A Journey Through Bricks: The MOC Journey of Matthias, the Train Maestro

In the quiet town of Erlangen, Germany, lives Matthias, a 51-year-old product manager by day and a maestro of MOC (My Own Creation) by night. Matthias has turned his love for trains, nurtured during his childhood in East Germany (GDR), into a fascinating and intricate hobby. With 63 completed MOCs under his belt and more on the way, Matthias is a name that every train enthusiast should know—and if you don’t yet, you’re in for a treat.

From East Germany to the World of MOC

Growing up in the GDR, Matthias was surrounded by the sights and sounds of locomotives, a constant presence that would later inspire his creative endeavors. “I remember many trains from that time,” he says, recalling the BR120 locomotive, affectionately known as the Taiga Trommel. This locomotive was a familiar sight on the tracks of East Germany, and it’s no surprise that Matthias chose it as one of his major MOC projects. The Taiga Trommel wasn’t just a random choice; it was a logical continuation of a series of locomotives from that era that Matthias had already begun to recreate.

But Matthias didn’t stop at the trains of his homeland. His passion for locomotives extends beyond borders, as seen in his recreation of the Swiss Crocodile. This iconic locomotive is known by train enthusiasts worldwide, and Matthias couldn’t resist the challenge of bringing it to life with bricks. The Swiss Crocodile was no easy task—the technical implementation, particularly the chassis with its coupling rods and movable sections, tested Matthias’s skills to the limit. Yet, it’s precisely these challenges that fuel his passion for MOC.

MOC: The Art of Building Memories

For Matthias, MOC is more than just putting bricks together—it’s a way of immortalizing the past. “MOC means that the model is replicable, stable, playable, and has memorability,” he explains. This philosophy guides every creation, from the first digital design to the final brick-by-brick build. Matthias emphasizes the importance of using readily available parts—no cutting, no sawing, no filing, no gluing, and absolutely no painting.

Matthias’s journey into MOC began in earnest in 2019. Though he had been building his own creations for years, it wasn’t until August 2020 that he started releasing his designs to the public. “Before that, I had my own creations, but I never released or documented them. I built and dismantled them again to have the bricks for the next creation,” he recalls. This cyclical process of creation and destruction might seem daunting to some, but for Matthias, it was just a stepping stone to greater things.

Learning the Ropes—and Bricks

When Matthias first dove into the world of MOC, he quickly realized that there was a lot to learn. “My first lesson was to learn about the different available bricks and colors,” he says. Without a deep understanding of the building blocks at his disposal, creating accurate and stable designs would have been impossible. “With the different digital design software solutions, you have unlimited parts available—that’s true—but to prove the digitally created design works, a real-built sample is helpful or even necessary,” Matthias explains. This is where his extensive brick collection comes into play. It’s not just about having the right pieces—it’s about knowing how to use them to bring a digital design into the real world.

The digital design phase is where Matthias’s creations begin to take shape. “Usually, I start with the digital design of a model,” he says. However, this isn’t a strict rule. Sometimes, he starts with real bricks, particularly when dealing with a part of the model that he anticipates will be difficult to realize. “It really depends, and so brick by brick, a new model originates.” As the model takes shape, Matthias considers where decals and stickers might be needed to achieve the desired look. His attention to detail is meticulous—he prefers to have stickers on one brick rather than overlapping multiple bricks.

The Design Process: A Brick-by-Brick Journey

Matthias’s design process is as methodical as it is creative. It all begins with ideation, followed by a deep dive into research. “If I know the object I want to redesign, I look for information. And the more data I can get, the better it is,” he says. This research includes pictures, drawings, dimensions, and detailed descriptions of the locomotives and train cars he plans to recreate. Once he has all the information he needs, Matthias converts the measurements of the original into the “minifig scale” (roughly 1:43). Getting the dimensions right is crucial for the model’s recall value—it needs to look just like the real thing, but in miniature.

From there, Matthias dives into the digital design phase, carefully selecting bricks to achieve the desired shapes and proportions. But this is only the beginning. The design process can take weeks, with countless revisions along the way. “Sometimes I cancel everything, wait for some weeks, and restart the project with a reset mind,” he admits. It’s a process that requires patience and persistence, but the results speak for themselves.

Trains Across Borders: A Global Inspiration

While Matthias’s childhood trains are a significant source of inspiration, he doesn’t limit himself to German locomotives. “Other countries also have beautiful and fascinating trains which I like to redesign and create with bricks,” he explains. His passion for trains is global, and he loves the challenge of recreating these engineering marvels from different parts of the world. Whether it’s the Swiss Crocodile, the EMD F7, or the Adler, Matthias brings these trains to life with an artist’s eye and an engineer’s precision.

Overcoming Challenges: The Realities of MOC

Of course, no project is without its challenges. “There are always difficulties to solve,” Matthias says. Whether it’s finding the right part or color, dealing with dimensions that are just too big for the scale, or technical issues like drivability, every MOC presents its own unique set of hurdles. But for Matthias, overcoming these challenges is part of the fun. “If you can solve one, you get a big smile on your face—until you realize you just created two other issues with your solution,” he jokes.

Looking Ahead

As for the future, Matthias isn’t just content with trains. “I always think about new themes for my MOCs because I don’t want to stick with trains all the time,” he reveals. But for now, there are still plenty of unbuilt trains out there, waiting to be brought to life, brick by brick. In recent years, Matthias has achieved a lot. From collaborations to exhibitions, he’s taken his passion for MOC to new heights. And with each new project, his collection of MOCs grows bigger and better.

And to all the fans out there who share his passion, Matthias has one final message: “Have fun and a great time with your trains and your other sets. And don’t forget: The world is not only made up of studs, but also of plates, bricks, slopes, ...” Wise words from a man who knows that life, much like a good MOC, is all about the details.