Tweetsie Railroad

So, I had been tinkering around with the idea of trimming down the size of the boiler on the locoomotive for some time now, but recently, I decided to take the plunge and give it a go, and lo and behold, it managed to improve the looks of the locomotive by leaps and bounds. the new upgrades also allowed me to add a few extra details that I wasn't able to otherwise, including an air compressor, air tanks, and even a pair of handrails! All-in-all, the alterations have helped to drastically improve the model's looks and accuracy to the prototype.

So, I recently made the switch from LEGO Digital Designer to Bricklink Studio, and holy moly, this program, in conjuction with it's companion program, Part Designer, has given me more tools than I know what to do with! I can now apply decals to models, make some incredibly stunning renders, beating Bluerender (what I originally used to render the pictures for my LEGO Ideas projects) out of the water! As of right now, I am currently in the process of porting the models of my LEGO Ideas projects from LDD to Studio to take advantage of the new tools, as well as redoing all of the images using Studio's included rendering tools. For now however, enjoy a few test images I took of Engine #12, now with decals I didn't have to edit on for once!

"Here we go folks, make sure you stay in your seats. How about giving the people in town a wave and a big YEE HAW!!!" Folks, After Several Attempts, Tweetsie FINALLY managed to get enough steam to gather 100 Supporters! From the bottom of my heart, I'd like to thank everyone who has supported the project thus far, and an extra special "Thank You" to Estebrick for being my 100th Supporter! This project means a lot to me personally, so it would be a dream come true if this became a reality. Once Again, thanks again for the support! Don't forget to share this with your family and friends, and please support my other projects: The Polar Express, Thomas the Tank Engine, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood Trolley, and The East Broad Top Railroad!

Did you know, that in 1958, Fred Kirby, host of the "Little Rascals" Club on Charlotte's WBTV began his career as Tweetsie Railroad's Marshall, a role he would carry for more than 30 years.

(An Interpretation of Fred Kirby, depicted as a minifigure)

(Fred Kirby and Tweetsie #12, also depicted in LEGO.)

Howdy Folks! I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy in this time of trial. However, I wanted to share a pretty major update I made to the design of the old #12: She now has proper side rods. Sadly, this did mean I had to remove the caps on the cylinders in order to make sure it was functional, but that was a small price to pay for what I believe will add a whole lot more life to the locomotive when it's moving. Now, the design I used for the connecting and piston rods is the same design that the Emerald Night (LEGO Set 10194) used. Despite it's simplistic appearance, I think it adds a lot to the model that was previously lacking.

Also, While not as significant, I updated the torso designs of both the Sheriff and the Deputy. Now, they wear the star that tells the world that they are lawmen. Not a giant change by any means, but I thought it would be worth noting.

Anyway folks, thanks a ton for the support thus far, and I hope fourth time's the charm this time around as we steam towards 10,000 Supporters! Yee Haw!