Review: 910055 Gold Mine Expedition
Posted by CapnRex101,
Since its introduction, the BrickLink Designer Program has included some excellent Western models. Another arrives with series six: 910055 Gold Mine Expedition. This structure is certainly substantial and captures all the details expected of frontier mines.
However, this mine invites comparison with the wonderful 7036 Dwarves' Mine, which remains among my favourite play sets. There is an opportunity for even more functionality here, plus detailed interiors, perhaps matching 910031 General Store and the other BrickLink Designer Program entries.
Summary
910055 Gold Mine Expedition, 3,382 pieces.
£269.99 / $299.99 / €299.99 | 8.0p / 8.9c / 8.9c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
I expected more of 910055 Gold Mine Expedition, but it is still quite enjoyable
- Strong presence on display
- Attractive colours
- Lovely details, particularly inside
- Good minifigures, considering the parts available
- Bland functions
- A few questionable building techniques
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
The Completed Model
Though this set's focus is obviously the titular mine, there are plenty of minifigures supplied to populate the surrounding area, including the traditional group of bandits with their dark orange horse, plus a dog. All the characters are identified by name on BrickLink and the gang's leader, Red Ruby, is a particular standout, re-using Paisley's hair from LEGO Friends.
The gold mine is doubtless defended, so perhaps this wagon would be an easier target for the bandits. This vehicle is quite small and therefore complements the bigger version from 910031 General Store, featuring a similar cover on the back and making clever use of ladders on either side. There is a seat for the wagon driver, of course.
Despite their disparate subjects, bigger sets in the BrickLink Designer Program are commonly about the same size. 910055 Gold Mine Expedition looks fairly similar to 910049 Adventure in Transylvania, for instance, measuring 35cm across, 30cm deep and 39cm in height. Moreover, the model looks remarkably vibrant on display, thanks partly to the liberal use of dark red bricks for buildings.
The mine is seemingly constructed near an underground spring, which could cause problems in the future! For now, however, the stream passing outside looks lovely and drives a water wheel linked to machinery in the mine. I think the structure of the water wheel puts its elements under stress though, which is disappointing, even in BrickLink Designer Program models.
On the other hand, I love the minifigure panning for gold in the stream and the exterior is highly detailed, between some nice foliage and wooden signs. Sixteen stickers are applied across the mine and I like the rough aesthetic of those near the mine entrance, plus the eye-catching olive green well.
A short mine cart track transports gold from within the mountain. While I am glad this feature is included, I cannot help thinking it could be far more elaborate and interesting, particularly given the precedent of the aforementioned 7036 Dwarves' Mine, which offered amazing functions.
I think the same about the functions deeper underground. The rock crusher connected to the water wheel and the exploding wall are reasonable, but I somehow expected more, even in a display model. Similarly, the rock walls appear rather plain, but some of the smaller details are impressive, such as the delightful canary and the provisions stored in their own room.
Returning to the exterior, there are two staircases to access the buildings above the mine. The front entrance is flanked by wooden pillars and I love the nougat clips used for detail under the windows, as well as along the edge of the roof.
Inside we find an office, perhaps belonging to the mine's owner or a geologist examining rocks as they are excavated. Either way, I like the bookshelves and grandfather clock placed against the wall, with a stickered portrait opposite. The hole down to the cavern underneath seems odd though, albeit needed for a later function.
There are a few secrets to be discovered, including stacks of cash hidden behind a map on the wall! Notably, I think there is a mistake on the map sticker, as 'horse trial' should presumably be 'horse trail'. The design looks good though and the banknotes behind are fun.
Opposite the map is a printed painting with a hatch underneath, leading to a storage space for mined gold. I appreciate that this room is concealed, but I think a secret door would have been more fun than a small passageway, which you cannot easily push a minifigure though. I like the removable side wall though, improving access, as shown below.
Miners can get refreshments in the canteen, which includes a couple of tables and chairs, with lots of accessories displayed on the wall. These and the dartboard make the room feel suitably chaotic and the adjoining kitchen is very detailed as well, though difficult to reach for play, given its small size. Also, I wish its floor was fully tiled.
The post room is awkward to access as well, although the compact space makes sense and is brilliantly detailed, once again. The typewriter and fireplace both look great and I like the notice on the opposite wall, showing the post office hours. A telegraph would have been a fun addition too, but I assume the events of this set take place before its invention or installation.
The external door in the post room leads to another staircase, heading for the next floor. I like when chimneys are accurately positioned for fireplaces, as in this case, plus the various pipes on the walls. Furthermore, the Brick Creek sign looks splendid. The sand blue elements clearly stand out, but their colour still seems realistic.
Space comes at a premium in the foyer on this level, particularly with multiple doors occupying much of its wall space. Even so, the room is still properly furnished with a chest of drawers and a hat stand.
The adjoining dormitory is quite detailed, including a writing desk, a gramophone and colourful bunk beds. The patterns on these beds look superb, though they are not actually large enough for minifigures to lie down and the gramophone is a bit underwhelming relative to those in other sets, probably because of the limited parts available for BrickLink Designer Program sets.
Gold is melted in the furnace and then moulded into ingots in the next room. It is a shame this structure is smaller than others and therefore lacks a proper door, but the interior looks superb, notably including a circular hatch covering a hole in the floor. Two floors below is the mine.
A crane on the rear balcony brings goods to this level, which is much easier than lugging things up multiple flights of steps. The crane mechanism is very basic and works well, extending down to the ground. Moreover, I am pleased with the details on the outside of the uppermost structure, including a classic Old West sign.
The traditional wooden headframe looks excellent, accessible via ladders and reaching all the way down to the mine, through the moulding room and the office. Sadly, you cannot really see the winch passing through each level without removing entire floors, which obviously results in detaching the crane as well.
However, there are no issues with the attic above the dormitory. Again, minifigures can climb a ladder to reach the attic, where plenty of supplies are kept. The many details look splendid and the mouse nibbling on a piece of cheese is a fun inclusion too, making full use of the space!
Overall
For the first time among BrickLink Designer Program sets I have built, I find 910055 Gold Mine Expedition a little underwhelming. This is certainly a nice model, packed with all the details you would expect from a 3382-piece set and looking wonderful on display, given the effective use of colour to create a bright scene. The interiors should not be overlooked either.
My slight disappointment stems from the functions, which are a lot simpler than I envisaged for such a large mine. Perhaps this relates more to my own expectations than the set's true quality, but I think more could have been achieved with the space. That being said, £269.99, $299.99 or €299.99 seems a fair price and I think this would be a welcome addition to any Western scene, though not a perfect one.
This set and four others will be available to pre-order later today, from 17:00 CEST, 16:00 BST, 11:00 ET or 8:00 PT.
62 likes
34 comments on this article
I'm honestly extremely tempted by this set. I don't have much of a Wild West display going on but I keep imagining building out some more terrain from this.
Should go well with my General Store, WW Train and Merchant Boat!
I don't know, man - the BLDP-products just aren't for me. Some of them are evocative, original, really great stuff; others mostly smack of "hey, wanna buy my wonky MOC?". It's not that I don't like the design here, I just prefer it when it's been run through the rigors of TLG's internal design - although that too, has proven to be questionable in recent years.
The mountainside is really disappointing. I enjoy seeing a good brick-built cliff-structure, and that's something you tend to see in up-market MOCs. This is just lazy. I'm not saying I could've done better, but then again, I'm not asking you to buy my wonky MOCs here.
"Horse trial" sounds accurate to me. A horse is just a pointless unicorn.
This and the castle are tempting, but they feel very expensive too, or I'm feeling poor.
Wondered which one would be reviewed here. Is there a choice or do Lego pick for you?
This and Art Gallery for me.
Nicely balanced and informative review by @CapnRex101 . Once small inaccuracy though, as you write that "a telegraph would have been a fun addition too, but I assume the events of this set take place before its invention or installation."
However, telegraphy reached the North American west coast, where this mine presumably is located, by the 1860s, while the production of phonographs didn't start until 30 years later. So, that would roughly place this set in the 1890s or early 1900s. Assuming this set would be historically accurate, its location would most likely be in either Colorado or Canada, since the California gold rush was already over by the time the phonograph was introduced.
@daniellesa said:
"This and the castle are tempting, but they feel very expensive too, or I'm feeling poor.
Wondered which one would be reviewed here. Is there a choice or do Lego pick for you?"
We submit a list of preferences and Gold Mine Expedition was my first choice, in this case. We have sometimes received our second or third choice in the past; it doubtless depends on who requests what.
@ToysFromTheAttic said:
"Nicely balanced and informative review by @CapnRex101 . Once small inaccuracy though, as you write that "a telegraph would have been a fun addition too, but I assume the events of this set take place before its invention or installation."
However, telegraphy reached the North American west coast, where this mine presumably is located, by the 1860s, while the production of phonographs didn't start until 30 years later. So, that would roughly place this set in the 1890s or early 1900s. Assuming this set would be historically accurate, its location would most likely be in either Colorado or Canada, since the California gold rush was already over by the time the phonograph was introduced."
Good point. In that case, the telegraph should probably be included.
What exactly is the stress on the bricks mentioned in relation to the water wheel? @CapnRex101
Seeing as these are 'fan designed' sets, it feels odd to not reference the fan designer in the review. I guess this is not an interview and helps you stay impartial?
Due to the nature of the contest, I think most of these BDP sets are designed in studio first and foremost, and only tested in bricks at later date. From experience I know how hard it can be to come up with play functions while working digitally, and it can be all too easy to build spaces digitally that would be more difficult for human hands (especially large adult hands) to interact with. I guess this is where 'official' sets differ, with designers having access to a library of parts to test things physically before committing them to a digital design.
All these BDP sets are way out of my hobby budget, so I just enjoy watching them from afar. I wish @brickproject_lego all the best for this round, and Sushi Restaurant design in the series 5 as well.
@ToysFromTheAttic said:
"Nicely balanced and informative review by @CapnRex101 . Once small inaccuracy though, as you write that "a telegraph would have been a fun addition too, but I assume the events of this set take place before its invention or installation."
However, telegraphy reached the North American west coast, where this mine presumably is located, by the 1860s, while the production of phonographs didn't start until 30 years later. So, that would roughly place this set in the 1890s or early 1900s. Assuming this set would be historically accurate, its location would most likely be in either Colorado or Canada, since the California gold rush was already over by the time the phonograph was introduced."
Great set. Can't wait to get it.
Your point on the telegraph-phonograph issue is well taken.
However, just because a gold rush ends does not mean that mining ends. In fact, large mine buildings like this would be indicative of corporate mining ventures which conducted hard rock extraction once the easy surface deposits were played out.
I believe there is still gold mining in California today. The last gold mine in Colorado transitioned from a working mine to a gambling town tourist attraction only a couple decades ago.
EDIT: I have been informed by reliable sources that the last Colorado gold mine has changed ownership, and us now a functioning mine again currently producing gold.
@StudMuffin24 said:
"What exactly is the stress on the bricks mentioned in relation to the water wheel? @CapnRex101 "
Undue Lego brick stress is defined as the amount of force in foot pounds exerted on sharp ABS plastic left unnoticed on the floor by a human of average mass striding at an average foot per hour when said foot is without protection and placed unintentionally on said brick multplied by the amount of stress said human experiences upon contact measured in expletives per second squared.
Horse Trial isn't a typo, the horse is part of the gang and must answer for its crimes
@CapnRex101 said:
" @daniellesa said:
"This and the castle are tempting, but they feel very expensive too, or I'm feeling poor.
Wondered which one would be reviewed here. Is there a choice or do Lego pick for you?"
We submit a list of preferences and Gold Mine Expedition was my first choice, in this case. We have sometimes received our second or third choice in the past; it doubtless depends on who requests what.
@ToysFromTheAttic said:
"Nicely balanced and informative review by @CapnRex101 . Once small inaccuracy though, as you write that "a telegraph would have been a fun addition too, but I assume the events of this set take place before its invention or installation."
However, telegraphy reached the North American west coast, where this mine presumably is located, by the 1860s, while the production of phonographs didn't start until 30 years later. So, that would roughly place this set in the 1890s or early 1900s. Assuming this set would be historically accurate, its location would most likely be in either Colorado or Canada, since the California gold rush was already over by the time the phonograph was introduced."
Good point. In that case, the telegraph should probably be included."
Also in the post office: The first commercially successful typewriter was developed more than 30 years after the invention of the electric telegraph.
@StyleCounselor said:
" @StudMuffin24 said:
"What exactly is the stress on the bricks mentioned in relation to the water wheel? @CapnRex101 "
Undue Lego brick stress is defined as the amount of force in foot pounds exerted on sharp ABS plastic left unnoticed on the floor by a human of average mass striding at an average foot per hour when said foot is without protection and placed unintentionally on said brick multplied by the amount of stress said human experiences upon contact measured in expletives per second squared."
It’s comments like these that keep me coming back…
Best site for reviews and discussion.
@StyleCounselor said:
" Your point on the telegraph-phonograph issue is well taken.
However, just because a gold rush ends does not mean that mining ends. In fact, large mine buildings like this would be indicative of corporate mining ventures which conducted hard rock extraction once the easy surface deposits were played out.
I believe there is still gold mining in California today. The last gold mine in Colorado transitioned from a working mine to a gambling town tourist attraction only a couple decades ago.
EDIT: I have been informed by reliable sources that the last Colorado gold mine has changed ownership, and us now a functioning mine again currently producing gold."
Cool info, thanks! However, looking at this set's details, I assume finding gold's the main initiative. Or that guy in the stream is a few decades late to the party!
@dudeski said:
" @CapnRex101 said:
"Good point. In that case, the telegraph should probably be included."
Also in the post office: The first commercially successful typewriter was developed more than 30 years after the invention of the electric telegraph. "
More confirmation to date this to the 1890s or later, when telegraphs were definitely already in frequent use.
This doesn't feel like a 1800s build to me that would look good next to the other Bricklink Western sets of 910044 and 910031. It feels more like a modern Western themed park attraction. If that's your thing, cool, but this looks like something that would be more at home next to 10273 Haunted House than a genuine Western shelf.
I'm usually a fan of the BLDP sets and have bought at least one from most past series. But none of these are doing it for me. Which my wallet is thankful for.
This will be my first BDP purchase and I am hyped for it!
@StudMuffin24 said:
"What exactly is the stress on the bricks mentioned in relation to the water wheel? @CapnRex101 "
The outer ring of the water wheel is assembled with eight 1x4 railing elements connected by 1x4 hinge plates and you can feel when building it that the hinges are under stress because the geometry with the water wheel's core is not perfect. The wheel is not tearing itself apart or liable to break the elements, but this is not a technique you would find in a standard LEGO set.
"Horse Trial" seems more correct, how else would we know of the horses are credible? @capnrex101
The BL pre-orders did not even start yet but BL already timed out for me...expecting good times soon.
Following as it does yesterday's article about the BrickLink Designer Program entry of Solomon's Temple, is this Solomon's Mines? :-)
@CapnRex101 - any other updates related to Series 6? Did they confirm that there are no strict caps again like last time?
Edit:
https://www.brickfanatics.com/lego-bricklink-series-6-need-to-know/
Only 1 week?!
@Crux said:
"I don't know, man - [...]
The mountainside is really disappointing. I enjoy seeing a good brick-built cliff-structure, and that's something you tend to see in up-market MOCs. This is just lazy."
This was was my first thought, too, when I saw the mountainside. And it continues inside with the capert-floored mine with the plain walls. This could have been much better!
@Librarian1976 said:
"Following as it does yesterday's article about the BrickLink Designer Program entry of Solomon's Temple, is this Solomon's Mines? :-)"
Solomon Luna's mines, given the time period.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_Luna
@yellowcastle said:
" @CapnRex101 - any other updates related to Series 6? Did they confirm that there are no strict caps again like last time?"
jays claimed "we will see Series 5’s Dynamic Production Numbers applied to Series 6 as wel" in his review
@watcher21 said:
" @yellowcastle said:
" @CapnRex101 - any other updates related to Series 6? Did they confirm that there are no strict caps again like last time?"
jays claimed "we will see Series 5’s Dynamic Production Numbers applied to Series 6 as wel" in his review"
And presumably it's only one week so that it will not overlap with the rumoured double points starting on Oct 14th!!
@CapnRex101 said: "...the hinges are under stress because the geometry with the water wheel's core is not perfect"
To me it seems like the outer rim is connected with the core with two little "robot hand" clips inserted into headlight bricks on each side. The shaft of the clip should be able to slide in/out a little, allowing for the imperfect geometry without stress - at least in theory, I imagine it can be rather fiddly to align all the clips just right to get the wheel properly "round" while at the same time eliminating any stress.
@axeleng said:
" @CapnRex101 said: "...the hinges are under stress because the geometry with the water wheel's core is not perfect"
To me it seems like the outer rim is connected with the core with two little "robot hand" clips inserted into headlight bricks on each side. The shaft of the clip should be able to slide in/out a little, allowing for the imperfect geometry without stress - at least in theory, I imagine it can be rather fiddly to align all the clips just right to get the wheel properly "round" while at the same time eliminating any stress."
This is correct, but those robot claw elements also pass through 1x2 rounded plates, so they are attached with quite a lot of friction. I fiddled around with them while building and could not get the claws to a position where the 1x4 hinge plates fitted perfectly.
I cannot show the instructions because they are not finalised, otherwise I would include a screenshot to illustrate the issue, or at least the challenge.
I should emphasise that the building techniques in this set are similar to others from the BrickLink Designer Program, in that there are a few a standard LEGO set would avoid, but only a few.
@CapnRex101 said:
" @StudMuffin24 said:
"What exactly is the stress on the bricks mentioned in relation to the water wheel? @CapnRex101 "
The outer ring of the water wheel is assembled with eight 1x4 railing elements connected by 1x4 hinge plates and you can feel when building it that the hinges are under stress because the geometry with the water wheel's core is not perfect. The wheel is not tearing itself apart or liable to break the elements, but this is not a technique you would find in a standard LEGO set."
I appreciate you pointing out issues like these that you wouldn’t find in standard LEGO sets, as I feel like many reviewers say how brilliant the BDP sets are because they’re effectively MOCs, without acknowledging that this sometimes comes with compromises, be it in terms of stability or indeed stress on parts.
@CapnRex101 said: "those robot claw elements also pass through 1x2 rounded plates, so they are attached with quite a lot of friction. I fiddled around with them while building and could not get the claws to a position where the 1x4 hinge plates fitted perfectly"
Is the problem too much friction or that the assembly is too tight even with all the claws in the innermost position? In the latter case the problem could be caused by slightly different variants of the claws used in design and production, and the production claws not being able to be pushed in as far as the designer intended. If so, it may work to replace the headlight bricks and rounded plates with 1x2 bricks with studs on the side (giving about half a plate more leeway and also reducing friction), but of course this should've been caught in the review/final refinement stage.
One thing is that this may be one of many possible pitfalls of digital designing, but it's also an issue with Lego's constant changes to the parts without considering how it may affect advanced building techniques. This can happen in official sets too, for instance I believe they changed the white flower piece used on top of the corner facade of 10211 to one without hole which no longer would fit.
@ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" Your point on the telegraph-phonograph issue is well taken.
However, just because a gold rush ends does not mean that mining ends. In fact, large mine buildings like this would be indicative of corporate mining ventures which conducted hard rock extraction once the easy surface deposits were played out.
I believe there is still gold mining in California today. The last gold mine in Colorado transitioned from a working mine to a gambling town tourist attraction only a couple decades ago.
EDIT: I have been informed by reliable sources that the last Colorado gold mine has changed ownership, and us now a functioning mine again currently producing gold."
Cool info, thanks! However, looking at this set's details, I assume finding gold's the main initiative. Or that guy in the stream is a few decades late to the party!"
You'd think. However, the destructive mining for gold creates a lot of runoff that contains all sorts of heavy metal pollution. Yet, it also recreates the opportunity to recover gold as well. So, a guy panning downstream from a mine is not as silly as it might appear.
In fact, there are plenty of tourist opportunities to pan for gold in Colorado and other old gold rush areas. You can still find plenty of gold, too. The question is how long it takes versus the price of gold. It's very slow, tedious, back breaking, and the water is from snow melt.
If you're looking for a gold mine with good play value, it probably is 60188
@ToysFromTheAttic said:
"Nicely balanced and informative review by @CapnRex101 . Once small inaccuracy though, as you write that "a telegraph would have been a fun addition too, but I assume the events of this set take place before its invention or installation."
However, telegraphy reached the North American west coast, where this mine presumably is located, by the 1860s, while the production of phonographs didn't start until 30 years later. So, that would roughly place this set in the 1890s or early 1900s. Assuming this set would be historically accurate, its location would most likely be in either Colorado or Canada, since the California gold rush was already over by the time the phonograph was introduced."
Visually it reminds me a lot of the Kennecott Mine in Alaska, which ran from 1903-1938, although that was a copper mine, not gold.