2018 Lego Trains

[ElectroDiva]

I think it's high time we started a 2018 Lego Trains thread after a pretty disappointing 2017.

 

2018 has to be an improvement right?

 

Quite a few people seem to believe that there is a "pattern" to the City train releases and according to this pattern we should expect a new Passenger Train, Cargo Train and Train Station in 2018. 

 

@Duq explained the pattern very well on the 2017 Trains thread.

 

In addition to these expected releases, there is also a rumour that the next modular building could be a central train station. Personally I find that a bit hard to believe but you never know!

[legonerd54321]

I wonder if we'll get an Expect train this year.. isn't this year due for one, if the pattern correct?

[Digger of Bricks]

1 hour ago, ElectroDiva said:

Quite a few people seem to believe that there is a "pattern" to the City train releases and according to this pattern we should expect a new Passenger Train, Cargo Train and Train Station in 2018. 

Reliable rumor source Sir von Lego has already confirmed that City's train subtheme will be retuning for Summer next year, just like everyone else has speculated. 

1 hour ago, ElectroDiva said:

In addition to these expected releases, there is also a rumour that the next modular building could be a central train station. Personally I find that a bit hard to believe but you never know!

I'll check back on the modular rumor/discussion topic every now and then, and so far, I haven't seen that rumor debunked yet; but at the same time, I haven't seen any additional confirmation of it. We should though see a press release for the next modular any time now this month.

53 minutes ago, legonerd54321 said:

I wonder if we'll get an Expect train this year.. isn't this year due for one, if the pattern correct?

I'm not sure myself about any particular pattern for Expert series train sets, but if the rumors about next year's modular being a train station are true, then I'd definitely expect a complementary Expert series train set for a potential modular station in the same year. 

[ElectroDiva]

4 hours ago, Digger of Bricks said:

Reliable rumor source Sir von Lego has already confirmed that City's train subtheme will be retuning for Summer next year, just like everyone else has speculated. 

 

Well I hope he keeps up his track record of successful rumours :) If it *is* true, what do you think we'll see?

Pretty simple recolours of one of the recent cargo and passenger trains or something a bit different/more adventurous?

 

4 hours ago, Digger of Bricks said:

I'm not sure myself about any particular pattern for Expert series train sets, but if the rumors about next year's modular being a train station are true, then I'd definitely expect a complementary Expert series train set for a potential modular station in the same year. 

 

If we see a return of the proper Creator Expert train series next year that would make me very happy indeed. The Winter Village Train from 2016 was ok but not a patch on the Emerald Night/Maersk/Horizon Express sets

[Trekkie99]

Maybe we could get a BR class 08 diesel shunter. Like this one.

Has Lego ever actually made a shunter based off the BR class 08? There are a lot of awesome MOCs of this particular shunter out there. The question is would it be better as a Creator Expert series set, or a City set?

[Digger of Bricks]

Just now, LegoMonorailFan said:

The question is would it be better as a Creator Expert series set, or a City set?

Probably as a City set, preferably as a trackless, Power Function-less, thirty dollar "great vehicle" City set. I know something like that has never been done for City, but it would be cool to see Lego do smaller, more affordable locomotive sets for the theme.

The same can be said for Creator, but not the Expert subtheme. When it comes to shorter based shunter diesels and tank engines, why can't Lego do a $50-$70 three in one locomotive Creator set, featuring no track nor Power Functions? 

4 hours ago, ElectroDiva said:

Well I hope he keeps up his track record of successful rumours :) If it *is* true, what do you think we'll see?

Pretty simple recolours of one of the recent cargo and passenger trains or something a bit different/more adventurous?

Well, if not just a simple rehash of 2014's offerings, I could see Lego doing either an electric, intercity express type train, or a diesel shutter train set like @LegoMonorailFan had just mentioned. 

[antp]

9 hours ago, Digger of Bricks said:

I'm not sure myself about any particular pattern for Expert series train sets, but if the rumors about next year's modular being a train station are true, then I'd definitely expect a complementary Expert series train set for a potential modular station in the same year. 

If that comes from the modular building thread, these are not rumors, just people's whishlist (like a police station and a dew others), that comes back each year

[Digger of Bricks]

1 hour ago, antp said:

If that comes from the modular building thread, these are not rumors, just people's whishlist (like a police station and a dew others), that comes back each year

This was the post on the topic that was the source of the rumor. The user is only a Vassal, and he said to just take the rumor with a "grain of salt".

 

[antp]

But if he didn't say from where he head that, I would not be surprise that his source was itself based on misinterpreted comments posted earlier on that same thread, that already happened :D

[Vilhelm22]

19 hours ago, legonerd54321 said:

I wonder if we'll get an Expect train this year.. isn't this year due for one, if the pattern correct?

I don't really see a pattern with the Expert Trains

2009      Emerald Night

2011      Maersk Train

2013      Horizon Express 

2016      Winter Holiday Train 

If it is just the Winter Holiday Train out of line then 2018 would not see a new Creator Expert Train because they come out every odd year, going by that.  Also, City trains have come out the years that Creator Expert Trains have not.

So, though I and so many others would love to see one, unfortunately I do not think it likely that there will be a Creator Expert Train in 2018.

[3797]

On 2.11.2017 at 1:53 AM, ElectroDiva said:

2018 has to be an improvement right?

Don't hold your breath. The higher ups clearly have no clue whatsoever as to why we fell in love with the Trains theme when we were kids. I'd love to be proven wrong but I highly doubt that we will ever get new sets that could rival those that were released between 1980 and 1993.

[ElectroDiva]

That's very harsh @3797 - there have been some great train sets released since 1993.

 

There were all the gems in the 9v era (too many to list), and since then we've had the Emerald Night, Maersk and Horizon Express sets. I even really like the last city cargo set (60052) - which is very close to a perfect cargo starter set imho (the one significant failing being the silly cattle cars)

 

Admittedly it's been slim pickings for Train fans in the past couple of years but I personally will wait to see what happens in 2018 before calling it a terminal decline..

[3797]

2 hours ago, ElectroDiva said:

That's very harsh @3797 - there have been some great train sets released since 1993.

 

There were all the gems in the 9v era (too many to list), and since then we've had the Emerald Night, Maersk and Horizon Express sets. I even really like the last city cargo set (60052) - which is very close to a perfect cargo starter set imho (the one significant failing being the silly cattle cars)

 

Admittedly it's been slim pickings for Train fans in the past couple of years but I personally will wait to see what happens in 2018 before calling it a terminal decline..

Harsh? I just don't feel like sugar coating everything. If no one speaks up, then how will they ever know what they're doing wrong?

The gems from the 9V era were 4558, 4563 and 4551. I do own and like 4564 but 4563 was a better set, imo. Compared to those, sets like 4559, 4660 and 4565 as well as the RC Trains and the complete My Own Train line have always been complete turds.

Emerald Night, Maersk and Horizon Express were great sets but they were not part of a proper trains theme and imo that's why they didn't sell as well as they should have. Same goes for the Santa Fee and the BNSF but I never really cared for those US American designs and thus never bought them.

I consider 60052 to be a "lucky mistake" for the company. Clearly their best Train set since the mid 90s. I bought 5 of those.

The train from the Lone Ranger sets was nice. I may still get that one. But again: Not part of a proper trains theme. Not much to add. Not much else to play with.

The winter village train is a bit of a joke and reminds me of the Toy Story one. I'd never compare that one to truly great sets like the Emerald Night, Maersk and Horizon Express.

A proper station would be a nice start. And a level crossing that was built with more than 20 pieces. Actual bricks would be nice. I also said it before that imo LEGO needs to make a set like 7735 or 4563 again. Make it smaller and thus more affordable as a starter set. Put the battery in the boxcar. They could even make another push along train that can be upgraded with PF function pieces.

Edited November 3, 2017 by 3797

[Lyichir]

17 hours ago, Vilhelm22 said:

I don't really see a pattern with the Expert Trains

2009      Emerald Night

2011      Maersk Train

2013      Horizon Express 

2016      Winter Holiday Train 

If it is just the Winter Holiday Train out of line then 2018 would not see a new Creator Expert Train because they come out every odd year, going by that.  Also, City trains have come out the years that Creator Expert Trains have not.

So, though I and so many others would love to see one, unfortunately I do not think it likely that there will be a Creator Expert Train in 2018.

Huh? I get that there's not necessarily a regular pattern with Creator Expert trains, but assuming that 2018 WON'T get a train because all the sets but one came out in odd numbered years doesn't make a lot of sense. What patterns exist in Lego set releases are usually based more on how much time has passed since similar sets than on factors like whether a year is odd or even (since what digit the year ends in has no direct effect on a set's marketability, outside of sets that are targeted at specific anniversary years). If you were to interpret a pattern, it'd be more akin to "a new Expert train every 2–3 years", in which case 2018 would about as viable as 2019 for a new Expert train set.

Speaking of anniversary years, next year is a big one for Lego, with the 60th anniversary of the Lego brick. Sir Von Lego has said that there are apparently five sets planned to tie in with that anniversary, and given what a big part trains have played in Lego's history, it wouldn't be impossible for one of them to be train-related...

[Digger of Bricks]

39 minutes ago, Lyichir said:

Speaking of anniversary years, next year is a big one for Lego, with the 60th anniversary of the Lego brick. Sir Von Lego has said that there are apparently five sets planned to tie in with that anniversary, and given what a big part trains have played in Lego's history, it wouldn't be impossible for one of them to be train-related...

Unfortunately, those sets will only be brick packs according to Klaus in a post seen here below:

 

[Roebuck]

Maybe a smaller set like 7936 Level Crossing is in the wave

[Duq]

Lego have released 3 'Expert' train sets, and they happened to be two years apart. They're not part of a theme (other than Creator) and there's no pattern.

If we're lucky we'll get another Expert train at some point but I'm not holding my breath. I'm certainly not expecting one next year since they're already producing the City trains.

[zephyr1934]

13 hours ago, 3797 said:

The gems from the 9V era were 4558, 4563 and 4551. I do own and like 4564 but 4563 was a better set, imo. Compared to those, sets like 4559, 4660 and 4565 as well as the RC Trains and the complete My Own Train line have always been complete turds.

Set 4512 was essentially a redo of 4564 10 years later, and then 3677 a redo of 4512 8 years later than that. Nothing has been the complete system of the 80's though. Lego evolved from only the best is good enough, to... well... I'm not really sure what they were thinking in the late 1990's, to chasing the highest profit margins in the mid 2000's. They probably needed to do that to survive and now they are clearly thriving. It would be nice if they brought back the train accessories (3737)

[PeteM]

11 hours ago, Duq said:

Lego have released 3 'Expert' train sets, and they happened to be two years apart. They're not part of a theme (other than Creator) and there's no pattern.

If we're lucky we'll get another Expert train at some point but I'm not holding my breath. I'm certainly not expecting one next year since they're already producing the City trains.

Yep, this seems the most realistic - I'm fairly sure that, having covered off the three major modes of traction (steam, diesel and electric), that Creator line is done for the time being.

The only small hope I have is, if Lego are seriously looking at rereleasing retired sets that have a high aftermarket value and a Lepin version (like UCS MF and Taj Mahal), maybe Emerald Night will feature in their plans?

[ElectroDiva]

5 hours ago, PeteM said:

Yep, this seems the most realistic - I'm fairly sure that, having covered off the three major modes of traction (steam, diesel and electric), that Creator line is done for the time being.

 

That seems like an odd way to look at it. They don't stick to the one and done rule in any other line so what makes you think they would do that for the Creator Expert Trains ?

 

Infact, they have already produced two steam trains in the line (Emerald Night and Winter Holiday Train) so your theory doesn't really make sense.

 

I would speculate that in addition to the expected City passenger and Cargo trains next year we *might* get an Expert train towards the end of the year to get back to the 2 year release cycle. If that *doesn't* happen, I think there would be a pretty strong chance of getting one in 2019.

[PeteM]

1 hour ago, ElectroDiva said:

 

That seems like an odd way to look at it. They don't stick to the one and done rule in any other line so what makes you think they would do that for the Creator Expert Trains ?

 

Infact, they have already produced two steam trains in the line (Emerald Night and Winter Holiday Train) so your theory doesn't really make sense.

 

I would speculate that in addition to the expected City passenger and Cargo trains next year we *might* get an Expert train towards the end of the year to get back to the 2 year release cycle. If that *doesn't* happen, I think there would be a pretty strong chance of getting one in 2019.

Ah well, I don't count the Winter Train set - that was part of the Winter Village line, not the standalone Creator Expert series of the previous three. I like it well enough, but if it was supposed to be to the standards of the latter I'd be massively disappointed...

There's no particular logic in my 'one of each' theory, except the need to see patterns in the mysterious decisions Lego make (why would they stop making such great trains on the two year pattern after 2013?). As a result, I don't expect anything this year or next (except the City sets) - but I am really hoping!

[ElectroDiva]

Well the Winter Holiday Train does say "Creator" and "Expert" on the box so I think we have to conclude it was part of the line :).

 

TBH I'm not the biggest fan of the set and agree completely that it isn't up to the standards of the previous 3 (imho exceptional) creator expert sets, but technically it's part of the line.

 

I hear you on looking for patterns to understand the inscrutable decisions of TLG btw - I can't for the life of me understand why such a loyal and passionate fan base as the trains fans can get such little love from them. 

 

Sadly, it's not just train fans that get poor service though (I also happen to be a big fan of classic castle and pirates which also seem to be low down on their priority list)

[Phil B]

I'm secretly hoping for a proper, Emerald Night-style Hogwarts Express to go with the new Harry Potter theme (re)launching summer 2018 (or at least, I heard rumors this theme is coming back). And then of course a D2C Hogwarts castle with a couple of thousand pieces.

Edited November 6, 2017 by Phil B

[dr_spock]

A proper Creator Expert Hogwarts Express would be cool.  There are still a lot of Potter fans out there that it might be a good business case.

 

[Trekkie99]

On 11/5/2017 at 7:01 PM, dr_spock said:

A proper Creator Expert Hogwarts Express would be cool.  There are still a lot of Potter fans out there that it might be a good business case.

 

Or just the fact that I'd love to see a cool red train.