Set Review - #21319-1: Central Perk - LEGO® Ideas

LEGO® Ideas set #27… #21319-1: Central Perk… cue the intro theme… and roll it!

Okay, I don’t do videos and I don’t have rights to stream that music, but you get the idea.

Released 1 September 2019, this set contains 1,070 pieces. It retails at $59.99 in the US. That works out to $0.056/piece. This set is based on the TV sitcom “Friends” which aired from 1994 until 2004. It captures the coffee house the gang used to meet up at very often. And for whatever reason, after 27 LEGO® Ideas sets, this is the second one of a TV studio. The first was #21302-1: Big Bang Theory (LEGO® Ideas set #10 from the 2015 to 2016 time frame).

The front of the box shows the full set with the minifigures highlighted on the bottom. The back provides a few close ups of some of the details. For fun, I included pictures of the sides so you can see some of the details to include “how you doin” and smelly cat.

The set contains six parts bags, a small sticker sheet, and the instruction booklet. Like some of the previous Ideas sets, the instructions contain some information about the TV show, details about the fan designer, and details about the LEGO set designer and graphic designer.

Five stickers total. Not too bad. There are a bunch of printed elements so I can’t complain too much.

Bag one builds the base of the TV studio. Nothing overly exciting here other than it’s great that it is not just a rectangle or square, but they included some angles.

The second bag builds the wall where the coffee bar is located. Lots of small little details are included with different cups and containers which helps it to match the scene. The menu board is printed versus a sticker which was a bonus.

Bag three builds another wall and starts to build the wall that goes around the angle with hinge bricks. The interior has some decorations to include the standard 1x2 tile with a bridge picture used in numerous other models. Brickset says it is in seven sets to include four modular buildings and then #21302-1: Big Bang Theory.

I was curious how the angled wall would be created. The designer used a mix of tiles and studs on the floor. Then the wall uses hinge bricks. The geometry was done just so in order for the hinge bricks to line up on the spots where there are studs in the base. Clever design in my opinion.

The fourth bag includes the coffee bar counter, some additional decorations, and a table and chairs. What stood out to me was how the patterned rug was made. Many of the modular buildings use tiles to create patterns on the floor. Here the designer built a design using plates and bricks and then you lay that on its side. It does not attach to the set in anyway, but it fits perfectly and won’t come out unless you tip the set over. They also included some SNOT pieces so you can connect the furniture or minifigures to the rug.

The fifth bag completes the wall in the “front” of the cafe. It has the angled wall, two doors, and the window with logo. The window with logo is printed and thankfully not a sticker. This part of the build also includes a couch for Phoebe or others to perform at with a microphone, stand, and keyboard. The keyboard is made with a 1x4 tile with printed keys. This section includes another “rug” with bricks placed on their side.

I also found it interesting how the wall hooked into the floor with clips to achieve the angle. A cool building technique I wouldn’t have thought of for sure.

The last bag builds the main part of the cafe you are used to seeing on the show… the couch and chairs where a lot of the discussions are held by the main cast members. This section of the build includes another “rug” built by laying bricks on their side. On top is a couch, an arm chair, two other chairs and a coffee table. The table has a reserved sign (with a sticker), a newspaper, and some studs to put cups or whatever else you want on the table.

This bag also includes three poles that would hold up the ceiling (if it wasn’t a studio) and then two brick built studio lights.

This set comes with seven minifigures. The top row from left to right in my picture is:

Chandler Bing (with laptop)
Phoebe Buffay (with guitar)
Gunther (with broom)

The bottom row of my picture from left to right is:

Joey Tribbiani (with pizza box, pizza slice, and a bag)
Monica Geller (with a chocolate pastry as I guess they didn’t have anything else for her to hold)
Rachel Green (with tray and mug)
Ross Geller (with… nothing)

I didn’t do a deep comparison between pictures of the actors and the minifigures, but from a top level I think the designers did a good job capturing the cast. You can easily discern which minifigure is which character and they are wearing outfits you remember from the show.

Here’s the full set with the minifigures inside. Overall it’s an interesting build with some good techniques. The piece count is high considering the price although a lot of the pieces are smaller. Otherwise, the price isn’t too bad. I would have preferred to pick this one up on sale, but it has yet to go on sale (that I have seen). The good thing is that the initial rush that led to this set being out of stock is over and it is pretty easy to find or pick up online.

From a LEGO fan standpoint, there was a great post on thebrickblogger.com about custom Central Perk sets. A number of fans took the set and then built full up buildings to go with the set. I don’t think you ever see the full outside of Central Perk so it’s cool to see what some people think it looks like. It’s something I will add to my long list of buildings to come up with someday.

If you’re a fan of “Friends,” definitely grab this set. It definitely meets the intent of the show and captures the likeness of each of the characters.

This might not be the set for people who aren’t fans of the show, but thankfully there are some great pieces for MOC builders to use elsewhere.

What are your thoughts on this one?

Happy building!

Set Review - North Eastern Style Caboose - Brick Model Railroader

I enjoy building different LEGO themes, but when it comes down to it, I really trains make it to the top of the list. LEGO hasn’t offered much for a while and hopefully the new Crocodile Locomotive is a start towards more brick trains. Despite LEGO not diving into trains, the fan community has done their best to pick up the slack. One such group has a website called Brick Model Railroader. The site has been built by a group of LEGO train fans from around the world. You can read about them and find links to some of their work here. The team is trying to promote the hobby. They want to show other model railroad fans that the “L Gauge” is a real thing. They’ve built a standard for everyone to follow so people collaborating on a train display can build separately and then assemble it all at a show and have it fit together.

They’ve also done something great for fans like me who are not good at building MOCs. They’ve turned their detailed MOCs into sets that you can customize. You can peruse their shop here. I purchased a few of the sets and today I’ll take you through one of them.

Let me back up a bit. I purchased four sets and three decals. I received an order notification and shipping notification rather quickly. The package arrived promptly and was possibly one of the best packed items I’ve ever received. The box size was right and the sets were wrapped in bubble wrap. There was zero damage. Props to the BMR team! An order sheet specified that I would be receiving one of the decals in the mail directly from OKBrickWorks. It showed up a few days later.

Onto one of the sets. I ordered the North Eastern Style Caboose for $40. It arrived in the box pictured below. It is a plain white box with a BMR sticker affixed to the top.

Inside were the parts, an instruction book, and the decals I ordered. No bricks? Correct. You are buying the instructions, but they aren’t just any instructions. They provide the design for you to match multiple historical versions of the car based on what you want to build. Then you can use your own collection or purchase bricks to build one or multiple versions of the set. So not as easy as buying a LEGO produced set, but lots more options.

The LEGO purists will freak out at this point, but the set includes some custom parts. GASP! It includes the train wheels with ball bearing axles and then some custom clips. I have not tested out the wheels yet, but BMR advertises that they run much smoother and cause less friction than standard LEGO train wheels. So we’ll see…

The instructions are the key to the set. They come in an individually wrapped bag and weren’t crammed in like they usually are in LEGO sets. The first few pages contains some details about the actual caboose to include when it was first built, where it was used, and some of the stats about the caboose itself. The actual build instructions compare with ones you would see in a LEGO set where it shows you the pieces you need and a picture of where you are at with the build. I haven’t actually built the set so I can’t verify that they are good or not.

The back of the instructions comes with a bill of materials stating all of the pieces you will need for the set. For customization purposes, the bill of materials lists what pieces go on the inside, what goes on the outside, and which pieces should be specific color (mostly black). This way you can build based on actual cabooses or come up with your own color scheme. If it wasn’t helpful enough, the instructions also list the part numbers on BrickLink for your ordering purposes.

Last bit of usefulness to report… included in the instructions are details about replacement pieces to use if specific pieces aren’t available in another color. I found that useful on another set I purchased as the color I picked didn’t have a few of the pieces available in that color.

The last bit of detail I ordered were some decals. These are printed by OKBrickWorks and cost $7.50. I purchased a Conrail version as I remember Conrail trains going through my town as a kid. I didn’t buy decals for all of the cars I purchased, but I figured I’d try them out on a few. As a kid, I built plastic model aircraft. I was never good at the decals that went on them so we’ll see how this goes.

Overall, I’m impressed with the set and look forward to building it. I’m holding off on the build process as most of my collection is in storage. I want to raid my own parts before I go out and buy more. I’m excited to see what the final end product looks like and can’t wait to someday run it on a train display somewhere. The set is a bit pricey considering you aren’t getting all of the parts, but you are paying for the time and effort to put a custom build into instruction form with a bill of materials for you to repeat as you desire. The ordering and shipping process was smooth and Cale took the time to make sure the sets showed up in pristine condition. Props to the BMR team for a great set!

Have you purchased a BMR set before? What are your thoughts?

Happy building!

Set Review - #10277-1: Crocodile Locomotive - 18+

The Crocodile Locomotive was released in the US on 3 July 2020. If you follow what I write, it took quite a while for it to finally get shipped here, but thanks LEGO for the extra 1,000 VIP points. This set contains 1,271 pieces and retails for $99.99. That works out to $0.079/piece which isn’t too bad in my opinion.

You can watch the official LEGO Designer video on YouTube here.

If you want a review from someone who is a big train fan and into LEGO trains, you can see the Brick Model Railroader’s review at their site here.

Finally, one last plug. There have been a lot of comments about this set in terms of its design. JANGBRICKS has a video where he explains some of the fixes he’s made. You can give your own opinion, but feel free to use his fixes or modify your set as you desire.

Onto the review!

Here is the box. It is the new 18+ designed box. It no longer shows the play features or minifigures. Instead it highlights the design with some shots showing the detail. The title of the set is listed on the front with a design around it. Finally the bottom of the box has a dark gray stripe of greebling which lists the 18+, set number, and number of pieces

The box contains nine numbered parts bags (2 one, 2 two, 2 three, 3 four), an bag without a number containing the large plates and train wheels, and then the instructions and sticker. The set has mostly printed elements, but the data plate has a large sticker for you to place.

The first set of bags builds the base. The base reminds me of the bases on Architecture themed sets with the one stud wide black tile around the edge. Instead of using the standard LEGO track, you build the track yourself which takes a bit of time repeating the steps and placing a lot of 1x1 plates. It is interesting that they chose to put tiles in the center, but plates on the outside of the rails. I wonder why that was?

There are two 1x4 bricks in the center for you to attach the locomotive to for display purposes. Also, you can see the sticker on the ramp piece which describes the set.

Here’s an up-close look at the sticker. I think I was mostly able to center it and I didn’t get any large air bubbles. There might be one small one, but it is not noticeable at a quick glance.

This set comes with two minifigures. A male with the old style had and a female with black hair (no hat with hair?). They both have the same torsos and legs. As shown, they have some tools available to hold which can also be stored inside the train. Nothing super exciting about these minifigures, but no complaints from me on them either. They go well with the set.

The second set of bags completes the center section of the locomotive. The build starts with the Technic elements needed to motorize the locomotive (if desired). You then build the cabin area and the control areas for the minifigures.

While the set is an 18+ set, the build was not overly challenging. This part went together pretty smoothly for me. I was thankful to not have stickers to place. From this picture you can see the fans in the compartment and then two printed tiles on the side of the section which repeat on the other side.

Two more pictures… first is a closer shot of where the minfigures sit. Each figure has a wheel, two dials, and a brake handle. There is also a clip directly behind them to store the toolbox and wrench. Not a lot of comfort here and don’t lean back or let the train stop fast to have a tool hit you.

The second is the crew seating area. This section pulls out easily so you can place the motor and Powered Up Hub inside the compartment. I like how easy this is as compared to the Emerald Night (#10194-1) which required some decent overhaul to motorize it.

Here’s a peak inside the compartment without the crew positions in place. You can see the Technic elements where the motor will go. Everything went together pretty easily and seems to run smoothly without the motor connected so we’ll see what happens with the motor.

The third set of bags completes the front and back of the compartment as well as the top. Most noticeable are the pantographs on the top. I placed one in the up position and one lowered. The pantographs took a bit of time to piece together and were a bit challenging to do given all of the small connections you have to make. They are pretty fragile as well so not something you’d want younger kiddos playing with. The top also had a bit of color with the red whip pieces as wiring and then a few spots of dark green to liven up the gray and brown color scheme.

The front and back have a one piece window frame that you insert a one piece clear window into. It makes the model look smoother and I can see why they did it, but it would have been interesting to see how you could have brick built the window screens.

Here’s a side view of the center section.

The last set of bags finish the set. They also build the front and back sections of the locomotive. These builds are identical and I built both sections at the same time. It was a bit repetitive, but for the most part this was the most advanced part of the build that provided a bit of challenge. Nothing crazy, but it seemed like more pieces and the use of different techniques.

I saw a few reviews where there were complaints about the black background of the instructions and the dark colored pieces. I concur that this was a bit of a challenge, but I managed to figure out the build okay.

Two more photos… one a side view of the whole locomotive and one is a front view so you can see the detail there.

Overall, I am pumped to have another train to add to the collection. It’s not my first choice for a set, but I can’t complain about having one. The build is not super challenging, but it was technical enough to keep me interested. The color is a bit bland, but that’s the least of my complaints. The price per piece is decent and the initial sell out seems to be over on Shop @ Home.

I can see why people have complained about the gap between the cab area and the front/back sections. It could have been easily fixed in the design process, but I agree that if it is that big of a deal to you, fix it yourself. For now, I’m okay with the locomotive as is, but I may look to change it in the future.

I have a motor and hub finally, but I haven’t installed it yet. Stay tuned for that post and I’ll give an assessment on how the locomotive actually runs. (here is my post on motorizing the train)

In the meantime, happy building!

Set Review - #71027: Series 20 Collectible Minifigures

I just posted my review of #71026: DC Super Heroes and now once again I am late to the game. Series 20 was released back on 19 April 2020. The packs retail for $4.99 each. As I mentioned previously, I don’t want to pay that much so I have been waiting for discounts. I bought a few from LEGO.de here in Germany. The price here is 3,99€ so the few that I purchased there worked out to be around $4.30 to $4.50 after the exchange rate kicked in. Not the best price, but I’ll take the slight discount. I then found some locally for $3.45 and then Amazon.com had them for $3.44.

The bottom line is if you enjoy collecting the collectible minifigure series sets that LEGO produces, be patient with your purchases and you can get them at lower prices.

I’m not going to spend time talking about each minifigure. Instead I will give some overall comments.
-I’m a fan of the non-licensed collectible minifigures and I like the creativity that goes into them and the ability to use them in MOCs or with other sets.
-The costumed minifigures have been great through the years and LEGO didn’t disappoint with Series 20.
-I’m still frustrated with the dispersal of minifigures and how it always seems like you get extras of the ones you’d want least. I don’t need that many Super Warriors!
-Good to see that half of the series is female characters. As a kid, I remember arguing over who got to play with the few female minifigures that we had because they just weren’t made a lot. Now we have a bunch which is awesome!

That’s it on this one. I look forward to a late review again on the next collectible minifigure series.

Happy building!

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Piñata Boy and Drone Boy

Viking and Tournament Knight

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Martial Arts Boy and 80s Musician

Breakdancer and Athlete

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Pajama Girl and Brick Costume Guy

Super Warrior and Pirate Girl

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Sea Rescuer and Space Fan

Llama Costume Girl and Pea Pod Costume Girl

Set Review - #71026: DC Super Heroes - Collectible Minifigures

This series was released on 1 January 2020 yet I’m releasing a review in late July 2020? Why the lag?

The retail price was too steep for me at $4.99 per bag. No thank you!

As the series nears retirement (I assume), the sales have started. I picked some up from Amazon.com with a limit of three for $2.99 and a limit of 27 for $3.44. I also found some locally for $3.45. If you’ve held off, not is the time to start looking for sales. Avoid paying the full price. If you paid full price, wait for the price to drop for future Collectible Minifigure series so you can avoid shelling out $5 each.

The series contains 16 minifigures. The packaging is still the larger bags versus the original smaller bags. Additionally, some of the minifigures have parts that come in a separate plastic bag. For a company striving for sustainability, this doesn’t make sense to me…

Before I go further, I will fully admit that I am not a Super Heroes fan whether they be DC or Marvel. I am not into comic books, I rarely collect the LEGO sets, and I have only seen a few of the super hero related movies that have been released… well ever. So my review will focus on the minifigures themselves versus how well they depict specific characters or who the character exactly is in what theme.

Of note for this series, each minifigure comes with a 1x2 black jumper plate and the poseable clear piece to put your minifigure in different positions while on display.

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Metamorpho is definitely a multicolored figure with orange right hand, reddish/purple left hand, clear left leg, and brownish right leg. I’m sure someone creative can figure out how to reuse these parts. The giant hand has a space to clip it onto the minifig hand so it is a standard minifig arm just holding that piece. Not much else going for this minifig.

Green Lantern comes with the lantern and a clear holder to hold a green 1x1 circle tile. The lantern is quite large as compared to the minifigure, but I guess it has to be in order to fit into the LEGO world.

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Bat-Mite comes with a 2x3 tile of a comic book. he has a small cape and mask too. The interesting thing about this figure is it comes with the poseable piece, but since he has the small legs, they don’t bend so it limits his poses.

Huntress is next. She comes with a crossbow and black cape. The mask is printed on her face and the face has 2 expressions (mouth opened and mouth closed). She also has a utility belt and the package came with 2 so you can use the second one elsewhere. I like the darker purple color.

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Mister Miracle has two capes along with a large gray chain and the set comes with 2 handcuffs. Of the purchases I made, this one seemed the be the rarest one from my limited subset. I only got one of these in multiple orders.

Star Girl comes with an interesting translucent orange sparkly piece mounted on a gold colored staff. She has 2 facial expressions as well (mouth opened or closed. Her utility belt is printed on the outfit versus separate. Not sure how LEGO decides what to print versus how to outfit a minifig. Anyone?

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We’ve seen a lot of both of these so did we have to include them again? Joker has a giant pink beehive (I know, it is not really) and then a 1x2 joker playing card tile. Batman comes with a long rope and a batarang in blue. I would have rather seen some other figures than these again, but as a non-fan of DC Super Heroes it doesn’t matter what I think.

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Bumblebee comes with a set of wings and two yellow lightning bolt type things to hold. She has 2 facial expressions (mean and smiling). I don’t recall seeing a hair piece like that before either. I like this minifigure!

Flash has a fun hat and then this bolts coming out the back as he runs along. Nothing super exciting about this character as presented.

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More repeats we’ve seen before although I’m sure a big fan will correct me and say we have not seen this exact Superman or Wonder Woman in these specific forms. Superman comes with a copy of the Daily Planet which I think is new. Wonder Woman has her lasso which has appeared before.

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Cyborg has an interesting helmet and oddly printed head. I wonder if this costs more to build pieces that aren’t used elsewhere? He comes with a small purple chain.

To quote “The Big Bang Theory…”

“Aquaman sucks!”

I don’t know what he should look like, but the giant oddly green fish along with the Fabio hair and slightly unshaven face makes him look somewhat ridiculous. The left arm doesn’t do anything to save him. Sorry LEGO.

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Sinestro appears similar to Green Lantern with the over-sized lantern and a yellow 1x1 circle tile. Nothing too exciting here.

Cheetah comes with a green money bag. She has 2 facial expressions… both look mean, but one has an opened mouth. Replace the face and this becomes a fun costumed minifigure.

As a collector of these minifigures, my series is complete, but overall I am not impressed. Come up with something better next time LEGO!

LEGO® Customer Service at its Best

I ordered the new train set on its release date of 1 July 2020. #10277-1: Crocodile Locomotive was packaged up that day at the warehouse. When I placed the order initially, the gift with purchase set #40411-1: Creative Fun was not added to my order. Then when I received the order confirmation message a few minutes later it was listed. In that time I had emailed customer service asking what I missed when I placed the order to get the gift with purchase. Then I quickly sent a note saying I was good to go. About five days later I received an email saying they were sorry for the confusion and that they alerted the web team of the issue I had to make sure it didn’t happen again to others.

Fourteen days after I placed the order, the set remained in “pre-shipping.” I was getting concerned because that is very unlike LEGO for shipping in the US. I reached out to Customer Service again just to check on the status of my order. I knew it would take around five days for a response to come in and I wasn’t mad about it. I just wanted to make sure it didn’t get misplaced.

Seventeen days after the order was placed, the shipment started moving outside of the warehouse. I was glad to see it was on its way.

Then on 18 July (four days after I sent the message to Customer Service) I received an email from Svetoslav. It said:

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“Thanks for getting in touch with us.

I'm sorry we couldn't reply to your email sooner but as you might imagine we've been busier than usual helping fellow LEGO® fans from all over the world!

Looking into your request, I see that your order has already been shipped. I'm sorry for the delay but our colleagues at the warehouse and our delivery partners are taking extra safety measures to make sure your order arrives in the best condition and safest way possible which adds to the usually longer than residential addresses delivery time frame that applies to your shipping address. I hope this doesn't cause you or your LEGO® fan an inconvenience so I've added 1000 VIP points in hopes you'd give us another chance to earn your trust in the future. You can track your order by visiting USPS.com and using tracking number XXXX. I hope everything's alright now but please let us know if not or if you need any further assistance!

If you need anything else or have any further questions, please don't hesitate to get back in touch! :)
Stay safe and have an amazing day!

We want to make sure we're doing a good job for you, so you’ll always find the link to a four-question survey in our emails. Please tell us how we did today:

Please let us know if you need anything else.

Kind regards,

Svetoslav
LEGO® Customer Service”

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First off, I wasn’t mad and didn’t lose trust in LEGO. I just wanted to make sure the package didn’t get lost. I get it. We’re’ in the middle of a pandemic and warehouse procedures are probably different. No worries there.

Secondly, 1,000 VIP points!?!?!?! I realize with the new VIP system that’s ~$5 off and then points to the next $5, but wow! That wasn’t required at all. I appreciate the gesture though.

Hats off to the LEGO® Customer Service team! I know they’ve had to adjust to working at home and the volume of requests has gone up, but they’ve gone above and beyond to help customers out when the system isn’t working at 100%. Thank you all and keep up the good work!

Have you had any experiences with LEGO® Customer Service worth noting?

Happy building!

Let's Help Fairy Bricks Bounce Back!

It’s another sad day in the LEGO fan community…

I first saw it on Brickset, but it has been reported in multiple places. The UK-based charity called Fairy Bricks was robbed… again!!!

Back in 2017 people busted into their van and took off with a bunch of sets. Here’s an article about the first terrible occurrence. The picture below is from that event. It’s not like someone left it unlocked or was able to break the lock… they just tore open the door with… I don’t know, a crow bar? Goodness! I enjoy LEGO, but not enough to pry open a van and steal the sets inside.

The most recent robbery occurred this past weekend. Thieves apparently cut a hole on the side of the building, busted in, loaded up the van, and drove off with the van and sets. WHAT!?!?!?! That is ridiculous! Come on!!!

The aftermath of the devastation is pictured below. The police are involved and investigating.

If you’re not familiar with Fairy Bricks, they raise funds to buy sets to give to kids in hospitals across Europe. You can visit their site for more details here. They are very active in giving sets during the pandemic as can be seen in the picture below.

As it has taken me a day to get this post out, the situation has unfolded some. The van has been located. YAY! No sets though. All of the sets stolen did not have the charity’s sticker on them so they weren’t marked. A number of LEGO fan sites have posted the update and a list of the sets stolen. You can see Brickset’s article here. Or you can watch a clip from Beyond the Brick below:

Finally, if you are interested in helping them out through this tough time, consider donating. You can donate directly through their site here. The donations are accepted in British Pound Sterling so be aware that you’ll have to pay the exchange rate when making a donation in US Dollars.

I hope and pray for a swift resolution to this situation so they can get back to giving. Thank you to everyone who had helped already and to the LEGO Group who said they are working to replace the sets. Let’s turn this negative situation into a positive one!

Happy building!

A Peak Inside LEGO®'s Factories

In case you missed it, in late May 2020, LEGO posted a video to YouTube.com showing how they make and assemble minifigures. Specifically, this one follows the series 20 collectible minifigures. It was posted on a number of fan sites and has almost 5 million views at the time of this post so my guess is many have seen it already. If not, you can see it here or below.

A second video was posted on 12 July 2020. This one shows how LEGO DUPLO is made. It has just over 30,000 hits at the time of this post so my guess is most haven’t seen it yet. You can take a look below.

I hope LEGO continues this series of videos as it is interesting to see inside the factories.

What do you want them to show us next?

Happy building!

Expanding the Emerald Night (#10194-1) - Creator Expert Train

The last Creator Expert train was #10233-1: Horizon Express and it went off sale in the US in late 2014. Since then we’ve have a number of CITY trains and trains in other themes, but no Creator Expert-like trains. I’m super excited that #10277-1: Crocodile Locomotive is out although out of stock on LEGO Shop @ Home in the US. For those of you that are mad, don’t worry because at the time of the writing of this post it was also out of stock in Germany. I placed my order on day one (1 July) and I’m waiting for it to ship. It has been in “pre-shipment” status for nine days now which has concerned me. Hopefully it will ship shortly and arrive in one piece.

Before the Horizon Express we had the #10219-1: Maersk Train (available 2011 to 2012 in the US) and then starting on 1 April 2009 and ending on 25 November 2011 in the US we had #10194-1: Emerald Night.

Pictured above is the steam engine from the set configured for PF (minus the battery box in the tender). I think it is a phenomenal model and ranks up there in my book as one of the best trains LEGO has released. It was totally outside of what they have ever done before and it was a welcome sight along with the sleek color scheme. The design wasn’t quite perfect, but with the help of some smart AFOLs, I was able to modify the engine for better operation. The $99.99 price tag in the US for 1,085 pieces was reasonable and it included one coach shown below.

The downside to the set is it only includes one coach and that’s it. You could go on Ebay, Bricklink, or on the secondary market elsewhere to get another coach, but that gets pricey. So the benefit of LEGO bricks is the ability to build on your own. After purchasing this set, I did exactly that… or at least tried to.

I ended up building two additional coaches so I would have three total. The coaches I built look similar, but have a few key differences. You’ll notice the windows are not the same for the main part of the coach and the doors. At the time, the exact ones were too expensive for me on Bricklink. Maybe they are cheaper now, but I’m okay with the different set up. If you look closely, there is a small gap by the window on the door as I couldn’t get that design perfect so it doesn’t look as smooth. Also the door is not very sturdy as it is only held together by one stud on the outer edge of the coach car. It still swings open and shut though.

Additionally, there are two rows of darker brown plates on the original car. The color was not as prevalent at the time I built this so I just used the standard brown color. If I go for an update in the near future, I could easily replicate that.

Finally, at the time I built this, the 1x2 brick with a Technic pin hole in the middle in brown was very expensive to purchase (for me). It has reappeared multiple times since then so buying it now shouldn’t be an issue. I have 1x1 tan plates and could easily match the original coach.

The only other problem I have is the light gray plates on the roof has discolored with age. I either need to follow some of the methods online to restore them or replace them. Not a huge deal, but it would help the train to look a lot better.

And it wouldn’t be a complete train without a caboose. I built up a simple caboose design using the same color scheme with some of the same troubles as the coaches in terms of color matching. Additionally, you can tell the windows don’t exactly line up and the slight gap causes them to bow in a bit.

I wonder how it would look using the dark green on the Emerald Night versus the tan and brown of the coaches?

The picture above is how the whole set looks with the additional coaches and caboose. Despite the flaws in design that I have pointed out, I think the train looks much better with multiple coaches and a caboose. In the future, I may look to modify the coaches and caboose. Should I add other cars? A mail car? A sleeping car? A dining car?

Have you tried to build your own coaches or made any modifications to this set? What are they? Let me know in the comments or email me at store@bricksforbricks.com.

Happy building!

Another COVID Public Service Announcement - LEGO Jurassic World

LEGO released a public service announcement for LEGO Batman back in May. In July we have a new one. This one is from Jurassic World. I haven’t seen it shared elsewhere so enjoy if you have yet to see it.