Tag Archives: monorail

Models

Do Trains dream of Space Monorails?

1 Comment

Even though we unfortunately can be almost 100% sure that Monorail will never make a comeback and even though the parts haven’t been produced in 20 years (luckily at least one 3rd party retailer have taken up this loss by producing their own replacements) I still consider Monorails part of our trains universe. Yes, they can be a bit wonky, and yes, they are far from prototypical and don’t look like anything you would see in the real life, but they just look so cool! Most of the monorails that are build by AFOLs nowadays are trying to look contemporary, but this week I spotted one that looks like it just escaped from 1989. Which is btw not that strange, since Frost (the builder) was inspired by a prototype-theme from exactly that year.

Continue reading Do Trains dream of Space Monorails? →

History

From Rails to Rocket Fuel (1971)

2 Comments

This week’s piece of LEGO train advertising history was published in France in 1971. This is probably my favorite example of LEGO train advertising. The stylized drawings and explosion of color make this a feast for the eyes.

There is also some creative storytelling going on here. If you look closely, you will notice a Darwinian depiction of trains. The 4.5V train moves into the world of 12V, is transformed into a monorail, a boat and a supersonic jetliner. All of these illustrations lead your eyes to the final focal point, which is a space-bound rocket. From trains to spaceships, “LEGO is a new toy every day.”

P.S.: Be sure to take a second look at that monorail. You might find that it bears greater resemblance to more recent fan designs than LEGO’s official monorail system of the 1980s & 1990s.