Review: 10233 Horizon Express

[Lazarus]

i think the price is good. should be around $200nz thats ok for this amount of bricks 3 large cars. most of the set with track and PF in Nz around around the $350 mark depending on what it is. $400 for a 6 car train about what 3000 bricks. not a bad deal i think, was it not $120US on the us lego site thats a good price. if shipping was not so much i would buy from there at a saving of about $60nz

also Emerald Night i dont think looks that good and the cost in NZ is alot i think i saw it for like $450 i maybe wrong, i have not seen it much here. For one loco and a carrage seams alot to me. Its trying to be a A1 loco but just does not have the length that is should. I have seen some amazing A3 MOC ups by lego fans what are better the the Emerald Night.

But i am a Deisel Fan even in my N scale and HO i am a deisel kid. I was around when Steam was prity much dead and the deisel was running the show. I remmber seeing the TGV as a boy and was amazzed as there was nothing like it in the UK at the time maybe a HST is the closest. And always wanted to go on one when i lived back in the UK so i am really keen to get my hands on this no matter the cost. two months seams so long when you really want something.

Edited November 14, 2012 by Lazarus

[wondermonkey]

Cool orange TIE Fighter mostlytechnic!!! Nice review too, very helpful.

[Kristel]

Thanks for the excellent review, mostlytechnic. I now want this set more than ever!

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Fantastic review for an excellent set!

[brickie]

Thanks for a great review.

Hopefully Santa will bring me two of these.

A few years ago, I modified the red passenger train to this:-

I added another PF motor, receiver, battery box to the rear engine.

I also included a PF control switch where the rear 'driver' sat. I reversed this motor, set the control to the same channel as the front motor, put his head on the technic lever and the unit worked perfectly.

As it went around, it just looked like a guard in the back.

This is probably a safer solution for those of us who don't like opening motors.

Then again, 2 x 9V motors will also work wonders.

[Masked Builder]

Wow, this set is beautiful! All of those orange parts, I probably would pick this up if I had room for a train layout.

[Brickus]

Thanks for giving us a better look at this great set. This will be a day one purchase for me, along with Arkham Asylum.

Edited November 16, 2012 by Brickus

[Man with a hat]

Thank you for an excellent review. You really covered alle the aspects of the train. I feel like I now know everything there is to know about the HE.

And it makes me even more anxious to get one or two or...

[Widdi]

And I'll have to get this set during the next year and some RC rails, to replace the old 9v rails for the display tracks, since I don't have that much rails and being stuck to the classic 9v system, which was replaced some years ago (That was much more comfortable, just setting up the track and the trafo, and let it run).I don't need to PF that thing, simply changing the rear bogie on the locomotive with the old 9v train motor, should be enough, no cables etc. needed, since I don't care about the PF-lights

mfg Widdi

Edited November 16, 2012 by Widdi

[spzero]

Love this set deffo getting a few, one is a belated anniversary gift from the wife :D wish the control panel had being printed instead of a sticker we have loads of 2x4 brown tiles anyway.

thanks for the review excellent work, and there is still a give away pending on eurobricks so keep an eye out closer to the launch date,

[mostlytechnic]

For those wondering, I ran it with the single motor in the front and pulled the two stock cars, two Emerald Night cars, and 2 Maersk cars with no problems, even through curves and switches and over Flex-Track. I could spin the wheels when the loco was on flex track and the cars going around a curve, but once in motion, it worked fine over anything. It did struggle a big, so double motors wouldn't hurt at all. If I was making a double set, I'd probably just put dual motors in the front and have the back unpowered for simplicity.

[Cavannus]

There are few things I dislike about this model: I find this is too close to the existing French TGV to be "based of" (e.g. typical orange colour with white dark stripes, door "Z" pattern, overall front and roof shape), while some details do not respect the original model (e.g. the nose is not curved as the original model, side stripes are clearly black instead of grey, passenger windows are too small) -- so I don't feel that I'm seeing a TGV.

In other words, IMO this model is neither a free inspiration nor an accurate reproduction (as the Santa Fe, the BNSF or Emerald Night).

I think this is a question of strategy decisions and the designer did a great job!

[Lazarus]

Its a lego train not and Model train, its not meant to be 100% small scale replica like a model train.

You cant expect it to be its lego.

[Cavannus]

I know this is Lego :)

However the BNSF, Santa Fe and Emeral Night really impressed me when I saw them for the first time (and they continue to do so!), but I didn't recognize the "essence" of my childhood TGVs on this model.

I assume that if the nose was slightly longer and the stripes dark grey instead of black, I would have fallen in love.

[Electricsteam]

This set is amazing :) and I heard about this set after watching a history channel special on the TGV :)

[mdelleman]

Excellent review! Thanks.

I can not wait to get my hands on at least one of these (-:

[Sjuip]

Splendid review, MostlyTechnic! :thumbup:

Especially the photographs are great. I really envy you for already having had this great new set in hand!

Based on your excellent photos, I was able to build this set (98% correct) digitally in LDD. For the LXF-file, see here.

[Lazarus]

wow awsome i am so looking at that when i get home.

[indolego]

Awesome passenger train set. I was torn whether to get this set or the Lego Emerald Night as my first train collection. I got the Lego Emerald Night in the end, but am looking forward to buy this set now.

[Skystorm87]

I got two of them but I have to wait until the end of the month to make them running. Small problem: my station is too small to ti six carriages train!!

[Haddock51]

I recently built a double Horizon Express with two extra waggons.

The train is equipped with four 9V engines.

This is a real high-speed train - not just from a design point of view ...

[LegoSjaak]

I recently built a double Horizon Express with two extra waggons.

The train is equipped with four 9V engines.

This is a real high-speed train - not just from a design point of view ...

Yes, make 'm longer... Nice to see.. i was already lurking for two extra waggons on a internetsite....so see what it would look like...but here is the answer already.... cool....long trains... and largely overpowered, that is also cool!Greetz, LegoSjaak

[Haddock51]

Yes, make 'm longer... Nice to see.. i was already lurking for two extra waggons on a internetsite....so see what it would look like...but here is the answer already.... cool....long trains... and largely overpowered, that is also cool!Greetz, LegoSjaak

Very nice pictures indeed!

The Horizon Express shown above is not largely owerpowered since it will have to manage inclinations up to 8 percent and a total altitude difference of 175 cm! And a High Speed Track of 2x25 meters ...

See also my topic "9V Extreme - Power Supply"

[Legoboy22]

I got the HE and it was worth it.

[Godzilla91210]

Custom car Bar For Horizon Express.

http://www.eurobrick...orizon +express

And build Bogie Jacob between intermediate cars.

Edited December 28, 2014 by Godzilla91210