It’s been a while since we’ve posted any update on our work behind the scenes. Allow us to offer some insight today, as well as a surprise announcement at the end.

Premium Instructions Kits

We’ve been hard at work in getting our next Premium Instruction Kit ready to go. I’ve modeled the International Car Company Extended Vision Caboose in fine detail, and Cale has been working non-stop to bring the book to completion. We would have had this model available by now, but we have drastically expanded our vision and approach to the kit, and thus have taken more time to ensure we are checking all of our boxes. We’ll have more details in the announcement article at the time of release, but I can definitely say that this will be the most comprehensive kit we have ever done. We are now in the process of editing the 164-page book and building test models.

Reading 4-8-4 T-1 Kit

Probably the question I am asked the most right now is “Have you guys been working on the T-1?” and of course the answer is yes! While it’s not always physical progress, we have been taking steps towards the day when we will open pre-orders. As we’ve said before, this is a big kit, and, depending on interest, it’s very possible that the first production run is the ONLY run. So, of course, we want to make sure we get every detail right the first time.

In his time off from working on the caboose, Cale has been getting the many submodels of the T-1 into LDraw. Currently, the tender is complete, as well as part of the cab, and running boards.

We started with these parts first because these assemblies will feature printed bricks from our friend Richard Glatter at Brick Print Studios. The three of us had a lengthy discussion at Nebraska Brick Days about the best way to tackle this challenge, and now we’re working toward the goal. The components modeled in LDraw already have been shared with Richard in confidence so he may begin test prints. We’re very excited to have printed elements in our first kit, and we know Richard will do an excellent job.

As we finalize the caboose, the T-1 will be our primary focus until we’re ready to open pre-orders.

Brickworld Chicago 2019 Exclusive Premium Instructions

Brick Model Railroader will be represented by Cale at Brickworld Chicago this year to join all of the awesome train activity that goes on. We will be sharing in the first ever L-Gauge Modular Standard (LGMS) layout and we also plan to give out another round of Staff Pick Awards. Brickworld is always one of the best conventions of the year, so we are very excited to be in attendance.

We are proud to announce that we will be producing an exclusive Premium Instructions Kit for registered Brickworld attendees. The car we have chosen to model is a “Challenger” Express Boxcar, class B-50-25.

I have taken charge once again of designing the exclusive model using original drawings. This kit will be offered as a pre-order only on our website and may only be picked up in person at Brickworld Chicago 2019. In other words, you have to be at Brickworld to get one. We’ll have more information when we begin taking pre-orders.

Brick Model Railroader’s Second Locomotive Kit

It may seem a complete surprise, but we are happy to announce our second locomotive kit: the 4-8-8-4 “Big Boy” steam locomotive.

It probably sounds strange to announce a second locomotive before finishing our first, so allow us to explain.

We have been planning to develop a Big Boy kit since 2017. This was all started when we were contacted by a fan, Wesley, offering a trade: a reddish brown PS-1 boxcar kit (parts and all) for digital copies of original dimension drawings for a 3900 class Challenger, a 4000 class Big Boy, and the replicas of the locomotives that were at Promontory Summit at the Golden Spike ceremony in 1869. Too good of an opportunity to pass up, we happily accepted the trade. Wesley was good on his word and sent us files for everything listed, as well as wheels and drive rods.

While we were finishing our T-1 model, the Big Boy project fell silent for some time so we could focus shift time and resources as needed. But, with the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike coming next month, we tried to get a model finished to publish next month. Again, we had to put our time toward the T-1, the Extended Vision Caboose, and the Brickworld Exclusive Premium Instructions Kit. The Big Boy took a backseat once more.

A little extra info about me. I work as a Mechanical Engineer at A. Stucki Company, a leading designer and manufacturer of rail car components. The company has a very strong relationship with the railroad who designed the Big Boys. I was approached last month by one of our Senior Technical Sales Engineers about building a Big Boy as a gift to our friends in the company, and, of course, I said yes. Cale and I then set up a timeline.

Our plan for the Big Boy is to develop a prototype following pre-orders for the T-1 . The T-1 is priority, and comes first in regards to our time. However, we are committed to design a model. On the commission of my coworker, we will deliver to her a finished model of the Big Boy during the 2019 Holiday season. After this, we will be able to move into the instruction and production phase (in 2020). Because we now have a formal timeline set, we feel comfortable in sharing the announcement with the members of the LEGO train hobby.

Both Cale and myself have said several times that the Big Boy is overrated, however that doesn’t make it a bad locomotive, and we’d be lying if we said we weren’t excited about building one.

We will still be working on two unique locomotives to sell as Premium Instructions kits sometime after this year.

Thanks for reading. We’re looking forward to continuing and starting these and more awesome projects.

Cale Leiphart & Glenn Holland