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I don’t actually remember if I ever posted it to DA [probably not] but years ago, I made a Lego Thomas in LDD, and I was apparently happy enough with it that I started making a Lego Percy, too, with intentions to build the rest of Sodor’s engines [I titled the file ‘Thomas and Friends’, so clearly that was my inention]. Percy may or may not have been finieshed; I’m not sure, but I basically forgot about the file completely and didn’t revisit it for years, afterward. When I finally did, I… was not impressed. Maybe it was the lack of pieces that have since been added to LDD’s library, or maybe its just that my skills have since improved, but I felt compelled to completely rebuild Sodor’s #1 engine.

There was a bit of trial and error, trying not to make Thomas as huge as my Lego Island steam engines, but ultimately I’m very happy eith the final result. The only real hurdle I encounted was the wheels. There are only three sizes in LDD; large, small, and extra small. I don’t know if there’s also a medium size, but if there is, its not in the library, so I had to settle with building alternative medium wheels using technic plates and rubber tires colord blue. It doesn’t actually fit on the track, but to me, thse are just placeholders for the proper sizes. I also considered using technic axels for the side rods, but the basic, bulky technic beam just kind of appealed to me, gave the model that kind of kid-friendly lego fun we all love. There’s also this platform piece with a sloped end I’d originally used for his front buffer beam, but that kept getting in the way, so I supplimented it with with smaller roof slopes and separate plates for the platform base.

I’m quite happy with this, and I know my younger self would have gone absolutely bannanas for a system Thomas set. Seriously; you hould have seen me back when I first learned of Duplo Thomas in a Toys’R’Us years ago

Description

I don’t actually remember if I ever posted it to DA [probably not] but years ago, I made a Lego Thomas in LDD, and I was apparently happy enough with it that I started making a Lego Percy, too, with intentions to build the rest of Sodor’s engines [I titled the file ‘Thomas and Friends’, so clearly that was my inention]. Percy may or may not have been finieshed; I’m not sure, but I basically forgot about the file completely and didn’t revisit it for years, afterward. When I finally did, I… was not impressed. Maybe it was the lack of pieces that have since been added to LDD’s library, or maybe its just that my skills have since improved, but I felt compelled to completely rebuild Sodor’s #1 engine.

There was a bit of trial and error, trying not to make Thomas as huge as my Lego Island steam engines, but ultimately I’m very happy eith the final result. The only real hurdle I encounted was the wheels. There are only three sizes in LDD; large, small, and extra small. I don’t know if there’s also a medium size, but if there is, its not in the library, so I had to settle with building alternative medium wheels using technic plates and rubber tires colord blue. It doesn’t actually fit on the track, but to me, thse are just placeholders for the proper sizes. I also considered using technic axels for the side rods, but the basic, bulky technic beam just kind of appealed to me, gave the model that kind of kid-friendly lego fun we all love. There’s also this platform piece with a sloped end I’d originally used for his front buffer beam, but that kept getting in the way, so I supplimented it with with smaller roof slopes and separate plates for the platform base.

I’m quite happy with this, and I know my younger self would have gone absolutely bannanas for a system Thomas set. Seriously; you hould have seen me back when I first learned of Duplo Thomas in a Toys’R’Us years ago