All aboard for the gulag of hard knocks and even harder rocks!! That's right, citizen, you've crashed and burned big time and now you're off to the big house! Actually, the big underground mine where you'll never feel the solar wind on your face again. However you can be sure that you'll pay your debt to intergalactic society by mining dialithimide crystals 'till the day you die!
My dad kinda went crazy one Xmas and bought me all the Sante Fe Train sets. Box after box of engines and cars! It was an awesome gift, and even more so that the Train bug took a deep bite outta my behind and I got to thinkin' about building my first train. I forget how I settled upon Space Police II as my theme of choice for the MOC, but it really snowballed! I built the two Prison Cell cars first, then the engine and guard car followed.
The Engine
When I got around to the engine, I wanted something mean and nasty lookin'! Something that said: "Get the hell outta the way or you're space burger!" I flashed on my Space Eagle prop and then decided to style the engine like the barrel of a no-nonsense, blast-you-into-quarks laser gun. I wanted it to look as though you could slap a handle and a trigger underneath it and then be ready to dispense hot, plasma-powered justice!
The rear shot gives you a better impression of how there are two drivers for the engine. The lieutenant on top maintains constant scans of the track ahead lookin' for bad dudes who want to bust their partners-in-crime free before they hit the big house. Meanwhile the captain below monitors the four engines and main power systems. Attention Beatles fans! Can you find the extremely trivial song reference in this and the previous photographs?
Here's a close-up of the engineer's station. The main console in front of him is the only illuminated slope brick that Lego has ever made. It came from a Space Police I set (#6781 SP-Striker) and if you look closely at the image on the brick, you'll notice that it is a top-down view of the ship itself. It's one of my all-time favorite pieces!
Here is the scanner station. I used another of the illuminated bricks (have three of 'em) here to show that the only ship in the vicinity is friendly. Each station also has a light for the console.
Four massive engines are needed to haul the train and its law-breakin' cargo. Each engine has a trans-orange rod with a light underneath that flashes when it's running. I also crammed a buncha electronic sirens in there as well so it would make a lotta noise while it's running around. Getting proper photos of all the lights in action was a laborious trial-and-error process (much more error than success) but I eventually got a few shots that worked.
All four rods pulse as well as the lights underneath. You can also see how the scanner's station is lit up.
The engineer's station with power.
This is my favorite shot. SP2 comin' at ya!!
The Cell Car
I had just enough of the pieces necessary to make sixteen Space Police II prison cells. After I had them built I set about designing a sturdy yet very compact way to securely attach them to the cars. I was very happy with the solution.
The cells are held down two ways. The two black cables attach at both ends in order to hold down the four sets of 3x3 plates which hold together the backs of the cells. The following pics show how to unload the cells.
1. Remove the cables.
2. Remove the 3x3 plates.
*Close-up of how the 3x3 plate holds the cell backs together. I had to add a 1x2 black tile to each cell to make the fit snug.
3. Remove each cell. Here you can see the simple rod that fits perfectly between the cells to connect to the 3x3 plates on top.
I tiled the entire floor of both cars to keep a low profile and leave just enough room for the bogey friction pegs.
The Guard Car
Transporting this much dangerous cargo means you need to have some heavy-duty backup if there's an attempted jailbreak en route. Another liuetenant in the forward cabin monitors the integrity of the cell restraint systems. The second cabin is manned by a captain who directs the two vehicles to provide land and space pursuit.
A closer look inside the front cabin. I tiled the floor inside and out to give everything a sleeker look.
The ramp folds down to allow the jeep to join the chase.
I like the door configuration but the driver better not be claustrophobic!
One of my favorite lighting shots. I love the shadow of the overhead grill.
I was really happy with how smooth the guard car looks even with both vehicles deployed.
The weapons pods take their patrol position once the guard craft on the hunt.
"Don't run, we are your friends!" :-)
This landing gear arrangement is "borrowed" from someone else's MOC. I love it's simplicity and compact design.
Here's a fun shot I took at the very beginning of the project with the bulk of my trans-green laid out and all my newly acquired Train sets ready for part harvesting.
My "supervisor" came by during the project's construction to make sure I was using my time efficiently!