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10K Club Interview: V.&T.R.R. #12, GENOA by SgJess

Welcome back to the last 10K Club Interview of this week. Today we meet Josiah, aka SgJess and their fantastic V.&T.R.R. #12, GENOA. If you're a fain of LEGO trains, this may just be the project for you. Show some love for Josiah in the comments!


 

ABOUT YOURSELF

  1. Who are you?
    Josiah.


     
  2. Where are you from?
    Marshville, NC (originally Phoenix, AZ).
     
  3. How old are you?
    18.
     
  4. What do you study or do for a living?
    I currently do not work as I am transferring to my desired job, as a conductor and eventually engineer for the BNSF railway.  For school, I am a spring graduate with only one course to finish for my Associate in rail technology. 
     
  5. What hobbies do you have?
    My main hobbies include photography and videography, model design and history research (if you can really place that in a list of hobbies). 
     
  6. Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
    I have Instagram.
     
  7. Have you created any LEGO MOCs (my own creations) that you’re particularly proud of? What is it, why are you proud of it and do you have a photo of it?
    I first started building these models of trains in 2018 and recently I went back and rebuilt my first design of them (Golden Spike Ceremony). They turned out well - much better than the original design. 


     
  8. How and when did your interest in LEGO products come about?
    My interest came about when I received a small LEGO excavator for Christmas in 2007.
     
  9. What is the LEGO hobby to you? What does it mean to you? How does it fit in your life? E.g. build, display, meetups, play the games or 'just' watch the cartoons.
    The LEGO hobby, to me, is my way to express art and history into one, and it also is a way for people all over the world to connect and build what matters most to them.  LEGO building fits into my life by way of decoration. I have models all over my room and desk. 
     
  10. What is your favourite LEGO theme (current or past)? Why? And has any theme inspired your building style or preference in any particular way?
    My favourite theme is the Ideas theme because I love to build things that have lots of detail and even some playability.  I find these sets the best style for me. 
     
  11. What is your favourite official LEGO set ever? Why?
    My absolute all-time favourite set is 21309: NASA Apollo Saturn V.


     
  12. What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
    99206: Modified plate with 2 side studs.  I use this in almost every model I make due to its usability.  It makes for a good offset.
     
  13. Is there a LEGO designer (official LEGO designer or fan designer) who you are inspired by and look up to? Who and why?
    I've always looked up to Bricky Brick for small design features.  He has some of the best designs ever and I also own a set of his 'Pirates of Barracuda Bay 21322.
     
  14. Is there one or more particular LEGO-related websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by? 
    Bricklink for sure. The gallery is amazing to look at with many amazing builds. 



     

ABOUT YOUR PROJECT

  1. Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
    As most of my models come to be, I was looking into old rail companies and the history behind them.  I came upon this model, the Genoa, and found it was still around to this day despite being made in the 1870s, not only that, but it is currently in such good condition, it can run under its own steam. 


     
  2. How long was the process of making the project, and what did you have to research as well? What kind of prep, research and design phases did you go through to produce your creation?
    It took 4 years to make the current designs from the start and only about a week for the Genoa to be completed.  I mainly researched the use of the model in real life and small details like the interior and tender. 
     
  3. What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
    The hardest part of it all was designing the boiler.  The hardest part to recreate was the interior of the cab because of how small it is.  The model can fit 2 minifigures and still has a firebox and controls.
     
  4. How long did it take to complete the model? Did you finish it fairly quickly, or did it take a long time? And how did the build time compare to the time you spent promoting your Product Idea to reach 10,000 supporters? 
    7 days.  It was a relatively quick process. It was much harder trying to promote it to different places and in the end I only shared it to Instagram and Flickr. 


     
  5. How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take? 
    I was extremely happy when it reached 10k.  It gave me more ideas on creativity for future models. 
     
  6. Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model? 
    Roughly 950 pieces were used to make the model.
     
  7. What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
    Definitely, this rear cab window design I integrated into my models.  I first came up with the design about 2 years ago and decided to try to use it on this model.  It turned out very well.
     
  8. If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
    I use stud.io for everything I do.  I am so used to it that I have no need to go anywhere else for renderings.
     
  9. If you used custom stickers or prints for your design, how did you create them or where did you get them?
    I used two things to create the decals: First, real pictures of the decals I was trying to add to LEGO bricks and then Microsoft Paint to fit them properly, and get the right texture/colour. 


     

ABOUT LEGO IDEAS

  1. Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
    Build what you feel is best and don’t give up.  If you give up you have got no chance of others seeing it. Look for inspiration; look at other models people have made, don’t copy them of course, and come up with your own designs.
     
  2. What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea?
    Flickr and Instagram.
     
  3. What is your favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
    I think that my favourite design on the LEGO Ideas platform is the “Rack Railway” by Baron von Barron.  Not for the reason of it being a railway, but because of the architecture involved in the design.  It's a very eye-catching piece and I hope others will see it the way I do.
     
  4. Do you have plans to submit any other Product Ideas in the future? If yes, can you give us a hint what that might be?
    I do have some plans and I have the model ready but I think I am going to add some more buildings to it.  As for a hint, it's another train… surprise!


     

 

  • 10k club interview
  • 10k club
  • product idea
  • vtrr 12
  • genoa
Published
33 comments
33 comments

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