Lego enthusiast eyes world record
Gavin Evans is confident he can break a world record with a 3.25-metre high Lego train tower at the Invercargill Brick Show on May 15 and 16.
His research showed the record for the tallest train tower was 2.2 metres, set by an enthusiast in Romania.
Evans’ tower is under construction with three of its 25 storeys built. The width of the tower is 1.8 metres, and it currently stands at 400mm high. When transported from Evans’ home at Roslyn Bush to the show venue, ILT Stadium Southland, on May 14, the other 22 storeys will be added.
The 22 storeys are being made into kitsets. ‘‘It’s going to be a vertical spiral railway track, with multiple trains going up and down,’’ Evans, of Invercargill, said.
The tower is expected to comprise 35,000 Lego pieces.
Measurements, photographs and a video of the tower would be taken for official records and submitted to the Guinness World Records through its website, Evans said.
‘‘It doesn’t matter if Guinness doesn’t recognise it as a world record. We will know it is, and we’ll publicise it around the Lego fraternity.’’
A GoPro camera will be attached to one of the trains for livestreaming on a large screen, as it travels up and down the tower continuously.
By the time the tower is ready for public display, Evans reckoned more than 100 hours could have been spent building it.
His Lego workroom at his house used to be the bedroom of one of his children.
‘‘We’ve got three bedrooms, no children [living at home] any more, so I’ve got a Lego room.’’
The Toyota station wagon Evans inherited from his father has come in handy for transporting Lego constructions to shows.
‘‘All the seats fold flat, it’s really good carrying space for Lego,’’ Evans said.
Evans is secretary of the Southland Lego user’s group, LUG South. Its clubrooms are on his property.