Overview of LEGO Engine History

Overview
LEGO engines have arguably been possible since the dawn of LEGO Technic (a. k. a. Expert Builder upon its conception). This leaves the possibility that the first use of LEGO for making engines could have been as early as 1977, but the progression of their development expanded greatly from simple aesthetic models, to larger complex mechanical assemblies which resemble real engines in either the function or visual appeal of each of their parts.

The LEGO Group and Fake Engines
Also read: LEGO Fake Engines

TLG has made a few sets which featured engines. The earliest and most iconic was the 1980 Auto Engines 858 set. This set could have had an inspiration in the making of the original LEGO engines which convert a form of energy into mechanical energy. The LEGO Group has never made this kind of power-producing engine as an official LEGO set possibly due to the potential harm that running engines pose to the plastic. However many Expert Builder and Technic sets have featured fake engines of two main varieties: those with square pistons and those with round pistons. Less common were brick-built engines that were fully assembled using non-specialty bricks as is common with many LEGO HVLP Engines.

Square Piston Fake Engine
This type of engine was first featured at the dawn of the Expert Builder era in the 853 Auto Chassis set. It requires a special square piston part inside of a brick-made cylinder assembly along with a Technic connector that clipped in the underside of the piston part.

Round Piston Fake Engine
The most popular kind of LEGO fake engine is the round piston fake engine known for its yellow colored round pistons appearing in numerous Technic vehicles. It is one of the most popular types of engines to feature in many car MOCs made by LEGO fans today.

Brick-Built Fake Engines
The 10269 Harley Davidson Fatboy set from 2019 features an entirely brick-built LEGO engine which turns over as the rear tire rotates via a drive chain.

Dr. C. S. Soh
One of the first known examples of a working LEGO Pneumatic Engine was made by Dr C. S. Soh in the late nineties.

Popularity
These engines were popularized by YouTubers such as Green Gecko who began posting LPE videos in the mid 2010s.

Matthias Wandel
According to his claim, Matthias Wandel created a LEGO engine which ran under its own power using a high volume low pressure air source as early as 1985. No pictures exist of his first engine, but a video of one of Matthias' early engines is posted on YouTube.

Erin Lassley
One of the earliest known independent creators of a LEGO HVLP air powered engine is Erin Lassley; the maiden prototype made circa. January 1994. This engine initially just used human breath to power it until it was found that a vacuum cleaner effectively powered it.

Dan Hartman
The first known example of an oscillating LEGO vacuum engine was made by Dan Hartman around 1986 and is documented on his website. He continued to build engines between the late nineties and early 2000s and share some pictures via email with Erin Lassley.

Single Valve System (SVS)
Though Matthias Wandel's engine had a two stud deep single valve, the first documented example of single valve system engine, as it occurs today one stud deep valve a with a 1x4 panel on top, was uploaded to YouTube on September 16, 2010 by lomtafix. It was revolutionary for the LEGO vacuum engine building community because it simplified the design of the engine so that it was easier to build in varying architectures and could achieve higher revs.

KFPlus Lego Mastery
The Single Valve System was popularized in the present-day LEGO engine building community by KFPlus Lego Mastery's YouTube channel which began mid 2019.

LEGO Replica and Educational Engines
Many LEGO Engines hold value in their power to convey similar mechanical or visual design features for representative purposes. As with the 858 Auto Engines set, the basic reciprocating engine has been captured in LEGO form by many a builder. Replica Motorsport is one such company which replicates well-known engines to the automotive enthusiast community and sells their small-scale models.

Technic Builds and LEGO Engines a.k.a TBLE World Official
In August of 2020, a Discord server named Technic Builds and Lego Engines was created by user LS1s Lego Garage and soon after developed a co-ownership with KFPlus Lego Mastery to be a meeting place for LEGO engine builders share their ideas and inspire one another. It has since served to centralize the development of LEGO engines such that new design ideas populate various engine builder's YouTube channels more quickly than before. As opposed to other LEGO sub-cultures like the Great Ball Contraptions sub-culture which meets at LEGO conventions in addition it's strong online presence, The TBLE World Official Discord server is the only platform through which the LEGO engine community has the opportunity to interact on a social level.

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LEGO Engine Records