2016 Lego trains

[Sarah]

I am hoping for a passenger car too.

[ncx]

I hope its a complete train without track or PF included. That gives alot of room to include more parts and more cars. I'd be willing to pay upwards of $200+ for such a set

Kinda like they did with the past Expert trains, no track, no PF (but can add them).

I also hope its a steamer with the same drivers from Emerald Night!

Edited May 21, 2016 by ncx

[dr_spock]

I think having PF and a circle of track would make it an easier sell for a non train AFOL parent to put a moving LEGO train under the family Christmas tree.

[Nemo57]

I think having PF and a circle of track would make it an easier sell for a non train AFOL parent to put a moving LEGO train under the family Christmas tree.

Then the parents will not buy an extra train. What it is not beneficial for the Lego company.

Edited May 21, 2016 by Nemo57

[lostdriveway]

I'm hoping for a decent Steamer plus 2 cars - then hoping to be able to buy multiple copies. I only saw one Emerald Night in the wild which I managed to buy so I won't let that happen again!

[Duq]

Winter Train is arriving October, and is an entirely new design. No Fairground set this year, sorry!

How do you know? And is it definitely 'Winter Train', not 'Christmas Train'?

I think having PF and a circle of track would make it an easier sell for a non train AFOL parent to put a moving LEGO train under the family Christmas tree.

I think you're right. If the target audience is families getting a train under the Christmas tree then it'll need to have all the components in the set, just like the City trains. In that case I'd not expect something realistic but rather something cute. Forget about 2-4-0's or 4-6-0's, think an updated Holiday Train or 7715.

[JopieK]

Exactly, it would be a great way to add more functionality but at the same time still let you choose between each system. I like the idea of using my phone as the controller or tablet but I do know there is a limit on how many bluetooth devices can be controlled at once without a hub to control them. Currently the iPhone can only connect to one bluetooth device at one time, however if that device was a bluetooth hub connected to multiple devices that would be different.

Is that so? It can connect to multiple bluetooth devices (at least bluetooth low energy), at the same time! The 4.3 implementation will also support meshing of multiple bluetooth devices and is supposedly merely a software update. Granted that it is not very common and costs some effort to make use of multiple bluetooth devices but it is doable. In fact in the background iOS keeps a list of all bluetooth devices that it sees. See: https://spin.atomicobject.com/2016/01/20/multiple-ble-devices-in-ios/

About trains: would be great to see a new train. Hope that LEGO will also pick up on the SBrick idea and buy them out :)

[ncx]

Is that so? It can connect to multiple bluetooth devices (at least bluetooth low energy), at the same time! The 4.3 implementation will also support meshing of multiple bluetooth devices and is supposedly merely a software update. Granted that it is not very common and costs some effort to make use of multiple bluetooth devices but it is doable. In fact in the background iOS keeps a list of all bluetooth devices that it sees. See: https://spin.atomicobject.com/2016/01/20/multiple-ble-devices-in-ios/

About trains: would be great to see a new train. Hope that LEGO will also pick up on the SBrick idea and buy them out :)

I dont agree with any of that. I personally think they will release an updated PF controller that uses bluetooth so its not requiring a smartphone/tablet

As far aspicking up Sbrick, I dont recall Lego ever buying out another company.

Also regerding the Winter Train, it was last said to be classified as an Expert Train themed for the Winter Village but probably not branded as such.

I think it will be an add-on like the previous Expert trains have been. It leaves more room to include alot more and more detail for a lower price. When was the last time we got an Expert train with a complete set of track? Never

Its a good incentive to get parents to buy "add-ons". Which when you see Expert its not targeting kids. Just like that fancy Death Star or Modular Building.

Think more how Lego looks at this kind of thing vs the info we have so far.

Nesquik has slowly teased us with this release first being the fact that Lego designers felt bad that we didnt have another Expert train to replace the retired Horizon Express but they wanted to release something for the Winter theme. (Need to look at older posts to see exact wording) but its possible that we may get it as its own stand alone set with a Winter Village set still being released for Christmas

Nesquik has also stated that its an entirely new design that hasnt been used yet (so no its not an updated Winter Train from 2009)

Also Nesquik has a reputation of being right. There are only a few more sets that havent yet been announced that he gave us a heads up on and that is the Winter Train, Disney D2C and the VW Beetle update

I have been following this thread for almost a year now

[zephyr1934]

As far aspicking up Sbrick, I dont recall Lego ever buying out another company.

Well... there was that little Kiddicraft purchase in 1981, but generally they do not buy many companies. Typically Lego will just appropriate good ideas from 3rd party companies and make their own version though (cows, pigs, steam driver wheels, etc.)

[Cwetqo]

With "no fairground set" he probably meant that there will no new sets in "fairground" series (Grand Carousel, Ferris Wheel, Fairground Mixer).

And "winter train" is most likely a train from Winter Village series.

As I see it, there are two options: train will be big, with higher pricepoint than usual for WV series and they will skip this years "fairground" set aor train will be still in price boundaries for WV sets (100eur or less) and they are simply quitting fairground series or giving it another pause. I wonder how Ferris Wheel did commercialy?

[JopieK]

Well... there was that little Kiddicraft purchase in 1981, but generally they do not buy many companies. Typically Lego will just appropriate good ideas from 3rd party companies and make their own version though (cows, pigs, steam driver wheels, etc.)

True, but there is also another route and we will probably never notice if LEGO uses that route (and the definitely will consider it): they work together with different companies (some are even located adjacent to the LEGO factories), if that company would buy out a third-party on behalf of LEGO they could just incorporate that technology. I was amazed to find the company (actually two companies) that makes PF stuff for LEGO at a large electronics faire and I spoke to their people about integrating electronics in plastics.

[spirosand]

I've noticed that both the regular cargo train and the high speed train are both heavily discounted at Amazon ($120 for the cargo!, $79 for the High speed (prices vary daily, just keep checking back))... are these sets nearing retirement? I have bought a second cargo train, which i will use to build Marsk copy (the instructions are provided on another topic here somewhere).

[1974]

It can mean two things : The sets are not selling and Amazon wants to clear remaining stock - or TLG knows they're not selling and wil sell to Amazon with a further discount (to clear TLG stock)

Both options are crap for LEGO train lovers

Well... there was that little Kiddicraft purchase in 1981, but generally they do not buy many companies. Typically Lego will just appropriate good ideas from 3rd party companies and make their own version though (cows, pigs, steam driver wheels, etc.)

No, but at one time they did have as much as 19.000 different suppliers. Electric parts have never been an in-house TLG thing. They also recently bought back Modulex to shut up some distant Kirk cousin

[myared]

New member here!

Is there a best time to buy newly released sets and if so when is that time, right at release, right before or after the holidays...?

Thanks.

The high speed train is now back to around $120 on Amazon...

[pirzyk]

New member here!

Is there a best time to buy newly released sets and if so when is that time, right at release, right before or after the holidays...?

Thanks.

The high speed train is now back to around $120 on Amazon...

The best time is when the set is available and you have the money to buy it. There are stories throughout EB of people waiting to buy a set only it to be retired without notice by LEGO. The aftermarket for retired sets can get extremely expensive. Just look for a EN, Maersk or any of the retired Modulars. So if you find a deal and you can afford to buy it, you should.

[LoneBrickerSG]

It can mean two things : The sets are not selling and Amazon wants to clear remaining stock - or TLG knows they're not selling and wil sell to Amazon with a further discount (to clear TLG stock)

Both options are crap for LEGO train lovers

Uh.. what? WOuldn't it be a good thing for us? Score some cheap complete train sets and such.

[pirzyk]

Uh.. what? WOuldn't it be a good thing for us? Score some cheap complete train sets and such.

If this is truly a case of over production and LEGO or Amazon trying to dump stock, that mean trains will less likely be produced in the future. We don't want a repeat of the Santa Fe Super Chief.

[myared]

The best time is when the set is available and you have the money to buy it. There are stories throughout EB of people waiting to buy a set only it to be retired without notice by LEGO. The aftermarket for retired sets can get extremely expensive. Just look for a EN, Maersk or any of the retired Modulars. So if you find a deal and you can afford to buy it, you should.

So no unanimously agreed upon time that everyone here waits for to buy new releases?

[cjh]

So no unanimously agreed upon time that everyone here waits for to buy new releases?

No, just buy them when you can. If you find them on sale, great, but you also run the risk of them being discontinued if you wait.

[Sarah]

I hope its a complete train without track or PF included. That gives alot of room to include more parts and more cars. I'd be willing to pay upwards of $200+ for such a set

Kinda like they did with the past Expert trains, no track, no PF (but can add them).

I also hope its a steamer with the same drivers from Emerald Night!

It really needs at least a circle of track. I want this train to put under our Christmas tree. I don't want to have to piece together the track needed for that.

Power FUnctions? Not as needed. We can use hands to make the train go. But the track needs to be in the set.

[ShrikeArghast]

Why do people get so riled up over the official Lego trainsets? Honestly... they're just not that good. In fact, I'd label the majority of their efforts as outright lazy. That's not true for all Lego - some of the stuff they've been doing with Star Wars in the last few years is simply brilliant - but with trains its an inconsistent effort at best, slapdash at worst. And that will be especially true if the Christmas train is just a recolored Lone Ranger loco.

[xboxtravis7992]

Why do people get so riled up over the official Lego trainsets? Honestly... they're just not that good. In fact, I'd label the majority of their efforts as outright lazy. That's not true for all Lego - some of the stuff they've been doing with Star Wars in the last few years is simply brilliant - but with trains its an inconsistent effort at best, slapdash at worst. And that will be especially true if the Christmas train is just a recolored Lone Ranger loco.

It really depends on the set. Most City sets do feel very <insert that tiresome argument>, the trains don't look prototypical and come across as toys. However the three Creator Expert trains we got were all spectacular, especially the Maersk Train, so Lego does have the capability to do better trains. The fact its been a few years since the last release in that line is what makes me antsy for when the next "high end" train comes. I don't care to much for the city releases.

[Rail Co]

I feel like people are starting to get really negative and somewhat rude in this topic. So everyone take deep breath and smile

Lego releases the city trains FOR KIDS. They don't lack effort at all they design them for a young audience and don't put delicate details that kids will break of and maybe lose in their collection somewhere are they have to keep repairing their model which isn't fun for them. They are meant to be a fun toy that will give kids hours of fun not be a collectors item with a bunch of detail all over them and basically be a collectors model. Now the expert line I thought was very well crafted. Sure the Horizon Express was basically half a train and sure the emerald night had a very simple piston rod issue (Which could be fixed with very little parts). The Winter Train or Winter Village Train will be a D2C set according to the rumors and will probably be a mix between goo for adults and good for children. I do not think it will be a recolored Constitution that was just a screenshot from a game we really can't base it off a game for kids really can we....

That's my 2 cents

-RailCo

[Paperballpark]

Yeah, who'd have thought it - toys looking like toys!

[M_slug357]

Any new news, rumors, or speculations??