Builder: Brickrails (Sérgio Batista)
Region: Europe & Middle East
Category entered:
Year entered: 2026
Brand of building bricks used:
LEGO
Since 2026, the Brick Train Awards have accepted models created with other LEGO®-compatible construction brick systems.
About Abandoned but Not Dead Yet by Brickrails (Sérgio Batista)
What if an abandoned train was slowly being reclaimed by nature, but wasn't quite ready to die?
Abandoned but Not Dead Yet is my interpretation of an abandoned Portuguese railway train, slowly being consumed by nature. The locomotive is a LEGO recreation of the CP 186, while the middle van and passenger carriage are original designs inspired by old railway rolling stock.
A key idea behind the build was asymmetry. Both sides are intentionally different, with vegetation, cracks, holes, broken windows, rust and other signs of decay distributed differently. I wanted the train to look genuinely abandoned, as if it had been left to deteriorate over time.
The vegetation was carefully integrated throughout the train, growing through windows, around the bodywork and across the underframe. Nature should feel as though it is slowly taking back the railway, rather than simply being decoration.
The graffiti is another personal element. Every piece was drawn by hand directly onto the LEGO elements, making each one unique. Several contain references, signatures and jokes.
NOBA is a tribute to a German group of LEGO train enthusiasts. 2025 marks the year the model was built. THIS IS WRONG jokes about putting graffiti on a LEGO train. Museu? refers to something often painted on abandoned railway material in Portugal, suggesting that it might still be worth preserving in a railway museum.
SNOT references the Studs Not On Top technique, extensively used in the van's walls. SB, Ser Bat and Broken are my initials, signature and references to the decay theme.
On the locomotive is a different message:
Not Dead.
Despite looking completely abandoned, this train has one last surprise:
It actually runs.
Hidden inside the van are two LEGO train motors powered by a BuWizz, allowing the approximately 1.20 metre long train to reach surprisingly ridiculous speeds in Ludicrous mode.
The movement also interacts with the abandoned appearance. Loose plants around the locomotive's connecting rods move with them when the train runs, creating a contrast between the overgrown machine and the mechanics underneath.
The details were carefully positioned so they would not interfere with the mechanisms. Despite being built at approximately 1:45 scale, the train can still negotiate R40 curves.
Video of Abandoned but Not Dead Yet
The builder of Abandoned but Not Dead Yet has submitted a video, which can be viewed below:
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