2017 City Sets - Rumours and Discussion

[Rick]

There have only been two three-bay fire stations. 347 (1970) and 357/570 (1973). As a kid I always wondered why LEGO choose not to include an empty bay in their fire stations, so you'd have a place to store any additional fire engines you'd buy, but I guess they like to sell "complete" play sets. Compared to the more recent variation in police stations, fire stations have largely been more of the same. Even if they choose not to vary the theme (airport, rural/forest), a bit of architectural diversity and variation in colours would be welcome. But I guess fire stations should be red...

[Aanchir]

Compared to the more recent variation in police stations, fire stations have largely been more of the same. Even if they choose not to vary the theme (airport, rural/forest), a bit of architectural diversity and variation in colours would be welcome. But I guess fire stations should be red...

I've heard from designers (can't remember if it was in an interview or presentation) that some kids are VERY picky about how a fire engine or fire station should look. For instance, a fire engine absolutely MUST be red. Kids in playtesting might actually break down in tears if a fire engine is any color but red, because to them that's "wrong". I'm not sure if the same color mandate applies for fire stations, but LEGO generally tries to have buildings and vehicles affiliated with the same characters share the same color scheme.

More styles of fire station could be nice, especially if we got some as varied as the LEGO City Swamp Police Station and Forest Police Station. I imagine part of the reason there hasn't been as much variation in fire stations is that there just aren't as many LEGO fire stations — while police stations are now released every year, fire stations are still released just every three years. The more often sets of the same subject are released, the more pressure there is to make them stand out from one another, whereas conversely, the less often they're released, the more pressure there will be to have them consistently meet all the same basic expectations (since the intended audience for the new version is less likely to have experienced the previous version).

[Bricknblue]

I've heard from designers (can't remember if it was in an interview or presentation) that some kids are VERY picky about how a fire engine or fire station should look. For instance, a fire engine absolutely MUST be red. Kids in playtesting might actually break down in tears if a fire engine is any color but red, because to them that's "wrong". I'm not sure if the same color mandate applies for fire stations, but LEGO generally tries to have buildings and vehicles affiliated with the same characters share the same color scheme.

More styles of fire station could be nice, especially if we got some as varied as the LEGO City Swamp Police Station and Forest Police Station. I imagine part of the reason there hasn't been as much variation in fire stations is that there just aren't as many LEGO fire stations — while police stations are now released every year, fire stations are still released just every three years. The more often sets of the same subject are released, the more pressure there is to make them stand out from one another, whereas conversely, the less often they're released, the more pressure there will be to have them consistently meet all the same basic expectations (since the intended audience for the new version is less likely to have experienced the previous version).

Those children sound horrible and clearly should never go to Disney World.

But City Police gets a new station every three years, and they all look different, which is why I don't mind the repeating of them. But fire stays the same, it's boring. You want to keep it red, fine, but even the Swamp Police is SNOT blue in design. You can do a lot with red, mix it with more white, give the sets more texture, mix in dark red or greys. But nope we get the same ugly thing every three years.

[Lyichir]

Those children sound horrible and clearly should never go to Disney World.

But City Police gets a new station every three years, and they all look different, which is why I don't mind the repeating of them. But fire stays the same, it's boring. You want to keep it red, fine, but even the Swamp Police is SNOT blue in design. You can do a lot with red, mix it with more white, give the sets more texture, mix in dark red or greys. But nope we get the same ugly thing every three years.

City Police gets a new station every year, not every three years. That's probably why the police stations tend to feature more variation—they have to be designed to stand out from the previous year's model that is likely still on shelves in many places, whereas the fire stations have to provide a more classic design since there won't be anything comparable available by the time they're released.

[Joebot]

An uninspiring list, to say the least.

TLG's obsession with vehicle transporters is bordering on the absurd. I predict next year, we'll see the first "Vehicle Transporter Transporter." I'm picturing an enormous semi trailer that's hauling a smaller SUV that's pulling a trailer with motorcycles on it. Almost like a Russian nesting doll of vehicle transporters.

[Aanchir]

An uninspiring list, to say the least.

TLG's obsession with vehicle transporters is bordering on the absurd. I predict next year, we'll see the first "Vehicle Transporter Transporter." I'm picturing an enormous semi trailer that's hauling a smaller SUV that's pulling a trailer with motorcycles on it. Almost like a Russian nesting doll of vehicle transporters.

For my part I never would've thought to put an SUV pulling a smaller vehicle on a trailer in the same category as, say, a flatbed truck or car carrier. When 60060 came out two years ago I was actually struck by the novelty of it, since double-decker car carriers like that are ubiquitous on US highways, but LEGO had only had one as a Town Racing set in 1996, one as a mini Creator set in 2006, and one as a big Creator vehicle in 2009.

The appeal of vehicle transporters with kids is easy for me to understand — it's sort of the same appeal they get from spaceships that can deploy rovers and escape pods, or Ninjago and Chima vehicles that split apart into other vehicles. Even as a teenager I absolutely loved the Mobile Command Center from LEGO Agents for being able to deploy two cars, two boats, and a plane from one tractor-trailer truck, and a lot of my disappointment with Ultra Agents Mission HQ stemmed from it reducing that to a buggy, a barely-hidden plane, and an unmanned drone.

Honestly, I'm often more surprised at the number of mobile police HQs in LEGO City, since from living in a smaller city, I hardly realized those existed before seeing them in LEGO sets. But I understand that those tend to have decent play value and are good for filling the intermediate price points between police stations and police cars or SUVs.

[Bricknblue]

City Police gets a new station every year, not every three years.

The issue with city and 'City' Police... You are confusing them.

We get a set that is a city police station every three years. In 2014 we got a city Police Station, in 2015 we got a Swamp Police Station, this year we got a Prison Island Station. The in 2017 we will get another city one like we got in 2013 and 2011. The variation of the of them is also nice, but even every three years the Police Station (That's just city and not a sub theme) is still a lot more diverse than what we get in the Fire theme.

[lightningtiger]

I wonder who at Lego makes the choices eh ?

Only a handful of sets again I'm interested in and mostly it's the police stuff ? Yeah, sounds weird me saying that and the pizza van plus a few more realistic city great vehicle sets.

It will be interesting to see if the police uniforms and vehicle detailing change again or will it continue through from this year's series ?

[Bornin1980something]

I doubt LEGO will ever include an ambulance in a fire station, just like there will never be a fire / police station combo. Lego likes to keep the themes rather separate it seems. Plus the last time I think there was a three bay fire station was like 25 years ago, and even that one might have been only 2 bays and the door.

In 1994, the UK Lego catalogue listed a stand-alone ambulance in the 'Fire' line (there were no other hospital sets at the time, except in the education only range). Around the same time, I once saw an ambulance stationed at my local fire station (but only once). My local fire station has at least five bays, but I've never seen all of them occupied. Given the huge increase in the scale of Lego products since the 70s, a three Bay fire station today would probably be prohibitively expensive. Mind you, I have always wondered why there was no space to add Lego's stand-alone fire vehicles (though I think some past fire stations have featured an empty space where another vehicle could fit).

I've heard from designers (can't remember if it was in an interview or presentation) that some kids are VERY picky about how a fire engine or fire station should look. For instance, a fire engine absolutely MUST be red. Kids in playtesting might actually break down in tears if a fire engine is any color but red, because to them that's "wrong". I'm not sure if the same color mandate applies for fire stations, but LEGO generally tries to have buildings and vehicles affiliated with the same characters share the same color scheme.

Interesting. I have seen pictures of yellow and white fire engines, but do any users know where such vehicles are in service? As the buildings, I have long noticed the tradition of making buildings look like an extension of the vehicles. This is because Lego is a children's toy, and children are most likely to associate the uniform look of the services with the vehicles. Making them look like no real buildings may also enable them to sell better internationally (I believe that more than 90% of Lego is sold outside Denmark). The modular range fire station looked more realistic, but it was aimed at adults.

[Nitescar]

Interesting. I have seen pictures of yellow and white fire engines, but do any users know where such vehicles are in service? As the buildings, I have long noticed the tradition of making buildings look like an extension of the vehicles. This is because Lego is a children's toy, and children are most likely to associate the uniform look of the services with the vehicles. Making them look like no real buildings may also enable them to sell better internationally (I believe that more than 90% of Lego is sold outside Denmark). The modular range fire station looked more realistic, but it was aimed at adults.

Henrico County, VA has yellow fire engines. Some of the surrounding area may to, but I grew up thinking they were all yellow.

[sunhuntin]

We have yellow fire engines here in New Zealand, but they are for the rural service. Not often seen in larger centres. Our regular fire engines are red, and the building they are housed in is tan, if memory serves.

We also have yellow ambulances as well as white. The yellow ones are supplied/run by the St John service, while the white are hospital ones. Either one will respond to an emergency call.

[beavertown]

Is 60147 a floatable boat? I'm looking for a little boat that can float.

[jonwil]

The hull its using is one that can float I believe so yes the 60147 should be able to float.

[AFOLguy1970]

I can understand why the fire vehicles are red, even though in reality they may be different colors. The ones at our nearest fire station are more yellow than anything else. What I never understood is why the stations themselves have to be consistently red. Having a virtually monochrome set does not make much of an interesting build. Surely, kids like variety in their color when it comes to a single building. It would be nice to see a fire station with perhaps light/dark tan masonry bricks or even another non-red color. I would say that all a fire station really needs is the vehicle bays, the pole, and maybe a fire hydrant. Anything else is subject to variation.

[Bricknblue]

I can understand why the fire vehicles are red, even though in reality they may be different colors. The ones at our nearest fire station are more yellow than anything else. What I never understood is why the stations themselves have to be consistently red. Having a virtually monochrome set does not make much of an interesting build. Surely, kids like variety in their color when it comes to a single building. It would be nice to see a fire station with perhaps light/dark tan masonry bricks or even another non-red color. I would say that all a fire station really needs is the vehicle bays, the pole, and maybe a fire hydrant. Anything else is subject to variation.

That's what I'm saying. I'm fine with red trucks, I'm even fine with mainly red buildings, but they can't use dark red (or sand red!!!!!), more greys and whites, some texture pieces like the brick bricks. The last fire station is 95% red, with just a hint of white around the bays. They couldn't add a little more. They turn out to just be a pill of redness.

And most modern LEGO fire stations have a helicopter, because everything needs a helicopter.

[sebitsena]

Your descriptions match the Fire Brigade color scheme ;)

[scottwb2010]

I doubt LEGO will ever include an ambulance in a fire station, just like there will never be a fire / police station combo. Lego likes to keep the themes rather separate it seems. Plus the last time I think there was a three bay fire station was like 25 years ago, and even that one might have been only 2 bays and the door.

As medical theme in city looks to be on a 6 year cycle, unless it comes out in the 2017 summer wave, a Fire dept ambulance with the Fire Stn would make a good (IMO) play feature in place of the standard mini helicopter that has come with the last 2 fire stations.

[Legotom]

And most modern LEGO fire stations have a helicopter, because everything needs a helicopter.

Kids love helicopters though. My four year old thinks a helicopter with a winch is the best thing ever!

[paul_delahaye]

Kids love helicopters though. My four year old thinks a helicopter with a winch is the best thing ever!

Tragically for all AFOL's out there, LEGO agrees with your son's opinion!

[Yeow]

Interesting. I have seen pictures of yellow and white fire engines, but do any users know where such vehicles are in service? As the buildings, I have long noticed the tradition of making buildings look like an extension of the vehicles. This is because Lego is a children's toy, and children are most likely to associate the uniform look of the services with the vehicles. Making them look like no real buildings may also enable them to sell better internationally (I believe that more than 90% of Lego is sold outside Denmark). The modular range fire station looked more realistic, but it was aimed at adults.

If you'd like to seem some weird colored fire trucks (or if anyone needs inspiration for a MOC) then you can check out this website that has a bunch of photos of emergency vehicles, mostly from the US. Specifically, if you go to the third page of the "Fire Trucks" section, there are pictures of fire trucks that are blue, green, orange or even black. Fire vehicles that are predominantly white are also fairly common, but I don't think a white fire truck would look good based on the restrictions that Lego designers are under.

Edited September 18, 2016 by Yeow

[sasbury]

I've heard from designers (can't remember if it was in an interview or presentation) that some kids are VERY picky about how a fire engine or fire station should look. For instance, a fire engine absolutely MUST be red. (snipped) More styles of fire station could be nice, especially if we got some as varied as the LEGO City Swamp Police Station and Forest Police Station.

I heard this, too, from a friend who is a City Theme designer at Lego. It makes sense that most kids want their fire trucks to be red. That said, the fire theme does not seem to be getting the same level of thoughtfulness as the police theme.

• Just because the fire trucks are red doesn't mean the fire station has to be red. See http://www.moc-pages.../moc.php/385007 .

• The firefighter minifigs are overdue for an update. Helmets should have printing and the air tanks (the design of which dates back to Classic Space from the 1970s) should be one cylinder instead of two. I realize the struggles to mix both American and European firefighter designs, but some of this could be addressed through the Collectible Minifigs.

• The current fire station is an almost exact repeat of the design of the previous one.

• Unlike the police sets, the fire sets haven't gotten many new minifig accessories. It would be nice to include Jaws of Life, Stokes Basket and other modern tools. The current stretcher design is more suited to WWI than anything resembling a modern fire department.

Edited September 18, 2016 by sasbury

[danimarroquin]

How about a airport fire station with a control tower and a heliport for the tv helicopter !

Also , they need to work on the body and wings of the planes , the same style it's started to get really boring on the airport sets . Maybe something more realistic To today's planes !

By the way , are we getting any city square this year ??? Or is this a every 2 years kind of thing ?

[LegoRomania]

Lego is obsessed with Police.Leaks are out in the wild.

[Robert8]

I think the police station was one of the best sellers last year. 

They are not obsessed with police, they are obsessed with money 

[LegoRomania]

16 minutes ago, Robert8 said:

I think the police station was one of the best sellers last year. 

They are not obsessed with police, they are obsessed with money 

That's so true