houses, a modular, and of course a train. To an AFOL, I dont think it was much, but to a NLP, I was told it was awesome.

charlieboy · April 2013

I much prefer city sets myself, modulars are great but for me when I see a nice city layout it reminds me of the sets I had as a kid! Also, whilst I agree the modulars do look very special, their prices and lack of choice have always put me off, a long line of them together is impressive to look at but without mocing you couldnt really have a complete looking town yet.

Here is the layout we had until we moved, very simple and built on top of two 6ft paste tables bolted together-

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/shane320i/Lego/IMG_2292.jpg

We'll be setting it up again shortly with a few of the newer sets and many more creator houses!

Starting a city layout

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