The HST was my first “serious” Lego train MOC; I had built various generic locomotives as well as TLG sets. I started with the nose since it was the most challenging shape to capture. I liberally used 1x1 “cheese” slopes, SNOT, and half-brick offsets in order to render the HST’s distinctive tapered shape. At this time I had decided to make the HST a “7-wide” design. Different Lego train MOC builders whose work I admire a great deal, work in 6, 7, and 8 wide “scales”. Seven wide represents a good compromise between prototype scale and undersized. It represents a bigger challenge from a build point of view due to the scarcity of odd numbered plates and bricks. However, the extra stud in the middle makes a big difference in terms of fitting extra detail. I then turned my attention to the diagonal blue stripe on the side which cleverly disguises the body-height vents and provides a transition from the BR blue from bottom to top. Cheese slopes were used in both upright and inverted configurations to maximize the stripe extent.