LEGO Trains 2024

[Elphiel]

Most interesting are the color plates inside the tracks in front or after each "station" or "crossing". Looks like lego is building color sensors now into duplo trains? Interesting how that might translate to city Lego trains in 2025.

[Murdoch17]

38 minutes ago, Elphiel said:

Most interesting are the color plates inside the tracks in front or after each "station" or "crossing". Looks like lego is building color sensors now into duplo trains? Interesting how that might translate to city Lego trains in 2025.

They been doing Duplo train sensors for over 20 years, or even 30 years if you count this reverser part.

[Murdoch17]

I never want to hear they can't do My Own Train sets (or even more trains in general) ever again because it uses up too many SKU slots... this F1 series of Speed Champions sets proves they just hate train fans. It's like they're thumbing their nose at us!

[Lyichir]

31 minutes ago, Murdoch17 said:

I never want to hear they can't do My Own Train sets (or even more trains in general) ever again because it uses up too many SKU slots... this F1 series of Speed Champions sets proves they just hate train fans. It's like they're thumbing their nose at us!

Each of these cars is a complete playable unit on its own, whereas part of the issue with the old My Own Train sets was that unless they were being bought by a train fan who already had their own collection, buyers would have to buy multiple different sets before they had a full train. It's not really a symmetrical comparison.

I also feel like "they hate train fans" is a pretty big simplification for the more important factor of "train fans are not necessarily the biggest or trendiest audience". There's no animus necessary to explain it—train fans tend to be fewer and often older whereas F1, like it or not, is a pretty hot commodity right now across various age ranges.

[Toastie]

46 minutes ago, Murdoch17 said:

they just hate train fans. It's like they're thumbing their nose at us!

Well ... there is no hate, I guess. It is more - train fans are not ... that many. And (not many) x (possible highest train set price ever accepted) does not match their (F1 set price always accepted) x (so many). It is not hate nor rubbing. It is revenue. TLG has departed since long from any "fan" oriented ... which is, in a shark tank, a reasonable strategy for surviving. And making tons of money, of course. The fan oriented love thing only works, when there is no competition ...

Best,
Thorsten

@Lyichir Seconds before my reply, I entirely agree with your assessment. 

Edited November 21, 2024 by Toastie
Too late ... as so often :D

[LabManager]

I'm expecting new train sets not earlier than 2026.  At least, this date is more or less reasonable since first powered-up trains debuted in 2018, then there were two more sets in 2022, so I think the next ones may come in 2026. And what is interesting for me, the 2024's Lego catalog still features the 60198 Cargo Train from 2018, not the 2022's 60336 Freight Train! Can't understand why they still advertise the 60198 set which is out of stock now.

Looking at new 2025 train sets, one can only find Duplo trains there. I've noticed there's a new purple action brick with a star on it, wondering what is the function of this new brick and if the old duplo trains will recognize it.

The updated bridge and the new tunnel also look fresh. Overall, both me and my son still find Duplo trains more functional than the City trains  Wish Powered Up trains will feature the same sensors and sounds some day - they could place the color sensor and the speaker inside the second smart-bogie under the train, and the Powered-Up serial link could be used to control the train's hub.

 

 

Edited December 4, 2024 by LabManager

[Murdoch17]

Since LEGO appears to be doing a 180 and going back to the metal axles VS. the plastic ones used in the 2022 sets, I think it's possible that new trains may come in 2025. Maybe people aren't buying the plastic-axles trains, and it's hurting the LEGO bottom line? I don't have any clue if that's what's truly happening, but it wouldn't surprise me. The fact remains plastic axles are horrendous and they brought back the metal ones three or so years after saying they were totally done with them.

[ILoveSeatron]

2 hours ago, Murdoch17 said:

The fact remains plastic axles are horrendous and they brought back the metal ones three or so years after saying they were totally done with them.

Agreed, plastic axles are no good!

I hope Lego comes out with some good train sets in 2025.

[RedBrick1]

4 hours ago, Murdoch17 said:

Since LEGO appears to be doing a 180 and going back to the metal axles VS. the plastic ones used in the 2022 sets, I think it's possible that new trains may come in 2025. Maybe people aren't buying the plastic-axles trains, and it's hurting the LEGO bottom line? I don't have any clue if that's what's truly happening, but it wouldn't surprise me. The fact remains plastic axles are horrendous and they brought back the metal ones three or so years after saying they were totally done with them.

I am confident that LEGO's bottom line is not greatly affected by the sales of the Trains theme. 

[Lyichir]

1 hour ago, RedBrick1 said:

I am confident that LEGO's bottom line is not greatly affected by the sales of the Trains theme. 

Pretty much this. Which is not to say that the backlash to the plastic axles didn't contribute to the metal axles' return—even a more niche theme can be receptive to feedback from customers.

[MAB]

I doubt most buyers of the train sets even knew the difference between plastic and metal axles or what the set contains at the time of purchase. If a kid wants a lego train set, they'll choose a current set off the shelf. And they will probably only buy one train set, no matter what type of axles are in it, but also buy more accessory packs. My kids, they were given one train set and later on packs of extra track, and a station. As they were only going to get one engine, and what type of axles were in it wasn't really going to affect the purchase of more train engines that year or the next few.

[idlemarvel]

14 hours ago, RedBrick1 said:

I am confident that LEGO's bottom line is not greatly affected by the sales of the Trains theme. 

Agreed. We are a small minority interest group, compared to licensed themes, Technic cars etc. 

1 hour ago, MAB said:

I doubt most buyers of the train sets even knew the difference between plastic and metal axles or what the set contains at the time of purchase. If a kid wants a lego train set, they'll choose a current set off the shelf. And they will probably only buy one train set, no matter what type of axles are in it, but also buy more accessory packs. My kids, they were given one train set and later on packs of extra track, and a station. As they were only going to get one engine, and what type of axles were in it wasn't really going to affect the purchase of more train engines that year or the next few.

Agreed, most casual buyers wouldn't know or care. Personally I have never found plastic axles a problem, as I only run 6-wide short trains, and visually they are identical. Yes if you run wider (heavier) longer trains you need less friction, in extreme cases roller bearings.

[Space78]

Agree trains are just a "blip" for Lego's revenue.  A lot of stores in the U.S. don't carry the motorized train sets in store (Target, Walmart).  For now things seem to be settled into two lines for trains: two City sets (one cargo one passenger) aimed at children/mass market sales, and AFOL sets offered through Ideas or BDP.  We'll see what the future brings.  Two train related BDP sets (old train shed, and Brick Cross Train Station) sold out in 24 hours, while the Logging Railway set did not hit 30,000 sales.  I strongly suspect the Wild West Train in BDP 4 is going to sell very fast.  We'll see what Lego concludes from this data.  No train related items in BDP series 5 or 6...  We can only hope there is something for train fans coming from Lego in 2025.

[Lyichir]

Finished building Brick Cross Train Station for my dad yesterday! Really fun set. I like how it blends the London train station look with things like the teal accents on some recent City train stations.

[Murdoch17]

4 hours ago, Izzynufc-2 said:

 Two new Lego City set names for 2025 

60470 Arctic Explorer Express Train

60471 Arctic Explorer Science Truck

We have an new train coming in 2025, as noted in the CITY 2025 thread! I'm hoping for a rotary snowplow, how about you guys?

@JopieK, can you please rename the thread to 'LEGO Trains ongoing Rumors and Discussion'?

Edited December 15, 2024 by Murdoch17

[M_slug357]

@Lyichir I thought the teal was interesting, but would've preferred that whole part to be teal.

@Murdoch17 It'll probably be a wagon-train on the ground, not a proper train on the rails.

Should prob start the 2025 thread at this point lol

[Yoggington]

I find it hard to imagine that's a train in the classic sense.. i.e. on rails.

More like a train of 'vehicles & carts'. A husky train, a wagon train etc.

Happy to be surprised, a snowpiercer style beast could be very interesting, and it would give them a way to mix it up from the usual cycle of cargo / passenger / revert.

[JopieK]

I opened a 2025 topic:

 

[Murdoch17]

My brother who doesn't have an EB account made this recolor of the 2024 Downtown Streetcar set into Metroliner colors and asked me to share it and his Flickr stream.

Hope that's ok @JopieK and I hope you guys like it. He really is proud of it. I'm sharing it here because it's his only picture of it and it doesn't really warrant it's own thread with just one picture.

Edited January 1 by Murdoch17

[XG BC]

looks like a good recolor, i think there is a tram system with a similar paint sceme, idk which one though

[dr_spock]

Nice.  Doesn't SEPTA have those colors?

[zephyr1934]

5 hours ago, Murdoch17 said:

My brother who doesn't have an EB account made this recolor of the 2024 Downtown Streetcar set into Metroliner colors and asked me to share it and his Flickr stream.

That's a great tribute

[JopieK]

10 hours ago, Murdoch17 said:

My brother who doesn't have an EB account made this recolor of the 2024 Downtown Streetcar set into Metroliner colors and asked me to share it and his Flickr stream.

Hope that's ok @JopieK and I hope you guys like it. He really is proud of it. I'm sharing it here because it's his only picture of it and it doesn't really warrant it's own thread with just one picture.

Splendid find indeed!

6 hours ago, dr_spock said:

Nice.  Doesn't SEPTA have those colors?

It is classic Amtrak livery based I think, but SEPTA is close.

[Murdoch17]

11 hours ago, XG BC said:

looks like a good recolor, i think there is a tram system with a similar paint sceme, idk which one though

8 hours ago, dr_spock said:

Nice.  Doesn't SEPTA have those colors?

6 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

That's a great tribute

1 hour ago, JopieK said:

Splendid find indeed!

It is classic Amtrak livery based I think, but SEPTA is close.

Thanks everyone, I've passed the comments on to him!