Grand Central

A 4 metre replica of a Grand Central train! This project, for Arriva-owned Grand Central, was a real challenge. The refurbished trains were modelled inside and out to produce a model 4 m long. As with my LEGO Metro train in 2017, half was built by kids using my instructions, this time at the National Children’s Museum Eureka! in Halifax. The model consists of two carriages, the front end with driver’s cab, and the buffet carriage.

A LEGO commission of this scale takes some planning, especially when kids are being roped in! Its one thing for me to ‘make it up as I go along’, but to then put myself in the minds of kids and to develop instructions for a model of this size is quite an undertaking. The approach was to divide it into discreet sections. So, for example, some kids would get a pot of LEGO and instructions for a chair and table set, another would get parts for a window section. Other sections where there was more repetition, for example the stretches above the windows, a more free-style approach was taken where, under my guidance, we copied the half I’d already built.

I love events like this because the kids get such a thrill from being involved in a project of this scale. It took us 3 days to build that half, which once combined with the half I’d already built in my studio, created the full 4m model.

There is also brilliant video of the event at Eureka! which you can view here.