A grandfather has created an incredible replica of the world’s most famous ocean liner Titanic – with 40,000 LEGO BRICKS.
Keith Morton, 65, has spent two years and hundreds of hours intricately placing each separate brick into the three metre long structure of the famous ship.
Despite not building anything out of Lego for 50 years since he was a child, Keith’s interest in the hobby was peaked when he started using Lego with his grandchildren.
The grandfather-of-ten spotted a similar model built in America and decided to download the design; however, he didn’t realise the scale of the task he had taken on in February 2016.
Almost two years later, the brilliant builder is just a few bricks away from completing the incredible structure.
The detailed design even includes Lego versions of Jack and Rose – characters in the 1997 film of the doomed voyage – turrets and miniature lifeboats.
Keith, a self-employed surveyor, said: “I haven’t made anything since I was a young boy but I have always had a love of Lego.
“I made little figures when playing with the grandchildren and decided to have a look online if there was a model I could build as a hobby.
“I spotted the Titanic replica model online and realised I could download the guidelines to make it.
“I didn’t realise quite how big it was or how long it would take it but I am 99.9% done with it and it is finally almost finished.”
Keith, who lives in Leeds, West Yorks., with his partner Karen Birch, 59, has built the huge model on his dining room table in three separate sections – before positioning it in his spare bedroom.
He has had to purchase thousands of individual bricks specifically for the model from BrickOwl and BrickLink – Lego brick retailers.
However, due to buying mostly second hand bricks, Keith has managed to keep the cost of the ship down to just £780.
He added: “Each separate style of brick has a specific serial number on which I have to type into the website.
“If I would have built it with brand new bricks it would have cost over £3000.
“When a shoddy brick turned up or one that was a bit dirty, I would just throw it away instead.”
RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in the early hours of 15 April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg.
The original ship, which held 2,435 passengers, was 269.1m long and 53.3m height while Keith’s model is 3m long and 0.7m high.
The final survivor of the sinking, Millvina Dean, aged two months at the time, died in 2009 at the age of 97.
In June 2018, just months from completing the structure, Keith had the unenviable shock of a single brick being out of place on the back of the ship – throwing the rest of that side out of line.
He added: “I couldn’t believe it. I basically had to break up over two months worth of work and start it again to be able to match it back up.
“That wasn’t a great day.”
Keith has shared the model with his friends and family, including his 10 grandchildren who love to come round to view the ship.
Keith said: “They love to come to the house to have a look.
“I have had so many comments about it which is great. I have told the window cleaner, my friends in the pub and everybody thinks it is amazing.
“I can’t believe the response.”
A video of the ship was posted on a local Facebook forum by Keith’s partner’s son Matthew Birch.
Matthew said: “I am so proud of him, he is a great bloke. It is awesome work.”
Keith is hoping to start a model of The Flying Scotsman once the Titanic model is finally completed.
By Daniel Sheridan
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/film/self-taught-artist-was-shocked-when-veteran-hollywood-actress-turned-up-at-her-gallery-twice-in-a-week/20/11/