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where on each brick does LEGO put the branding and what do the identification markings on the underside look like?
I was given a mix of bricks which included bricks that have branding on the studs (Lego) as well as some other blocks. I was able to remove the bricks without branding as well as non-Lego bricks; however, the bricks with Lego studs don't all look like they are real.
I looked up text of Lego to compare for authenticity but results were rare. I have heard a about people selling "Lego bricks" that look so close the real ones and I can not tell the difference between them but I have a feeling that some or most of these might not be real. if I knew exactly what true Lego markings looked like, I would be able to get rid of the fakes. if I knew where the logo was printed and the style and sizes Lego used under the bricks it would give my collection more value.
Did Lego always have the branding inside the mini figure legs.
I know the letters and numbers inside Lego bricks are small but they should be able to be seen and read - is that correct? Please help so I can build a case against the companies I have been getting these bricks from so I can shut them down.

The word bricks means one thing, but sometimes people use it to mean any Lego piece, and I think perhaps you are doing that here. For Lego pieces (I almost wrote "authentic Lego pieces" but if they're not authentic, they're not Lego) the locations and fonts and font sizes have all changed over the years. I have seen one report of a company forging the word Lego on their bricks, but I am not convinced it was anything more nefarious than a bad manufacturing incident. Also, you say "printed", but the logos would have been molded, or stamped, not printed. To be continued...

Some pieces (like 1x1 round bricks and 1x1 round cones) have Lego markings on them on newly-produced pieces, but until recently, they did not. I have been pondering a question on here about what the most recent piece Lego makes isn't marked - I have not seen a Lego marking on any hot dog sausage piece I own, for instance. It took me a lot of effort to find them on the ice lolly, or Captain America's shield.

I think I used bricks as a way to indicate that the pieces are a variety or brands and yes the lego are molded as a technicality but I think that the location of the letters and numbers is what was in question because i have some suspected counterfeit bricks and I want to save the authentic for my collections

I have also spent a vast (vast) amount of time keeping Lego apart from imitation pieces, so I empathize with your plight.

Would you be able to post some macro shots of what you're seeing that makes you think it might be fake? It's very difficult to take clear photos of this unless you have the right equipment (which makes it easy).


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Bag 2, 2011 135149 - 2 minifig heads, lime, brown, greys
Bag 2 has 2 minifigure heads, one black male and one tan female. Gray male hair and black male hair.

Does this answer your question? How can I identify Lego sets from a box of parts?

70912-1 Arkham Asylum
I based it on Lime Tile 1 x 6, Dark Bluish Gray Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Bar Handle on Side - Closed Ends, Tan Plate, Round 2 x 2 with Rounded Bottom (Boat Stud).

Ah, you beat me to it. Note also the minifig heads visible are Barbara Gordon and Aaron Cash

I ignored the minifig heads; there are so many subtle variations I find it's not worth identifying based on that.

source: Stack Exchange

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

sort: votes


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Looking for the name of this really tiny 1x2 lego part. In microbuilds it is used as wheels, but I think it may officially be an axle

It's the black piece that I'm looking for the name or number of. Thank you in advance to anyone with information on this

Shouldn't that be 2x 2x 2x?

@candied_orange I assume it's step 2, and the other red pieces were placed in step 1

@RSchulz confusing out of context

BrickLink calls it 2496 Wheel Skateboard / Trolley

The name is a bit odd as they're also common in  "Creator" sets for micro models. They also make decent minifig scale dumbbells.

@Stephen FYI you can mark this as The Answer by clicking the check mark left of the post.

Lego's name for it pretty much has to be what they originally used it for, but it's nice to have pieces that have multiple good uses as people get creative.

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


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Does anybody know what this is? bag 3, black, light grey, red Technic bricks, large gold wheels
All I know is that it’s from 2011 bag 3 and I found number 135149 on it..

76012-1 Batman: The Riddler Chase
Based on Red Technic, Brick 1 x 2 with Holes with Light Bluish Gray Plate, Modified 2 x 2 with Pin on Bottom - only 5 sets. And one of them looked just right, so I grabbed the color and wheel code from that one. And it fit!

Dang, I was going the other way and looking for the unique-ish wheels (which ended up being hard to find) so I was too slow. Found them but your answer popped up while I was still composing. Good work :)

So many wheels look pretty much the same to me. I find it frustrating to be half-done an answer and find someone else has already posted it, so I usually just post the answer as soon as I have it, and then go back and edit it with pictures and links and justification, so that it doesn't waste anyone else's time. I didn't here. Sorry. I would prefer there to be a way to lock an answer for a few minutes to avoid this, but that's not the Stack Exchange way.


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Identify this LEGO set: greys with two dishes
We’ve been given a box of LEGO and are trying to determine which set these might be from (if they are a set) to try and rebuild, grateful for any help. Looking for identifiers on the pieces but not seen anything yet so help appreciated.

These part are from:
7675: AT-TE Walker

Keyparts:

30249 Slope 55 6 x 1 x 5

32271 -Technic, Liftarm, Modified Bent Thick 1 x 9 (7 - 3)

in Light Bluish Gray

Brilliant thank you!

If found the answer satisfactory, keep in mind that it's considered good manners to accept the answer. See https://bricks.stackexchange.com/help/someone-answers .

I wonder if Stack Exchange could detect a comment saying "thank you" by the question poser, and prompt a conversion to an accept instead.


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What piece is this? It's a hard one, and a very small one. It's 2x1 I believe, and it could possibly be an accessory

This is the piece I'm looking for, because I'd like to build this microscale train myself. It may very well be the handles of two levers glued to the rest of the train, but I really don't want to believe whomever made this resorted to gluing their Legos. If anyone knows it's name or number I'd be quite grateful for any help.
Extra: If anyone knows the name or number of whatever small pieces are used for the other 3 wheels on the train, I also need to find out what those ones are. Thank you.

Incredible you put a circle around the piece, you wrote what it was, and I was still looking at the smoke and wondering how that could be made of the two lever pieces mentioned in the answer. Circles must be red? Anyway good question and good answer.

You are partially correct, it is made using two of Antenna Small Lever

You can relax, they are not glued, but slotted into the grooves of the 1 x 2 Tile with grille

The other wheels of the train are made using Minifigure Roller Skate

I'm confused about the roller skate wheels: I can see the part under the green cart. But is it also used for the tender and engine? If so, it would have to be turned 90 degrees, in which case the roller skate wheels would no longer be parallel to the tracks and it wouldn't look as nice from the other side.

@Emil the wagon wheels look smaller - so I wonder what's used for the engine/tender wheels if the wagons use the rollerskates

The engine and tender does use the rollerskate rotated by 90 degrees, and yes it wouldnt look good from the other side but… look at the rest of the image, see how much of the architecture is also one sided (the arches for example are one sided, the other side would show you the bent pole and clips, rather than the pseudo brick frontage…)

Bit of a cheat in that the "wheels" are attached to the tracks, and not to the train, so you can't push the train around the tracks easily.

Aw man that's so sad. It's really hard to find microscale lego builds that're both ridiculously small And functional. I do however thank you all for the help and am very glad that there's such a strong community for finding out what bricks things are

@Stephen the best way to thank someone for the help and effort they put into an answer is to Accept the answer that is the most helpful.

@ChrisH the wagon wheels might be the small end of binoculars

@JanWindemuth possibly as this is a one-sided build.  There are also  some smaller parts that aren't called binoculars but look like a compact pair, also used as robot wheels (can't identify them easily)


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Can all LEGO Loco characters be recreated in real life?
The 1998 game LEGO Loco features a plethora of Minifigs that roam around the city:

Can all these characters be recreated with real minifig parts?

You can likely get close, but some of these parts are fictitious. For example, magenta mohawk exists but is a slightly different color and does not have two rows of knobs as depicted.

Also, the "moonshine" jug the character with the straw hat is carrying doesn't seem to exist. There are a few wine bottles but this jug is the closest I could find and it has significant differences.

Only five characters can be built exactly (denoted by ✅). Another 11 can be made quite closely (). The other 12 I believe are partially or entirely made up (❌).
I tried to make sure all parts were available at the time of the game, exceptions are stated.
The image of each part is also a link to Bricklink.
Row 1
❌ Figure 1 - Polka Dot Lady
I initially thought the hair looked like Hair Male with some extra bits printed on the face, even though that part does not exist in red. User Steve Bennett pointed out, and I agree now, that those extra parts do appear to be part of the hair piece.
This hair piece looks like a similar style, but released after the game.
I could not find a torso that matches, but I found a kind-of similar one.

or

❌ Figure 2
The hair appears to be white, but it does not exist.
I could not find a torso that matches, it looks like a variation of the banker's jacket.

It looks like he's holding a briefcase.

 Figure 3 - Girl
The hair might not be an exact match, but it's the only hair with pigtails that existed at the time of the game. The developers might have also taken some creative liberties.
I'm also tempted to think it could just be Hair Male again with pigtails added.
It appears there are some very faint glasses, but I couldn't find any such face.
There is a more modern hair piece that could work too.
As user Darrel Hoffman pointed out, there are shorter legs available. However, these do not articulate and are a slightly different shade of pink to the other pinks.

or
(+ pigtails)
or

or

 Figure 4 - Lee (Skateboarder)
Lee's torso doesn't seem to match any exactly, but two match closely.
It seems that Lego only begun producing skateboards in 2003, but included one anyway. (yellow wheels don't exist)

or

 Figure 5 - Construction Lady
The hat does not exist in green.

✅ Figure 6 - Eamon (Skeleton)
Just a regular skeleton.

 Figure 7 - Police Officer
No hat exists with that pattern.

Row 2
✅ Figure 8
Swap black hands for yellow. (Note other small differences in the torso)

✅ Figure 9 - Boy
As user Darrel Hoffman pointed out, there are shorter legs available. The medium ones articulate, but the short ones are also available in pink for the girl (#3).

or

or

❌ Figure 10 - Milkman
Surprisingly, I couldn't find this torso.

Milk bottles don't exist, but could be simulated with

 x 2
❌ Figure 11 - Grandma
I couldn't find hair that match, nor a female head with grey eyebrows. It could just be Hair Male with buns.
The torso has yellow arms, instead of pink.
The hips are also pink, not light grey.

❌ Figure 12 - Big Brain Scientist
This oversized head does not exist. I couldn't find a matching face either.

❌ Figure 13
The hair has the same options as #3.
I couldn't find the head or torso. I suspect the head is made up since it has a nose, which is not something Lego does for standard minifigures (#9's face is one such exception).
Lego does definitely not add a "contour" to its torsos either.
This torso also looks like an extreme variation of the banker's jacket.

or
(+ pigtails)
or

❌ Figure 14 - Sid Vacant?
This one also appears entirely made up. However, Lego did create a mohawk piece after the game was developed. (as pointed out by Fredric Shope in a comment)
This torso is the closest I could find, just add the bare yellow arms.

Row 3
 Figure 15 - Necklace Lady
The same face as #13 (not winking, though).

 Figure 16 - Angry Banker
I believe the face is has just been given the angry expression in this rendering.
Note that the torso appears dark grey, and the green seems to have been removed.

 Figure 17 - Walking Stick Man
It looks like he has a walking stick, which doesn't exist.

❌ Figure 18 - Hillbilly
This guy is entirely made up.

✅ Figure 19 - Dr. Cyber?
This is almost Dr Cyber from Time Cruisers, but with grey hair.

 Figure 20
Similar to the banker, the face has been made angry.

❌ Figure 21
This torso also looks like a non-existent variation of the banker's jacket.

Row 4
✅ Figure 22 - Police Officer
I don't think his head exists, but it could be based on this.

❌ Figure 23
This torso looks like yet another non-existent variation of the banker's jacket, but I've added a similar one I found.

❌ Figure 24 - Pop Star
His head and torso are almost certainly made up, but other options added.

or

or

or

❌ Figure 25
The same face and torso (different colour) as #13.

 Figure 26 - Intelligent Games employee?
The hat does not exist in any grey/silver colours, but could possibly be black. I didn't find the torso.

 Figure 27 - Mechanic
Same head as #22.

No wrench like this exists, but this one existed when the game was made.

And this one came after.

 Figure 28 - Sad
Same face as #13, #15, and #25.

Fantastic work! This will help me a lot in recreating most of these around my city. It surprises me that the mohawk isn't a real piece - The 2000 videogame Lego Stunt Rally features the character Sid Vacant that has the same hair piece. (in fact it might even be the same character) I vaguely remember seeing it in some flash games as well, so I always assumed it was real.

Figure 1 (polka dot lady)'s hair doesn't look that close to "hair male" to me. It has much sharper sideburns (or whatever you call those), with a big gap between the tuft of hair and the rest of the hair up the top.

@SteveBennett You may be right, I initially thought the "sideburns and tuft" were printed on.

Note that while the 2 kids are at least partially reproduceable (the boy more than the girl in this case), they won't be to scale - i.e. they'll be the same size as the other figures, not smaller as they appear in the image.  There are some child-sized legs you can get, but they aren't articulated like normal legs, so won't be a perfect match.

@DarrelHoffman Good point, I'll add it, although Lego now produces medium legs (one plate shorter than normal) which do articulate the same as normal legs


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LEGO sealed Bag 3 number 404R8 - lots of light greys
I have a sealed LEGO bag number 3. It has a lot of common gray pieces and tan pieces. Any help with where the pieces go to.

Hi Christian, the codes on Lego bags can't be used to identify the set. The best way to get help is to upload a photo of the bag.

I have just uploaded the pictures I needed to size down the pictures from my phone.

I think it's 75210-1 Moloch's Landspeeder
Based on

Light Bluish Gray Projectile Launcher Part, Rapid Shooter Trigger
Light Bluish Gray Technic, Disk 3 x 3
Tan Brick, Modified 1 x 4 with Studs on Side


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Accessing an EV3 brick on computer without MINDSTORMS Home
I am trying to hack my EV3, and I know I can make it execute commands I send via USB thanks to the communication developer kit.
When I connect it via USB, it is only visible by the MINSTORMS Home app and the system report (I am on Mac).
When I try to list serial ports, with for example ls /dev/tty.*, the EV3 doesn't show, which means I can't connect to it.
However, if their app does it, then there is a way around. Has anyone encountered this before, or does anyone know how their app does it?

The Bluetooth connection appears as a serial port, but USB does not. Instead USB on the EV3 appears as an HID device. So you will need a library that provides low-level (raw) access to HID devices.

I'll try that when I'll have the time, thanks for the answer !

For those who have the same problem and are looking for a library, go here


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I just finished the typewriter set and everything works fine but the type-bar is a little higher than it should be. Is there any way of fixing it
The typewriter works perfectly fine. The only problem is the typebar being a little higher than it should be.

Please add a photo to your question.

I've built this set and the typebar that works is more raised than the others. I believe that is intentional/unavoidable, but one thing you can do is raise the other ones to be more inline with the middle one.


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Which original LEGO videogames had sets based on them?
Which original LEGO videogames have related sets that were either included with the game or were introduced alongside it?

For this question I will be listing all original LEGO games that were not based on an existing franchise or theme. This means games like LEGO Loco and Rock Raiders are included, but Bionicle and LEGO Marvel Super Heroes aren't. As it turns out, only nine games had original sets or themes.
I've assembled this list by going through every LEGO game, and then comparing that against the sets released in the same year the game was released.
All images link to their respective bricklink pages.
If I miss something, feel free to correct me.
LEGO Island (1997)
The US release included polybag set 2181 with a minifig of Infomaniac, the character that helps the player through the game.

LEGO Loco (1998)
Certain versions of the original release include set 2585: "Track Buggy with Station Master and Cool Kid". Both minifigs are characters in the game.

LEGO Chess (1998)
This game included set 2586: "The Crazy LEGO King". Interestingly enough, it took LEGO another seven years to release their first full chess set, set 851499, but they never released a board featuring any of the characters from the videogame.

LEGO Rock Raiders (1999)
LEGO Rock Raiders introduced the Rock Raiders theme which ran from June 1999 to December 2000. It had a total of sixteen sets.

LEGO Stunt Rally (2000)
Several sets came out featuring Stunt Rally characters and cars, but for some reason LEGO called the theme just "Race". The later Racers theme also had a few sets that featured minifigs from Stunt Rally.

LEGO Island 2 (2001)
The PC release of Island 2 included set 3925; a keychain of the brickster.

LEGO Racers 2 (2001)
The release of Racers 2 kicked off the Racers theme that ran from 2001 all the way to 2012. The first subtheme of Racers was Xalax, which were featured in the videogame.

LEGO Island Xtreme Stunts (2002)
Island Xtreme Stunts had its own theme with a total of 13 sets. Several of the sets feature Pepper and the Brickster, which both also appeared in Island 1 & 2.

LEGO City Undercover (2013)
While based on the city theme, set 60007 "High Speed Chase" was released after the game and features the game's main character; Chase McCain.

Footnotes:

LEGO Friends, which released in 1998, is unrelated to the Friends theme that launched in 2012.


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Brick ID on the Mega Bloks - round building in 2 parts with door and window
please help with ID on the following parts. Would like to know set and eventually instructions. The Door has AM17450 on it and looks like Pego or something similar Copyright inside on yellow.
Would make a 5 year old very happy. Many thanks in advance.

It looks like Papa Smurf's House, but there may be many houses in that line. Do you have anything else from that set that could narrow it down?


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Can LDD or Studio calculate the weight of your model?
I have made a model of mine in LDD, and I want to know its weight. Is there any feature in LDD that can calculate the estimated weight of your model? If not, is it available in other software like Studio? I really appreciate any help you can provide.

studio can. Not sure about others.

Stud.io has that functionality, in the main menu select "Model", and then "Model information", select in the dialog the second tab "Physical information":

Step 1: Export your LDD model to a BrickLink wishlist.
Step 2: Move items from the bricklink wishlist to shopping cart(s) (i.e. find sellers).
Step 3: See the added weight of your BrickLink shopping carts.

Step 2 is a bit like underpants gnomes.


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Why is Studio not importing some parts of LEGO Mindstorms EV3?
I was trying to import the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 31313 set into Studio when I got this error :

It says that some parts, including the most important ones like the EV3 Brick, the motors and sensors, failed to import. I am new to Studio, so it would be great if anyone could help me with this issue.

Tried this, the motor components give warnings because the reported color is black (should be N/A) and the fairings give errors because they are stickered. Don't think there is much you can do about this except file a bug report with stud.io ...


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Parts with no part number how is it identified? (need help, but for future too)
So, the white piece has identification, but the front cover does not.  How are these identified? It's from an old space set from the 90's. I have tons of non typical parts that seem to have no identification.  It does have some numbers on it - 1-02 what is that referencing? I know this was from a few sets, probably

Answers to this question might help you

The box is part 4345 (or a variant). On BrickLink, that gives This Door, Frame fits with the following Door:. And those parts are 4346. But you want one with a pattern on it, so the BrickLink search you need is 4346p*. There's only 60 of them, and one looks right: 4346pb05 Container, Box 2 x 2 x 2 Door with Slot with Red and Yellow Controls Pattern

As for "1-02 what is that referencing" it is almost definitely a way for Lego to track which part of which mold made that part, so that if any are reported as mis-formed, they can track it down more easily.

Wow, I never knew you could search with a * match. That's going to be useful in the future!

The first time you see it, the potential is mind-blowing.

Thanks! I didn’t realize every part wasn’t identified!

@SQLALLSTAR the round 1x1 brick https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=3062b has been in use since 1976 in this form, but only in the past few years has it had any marking on it saying Lego, let alone a part number.

These parts are Tile 1 x 2 with Groove with Red and Yellow Controls and Two White Stripes on Left Pattern,

Note the similarity to this part (below). You can see the left side is different.

Container, Box 2 x 2 x 2 Door with Slot with Red and Yellow Controls Pattern, attached to Container, Box 2 x 2 x 2

As for finding pieces yourself, I find the Bricklink search to be most useful. Obviously as you become more familiar it will be easier. Searching by colour is usually a good way to start.
To find your parts I searched "white tile 1 x 2 pattern red yellow" and "black container door"

Unfortunately, some of the pattern descriptions are just things like "Container, Box 2 x 2 x 2 Door with Slot with M:Tron Pattern" which does not help. That's why I recommend searching with google instead of BrickLink directly - if you have a way to describe a piece, google will show you where other people have used that wording to describe it, while BrickLink can only show you its one standard description. Peeron used to have alternate keywords, which helped find things where you didn't already know exactly the right phrase.

@RSchulz Good point. It's always possible to try both anyway. I probably find Bricklink easy because I have a pretty good understanding of their naming conventions (which is where gaining experience will help). Still, the number one best way is to search by part ID if you can find it (a 4-5 digit number).


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Can you help me identify this LEGO, knex type set? bag with black, grey, red, yellow and light brown
I got this in a pile of stuff I won at an auction. It says LEGO 2017 and says it’s bag 1, 649R1 and the QR code gives the number 6172089. They seem to be mostly knex pieces. There is an interesting grey square like the base of some type of vehicle and some yellow spring pieces that are interesting.

[2

This type of Lego is called Technic.
Based on the parts I can see, it looks to be bag #1 of McLaren Formula 1 Team 2022 Race Car.

I found this by searching for sets including both Technic Engine Cylinder, and Technic Wishbone Suspension Arm, which turned two results. Only the McLaren had the other parts in the bag.

Seeing "2017" year stamped on polybag I find this relationship to 2022 set a little odd. TLG usually don't produce parts 5 years in advance.

"2017" on the bag just means that the copyright on the bag itself is from 2017, the actual bag may be made years later, and filled with parts even more years later. The only relation you can possibly draw from a year on the bag to the set, is that the set is unlikely to be several years older ("several" because I suppose they might use newer bags if they make more copies of a set).

@Alex LEGO has tons of these odd copyright years on their parts - Their pick a brick cans still say 2002 on them!

@MMM Unlike PAB cans (which are plastic moulded and that can explain the old date - might be too expensive to update moulds), pictured polybag has its text printed, which is far easier to update.


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How many Harry Potter 20th Anniversary sets are there?
I have 3 of the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary sets (76386, 76388 & 76389) which include gold minifigs (I have Harry, Ron & Voldemort), and a number of (depends on which set) purple 2x2 tiles labelled as "Wizard Cards" of which I have 9 of 16.
This got me thinking; how many 20th anniversary Harry Potter sets are there? Do we have a timeline published by Lego of all the sets to be labelled as 20th anniversary, and which will include gold minifigs and wizard cards? And do we know which gold minifigs are out there/coming in future sets?

The question seems to be a mix of what is (which can be answered) and what will be (which can only be speculated; even things Lego announces might never make it to market, of course).

@RSchulz What I mean by "And do we know which gold minifigs are out there/coming in future sets?" is, new sets which have been announced. I don't mean, get your crystal balls out and tell me what's still in design/pre-production/play test etc...

Brickset is very useful in this kind of questions since their catalog items have tags.
You can find details you are looking for by checking items marked with following tags:

Lego Harry Potter 20th Anniversary

Collectable Wizard Cards

And, obviously, LEGO doesn't disclose plans for upcoming sets unless they are about to be released.


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software to record my own bank of LEGO pieces?
Is there any PC software that can keep track of my own pieces?
I know sites like Rebrickable and BrickLink are probably good enough, but they require VPN to access in China.
Studio can build LEGO constructions virtually, but it does not look like it can be easily used as a database for the pieces.

Rebrickable would usually be the first thing I would recommend for this, but I don't have to deal with access from China.

You can use Brickstore, it is an offline tool to install on your PC

Great!! That's very helpful!!


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Bionicle Tooth: Legal Connection?
I’m finishing a MOC on stud.IO and have found that it doesn’t recognize a couple connections as legal. This happens on occasion with connections I know are legal, but I’m not sure about these two. They are shown here:

The first one is my preferred, the second a backup. I tested them both out. The first clicks solidly into place, but I’m not sure if the peg fully expands. 16 clicks = 1 rotation.
The second I would be very confident in, but the materials may be problematic according to Lego’s official “Stressing the Elements” PDF.
What do you think? It’s just a MOC so I could go ahead and ignore the rules, but I try to follow the conventions of official sets.

This question could be further improved by linking the part and maybe having a photo that directly shows the hole. Once you know that it's an axel hole, the question boils down to "Is it legal to put a wheel axel or a bar into a Technic axel hole?", I think.

I think the 2nd connection can only be illegal if both pieces would be a transparent color (as the .pdf points out, PE connects too tightly with PE, ABS and PE is not a problem).

In regards to the first element - the ring (outer edge) of the bar that originally keeps a wheel from sliding off is slightly larger than the "bar" element. While this will be enough to keep both together, the element will be in constant stress and eventually will become damaged.
I cannot think of a quick example where LEGO used second type of connection, but cannot remember this being illegal.

The second connection is between a "bar" element and a "technic axle hole". This is used in (yet unreleased) 10305 Lion's Knight Castle. A Brothers-Brick review of the set highlights the mace in the weapons rack:

...which is built with a bar element and a 8T technic gear.


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Are there any resources with 3D models of every Chima piece w/prints?
I'm looking for Chima pieces for a 3D animation project. Preferably compatible with Mecabricks. The characters in question do not matter though I would like if the resource had parts from an Ice Bear minifigure. I have tried LDraw and they only have parts for Worriz.


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Identify this set: bags with grey, blue and red
I am in need of identifying instructions for numbered Lego bags that were handed down from a friend, so my son can start building. They are identified as 4, 5 and 6. I’ve read that the numbers on the bags aren’t helpful so I’ve attached pictures with some identifying pieces to hopefully help! I assume they are from the same kit.

Hi Noelle and welcome to Bricks.SE! The numbers on the bag don't tell much, there are many sets with at least 6 bags. The pictures are a great idea though, but they seem to have gotten lost somewhere. Can you please edit your question to add them again?

Based solely on Minifigure Armor Breastplate with Pentagonal Cutout on Front and 2 Studs on Back with Trans-Neon Orange Shoulder Pads Pattern (wow that's a mouthful)...

...which appears in just 12 sets, the set can be identified as 70317-1 The Fortrex:

Now that you're armed with the set number 70317, it's trivial to search for its instructions in the LEGO website.

Thank you sooo much! You made a little Lego builder very happy!


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Gearbox doesn’t move when it’s in neutral - Is that normal?
I’m not sure if the gearbox is supposed to move when it’s in neutral but the gearbox only moves when it’s in drive or rear. If I made an error can someone please tell me if there is a way to fix it?

I suppose you mean the cogs in the gearbox should move, right? I mean, I'd be concerned if the gearbox moved, neutral or not ;-).

Do you just mean the output shaft doesn't turn, or do you mean the input shaft locks up?

What gearbox?

The point of the neutral position in a gearbox is that it disconnects the engine from the drivetrain. Therefore no movement is expected at the wheels when the engine turns and vica versa. If the pistons move (their crankshaft turns) when the wheels are turned in drive and do it backwards when in reverse your build is okay.


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Help identify this unknown piece - black police torso, but it has the LEGO logo printed on the middle of the front
I've been looking on Bricklink for a while now, but I haven't found this piece yet, so I'm wondering if anyone knows what it is based on its description: it's a black police torso, but it has the LEGO logo printed on the middle of the front of the torso.

Welcome to Bricks.SE! I'm not familiar with a torso that fits that description. It may be helpful to add a photo to your question to help folks better identify this element.

Oddly enough, "Lego" is a difficult word to use to search for these things :-) To save others from searching, my googling for torso "lego pattern" and torso "lego and" pattern have not found it. Though there are some cool Lego House and Lego World 2012 torsos on BrickLink. A picture is definitely the way to go, here.

Here's a picture of the piece, still not sure what it is on Bricklink

Oh, I think I found it. It's from this keychain https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?id=101212

This is either from 2011's Flashlight, Dynamo Torch - Motor Police (which is not a minifig but rather a 20cm-high figurine with a flashlight inside a leg, and a crank in a shoulder)...

...or, as user @bgeorge has pointed out in a comment, Mini Torch Minifigure Flashlight Key Chain Police

Keep in mind that keychain minifigs are different from standard minifigs, and so the torso cannot be separated from the legs or head.


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What's inside the SPIKE Essential small angular motor?
I'm curious about this motor (68488):

This motor looks very small. What is inside this motor? How does it compare to the other Powered Up motors?

As far as I know, this is the smallest motor LEGO has produced since the micro motor in 1993:

This new angular motor is not quite that small, but it is smaller than every other motor currently in production. Here's how it looks on the outside:

The basic structure is nearly identical to the medium angular motor shown below except that this motor is shorter. The important connections around the drive are identical. Neither motor allows the drive axle to pass through the entire housing.

We can pop the back off the motor easily enough by depressing the 4 tabs holding it in place and/or prying the housing out slightly. This reveals the printed circuit board and back for the gearbox:

The blue section of the housing is then easily removed:

The gearbox can then be removed from the drive shaft and front of the motor to reveal the main drive gear:

The gear and metallic axle can be easily removed from the housing. The gear provides the main connection for the drive, while the metallic axle is used to transfer rotation through the gearbox to the magnet located on the other side.

Now we can return to the gearbox with the PCB attached:

The PCB can be gently popped off of the gearbox:

The electronics are very similar to those found in other Powered Up motors that include rotation sensing. There is a motor driver, controller, and Hall effect sensor included to monitor the drive angle.
We can remove 6 screws from the gearbox, remove the cover, and put the gears all back where they belong to see how the magnet on the top of the gearbox connects in order to interact with the electronics and act as a rotation sensor.
Note that this motor and gearbox are much smaller than those included in other common LEGO motors. I've included a 1x1 round plate for scale.

Four gears can be removed from the gearbox to reveal a significant gear reduction:

The DC motor can also be removed easily enough in case there is ever a need to repair or replace it:

TLG provides technical specs for this small angular motor:

Voltage Range

Min: 3.3 V
Max: 6 V

No Load

Torque: 0 Ncm
Speed: 110 RPM +/- 15%
Current consumption: 55 mA +/- 15%

Maximum Efficiency

Torque: 1.8 Ncm
Speed: 85 RPM +/- 15%
Current consumption: 170 mA +/- 15%

Stall

Torque: 5 Ncm
Speed: 0 RPM
Current consumption: 340 mA +/- 15%

This is much weaker than most other motors. For example, the stall torque of 5 Ncm is much less than the rated 18 Ncm for the medium angular motor.
This isn't the most powerful motor, but it is handy for lighter workloads where space is limited. The inclusion of full rotation control also makes it a good fit for spaces where a servo motor might be useful, such as steering on vehicles.


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How do I copy blocks in LEGO 51515 block IDE?
I have been trying to copy and paste blocks in the new IDE that I downloaded from the Microsoft store (v 10.3.1). I do not seem to be able to copy block code from one project to another. How can I copy or export code to other block projects?

I'm afraid it isn't possible to do this in the MINDSTORMS app.
CTRL+C to copy and CTRL+V to paste seems to work in the new "SPIKE 3" app at https://spike.legoeducation.com.


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Where is the LEGO logo on the Tartan Batman minifigure’s cowl piece?
I was examining the cowl piece to my latest Batman mini-figure (the Tartan Batman from that came with the Batman movie magazine by Egmont) and I noticed that I don’t seem to be able to find the spot where the Lego logo is.
The outside is definitely clean, but could it be somewhere within the cowl, especially on the inner side walls? Because the slot where the top of the minifigure head would slot into is clean as well. Where could the elusive logo be? Anyone who knows please enlighten me!

Not all lego parts have the lego logo on them. Is there any reason you think this one should have a logo on it ?

I don't have a cowl around to check, but I guess it's big enough that they have placed it somewhere, but in most cases it's part of the mould, not printed on.

Not printed, but molded, inside the left ear. Perhaps. I haven't checked that one in particular, because mine are unopened to give as gifts. But I do have others.
This cowl was relatively easy to see:

This cowl I initially thought didn't have one, but then I went back and looked with better equipment:


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Help identify this wing-like piece
So I bought a pile of LEGO bricks and I'd like to know what set this piece is from so I can build it. The only clue I have is the set I'm guessing if from around 2015 as I've identified other sets in the pile and they are all 2015 sets.
Looks like a wing from a spaceship? Maybe Star Wars?

This is Wedge, 12x3 Left and this sticker pattern is found in 75003-1 A-Wing Starfighter from 2013.

And from the looks of it it has been exposed to a lot of sunlight and has significantly yellowed.


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42114 (6x6 Volvo Articulated Hauler) doesn’t operate bucket and also doesn’t drive
My 42114: 6x6 Volvo Articulated Hauler drives in first gear for a moment, then stops completely; same thing with 2nd and 3rd gear. It doesn’t operate the bucket either. I suspect I forgot to add a pin to the L motor and the orange gear shifter - how can I fix this the easiest way possible? I’ve calibrated about a hundred times already: sometimes it works for a few seconds then stops completely.

Exactly how does it stop ? What do you observe when that happens ? Is the motor still running (do you hear it) ? Do you hear and/or see any skipping gears or other horrible noises ? Can you see at what point the movement from the motor stops being transferred (is it a gear that no longer connects, or a shifter that became misaligned, or ...) ? If you found where the issue occurs exactly, can you take a picture, and include it in your question (ideally with an arrow pointing to the issue) ? Etc.

It might be the case that the batteries can only supply the required power to move such a heavy model in the first few seconds, then their voltage drops below the required limit for the motors to keep on running. Can you try or have you tried using new, non-rechargeable* batteries?
Adding a missing pin might be trivial in one case and might require a complete teardown and rebuild in the other case. Without knowing which pin did you forget (if any) it is impossible to tell which one applies to your situation.
*: the non-rechargeable ones have 1.5V as nominal voltage, whereas the rechargeable ones commonly top out at 1.2V, which then drops further as they get empty.


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What brand is this brick with a logo that looks like an elongated C and a square?
Can anyone tell me about this brick? There is no Lego logo on it. It looks well made and fits perfectly with real Lego bricks.

I have an 8x8 plate I just got in a mix of Lego and knockoffs, without boxes or instructions. There's no markings anywhere else, except 4006B on the bottom. A lot of Google Image searching has not yielded any joy.

Looks like the Betty Crocker logo to me.

No idea but I think the logo looks like a person wearing a helmet, looking to the left


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Is there any difference in the power, wheel, and track technology between 2018 trains and 2022 trains?
LEGO came out with 60197 City Passenger Train and 60198 City Cargo Train in 2018. Much more recently they released very similar sets 60337 City Express Passenger Train and 60336 City Freight Train. All four sets have the same "Powered Up" logo on the front and look fairly similar.
Are there any differences in the power, wheel, and track technology between these older sets and the new ones? If so, are their obvious pros and cons of these old versus newer train sets?

Most of essential bits are the same and used in all 4 sets:

Train motor
Straight track
Track switch
Driving wheels attached to motor

The only difference is in wheel used for cars. Instead of using two wheels attached to metal rod (this combination is then mounted together to bogie) TLG switched to wheels that are now attached individually to a different, but similarly looking, bogie.
There was a bit of disappointment and a lot of talks within community about new wheels as they are seen as higher friction option, reducing the performance of (long) trains.


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Identify unnumbered bags from 11015 - with pictures
I bought LEGO Classic 11015 set. I have 7 unnumbered bags that came with the set all other numbered bags have been completed so I'm unsure what set they are from.

I took a sampling of the most interesting parts visible in your bags, and all are contained in the 11015 set inventory in the correct amounts. Based on this I'd conclude that these simply came with the set, just not in numbered bags. This is further supported by the existence of parts like SKI STICK 3M, W/SHAFT Ø3,2, two of which are clearly visible in your photo, but none is included in any of the official models buildable from the seven numbered bags. Yet they are included in the set inventory, so they must be there for the creative play.


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How do I get missing parts for a Cobi set?
I got the 1305 set from Cobi. I am missing 3 or more pieces. I can't complete the model without these pieces:

2 normal black 1 cm high, 6 studs long, rectangular (not round edge)
1 black rectangular flat 3 studs long, 2 studs wide.

How do I order only these parts?

You can order individual parts using Blocks by Piece.
I think the two parts you describe are 2x6 czarny and 2x3 1/3.


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EV3 Device Manager ghost on my mac - how to remove?
TLDR: how to remove EV3 software completely from Mac?
A year ago I got a used Mindstorms EV3 set, fired it up and played around with my son who was 8 at the time. I installed a setup where we could write Python scripts to control the robot. But it was too time consuming and maybe my son just didn't get a big spark for robotics, so we stopped using it.
I think I uninstalled the parts that I could, but lately some EV3 manager part has started running itself in the background erroneously, consuming 90% of CPU and heating up the computer. I can stop the process from Activity Monitor. But I struggle to find and remove this program. I have no clue why it fires up randomly!
Any help?

Probably best asked on https://apple.stackexchange.com/

I’m voting to close this question because it is not a question about LEGO directly, it is a question about how to uninstall a running service on Windows, which is better answered on another site in the Stack Exchange network.

The answer is very specific to this specific software package, so, in this case, I think this Q&A is better suited to this site rather than other more generic Stack Exchange sties.

On Mac, the EV3 Device Manager program is located at /Library/EV3 Device Manager. This directory contains an uninstaller. You can run it from a terminal window like this:
/Library/EV3 Device Manager/uninstall.command

Note: you will be prompted for your password since the uninstall requires administrative privileges.

Background:
The EV3 Device Manager is a background service that serves as a communication bridge to allow https://ev3manager.education.lego.com to connect to your EV3, so it is only needed if you want to use that website to do firmware updates.


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Searching for a part like 48989 but without the pins
I am searching for a part like LEGO 48989, but without the 4 pins.

The manufacturer doesn't matter as long as the part is compatible with LEGO bricks.
Also, a combination of parts is ok if it has the same function and no overlapping parts.
The construction problem:

the upper holes will hold pins with friction ridges (3L or normal)
the sideways hole will hold a pin with friction ridges (3L or normal)

Do they have to be pins with friction ridges ? Can they be pins with axles and friction ridges like Technic, Axle 1L with Pin with Friction Ridges or Technic, Axle 1L with Pin 2L with Friction Ridges or Technic, Axle 2L with Pin with Friction Ridges.

Yes, unfortunatly it has to be a friction pin. If there would exist a 3l pin with axle-friction-axle, i could use your first recommendation.

Lego has recently released a part to get closer to the ideal, by removing two of the four pins. https://brickset.com/parts/design-2393

I have found the part on several marketplaces on aliexpress and bought it. I don't know if its from Cada or other clone company, but the parts are working fine.

Your updated question mentions axle holes are not an option for your needs, and just pin holes are allowed. There's no LEGO part (I know of) with that exact topology, nor do I see a way of combining parts to achieve the desired topology within a 3L size restriction.
If none of the below suggestions suit your exact needs, and assuming cutting off the pins of a 48989 part is not an option, then non-LEGO parts are your only option it seems. I'll have to defer to someone else in that case. I'll leave this answer up, since it might provide inspiration.
LEGO Technic connectors with 90 degree offset holes, limited to 3L size (but with axle holes)
The closest is probably Technic, Axle and Pin Connector Perpendicular 3L with Center Pin Hole, albeit with axle holes rather than pin holes :

There exist similar parts as well, like eg. Technic, Axle and Pin Connector Perpendicular 3L with 2 Pin Holes :

Or the smaller Technic, Axle and Pin Connector Perpendicular :

LEGO Technic connectors with 90 degree offset holes, with just pin holes (but exceeding 3L size)
There are some parts that have just pin holes, offset by 90 degrees, like Technic, Pin Connector Perpendicular 2 x 2 Bent :

Or the bigger and more recent Technic, Pin Connector Block, Liftarm 1 x 3 x 3 :

Or even Technic, Liftarm, Modified H-Shape Thick 3 x 5 Perpendicular :

Thanks for your answer! Those parts don't fit for my construction problem.

@spoekes : could you then clarify your construction problem ? What are you trying to achieve ? You can edit your question with additional details.

Updated the question.

@spoekes : Updated my answer accordingly - unfortunately no exact match for your desired topology.


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Do Duplo train cars with two female ends exist?
Most Duplo train cars have a male and a female connector, such as Duplo Car Base 2 x 6 with Red Wheels with Fake Bolts and Open Hitch End.
Since most tractors, in the widest meaning of cars meant to pull other cars only have a male ending, such as Duplo Car Base 4 x 8 with Four Black Wheels and White Hubs, you can only make Duplo trains which go one way.
Commuter trains in my city have a cab on each side on the train, meaning that when they are at the terminus, the driver just has to move to the far-end cab, and be on his way. My son would like to build such a train, but cannot connect an other tractor at the end of his train, since it is always male - male.
Are you aware of a female - female train car, that would allow such a two-way train? (Or any other way to achieve this!)

I'm not familiar with any train cars like what you describe.
It sounds like you could get this to work by building one of the locomotives backwards on its base.
For example, here's the locomotive assembly from the Cargo Train (10875).

You could build a second "locomotive" by putting the same orange train chassis on top of the regular train car base backwards:

The train could then be pulled (or pushed) by the real locomotive and the other unpowered locomotive could be attached to the opposite end of the train.
That general technique should work for most trains, but you may have to get a little creative if the parts for the locomotive interfere with the connectors on one of the train wagons.


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can anyone identify these bags of Lego? lots of dark and light grey, dark red
Found these Lego bags but don't the set they belong to.
What set are they part of?

It looks like two sets.
Top right bag seems to be a Death Star UCS.
Based on

at least 5 White Technic, Plate 2 x 4 with 3 Holes
Light Bluish Gray Brick 2 x 2 Corner
Dark Bluish Gray Technic Reel 3 x 2

Those pieces together seem to only belong to 10188-1 Death Star - UCS

The top left bag seems to have pieces from this, too:

Dark Bluish Gray Dish 2 x 2 Inverted (Radar)
Dark Bluish Gray Plate 2 x 2 Corner
Light Bluish Gray Minifigure, Weapon Lightsaber Hilt Straight
Light Bluish Gray Technic, Pin Connector Round 2L with Slot (Pin Joiner Round)

The middle left bag seems to have pieces from this, too:

Light Bluish Gray Bar 6L with Stop Ring
Dark Bluish Gray Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Bar Handle on Side - Free Ends
Tan Plate, Round 2 x 2 with Rounded Bottom (Boat Stud)
Light Bluish Gray Hinge Plate 1 x 2 Locking with 2 Fingers on Side and 9 Teeth
Red Plate, Round 2 x 2 with Axle Hole

The bottom right bag seems to also have pieces from this set.
The bottom left bag, however seems to be from 76104-1 The Hulkbuster Smash-Up

Dark Bluish Gray Tile, Modified 2 x 2 Inverted
Pearl Gold Slope, Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 with Two Studs and Curved Sides
Dark Bluish Gray Technic, Brick Modified 2 x 2 with Ball Socket and Axle Hole - Straight Forks with Round Ends and Open Sides

These 3 together only occur in 2 sets, and only 1 of them has all that Dark Red.


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What sets do these go to? Large grey plates and Technic and giant grey dish
Please, what sets do these go to?
Can anyone identify these parts?

Looking at the bottom right bag, it's also the Death Star
Based on

Dark Bluish Gray Plate, Modified 8 x 8 with Grille and Hole in Center
Light Bluish Gray Cone 3 x 3 x 2

These two only appear together in
10188-1 Death Star - UCS


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What do the Blue Lines in Lego 42145 (Airbus H175) step 34 mean
In Step 34 there are three dotted blue lines shown on the assembled piece. I have thoroughly examined the build so far and am pretty certain it is right but I cannot figure out what the dotted blue lines are trying to tell me.

This indicates that you have to align the parts as shown in the step. In this case the white and the gray half beams share the same axle and you have to make sure they are aligned properly otherwise the mechanism doesn't work

That is so useful Joost - I, indeed, had the small grey and yellow elements 90 degrees out. Easily fixed though. Thank you for the help.


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How to effectively attach mirrored stickers to an interior curved surface?
I'm working on 10283, Space Shuttle Discovery and I've reached pack 13 step 282 where I'm assembling the cargo bay doors. These doors have reflective stickers that attach to the insides of the curved surface. These stickers are also somewhat large - about 1.5" by 1" (~3x2 cm), which makes getting them properly aligned doubly complicated... plus the reflective quality makes it really easy to scratch or get wrong.
I've only done one so far and I'm not super happy - it's been really complicated to get the placement and keep the position without it skidding on the curved surface. It's really tempting to rest it against the vertical surface without leaving any border space but, when I did, I get ripples that are really obvious due to that being where TLG put the piece info. Here's the one I've done already:

I did review the answers to  What are some helpful techniques for applying stickers? but these seem to focus on smaller stickers that are surface mounted and that's not really the issue I'm having here. I'm hoping to find some guidance that's specific to curved interior surfaces.


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Can you identify this small round piece with 2 studs on opposite sides
Can anyone identify this part? I remember reading that it was part of a wheel, like a hub or something and it's got studs on both sides.
I've searched google for LEGO wheel hubs, and looked through the Bricklink wheels section but haven't found it.

It is definitely non-LEGO piece. Otherwise it would have made a lot of (positive) noise in LEGO community.

@Joost I was searching for that question but it had 4081b in the link URL only, so the search didn't find it. I've edited it now to (hopefully) make it more findable.


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EV3 Port 1 connection issue
Port 1 on one of our EV3s is acting up.  The port recognizes a sensor if the sensor is connected when powering up the unit, but if you unplug the sensor and plug it back in, the EV3 no longer recognizes a sensor at port 1.  All other ports work.  The issue is not wires or the sensors themselves as I've tried with different wires and different sensors.
It is still possible to use the port, but needed to shut down and restart if we want to change out the port 1 sensor is a hassle.
Anyone have thoughts on fixing this.
Firmware is 1.09E.  We use Education Ev3 Classroom.
Thanks


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Identify these bags: mostly grey and black
No luck identifying what set these belong to.
Can anyone help?

The picture looks identical to https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/17462/what-sets-do-these-go-to-large-grey-plates-and-technic-and-giant-grey-dish

Based on a search for sets containing 12x6 wings in light gray and 4x4 round plates in black, this can be identified as part of UCS Death Star, either set 10188-1 from 2008 or set 75159-1 from 2016:

The inventory for the set fits most of the bags in your photograph - parts like the 8x8 black tile, or the 10x10 light gray radar dish, 8x8 grille plate, or the 3x1 technic beam can be seen in both.

The bag on the lower left, however, is from a different set. Based on the 2x2 corner plates in tan, 1x4 inverted curved slope in light grey and 1x6 plate in dark tan, a search points to two sets: either 75151-1 Clone Turbo Tank or 75292 The Razor Crest.


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I picked up these bags of Lego - mostly greys and black
I picked up these bags of legos at a garage sale but don't know what the set is they belong to.
Can you help me with identifying what set they belong to?

The top right bag has a rare windscreen and a half-cylinder. In those colors, they still only show up in 10188-1 Death Star - UCS.

Set 10188 has a lot more parts than are in this bag.

Yup. Obviously, bags 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 aren't in the photo.

So your saying that the 6 bags are shown as one bag 7 in the instructions?


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Can you identify this egg shaped pedestal
Can you identify this white egg shaped pedestal? I've searched Bricklink for egg and pedestal and couldn't find it.

You're looking at part 24946 "Egg with small pin hole".
The bottom of the egg is hollow and accepts a stud, so your "pedestal" is nothing but a 1x1 plate.


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Identification of LEGO set ... probably star wars ship? dark grey, black, transparent red, all angular
I got 20 kg of LEGO bricks from family friend.

I found a lot of original sets, but these are still unknown.

Based on

Dark Bluish Gray Wedge, Plate 3 x 6 Cut Corners
Trans-Red Plate 1 x 2
Black Plate, Round 2 x 2 with Rounded Bottom (Boat Stud)
Black Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Clip on End (Horizontal Grip)

BrickLink only shows 1 set that has all of these
75104-1 Kylo Ren's Command Shuttle

It is the bottom part of the wing that is shown folded under.


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Does anyone know what is this LEGO Mursten set?

I'm having a hard time identifying what set this is. I want to sell it but I don't know how to name it.

It's apparently LEGO Mursten 700/6 Gift Package, specifically the first variant from 1953-1954.

Early versions of this set from 1953 through 1954 had only automatic binding bricks type windows and doors without glass. In 1954 they were replaced by tall classic windows and doors with glass. From 1956 to 1965, the set had only the classic type of windows and doors.

It appears it is listed as 700.6-1 Gift Package (Lego Mursten) on BrickLink, however the inventory appears to be of later versions of the set with newer windows.
Figuring out what it might be worth is likely going to be very difficult. There aren't may similar sets listed or sold on BrickLink. What you have appears to be fairly rare, but it may be the kind of rare that nobody really knows about to look for and buy.


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Can you identify this purple torso (looks like a bathrobe)
I searched Bricklink for bathrobe and dark turquoise/magenta torso but couldn't find it. Can anyone identify this?

It's Dumbledore's torso, from 2001-2002 (in the ancient Purple color). The BrickLink descriptions for the torso and legs assembly don't mention "sash" or "robe" or anything useful - just "Dumbledore pattern".


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What set are these 3 Lego bags from? Lots of white and tan
My nephew purchased this Lego set at a thrift store, we need your help identifying what set it is. Thanks for your help!

The top bag is from 41711-1 Emma's Art School.
Based on

White Hinge Plate 1 x 4 Swivel (2429 / 2430)
Sand Green Plate 1 x 10

The second bag looks like it could be from the same set based on a few pieces I looked at.
The last bag, however, already has things built, so is almost definitely not sealed. It might be a mix, it might be everything from the other bags, there's no practical way I know of to be sure. The White 6 x 12 plate is in that set, at least. And the mini-doll with the hoodie looks like Felix. And the built part on the left, with the yellow circular pieces, seems to be in the picture near the bicycle.

Thanks so much! We'll look up the set instructions and see how it goes


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Is it possible to re-flash the LEGO Spike Prime Hub with Mindstorms Robot Inventor Hub Firmware while retaining all functionality? And if so, how?
Unfortunately, LEGO has recently announced that after 24 years, the Mindstorms line of Robotics Kits is officially being discontinued at the end of this year. For this reason, the 51515 Robot Inventor Sets will soon no longer be available. However, LEGO has confirmed that the Spike Prime kits, or the educational counterpart(s) of the Robot Inventor, will continue to be produced. Therefore, I might have to start buying these kits in lieu of the Robot Inventor kits as demand for the retired kits begins to rise. The good news is that the Mindstorms Robot Inventor and Spike Prime kits both share identical hardware, the only difference being the colors and assortment of elements, both of which can be easily circumvented.
However, the Robot Inventor software has several additional features that Spike Prime does not, most notably the recently-enabled Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) Daisy-Chaining, or Hub-2-Hub Communication. I currently have a Robot Inventor Hub with  an up-to-date version of its firmware installed, and I am strongly considering buying a Spike Prime Hub to use with it for larger models. Because it is currently not yet possible to directly program the Spike Prime Hub with the Robot Inventor Software, I would like to ask if it is possible to re-flash the Spike Prime Hub with the Robot Inventor Hub's firmware so that the Spike Prime Hub will behave the exact same way as a Robot Inventor Hub while retaining the same functionality (especially the ability of Hub-2-Hub communication) of a Robot Inventor Hub. And if so, how?

Yes, this is possible. Just connect the SPIKE Prime hub to the MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor App. The app will tell you that the firmware needs to be updated. Follow the instructions in the app to update the firmware. Then use the Robot Inventor app to write the programs for the SPIKE Prime hub.
Since the hubs are virtually identical, it also works the other way around. The MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor hub can be used with the SPIKE Prime app.

Got it, okay. Thank you so much. :)

I've recently bought the inventor set and tried the other way, thus installing the spike os on the inventor hub. When doing so the Spike App connects to the hub, but almost instantly disconnects with the message that an error occurred. Do you have any hint why this is not working?

Which SPIKE app are you using? The legacy v2 app or the new v3 app?

The newst android version from the app store. I couldn't test it yet but I think the error might be caused by the fact that I've forgotten to connect the hub over USB.

There is no problem with switching between SPIKE Legacy and Mindstorms RI firmware.
But ...
Do not upgrade your firmware with the SPIKE 3 App.
After you will not be able to use your hub with SPIKE 2 (Legacy) or Mindstorms RI app.
The only simple solution for downgrade is: https://code.pybricks.com/
Moreover, Mindstorms RI Hubs (green hubs), are not compatible with the New SPIKE app (V3).
It's not possible to update your Hub.
For sure that's a business strategy.
So be careful with the new application/software.

That's unfortunate. Won't new hubs purchased already have the V3 firmware installed? If so, then I guess Mindstorms is done and I'll just have to move onto another platform instead.

If you have the SPIKE v3 firmware, in order to flash with Mindstorms RI firmware you need to downgrade SPIKE v3 to SPIKE v2 (Legacy) via this link:
https://spikelegacy.legoeducation.com/hubdowngrade/#step-1
After the downgrade, you can proceed to the Mindstorms RI app to flash the hub with the Mindstorms RI firmware.

Having in mind how TLG isn't reliable in keeping records of their digital stuff (webpages, files, tools and instructions disappear without notice) is there a way to adjust this answer to be self sufficient?


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Is Robot Inventor 51515 future proof?
I need to buy one of Spike Prime or Robot Inventor 51515, but torn between the two choices. The latter is discontinued unfortunately, but is better bang for the buck with more lego pieces.
Robot Inventor will not provide firmware updates soon. Given this situation and I buy the Robot Inventor 51515, will I be able to install new Spike Prime firmware on the Robot Inventor hub to get new goodies?
Will I be able to switch to Spike Prime firmware and software and continue to use the Robot Inventor lego pieces?
Will I ever need to buy Spike Prime Hub along its motors and sensors because the Robot Inventor hub won't be compatible with new Spike Prime firmware or software?
Also planning to use this for First Lego League for the next few years. I am also hoping they won't close the gate for Robot Inventor in the competitions in future years.
The safe bet is to buy Spike Prime, but if there is some assurance of future compatibility, I would be inclined to buy the Robot Inventor for its better value. Please guide. Thank you!

That question clarifies that Spike Prime can be re-flashed with Inventor firmware, not the other way around.

ok, you are correct. As it happens it's just as easy to reflash the RI with SP software as it is to reflash the SP with RI software... so I'm inclined to think it would be better if both questions are merged...

I updated that answer to clarify that it works both way. The hardware in the hubs is virtually identical, so either hub can work with either app. The rest of the questions are asking for opinions or speculation about the future, both of which we generally try to avoid on this site because there is no "correct" answer.

LEGO has announced that Mindstorms, the long-running robotics range, will be discontinued at the end of 2022. An official statement follows:
"Since its launch in September 1998, LEGO Mindstorms has been one of the core ‘Build & Code’ experiences in the company’s portfolio, carrying with it significant brand equity and becoming a stand-out experience for the early days of consumer robotics and leading to current Build & Code experiences such as SPIKE Prime, from LEGO Education’s LEGO Learning System.
"However, now having a number of priorities in LEGO Education and other Build & Code experiences, we have decided to focus our resources and future plans by redirecting our Mindstorms Robot Inventor team and their expertise into different areas of the business.
"This means the physical Mindstorms Robot Inventor product (51515) and its related elements (88016 and 88018) are to exit our portfolio from the end of 2022, whilst digital platforms – such as the LEGO Mindstorms Robot Inventor App – will remain live until at least the end of 2024.
"We still have strong belief in the Build & Code proposition and will continue to support it through platforms such as SPIKE Prime, and we are continuing to hold on to the trademark for the Mindstorms brand and assessing our future plans together with LEGO Education."


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LEGO Duplo cargo train - traction problem on bridge
I bought my son a 10875 cargo train. The train is great for playing, but I have a problem with crossing the bridge. I saw that this is common problem with 10875 and 10874 LEGO Duplo trains, so I would like to ask if there is any solution to improve traction. I regularly clean the train and wagons, but it still happens that the axle slips from the wheel when I have to cross the bridge. Did this option of adding rubber to the wheels improve traction?
I've tried changing the batteries.
Edit to add:
I don't think it's the pinion on the motor. I checked and cleaned all the gears and there is no damage to anything. I just didn't know how to remove and disassemble the rear wheels in order to check the part between the axle and the wheels, but I saw in other posts that when it breaks, the wheels should be free to spin.
It seems to me that they designed the wheels to slip badly. I would try to somehow improve that part for better traction between the axle and the wheels.
The train starts to climb the bridge piece and you can see that it has power, but it happens that you hear a screeching sound, and then the train stops, at that moment the wheel does not slip between the rail and the wheel, but just between the axle and the wheel.
That piece is used for slipping and was installed probably for the safety of small kids and children, but it lacks traction to cross the bridge track. If it was completely fixed, it would probably damage the tracks if the train gets stuck somewhere.
I think it slips on this part of the picture. It is between the wheel and the drive axle.

We have two bridges in the set, so that's quite a problem.

In a very similar question the following alternatives have been suggested:

Use non-rechargeable batteries due to their higher voltage and thus power
Replace the pinion with a metal one

Your idea of using a rubber band is not mentioned, but can be useful in one specific scenario - if the wheels are slipping on the tracks. In your question you write that "the axle slips from the wheel" - is it really so though? If so, then the clutch between the axle and the wheel needs to be improved, for example by coating the end of the axle with cling wrap or nail polish to slightly increase its diameter or just straight away gluing it to the wheel itself.
But if the wheels are slipping on the tracks, you should indeed try the "rubber band around the wheel" idea, or some variation of it - e.g. duct tape, which similarly increases the traction but doesn't increase the wheel diameter too much (which would make the climbing more difficult by requiring more power from the motor).
In the last scenario, if the motor is stalled when going upwards with the wheels and the axle standing still due to insufficient power you still have a few possibilities:

You could try using stronger batteries (with more voltage)
You could experiment with changing the slope of the track (perhaps by slanting the whole track, or adding some padding under the lower sections to reduce the angle of incline)
You could remove some weight from the engine or the attached cars
You could add another engine and use both simultaneously


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What's the easiest way to remove the license plate on the Time Machine?
I have the 10300 Back to the Future Time Machine. I'm assembling it for the first time, Following the directions. and I'm at the end where they're allowing me to pick which of the three I want to install. I started down for the first movie, and it's asking me to put in the license plate, into the frame. (The license plate is piece number 60602. The frame is item number 60593.)

I'm a little hesitant to put it in, because I'm not sure how I could remove it. The license plate frame snapped in.

So now there isn't a good way to remove the license plate holder.
What are my options for removing the license plate? I only can think of one: Just start removing pieces from the bumper until I can access the back of the license plate frame, to push the frame out, or plate itself.
Any other recommendations?

The way I would approach it, is to start by lifting off the two big black "exhausts" (with the cooling fins) at the back of the vehicle. These were installed in steps 292 and 302 resp. :

That should give you access to the back of the license plate holder. Via the gaps on either side of the blue sloped bricks, you should be able to push out the license plate holder from the back (a finger might not fit, so a thinner tool might be needed). An earlier construction state shows the gap more clearly from a different angle :

You can just about see one of the two balls which the license plate holder sockets slot onto.
To make access easier, you can additionally lift off the plate installed in step 203 :

Once the license plate holder is out, you can simply push the license plate out from the back (again with a thin tool - like eg. a brick separator).
This video by 2bricks demonstrates this procedure, but with a twist. They've adapted the license plate holder slightly to make removal much more convenient. If you intend to swap license plates regularly, that might be an option for you.

This is very helpful. I like the video recommendation. I might see if I can find a spare one of those pieces lying around. You also said "so a thinner tool might be needed". Care to elaborate on a good tool?

@McKay a plastic spudger (multi-packs for a couple of $/€/£ on ebay) is good when a brick separator won't fit, and generally handy for tinkering with gadgets.

Or an axle in a pinch.

@SanderDeDycker an axle won't fit in the hole.

While I don't have any spudgers, the space was narrow, but I was able to have success with a sim ejector tool


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Would this be a Star Wars ship? It's full of greys, has round bits on the sides, and a trap door on top
I cannot find which set this is.

Based on

Dark Bluish Gray Slope, Curved 4 x 1 x 2/3 Double
Light Bluish Gray Plate, Modified 6 x 8 Trap Door Frame Horizontal (Long Pin Holders)

It looks like 75152-1 Imperial Assault Hovertank


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Minifig keychain value
I'm new to collecting minifigs and have a pretty basic question about the value of keychains.
I found a seller offering rarer minifigs at 1/3 of there price on bricklink, they are genuine lego but they useto be keychains and have had the chain and screw removed to make them into "normal minifigs".
I know keychains have the legs fused to the body and will have small hole in the head after removal of the keychain but how does this affect the value of the minifig ?
What should be the correct price for a keychain minifig compared to its normal minifig version ?

The value of something to you is whatever you're willing to spend for it. It's very subjective. If you're interested in what value others have assigned to a certain part, you can look at the recent sales on bricklink by checking the price guide tab for the part.

@SanderDeDycker except you cant, bricklink does not list keychain versions, that's the exact reason for the question.

it does - under Gear > Key Chains. Granted, there might not be many recent sales, or items for sale, under that category. But that's because they're not as popular as actual minifigs.


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Falcon Shield Attachment
If I want to attach the Falcon shield to a wall, what kind of attachment do I need? I suspect I need a horizontal clip but I'm not sure.

a horizontal clip won't work because on the back the shield has both a vertical and a horizontal bar and the horizontal one will be in the way. The way Lego uses to attach this kind of shields to a wall is to use a Brick, Modified 1 x 1 with Stud on Side and put the horizontal bar of the shield into the hole of the previously mentioned brick.


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I was given a Lego set bag with no box or instructions - mostly blacks, whites, greys, browns
I was given a bag of a Lego set with no box or instructions and my kid wants to build it. The bag number is 5, from 2017. QR code and picture of pieces attached.

Unfortunately, the bag QR code only identifies the bag, which would be in many, many different sets; similarly, the 2017 copyright only applies to the bag, which would be in use for many years after that point.

If you only got bag 5, it's not a complete set, and as such it won't be possible possible to build the set.

That isn't bag 5, that's a plastic code for polypropylene

Any number you see inside of a recycling symbol will be about the material. It has nothing to do with the purpose of the contents.

Based on

Pearl Gold Plate, Modified 1 x 1 with Tooth Vertical
Black Wedge, Plate A-Shape with 2 Rows of 4 Studs
Dark Bluish Gray Wedge, Plate 3 x 3 Cut Corner

71719-1 Zane's Mino Creature

Looks good. This set also has "Wedge 4 x 3 No Studs Stepped" (Black), and "Wedge 4 x 4 Fractured Polygon Top" (dark Bluish gray) which appear in the question

@roblogic I don't think I even knew such a piece existed.


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Impact of Mindstorms sets being discontinued?
I was given some Mindstorms sets a while ago and I'm waiting for my kids to grow up so they can use them. Does the recent announcement of their end mean it will brick (pun intended) the kit? Will the software parts still be available for download?
NOTE: I've never used Mindstorms yet, so I'm not sure what it involves.
Side question: are they being replaced by something else?

The questions about downloads being available and being replaced by something else aren't really answerable since, one, they can only be answered by LEGO and, two, the answer may change over time. This question could be improved be rewording it to only ask things that don't rely on speculation.

Which Mindstorms? The software used to come on CDs :)

Your Mindstorms kits will work as well as they ever did, as long as you don't upgrade your computer to something incompatible. This happened before with the Serial IR base.
The software is so common now that it seems unlikely you'd ever not be able to find a download, likely from Lego themselves.
I've read that FIRST Lego League had effectively already moved to Spike Prime, but I can not yet spot any official statement to that effect.

Does the serial IR base work with USB-to-serial adapters?

https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/183377-why-are-lego-rcx-sets-so-cheap/ implies that it will, even better than the USB tower.


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Salt Lake City Temple : side tower windows
I've been challenged to build the Salt Lake City LDS Temple.  I've made some progress on the main wall, but the side towers are a bit difficult.  Can I get some tips on how to make the dark slit in the middle and the decorative piece above each window?
Here's a picture of what I'm trying to build:

Here's what I've done so far (just imagine it all in gray)

At what scale are you building this - minifig scale, microscale, other? What's the (approximate) height (in bricks) of a storey, or of a window slit?

Please post pictures of your attempt that could be used to improve your approach.

It's about minifig scale.  The main side will probably be about 48 studs wide, and then 10 or 12 studs for each set of side towers/steeples. I'll post pictures.

First off, I'm gonna suggest you pop the columns out and use octogonal 2x2 bricks for the tower columns. Enhancing these details is an easy way to convey the architecture of the building:

For the slit, I'll propose a SNOT assembly with vertical plates. There are several ways to achieve this, but since I can see some 1x1 plates with thick ring, here's a possible assembly (including a jumper plate):

The assembly rests one brick below the window baseline, and the jumper plate makes it possible to align it properly. You'll need some internal scaffolding, though.

Here's a view from the back to illustrate this alignment:

If you prefer the slit to be dark instead of see-thru, you can use a 1x3 black plate.
And, of course, remember that this is not the only way of building a SNOT assembly for the slit - I'm sure you can make alternative arrangements that should be easy to hide inside the tower.

Ivan's solution worked well - thanks. The only change I'd mention is that since I'm using 1x3 arches I'm not using the jumper plate to center the dark backdrop.

Judging by the photograph of the temple, it seems that the width of the windows in the towers is roughly equal to the windows on the main wall - that's why I opted for a two-stud-wide arch. Also, note it's good stackexchange etiquette to accept an answer if you're satisfied with it.

I'm glad you've found an acceptable solution already. As IvanSanchez points our there are multiple ways to build such a solution.
To me the slits seem to resemble the narrow windows for firing arrows in the current (as of November 2022) Lion King's castle set, so I looked at how those were constructed.
Reading the instruction (which can be found here on the LEGO website), the first time one of these slit windows is built is in steps 77-79, and consists of two tiles (e.g. FLAT TILE 1x3, Design ID: 63864), oriented vertically on either side of the window; each supported by "BRICK 1X1X1 2/3, W/ VERT. KNOBS" (Design ID: 32952).


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Help Identifying Bag of Black and Grey Lego pieces from set 11021
My son got box of Classic Lego (set 11021) that came with extra unmarked bags of Lego pieces.  Here is one of the bags, can you help identify which one this is?
Thank you!

This bag is from the same set as your other question : https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/17523/mystery-bag-of-blue-and-green-lego-pieces

I just noticed you already mentioned set 11021. For clarification : the 3 bags from your 3 questions came with that set.

I emailed the customer support and they provided me with this answer: "We intentionally don't include building instruction for these bags for your LEGO® 11021 because we want builders to let their imaginations run wild! For inspiration, we added some pictures to show a few things that can be built with the pieces in the set. Copying the models pictured can be incredibly rewarding before moving on to building more amazing creations."


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Mystery Bag of Blue and Green Lego pieces
Can you help with identifying this bag of Lego pieces?
Thank you!

Two of your other questions are about bags from the same set : https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/17522/help-identifying-bag-of-black-and-grey-lego-pieces-from-set-11021 , https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/17525/tan-and-white-lego-help

Based on

Lime Plate 2 x 3
Blue Plate 2 x 10

This is also from 11021-1 90 Years of Play

You are correct, thank you for replying.
I emailed the Lego customer support and they provided this answer:
"We intentionally don't include building instruction for these bags for your LEGO® 11021 because we want builders to let their imaginations run wild! For inspiration, we added some pictures to show a few things that can be built with the pieces in the set. Copying the models pictured can be incredibly rewarding before moving on to building more amazing creations."


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Tan and White Lego Help
Can you help me figure out which set this belongs to?
Thank you!

This bag is from the same set as your other question : https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/17523/mystery-bag-of-blue-and-green-lego-pieces

I emailed the customer support and they provided me with this answer:
"We intentionally don't include building instruction for these bags for your LEGO® 11021 because we want builders to let their imaginations run wild! For inspiration, we added some pictures to show a few things that can be built with the pieces in the set. Copying the models pictured can be incredibly rewarding before moving on to building more amazing creations."


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Does anyone know what brick this is? Looks like half a cylinder
Red, LEGO Technic, cylinder shape and both sides slope inwards, at different gradients.

That is Vehicle, Tipper Drum 3 x 6 x 10 Half with 4 Pin Holes. Red colored piece was used in just single set - Neptune Carrier (8075):


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Does anyone know what set these Mega Bloks grey parts are from?
My son bought some loose Mega Bloks in the UK and we are trying to identify what sets these parts could be from.

The part with the suctioncup and the cannon part are from Skylanders Giants

Battle portals

Zeppelin Airship Assault


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What is the axle length of this?
What are the lengths of the bottom axles on this picture? Like 5L

That's quite a bad picture. I'm not even sure what belongs to the assembly that you're talking about the bottom of, so I have no idea how to help you.

To find the length of an axle, you can just hold it next to a regular lego brick or plate, and count the studs. If the axle is as long as 5 studs, it's a 5L axle.

I have updated the picture so it is more clear

which video are using?

delayed, I'm sorry for that video

It's running through 2 33299 Technic Crank pieces and is as wide as the pins of 2 crank pieces side-by-side.

That would make it a 4L axle which typically are black.


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Can you identify this 1x1 red hemisphere?
Can you identify this red 1x1 hemisphere. It has a cross inside so it looks like it's made to fit on the end of an axle. 1x2 masonry brick added for sizing reference.

Looks like a “VOODOO BALL Ø10,2” -
Element ID: 4290714
Design ID: 32474
Notable used in the recent LEGO Christmas wreath set to represent holly berries.

thanks: found it  https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=32474#T=C&C=86

no problem but thanks


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What is the length of this axle? like 5L
What is the axle length of the axle circled in red like 5L

Hi Carltrains and welcome to Bricks.SE! Are you per chance the author of this post, also named "carl"? If so, you can (and should) merge the two accounts to ease administration on everyone (including you). Wish you a happy and productive stay!

Looks like a 3L axle to me.

It's the same length as the blue pin next to it which is also 3L. The 3L axle also typically comes in medium grey.

In recent sets about just as frequently in yellow, however this is not likely a recent set...


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Motor stalls and starts smoking after roughly 5 seconds
I have done everything that I was supposed to (with the setup), and when I press the button to supply power to the motor, it stalls (sometimes), and when it does spin, I can see a small puff of white smoke coming out from the front.
I use the Lego Power Functions motor with non-LEGO battery box that has 4 outputs. Before today, everything worked fine.

Hi Stanley and welcome to Bricks.SE! Can you please add more details about the pieces being used? Or photos, if that's easier for you. It would be mainly interesting to see whether the pieces are genuine LEGO parts, whether they show any signs of damage and if they are connected in a way that does let them work as intended. Of course you could and should try to swap them out for other similar parts, if you have additional motors, cables or battery boxes around.

Hi Stanley, you say you use a battery box that has 4 outputs. However there is no such battery box in the Power Functions line of products. There is however such a battery box in the Powered Up line of products. Could you please clarify? If you are actually using Powered Up, your best bet is to contact Lego Customer Service, as Powered Up components are relatively recent products, they'll happily replace any defective parts...

@MichaelVerschaeve https://www.amazon.com/PHYNEDI-Modification-Accessories-Building-Extension/dp/B094VHHXJP/ref=sr_1_2?crid=DNZBCI9CPLN6&keywords=lego%2Bmotor%2Bphynedi&qid=1668634345&sprefix=lego%2Bmotor%2B%2Caps%2C347&sr=8-2&th=1 (yes I know it's off brand)

I took a liberty to clarify you question with vital information about battery box being not a genuine LEGO piece. Based on this information I suspect battery box to be a culprit of your issue. I would advise you to stop using this battery box with any LEGO motors if you want to keep your other motors intact.

Ok, thanks! I'll try to buy an actual PF battery box. If this works, and you make an answer, I'll gladly accept!


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When did bricks start to have the LEGO Group text engraved on them?
Here's an example of a part (17836) that shows this text molded on the underside:

When did bricks start to have the LEGO Group text engraved on them?
And what was the first set to use these?

duplicate of Where and when did the straight block letter LEGO logo appear on brick studs??

Similar question but not a duplicate, this is specifically about when full "LEGO Group" text was first added.

Do you have examples of parts that have LEGO Group on them?

I've reopened the question after adding a photo of the text that I believe @BernardVanderBeken is referring to. This doesn't look like a dupe to me if I've understood the question correctly.

It appears that this text was introduced sometime around 2010.
It's hard to determine a definitive answer here, because not all new parts include this text (nor even the LEGO logo). This is likely often due to space constraints, but there may be other considerations as well.
The 8x16 tile from 2004 does not have this text despite being large enough:

The 2006 2x3 tile with clips is also missing this text:

However, some variants of the 2x4 tile introduced in 2010 do have this:

So it appears to have been added around this time.
The 2x3 tiles introduced in 2016 also have this text.


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Mindstorms M.V.P. model doesn't move
I'm a total newbie to Mindstorms 51515.
I am trying to program my M.V.P. model and everything seems to work except the movement programming blocks (pink). Does anyone have a hint or a clue about what's wrong, before I go bonkers?
I use the latest version (10.4.2)
All motors are updated and calibrated.

First suggestion: are the wires fully pushed in to the ports on both the motors and the control unit? Second suggestion: did you plug the motors into the correct ports?

If this is a question about code, which doesn't work for you - please share the code.


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Identify this part, looks like a black handheld controller
Does anyone have information about this LEGO item?
It appears to be an infrared controller.  Maybe for an old LEGO train.

A quick image search points to part 40529c01, which appeared only in two sets from 2006: 7897-1 Passenger Train and 7898-1 Cargo Train Deluxe.

You are making me feel old, I'd consider that part of a relatively new train ;) I'll try to put your train into context by briefly describing what came before it, then describing the system you have, then briefly describing what came since.

In the pre-9V era there were 4.5V and 12V trains. The main rails were blue or grey plastic and sleepers and rails were supplied separately. The blue rails just used ordinary lego studs to attach to the sleepers, while the later grey track added special clips for more rigidity. The 4.5V trains were battery powered and controlled by physical switches on the train while the 12V trains used a central rail.
When trains came into the "Electric system 9V" era, the system was radically redesigned. The separate plastic rails and sleepers were replaced by single clip-together panels of track, with metal-covered rails. Trains were powered via the rails from a mains powered "transformer and speed regulator".
This system lasted a very long time with sets released all the way from 1991 to 2006.

Towards the end of the "Electric system 9V" era, Lego introduced a couple of trains with infrared remote control instead of track power. This is what you appear to have one of the parts of. There were three main functional components to the system.

The remote control which you have.
The train motor. This was similar in size and shape to the previous 9V train motor, but the electric wheels were gone, it had to be powered by a cable within the train.
The "train base". This contained the infrared receiver and the battery box. It also had the main chassis plate for the train to which the train motor and the free-wheeling bogie would be clipped.

Alongside this Lego introduced a new type of track. This was non-conductive, but was made out of fixed panels similar to the 9V electric track. The new plastic track connected together with the 9V electrified track so both could be used for the new infrared trains.
This system did not appear to last long, it appears there were only ever two sets made, both released in 2006. The train base made the system inflexible, giving little choice in the design of the train. The motor also seems to have been released separately as an accessory in 2009.

The next revision of Lego trains kept the plastic track but switched from "Electric system 9V" to "power functions". This system split the infrared receiver from the battery box, allowing more flexibility in train design (and also allowing the same parts to be re-used in train and non-train applications). This lasted longer than the first generation of RC trains, though not as long as the 9V track powered trains, with sets released in 2010 to 2015.
The current revision of Lego trains, with sets released from 2018 to 2022, moves to the "powered up" system. This re-integrates the receiver with the battery box, but it uses Bluetooth instead of IR, so the receiver doesn't need line of sight.

"I'm not sure if the new plastic track would clip together with the 9V electrified track or not." They certainly did.


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Has anyone else had problems with the tail rotor drive shaft on the Lego Airbus Model 42145?
I am partway through this build and at step 565. I have found the drive mechanism to be very tight and have tried to loosen the drive elements as much as possible.
I have found what I think is a weakness in the design at step 515. Basically, a key part of the drive is this linkage where the white connector sleeve is linked to the other elements with smooth-ended connection pieces.
When at stage 565 I found this simply slips as there is no positive drive link between the sleeve and two blue connectors.
My solution has been to replace the white sleeve and two blue connection pieces with a solid splined connector that I happened to have spare. I hope it now works when connected.
I have attached two photos to show the original detail and my "fix".
  Am I missing something here ?

The "white connector sleeve linked to the other elements with smooth ended connection pieces" is certainly the intended way to build the model. The lack of rigid connection there acts as a torque-limiting clutch, preventing damage or injury if anything gets caught in the tail rotor while it's spinning.

Thank you Zovits - I had not even thought about that. However, I have now attached both ends together and it works really well. I shall be careful not to put my fingers in the tail rotor :)

@MikeP You're welcome :) If an answer has helped you, please consider accepting it as outlined in the [tour] to let others know the issue has been solved.

What is the serial number of the piece you put in there?
Thanks.
@zovits

@Susanscott I've built it as intended according to the instructions, using the original White 62462 Technic, Pin Connector Round 2L with Slot (Pin Joiner Round).


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Finding minifigs in a specific theme
A couple of times I've been asked by people what is the cheapest or easiest way to buy some random complete minifigs in some theme.
For example:

they have a couple of fairground sets and they want to create a diorama populated with minifigures is summer/leisure attire...
they have a winter village they want to populate with minifigs that are warmly dressed...
they have a shopping mall or business district, they want minifigs in more formal attire...
some workers on a construction site...

They usually don't want to spend the time picking out individual minifig elements, just some random complete figs with some restrictions on their attire and preferably as cheap as possible.
What would you recommend to these people?

Where I live, Brisbane Australia, we have BrickResales online as well as an actual shop. They often sell packets with six or eight minifigs relating to a theme. I've purchased half a dozen construction workers in one lot, for example. Have a look in your area for similar.

BrickLink has minifigures broken out by category and many people sell them this way because often the minifigs are the most valuable part of a set.  The biggest problem I foresee in using this method is that the categories might not line up with what you are looking for very well.  You might need to search through a few categories to find all of the options.


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I found these parts but cannot find the set(s) they go to - one is largely tan, others are black and greys
I found these parts but cannot find the set they go to.
Can anyone help identify the sets they belong to?

The upper left assembly with the Tan Tile, Modified 4 x 4 with Studs on Edge
is from set # 75974: Bastion

The upper right assembly is from set# 75322: Hoth AT-ST

The bottom left assembly is from set# 75035: Kashyyyk Troopers
][4

The bottom right assembly with Dark Brown Wedge 6 x 8 Cutout with Alien Skull in Black Circle Pattern (Sticker) is from set # 70228: Vultrix's Sky Scavenger


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Salt Lake City Temple : Spires
I'm trying to plan the tops of the spires for a lego replica of the salt lake city LDS temple.  Here's a picture:

I figure I can use a technic ball joint for the round parts, or a ski pole  for the top part but I can't use them together as there's no open axle on top of the ball joint.  Is there any kind of sphere that a bar can be put through?

"Bar" items can fit into Technic "axle" hole. Based on that I have couple of options. Both are similar to Technic ball joint you've found, but have holes on both ends.
Technic Ball Joint with Through Axle Hole.

Technic Ball with Grooves

I'll suggest using 15395 2x2 dome bottom and 553 2x2 dome top. The dome top has a stud with hole on its end, which makes it very easy to place a ski pole, or a 1x2 plate to support a minifig:

There's downsides to this approach, though:

The shape of the domes is not entirely round
The 2x2 bottom dome in light grey colour is quite rare, and therefore relatively expensive in the aftermarket.

Another option is to use 44358 3x3 ball turret socket and 44359 3x3 ball turret. These have been used as cannons in several Star Wars sets and should be easy to find.
The 3x3 ball turret provides an axle on top - in order to provide a stud for supporting a minifig, you may modify a 6587 3L axle with stud, cutting it down to 1L so it fits flush within the top part of the ball turret. I know cutting down parts is frowned upon by purists; and fitting the axle flush may make it hard to get it out.