Random set of the day: The Loader-Dozer
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 4950 The Loader-Dozer, released during 1999. It's one of 13 Rock Raiders sets produced that year. It contains 90 pieces and 1 minifig, and its retail price was US$20.
It's owned by 2,939 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you should find it for sale at BrickLink, where new ones sell for around $225.00, or eBay.
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42 comments on this article
So it's a loader and a dozer? didn't know that you could have both, and that cage isn't gonna protect you from falling rocks you know.
That over-sized wrench looks weird but what is concerning is that there is a piece of dynamite on the roof. maybe he's going on a suicide mission to kill the rock monster in front of him.
Very glad I have this set and all the main ones except the base. 4990
This also has the original big fig.
Beautiful accent colours with original brown and greys. Love it. Although, I am not fond of the rock monster; not rockish enough I think: seems more of a swamp or cesspool creature to me — based on the colour alone.
@Maxbricks14 said:
"So it's a loader and a dozer? didn't know that you could have both, and that cage isn't gonna protect you from falling rocks you know."
Not to mention very big rocks attempting to end your load-dozing by hitting you in the face with a shiny green crystal.
Did you know that rock raiders was the inspiration for power miners? I guess power miners just modernised it and made it look appealing by adding more colour.
And $225 dollars! rock-raiders must be very popular.
And here is the rock-raiders story:
The Rock Raiders were travelling on their spaceship, the LMS Explorer, on a long expedition through the galaxy's outer rim. They had just finished their journey and were heading home when they drift into an asteroid field. The ship is badly damaged and, to make matters worse, a wormhole catches the ship in its gravitational pull. The fuel supply is drained in the failed attempt to escape, and the LMS Explorer is flung into a distant galaxy. They find themselves around Planet U, a planet rich in Brickonium Energy Crystals and LEGO Ore. They send down Rock Raiders to mine vast amounts of Energy Crystals and Ore to power and repair the LMS Explorer, but they also encounter many alien creatures. The team endures numerous hardships to obtain the precious minerals, but they eventually triumph and successfully gather enough resources to return home.
This theme. Is the GOAT. Even in one of its weaker sets, Rock Raiders remains the greatest (non Space/Castle/Town) theme Lego has ever produced.
ROCK RAIDERS! I will always adore this theme… definitely one of my holy grails to track down <3 such great colors, parts, designs, play features, story, everything!
I’ve noticed over the years that Rock Raiders holds a special place in the hearts of a certain age group. It’s fascinating because the theme occurred during my college years when I wasn’t watching LEGO or buying it.
I’ve always wondered, if I were born say, 15 years later if I’d love Rock Raiders as much as I love Classic Space. I think it’s popularity speaks to the magic of LEGO, honestly.
Rock Raiders...the System theme I would've gone crazy over in 1999 if "Star Wars" didn't debut. Instead, I passed it over and didn't get a chance to own any of the sets until 2001. An ad in the classifieds for someone selling lots of complete LEGO sets led to my mom driving me to the local post office parking lot where we met a lady with lots of LEGO sets in Ziploc bags in the trunk of her car. No boxes, but every set had its instruction manual and was guaranteed complete. I think her prices ranged from $1 to $10 per set, because I got quite a few--Night Lord's Castle 6097 , Shark Crystal Cave 6190 , the Snowspeeder 7130, and two Rock Raiders gems: 4970 Chrome Crusher and this set!
Of the two, I liked the Chrome Crusher more thanks to the chrome drill and battery-power laser cutter. However, the Loader Dozer definitely had its charms. The large scoop was new for me at the time, and I liked how simple and effective the mechanism was for making the scoop raise and lower. And of course, I marveled at the Rock Monster and the Brickonium-laced rock piece! Less impressive was how much wasted space there was in the cockpit, but I loved the overall shape of the piece and that of the wheels. Definitely had a lot of fun making Axel (the driver character used in both sets) scoop up the Rock Monster and dump him into the large bucket that came with the Chrome Crusher.
Years earlier, I obtained "The LEGO Book", which since it was published in 1999, spent a considerable amount of space talking about Rock Raiders, including its development back in the LEGO Futura days. That was the first time I ever became aware of how LEGO sets were conceived and how whole themes were planned out years in advance. It was the first time I ever saw verified prototypes of sets and parts. All shown were of the Rock Raiders theme. I think I went for those two sets years later not merely because I liked the look of them, but I appreciated all the craft and thought that LEGO put into making them a reality. This was, in retrospect, a major shift in my love of LEGO. No longer was I just looking at it from a child's eyes. I was beginning to like LEGO sets not just because how they looked, but if they seemed to have something deeper behind them. A sentiment borne out, no doubt, by then-oncoming amazement at BIONICLE and everything that came afterwards.
@Maxbricks14 said:
"
And $225 dollars! rock-raiders must be very popular.
"
Nothing uncommon for unopened Lego sets 20+ years old.
This definitely qualifies as a white whale from my childhood, along with most of the larger Rock Raiders sets actually. However, I finally obtained another such whale, 2154 a couple months back, so the prospect of owning these sets feels so much more... real, now.
Edit: Waitwaitwaitwait... I'm an idiot. I HAVE this set. I didn't realize until re-skimming the other comments, I was conflating this with the Chrome Crusher in my memories. D'oh. So the sentiment still stands about unobtained Rock Raiders sets, and 2154 being a milestone for adult me, but otherwise... uh... Carry on.
Rockface: Wazzup, ma dude? Might I interest you in green crystals?
@TannerTheHunter said:
"This theme. Is the GOAT. Even in one of its weaker sets, Rock Raiders remains the greatest (non Space/Castle/Town) theme Lego has ever produced. "
Not counting: Pirates, Bionicle, adventures + spinoffs, aquazones + divers.
Just teasing it's strange how this was ignored at the time while power miners did get get succesfull.
Looks like some Masters of the Universe vehicle to me.
Then again, I was in my dark ages back then, so what do I know.
Next.
@Maxbricks14 said:
"So it's a loader and a dozer? didn't know that you could have both, and that cage isn't gonna protect you from falling rocks you know.
That over-sized wrench looks weird but what is concerning is that there is a piece of dynamite on the roof. maybe he's going on a suicide mission to kill the rock monster in front of him."
I find it surprising to see the Fabuland wrench come back. It was probably before the big mold destruction
I loved having this set as a kid: apart from the large base, this was the only RR set with the rock monster in it and the wannabe windshield was super cool for its time. I remember the pieces were quite large compared to today's standards but the vehicle's shaping is excellent for 1999. I think fondly of the hours I spent playing with this set.
@Maxbricks14 said:
"So it's a loader and a dozer? didn't know that you could have both, and that cage isn't gonna protect you from falling rocks you know.
That over-sized wrench looks weird but what is concerning is that there is a piece of dynamite on the roof. maybe he's going on a suicide mission to kill the rock monster in front of him."
That rock monster is trying to keep the dumb human from driving over a cliff!
Still a bit bummed I never got any of the Rock Raiders sets, they're awesome.
Belter Loader-Dozer!
@Aramor said:
"Still a bit bummed I never got any of the Rock Raiders sets, they're awesome."
Where there is a will there is ebay
I got this set as a kid, and I really liked it. The dozer function worked well and the inclusion of the rock monster was fun. Although looking at it as an AFOL, man does it have a lot of giant pieces and a bad price per part ratio. If this came out today, I'd probably not have a lot of interest in it, but there's a lot of nostalgia going that makes me remember it fondly.
This set ROCKS!
Not the best of the theme IMHO
Always loved the aesthetic of Rock Raiders; in an age where they often couldn’t get Star Wars sets looking as sleek and curved as they could, seeing Rock Raiders lean all the way in with the chunky, blocky industrial aesthetic was just great. And I loved the mechanisms in them, simple as they were, being able to hoist this things bucket was just fun
While I never got a single Rock Raiders set back the day, my brother and I loved to play the game on the PlayStation (without bloody 2,3,4 or 5 ;-) ).
Still play it occasionally!
I recommend the Manic Miners game to anyone nostalgic for RR, it's a remake of the original game. Completely free to play, had a lot of fun with it earlier this year when it released.
https://manicminers.baraklava.com/
@TheRichrocker said:
"While I never got a single Rock Raiders set back the day, my brother and I loved to play the game on the PlayStation (without bloody 2,3,4 or 5 ;-) ).
Still play it occasionally!"
Same here. "Into the Spiders' Nest" is the first time you get to drive this puppy.
Red Rover, Red Rove,r send Loader-Dozer on over!
No wait, AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!
I've never been a Rock Raiders guy. Infact, I had no interest in any kind of mining theme. It's probably the colors, they just don't appeal to me.
My first Rock Raiders set!
This set is clearly inspired by 2161 Aqua Dozer, as it uses practically the same mechanism (and shovel bucket). Same could be said for the Granite Grinder being based of yet another 1997 set, 2151 Robo Raider.
I was surprised that the wheel base actually got used only twice in the entire line, despite being quite specifically made for Rock Raiders. Also the teal 2x2x3 slope only came in this and the HQ back then (of cause the HQ had far more of them!)
I really wonder why the NA versions didn't come with the comic booklets in the sets. Afterall they did not feature any words at all, relying solely on the pictures to communicate the story, so translation is definitely not the issue here.
Btw, did you know the Rock Monster contained an internal part in an 'exclusive' color called '130 Color Mix'? It's actually just a blend of all sorts of colors they currently did not need it seems, as almost all parts are kind of unique!
Do you want a plus 4 set that is not labelled a plus 4 set, then this is the set for you. Back in the day I thought this could use some structural improvements mostly for the cockpit cage connection points. But this is one of the two sets in this series I have a long with the small hoverboard miner set (whatever that is called).
B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L, although the Chrome Crusher is still the best of them all. Rock Raiders 4ever <3 <3 <3.
@Brickalili said:
"Always loved the aesthetic of Rock Raiders; in an age where they often couldn’t get Star Wars sets looking as sleek and curved as they could, seeing Rock Raiders lean all the way in with the chunky, blocky industrial aesthetic was just great. And I loved the mechanisms in them, simple as they were, being able to hoist this things bucket was just fun"
That's a great summation of the theme. I loved Rock Raiders as a kid, and still do. Power Miners was well into my gray age, but while I have a deep respect for over the top and colorful design choices, it looks to have lacked something that made Rock Raiders so special: The grit. LEGO did a wonderful job of capturing a dirty and worn mining operation while applying a sci-fi spin that managed to be ever-present yet subdued. The shaping you described is a huge part of that.
The minfigs still look great to me, too.
Come to think of it, I'm not sure how well a reboot/revival of RR would actually work today. Parts-wise, it would probably be great. On the opposite side, I feel something might be lost bringing the crew's face designs into the modern art direction, for one example. Even Old Gray works in favor of the theme's rough and industrial feel, something the Bleys wouldn't capture quite as well.
Power Miners was better. Just gonna say it.
@Miyakan: I don't consider him a bigfig; bigfigs have more poseability and can be disassembled.
@peterlmorris: I think I'm about the same age as you (I was born in 1980), and I have fond memories of Rock Raiders. I never stopped buying Lego, although I did have sort of a gray age where it just didn't hold the interest it once had and would again.
@TheRichrocker said:
"PlayStation (without bloody 2,3,4 or 5 ;-) )."
"U.S.S. Enterprise, NCC-1701. No bloody -A, -B, -C, or -D."
@Ridgeheart: I still remember coming across that shovel in 5510 and thinking, "What's Fabuland?" The theme was still around when I was a kid, but I'd never seen the sets in stores or catalogs. I didn't get an answer to my question until the Internet came along.
@AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
"Power Miners was better."
No it wasn't.
Wait, is this for loading dozers, or for dozing loaders?
The one 'big' Rock Raiders set I have! Even then I didn't get it at the time - I've always adored Rock Raiders, as a kid it felt like the theme was made 'just for me' when it debuted in the October 1999 issue of Lego Adventures magazine: my birthday month of the first year that I knew about Lego themes. My parents buying me the minifigure pack 4930 as a cake topper for said birthday only cemented that feeling in my mind.
That said, having the minifigure pack also lessened any inclination I would have had to pursue any more of the sets, since at the time I was most interested in cool minifigure characters and now already had all of the ones from that theme (except for Chief who wouldn't arrive for another year). I did get the Rapid Rider too, but that was all at the time.
I don't remember why I chased this one down in particular; it was just a year or so before I started university and entered my Dark Age, I guess I just hit a random nostalgic patch and I went looking for more Rock Raiders stuff on eBay. I found this one cheap and used-but-complete, box and all; and as possibly the cheapest sample of the theme I could find, wasted no time in scooping it up. It was great to actually have a bulky vehicle for my Rock Raiders to make use of. Still have it now, and while, sure, it's a fairly simple design, I like it a lot even so.
Rock Raiders is, and always will be, my favourite Lego theme (second only to *maybe* Bionicle). Sure some of the sets were far from perfect, but the character designs and the world building more than made up for it in my mind ^^
It's strange how the animation in the game is just smacking the scoop up and down on top of the rubble it's supposed to clear up. That's kind of a lazy cut corner.
@Norikins said:
"It's strange how the animation in the game is just smacking the scoop up and down on top of the rubble it's supposed to clear up. That's kind of a lazy cut corner."
Eh. Ever see a Muppet eat a cookie?
@PurpleDave said:
"Wait, is this for loading dozers, or for dozing loaders?"
Why not both?
@Norikins said:
"It's strange how the animation in the game is just smacking the scoop up and down on top of the rubble it's supposed to clear up. That's kind of a lazy cut corner."
Totally forgot about that, but I always thought it looked funny xD
On that note, it was also way less prone getting hurt from rock slides while 'cleaning' than the Rock Raiders themselves (which often had a very weird AI in that game...)
@jkb said:
"Belter Loader-Dozer!
@Aramor said:
"Still a bit bummed I never got any of the Rock Raiders sets, they're awesome."
Where there is a will there is ebay"
Where there is a *wallet* there is ebay.
Fixed it for you.
@Atuin said:
"I really wonder why the NA versions didn't come with the comic booklets in the sets. Afterall they did not feature any words at all, relying solely on the pictures to communicate the story, so translation is definitely not the issue here."
As we established in yesterday's RSOTD, Americans don't know how to interpret visual imagery, but need a lot of words. ;-)