LEGO Trains 2023

[*thomas*]

This is a great 'little' set. It has a nice station (the building is small, but actually looks like any rural station in Western Europe) and altough the engine and carriages are a bit short and lack magnets and doors, it's a great base for an AFOL to mod, but, more importantly, for a kid to play with and get in touch with classic steam train design. 

 

[Murdoch17]

8 hours ago, *thomas* said:

This is a great 'little' set. It has a nice station (the building is small, but actually looks like any rural station in Western Europe) and altough the engine and carriages are a bit short and lack magnets and doors, it's a great base for an AFOL to mod, but, more importantly, for a kid to play with and get in touch with classic steam train design. 

 

This set is also our second complete station EVER in LEGO based on a real location (the first one was based on the same location in set 10132 from 2004, nearly 20 years ago!): Goathland Railway Station was where the film series was filmed up to Order of the Phoenix. (I would count Kings Cross, but one platform doesn't make a up station... especially one as large as Kings Cross!)

Edited May 3, 2023 by Murdoch17

[ivanlan9]

I'll buy this one, even if it is steam; it'll go well with the Emerald Night.

Those two little cars will make up one big one.  It's possible I'll learn from the EN experience and buy two or three sets in order to have three long carriages.

I especially like the station:  not only did it appear in the HP films, but it was also used in the new, remade, "All Creatures Great and Small," which to my mind is much better than the old series.  But YMMV. ...

[Ondra]

Station is really good, but that train is awful. In some details is better than last one, but overall feels basic as it can be, especially these carriages.

They are so barebone it actually hurts...

[Darkkostas25]

22 minutes ago, Ondra said:

Station is really good, but that train is awful. In some details is better than last one, but overall feels basic as it can be, especially these carriages.

They are so barebone it actually hurts...

May agree with some parts and yeah we could make a fine hybrid with the previous one 
change wheel spacing, some minor cab twiks, and let the boiler from this one(I love this much more) don`t touch a tender it`s way better than the previous, and re-made cars(they always lame :C and needed improvements )

[*thomas*]

1 hour ago, Ondra said:

Station is really good, but that train is awful. In some details is better than last one, but overall feels basic as it can be, especially these carriages.

They are so barebone it actually hurts...

You have to put this into perspective. LEGO could've given us one 4 axled cariage, but we would all be annoyed because there is only one car. And we all like to look back at the golden era of LEGO trains (80s and early 90s), but this is what a basic, non motorised set looked like:

[Ondra]

1 hour ago, *thomas* said:

You have to put this into perspective. LEGO could've given us one 4 axled cariage, but we would all be annoyed because there is only one car. And we all like to look back at the golden era of LEGO trains (80s and early 90s), but this is what a basic, non motorised set looked like:

I dont expected full size carriages, but I expected exactly something like this. So yeah thanks for photo, new HE is nowhere playable like this.

[Man with a hat]

It doesn't look too bad. Two carriages and a decent station. Better than a CITY train. But then again, those are motorised.

[*thomas*]

1 hour ago, Ondra said:

I dont expected full size carriages, but I expected exactly something like this. So yeah thanks for photo, new HE is nowhere playable like this.

I'm just curious: in what way is the new HE not as playable? The only difference I see is the lack of doors (again). On the plus-side, the new HE is a building that is for more engaging than the simple platform. 

[Ondra]

48 minutes ago, *thomas* said:

I'm just curious: in what way is the new HE not as playable? The only difference I see is the lack of doors (again). On the plus-side, the new HE is a building that is for more engaging than the simple platform. 

Doors, cars can be separated easily, they have buffers.

[*thomas*]

1 hour ago, Ondra said:

Doors, cars can be separated easily, they have buffers.

I see (and I agree). But to be fair, those are easy to overcome. It's the first time in years that I consider buying a train set from LEGO. 

[Vilhelm22]

Something interesting that I’ve not seen pointed out yet is the presence of 2 of the ‘rerailer’ slopes - I believe this is only the second time they’ve appeared (first being Hidden Side).  These are fantastic from the playability perspective and even in some cases for us (where we have a useful siding) - putting trains back on the track can be a real fiddle at times.

On 5/3/2023 at 4:18 PM, Murdoch17 said:

This set is also our second complete station EVER in LEGO based on a real location (the first one was based on the same location in set 10132 from 2004, nearly 20 years ago!): Goathland Railway Station was where the film series was filmed up to Order of the Phoenix. (I would count Kings Cross, but one platform doesn't make a up station... especially one as large as Kings Cross!)

That’s a really good point - a proper completely realistic station is a very rare thing in Lego sets, and the recent few haven’t looked particularly realistic…

Yeah 1 platform doesn’t really represent the 11 platforms (12 if you count 9 3/4) at KX with the arched roofs does it?

[Murdoch17]

1 hour ago, Vilhelm22 said:

Something interesting that I’ve not seen pointed out yet is the presence of 2 of the ‘rerailer’ slopes - I believe this is only the second time they’ve appeared (first being Hidden Side).  These are fantastic from the playability perspective and even in some cases for us (where we have a useful siding) - putting trains back on the track can be a real fiddle at times.

That’s a really good point - a proper completely realistic station is a very rare thing in Lego sets, and the recent few haven’t looked particularly realistic…

Yeah 1 platform doesn’t really represent the 11 platforms (12 if you count 9 3/4) at KX with the arched roofs does it?

The rerailer is also in set 60335, (the 2022 train station) so this will be it's third outing. But you are correct, it's a fantastic part. Its useful for railing engine with many wheels on several bogies. For example, it's incredibly difficult to get my Milwaukee Road bipolar electric (14 wheel sets total) on the tracks without it! 

[Big_Daddy]

So I haven't quite figured out yet: could this new HE engine go through standard lego curved rails or not?

[Vilhelm22]

3 train ideas reached the review this round……out of a total of 71!  Interesting variation in types but with Orient Express and Studgate they won’t make it I’m almost certain.

[RedBrick1]

The Old Train Engine Shed has just been announced as a Bricklink Designer set. AFOL Trains are on a bit of a roll this season!

[zephyr1934]

Interesting to see the HP train... aesthetics are better than the last one but not significantly. Good to see track included, who can't use a few more sections of straight track?

One interesting feature I see is that the top of the driving wheel flanges are hidden behind the runningboards. That's a nice touch, wonder what part that is they used for the effect.

 

(day job has died down just a little and now I have time to catch up just a little)

[Pelzer117]

On 5/10/2023 at 4:08 PM, zephyr1934 said:

One interesting feature I see is that the top of the driving wheel flanges are hidden behind the runningboards. That's a nice touch, wonder what part that is they used for the effect.

For me, it looks like a Plate, Modified 1 x 8 with Door Rail (4510) in red, with slopes on it. I tried to use this on my Scotsman MOC, but wasnt satisfied.

Edited May 21, 2023 by Pelzer117

[Man with a hat]

The brothers-brick now have a review of the Hogwarts express. And indeed the metal axles are back.

[Murdoch17]

4 minutes ago, Man with a hat said:

The brothers-brick now have a review of the Hogwarts express. And indeed the metal axles are back.

Happy days are here again! 

[zephyr1934]

On 5/10/2023 at 10:08 AM, zephyr1934 said:

One interesting feature I see is that the top of the driving wheel flanges are hidden behind the runningboards. That's a nice touch, wonder what part that is they used for the effect.

Ah, double wedge, I thought it looked familiar. Good review by TBB

[M_slug357]

I love how the engine and coaches have lil bits of dk red in there… like is this TLGs way of saying “we could, but won’t”  ?

Maybe with the 40th anniversary version we’ll see a dark red set…? 

 

[Toastie]

4 hours ago, Man with a hat said:

And indeed the metal axles are back.

W-H-A-T ???

Is that a joke ???

The >m-e-t-a-l< axles are back? You know what that means???

They put in danger us! They put in danger their clients ... swallowing metal axles - oh crap. Well, cut the crap, I'd say: This is absolutely wonderful news!!! 

You know what that means? BB cars back on the track - provided the wheel sets w/ axles show up on whatever TLG's marketplace name is nowadays, I lost track - BB is what I turned to ... but their wheel sets still suck.

Nice!

Thanks for the news!

Best,
Thorsten

[Mondo-TRON]

I read an review for the Hogwarts Express and it appears ( or maybe I mis read it) it might derail on Lego curve tracks. Im looking for a new PoweredUp train, mod or included. I have  loss interest in this HE.

When is the next train set coming out?

[Murdoch17]

14 hours ago, Mondo-TRON said:

I read an review for the Hogwarts Express and it appears ( or maybe I mis read it) it might derail on Lego curve tracks. Im looking for a new PoweredUp train, mod or included. I have  loss interest in this HE.

When is the next train set coming out?

Orient Express IDEAS set. Release date unknown, probably 2024, to be honest. Nobody knows what it looks like either.

Edited June 2, 2023 by Murdoch17