Review: 910044 Wild West Train
Posted by CapnRex101,
Western was a popular theme in the 1990s and The Lone Ranger followed in 2013, though the Old West has inspired remarkably few LEGO sets since. However, the BrickLink Designer Program revisits the period, in 910031 General Store and now 910044 Wild West Train.
I was certainly impressed with the former last year and its designer, llucky, is also responsible for this train. Based on prior experience with the General Store, I envisage a few instances of fragile construction, but an exceptional level of detail, which is apparent from official images.
Summary
910044 Wild West Train, 3,192 pieces.
£249.99 / $279.99 / €279.99 | 7.8p / 8.8c / 8.8c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
This is a wonderful Western train, reminiscent of 21344 The Orient Express Train
- Beautifully detailed train
- Fully accessible interiors
- Excellent scenery
- Many clever building techniques
- Locomotive is good, not great
- Frustratingly fragile in places
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
The Completed Model
LEGO has produced a couple of large and highly detailed trains lately, with 76405 Hogwarts Express - Collector's Edition and 21344 The Orient Express Train. This model shares certain similarities with those and especially the latter, as its proportions and total length of 104cm are very close to the Orient Express, which is undoubtedly a strength, in my opinion.
However, I am also reminded of the Orient Express because I think the locomotive is arguably the weakest section of the train. It looks good on the whole and I love the intricate pipework on the boiler, far surpassing the detail on other LEGO steam locomotives. Even so, the colours are rather muted and the whole assembly feels a little too small, given the enormous size of these Western trains in reality.
The spark arrestor, for instance, could be significantly bigger, as one of the defining features of these American trains. On the other hand, I am impressed with the cylinders and the brick-built cowcatcher looks great, while also being incredibly strong. The specialised cowcatcher piece is not in production at the moment, otherwise that might have been used instead.
Notable also are the connecting rods created for 21344 The Orient Express Train, which make just their second appearance here. As on the Orient Express, these function perfectly and look pretty realistic as well.
There is space for the train driver to stand in the cab and I like the printed gauges above their head, including one that is angled downwards. The handrails on the outside are useful too, so you can pose the minifigure peering outside the cab. Fortunately, he wears a bandana for such an eventuality.
The tender is laden with coal and its dark red colour is appealing, alongside black and brown highlights. Several stickers decorate the exterior too. These provide great detail, although the use of stickers for repeated designs is frustrating. Nine identical stickers are decorate the train and these 2x4 tiles would probably have been printed in standard sets, outside the BrickLink Designer Program.
There is space for a battery box inside the tender and this was evidently a major consideration for its design, as there is even a hole for wires to pass through the floor. Modifications to power the train should therefore be very easy.
A flatbed wagon is attached behind the tender. The piano and gigantic safe look splendid and I imagine the several robbers included are targeting the safe. Twelve minifigures are supplied in total, which is a generous number, although the dearth of Wild West-inspired sets is clear from their attire. The designer has clearly selected the best available elements, but some characters look quite odd.
Also notable, as with many BrickLink Designer Program sets, are some unexpected building techniques. For instance, the safe includes an opening door, which is a great feature, but the hinges are extremely fragile and you would be unlikely to find something like this in a standard LEGO set.
The passenger carriage is a highlight of the model, again featuring a nice combination of dark red and reddish brown for the exterior. I love how 1x2 ingots are integrated for texture and the stickers also look superb, adding splashes of gold. Furthermore, the carriage includes covered platforms at either end, which are an essential feature of trains associated with the Old West.
Functional doors are included, although these cannot open very far, as they are obstructed by the railings. Again, this feels like something that would be resolved in a traditional set, perhaps with narrower space-saving doors. Regardless, this is a minor issue because most will probably leave the doors closed.
Inside are four seats and three tables. The dark green upholstery looks excellent and I like the cupcake cases forming lampshades, again recalling 21344 The Orient Express Train. There is space for a minifigure on each seat, although the tables could certainly be strengthened, since they tend to break when posing characters.
1x2 ingots form luxurious wooden panelling opposite the green seats, while a luggage rack is included overhead. This is an unusual feature in LEGO trains and you could store some small accessories here, such as the suitcase provided with one of the minifigures.
Brilliant though the passenger carriage is, my favourite is actually the wooden freight carriage, also known as a boxcar. The mix of reddish brown and dark brown plates for its walls is rather parts-intensive, but looks fantastic when complete, especially with the diagonal braces in place. The grey and dark orange roof is impressive as well, even featuring a cupola on top.
The sliding door works smoothly and occupies surprisingly little room, so there is still plenty of storage space inside. The small windows on each side are a welcome inclusion too, matching the lattice texture around the cupola.
Removing the roof reveals a horse at one end of the carriage and stacked crates at the other, with some tools mounted on the wall in between. Tan 1x2 grille tiles are strewn on the floor to represent straw and the whole interior is very detailed, thanks in part to the selection of crates, barrels and sacks provided.
The train is displayed on a sandy base, consisting of eight track elements, which is sufficient to present the whole model effectively. However, you can easily divide the base into four sections for a smaller display, where reddish brown 1x4 tiles form the sleepers, rather than 2x4 tiles.
More substantial scenery is provided as well, beginning with a windmill. This definitely has the rustic aesthetic I would associate with the Wild West, consisting almost completely of dark tan and reddish brown pieces. The structure measures 24cm in height and makes splendid use of Technic 7x6 frames, which have only appeared once before in reddish brown.
A water trough with a hand pump are located at the windmill's base, alongside some plant life appropriate for the setting. This is an ideal place to display the other horses included, bringing the total to three.
Once again, the windmill is arguably more parts-intensive than necessary, particularly for the blades. The result looks marvellous though, other than a blue Technic pin found in the middle, which is rather irritating because it really stands out.
The accompanying water tower has no such problems, perfectly capturing the rustic appeal of Western scenes. The tower has superb presence on display and measures 26cm in height, so the train can pass comfortably underneath the water pipe. However, the supports are decidedly fragile and particular care is needed when attaching the cylindrical container.
Of course, no Western set would be complete without a cactus, while the skull is another neat detail associated with the Wild West. Moreover, I like the box of bottles hidden underneath the tower, using all available space for extra details. These accessories are hard to access though, which is a shame.
The container on top is another of my favourite features, as its texture of wooden planks looks outstanding. 1x8 tiles are cleverly attached to a complex cylinder of studs inside, comprising a relatively even 24-sided shape! There are gaps between certain tiles, which actually enhances the tower's overall realism in some respects.
Overall
While the frequency of LEGO trains has diminished in recent years, their quality has generally improved and 910044 Wild West Train is certainly a worthy addition to the range. As predicted, the model is tremendously detailed, arguably to its detriment on occasion because some areas seem over-engineered to me, feeling fragile or using more pieces than really necessary.
However, the same could be said for 910031 General Store, so owners of that set should know exactly what to expect. Similarly, the minifigures are a bit underwhelming in places, but there is little to be done about this, without Western sets to draw upon. Despite these issues, I am quite pleased with the set and the price of £249.99, $279.99 or €279.99 seems fair.
910044 Wild West Train and four other BrickLink Designer Program sets will be available to pre-order on the 4th of February.
145 likes
60 comments on this article
They’ll never remake Fort Legoredo
I wish stability and build experience was a factor that went into choosing the final models. Would make me more inclined to purchase. I love a lot of the models but it's difficult to cough up hundreds for a model that might not be up to usual Lego build standards.
Fragile again, and that is why these kinds of sets will never be on the mass market.
I wonder if you could put a https://brickset.com/parts?query=31561 in the blue technic pin without a loss of function
@Brick_Belt said:
"I wish stability and build experience was a factor that went into choosing the final models. Would make me more inclined to purchase. I love a lot of the models but it's difficult to cough up hundreds for a model that might not be up to usual Lego build standards. "
That's my feeling and why none of the Bricklink sets would ever interest me.
It also shows why the complaints about any changes to the original design of Ideas sets are so often misplaced.
I'm in!
Why not use a brick yellow/light tan pin instead???
This would look great next to 21344 The Orient Express.
I miss the Wild West theme.
Any chance you could take a few photos of the train next to 910031 to see how the entire scene looks together? Thanks so much!
Looking at the review, I say get rid of the water tower, windmill, and flat bed truck. Then add another box car with cattle or carriage.
Excellent, comprehensive review per usual. I would appreciate more photos of the figs.
Looks enticing to me. I already have 79111: Constitution Train Chase, but you can always use more good trains.
The windmill may look nice next to the train and water tower to complete the scene, but I don’t think it should be part of this set. It uses a lot of parts and only ends up raising the price for very little benefit. I see this issue in a lot of Ideas sets where the designers go overboard and include more than necessary. I guarantee that not a single person that bought this did so because of the windmill.
At least the water tower can interact with the train, so it can be argued it has a purpose.
Don Quixote strikes again...........
The overwhelming sense I get from these BrickLink sets is that I’m not getting a product that’s commensurate with the price or the wider Lego brand (although that could increasingly be said of Lego itself, nowadays). Guess I’ll be sticking with my modified Constitution train for the time being.
I think this is over priced, but then that because there are three sets I would like to get, and all of this season seems expensive.
The sets may be fragile in some cases, not all, but the finished effect is often better than Lego.
@PDelahanty said:
"The windmill may look nice next to the train and water tower to complete the scene, but I don’t think it should be part of this set. It uses a lot of parts and only ends up raising the price for very little benefit. I see this issue in a lot of Ideas sets where the designers go overboard and include more than necessary. I guarantee that not a single person that bought this did so because of the windmill.
At least the water tower can interact with the train, so it can be argued it has a purpose."
I understand your comment regarding the irrelevence of the windmill to this set but... the purpose of windmills on farms and such back in the day is that they are used to operate a pump above a water well. In this scenario they would be used to keep the water tank full in order for the locomotive to be able to refill when needed.
@Brick_Belt said:
"I wish stability and build experience was a factor that went into choosing the final models. Would make me more inclined to purchase. I love a lot of the models but it's difficult to cough up hundreds for a model that might not be up to usual Lego build standards. "
Yeah, when I go through and vote, I base a lot of my vote on how well it fits next to standard LEGO models.
I notice with a lot of MOC, the tendency is to over design and over detail so they end up looking out of place next to standard.
I was thinking of making a diorama of this train with Fort Legoredo, but now I’m not sure. Perhaps I will build Western sets in coming days and then decide. Especially since I also like both castle sets
"...whole assembly feels a little too small, given the enormous size of these Western trains in reality."
I feel that this criticism isn't valid. 1800s American steam locomotives were quite small when compared to their successors. This stayed true through the early 20th century as well. The locomotive in this set is well scaled, IMO.
I was planning to pass by this set since I already have 79111 the Constitution, but the added buildings and overal elegance shown here may have changed my mind. Using minifigures from the various Lone Ranger sets will help deal with the lack of period costumes here, and it's always fun to MOC something like the water tower to improve its stability if I really feel it's too fragile. Could replace 21344 the Orient Express on my wishlist. Thanks for getting the review out early enough to influence my purchase decisions!
I also agree with @LT587 that the engine is in good scale. You might want to compare its size with that of the Constitution, which was IMO a good example of the type, if less elaborate than this model.
It's a very MOC-y designed set, for better or worse. As others here, I also agree the windmill is not needed and just a price hike. It's OK all in all, you get what you get when buying these BL program sets.
There's a interesting article on how these sets have changed from the initial chosen design.
https://www.brickfanatics.com/lego-bricklink-series-4-sets-changed-designs/
@daniellesa said:
"There's a interesting article on how these sets have changed from the initial chosen design.
https://www.brickfanatics.com/lego-bricklink-series-4-sets-changed-designs/"
Do we know if the changes are made by LEGO's designers or are they changes made by the fan designers? Adding a whole car to this set is quite a big change from the initial design in my opinion.
@ShinyBidoof said:
" @Brick_Belt said:
"I wish stability and build experience was a factor that went into choosing the final models. Would make me more inclined to purchase. I love a lot of the models but it's difficult to cough up hundreds for a model that might not be up to usual Lego build standards. "
That's my feeling and why none of the Bricklink sets would ever interest me.
It also shows why the complaints about any changes to the original design of Ideas sets are so often misplaced."
I tend to agree, though 910030 Snack Shack is beautifully put together - no fragility at all and lots of satisfying construction. Still cheap enough on the aftermarket I believe.
Apparently 910037 Mushroom House is excellent too - I recall it got to the Top 10 for Brickset sets of the year.
@ShinyBidoof said:
" @Brick_Belt said:
"I wish stability and build experience was a factor that went into choosing the final models. Would make me more inclined to purchase. I love a lot of the models but it's difficult to cough up hundreds for a model that might not be up to usual Lego build standards. "
That's my feeling and why none of the Bricklink sets would ever interest me.
It also shows why the complaints about any changes to the original design of Ideas sets are so often misplaced."
I love some of the Bricklink sets, but they definitely don't mesh with standard sets.
People need to understand that changes need to be made in order to make things that can be mass produced. There's a difference between what can get away with in a high-end limited run set versus something that need to make tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of.
Sounds like the luggage racks in 7715 and 7745 are more uncommon than I thought.
Oooh I like this a lot! Can we have some side by side pics with the Orient express or the constitution train please?
Yeah I have mixed feeling about the Bricklink sets - no new minifig torsos or elements means in this case you're trying to make do with some not fit for purpose torsos and firearms more reminiscent of an earlier period than 19th century America.
Also I did find the one set I bought (Ominous Isle) incredibly fiddly to put together (especially with big hands) and not very stable like regular sets in that multiple times I pushed studs down and entire chunks of the build broke off requiring extensive rebuilding.
Once upon a time in the West!
I’m missing the harmonica.
An awesome set! Arguably better than some official Lego sets imo.
Great review, enjoyed reading.
I do however agree that overengineered or fragile sections can be annoying.
I also sort of agree with both sides regarding the windmill and water tower.
They create the scene which is great, and necessary given that there havent been Western sets since 2013.
But I also agree they are awfully parts intensive and therefore bump up the price.
It's a shame because the BDP sets are always too expensive and BDP itself isnt something one can easily support. In Australia we have to get up at like 2am to be ready to spam the button for popular designs. And there's no guarantee each set will be made. (if it doesnt get enough votes).
I really commend the fan designer for their work here but god I wish this was a regular set.
We desperately need proper Western minifigures and a train like this is imo a great way to introduce Western to the Icons Classic Theme subtheme as it appeals to Western fans AND train fans. I have heard lots of requests for an "American steam locomotive" and as noted in the review a set like this wouldve made an excellent companion to Orient Express.
'The Wild West' isnt just an American thing, Ive seen various 'Western' stuff coming out of Germany whether its entire Western towns where they reenact early German/European pioneers to the U.S or German Lego fans with Western layouts.
Italy and Spain of course are the home of the spaghetti western (I say Spain since they were often filmed there)
Likewise in Australia we can relate (we even had our own version of Wells Fargo stagecoaches; Cobb & Co) hence 'meat pie Westerns'
Even South Korea has embraced the Western genre in so called kimchi westerns, finding similarities in Manchuria in the period roughly 1890-1939 (see Song of the Bandits and The Good, The Bad and the Weird for example)
For Lego Icons Western is also an easy theme to do since unlike Castle, Western doesnt need a huge amount of sets.
Just a train, Fort Legorado remake, maybe a mine and most importantly a Western town. (there have been great proposals for multiple building Western playsets on BDP and IDEAS)
@UProbeck Haha I can hear the haunting tune right now!
Speaking of, a set with a railway under construction would be cool imo.
@ShinyBidoof said:
" @Brick_Belt said:
"I wish stability and build experience was a factor that went into choosing the final models. Would make me more inclined to purchase. I love a lot of the models but it's difficult to cough up hundreds for a model that might not be up to usual Lego build standards. "
That's my feeling and why none of the Bricklink sets would ever interest me.
It also shows why the complaints about any changes to the original design of Ideas sets are so often misplaced."
Modifying a build to make it more structurally stable is one thing, but Ideas frequently goes way too far. They change them so much they don't even resemble the original designs. And there's no good reason to completely change a build's color scheme.
Very pleased to see this preview - were any of the other Bricklink sets sent out for review?
If I’d gotten this set as a kid I would’ve been acting out train robberies for a week straight.
Thanks for the review - good read.
I own many if not most Lego trains.
But this is a nice MOC. And there are many MOCs out there.
It also does not mesh well with the standard 6-wide trains - this one is wider.
But primarily, there are no printed instructions. And I am not cool with that.
It looks beautiful, congratulation for the designer, but it is not for me, I am not collecting 8 wide sets...
This will look really good next to the Orient Express, while the Orient Express certainly is guilty of being fragile in places, I really feel these BL sets could go through some serious design refinement to simplify and strengthen once selected, 910010 is one in particular with lots of 1x2 and 1x3 tiles used instead of 1x5 in the hill construction.
It's great that is 8-wide
@Brick_Belt said:
"I wish stability and build experience was a factor that went into choosing the final models. Would make me more inclined to purchase. I love a lot of the models but it's difficult to cough up hundreds for a model that might not be up to usual Lego build standards. "
Funny, the lack of adherence to the usual LEGO build standards is exactly what makes these kinds of sets attractive to me, since I absolutely hate the compromises necessitated by the standards.
Imho the standards overprioritize stability over looks, which while definitely sensible for sets aimed at children are insulting and inexcusable for sets aimed at affluent collectors of display models, who generally value looks first and foremost. The plethora of awesome display sets from alternative manufacturers speaks volumes. And sometimes they even manage to achieve both looks and stability (and colour matched pins and axles too).
@Mister_Jonny said:
"The overwhelming sense I get from these BrickLink sets is that I’m not getting a product that’s commensurate with the price or the wider Lego brand (although that could increasingly be said of Lego itself, nowadays). Guess I’ll be sticking with my modified Constitution train for the time being."
That is pretty much the point of BDP vs IDEAS. For BDP you are really buying a fan (or now, more like a private business) designed MOC rather than a LEGO set.
@Auctorius said:
" @daniellesa said:
"There's a interesting article on how these sets have changed from the initial chosen design.
https://www.brickfanatics.com/lego-bricklink-series-4-sets-changed-designs/ "
Do we know if the changes are made by LEGO's designers or are they changes made by the fan designers? Adding a whole car to this set is quite a big change from the initial design in my opinion."
I think most of the changes will be requested by the Bricklink/LEGO team. The sets are chosen not just on votes but to fill certain themes and price brackets, so changes will be suggested based on that as well as stability and parts cost and availability. They seem to be taking more of an active role behind the scenes on these rounds. But there is still a huge amount of work involved for the 'winners' in creating and testing instructions.
@Hiratha said:
"Very pleased to see this preview - were any of the other Bricklink sets sent out for review?"
Yes 3 other set's have been sent to LAN members who have posted reviews on youtube that I know of. Alex Nunes, Tiago Catarino, & solid brix studios.
This looks great, and it's just asking for someone to use 21103 to recreate the scene from BTTF 3.
@Sandinista said:
"They’ll never remake Fort Legoredo"
Oh man I would buy THAT in a heart beat!
@AustinPowers said:
" @Brick_Belt said:
"I wish stability and build experience was a factor that went into choosing the final models. Would make me more inclined to purchase. I love a lot of the models but it's difficult to cough up hundreds for a model that might not be up to usual Lego build standards. "
Funny, the lack of adherence to the usual LEGO build standards is exactly what makes these kinds of sets attractive to me, since I absolutely hate the compromises necessitated by the standards.
Imho the standards overprioritize stability over looks, which while definitely sensible for sets aimed at children are insulting and inexcusable for sets aimed at affluent collectors of display models, who generally value looks first and foremost. The plethora of awesome display sets from alternative manufacturers speaks volumes. And sometimes they even manage to achieve both looks and stability (and colour matched pins and axles too). "
Given the comments here, I would say people do indeed value stability and don’t find it insulting. Sure you may not mind, but a lot of people do when they’re being asked to spend this much. Lego is expensive, but I’m never afraid they’re going to fall apart from them literally just sitting on a shelf, unlike some of these BDP sets.
@monkyby87 said:
" @AustinPowers said:
" @Brick_Belt said:
"I wish stability and build experience was a factor that went into choosing the final models. Would make me more inclined to purchase. I love a lot of the models but it's difficult to cough up hundreds for a model that might not be up to usual Lego build standards. "
Funny, the lack of adherence to the usual LEGO build standards is exactly what makes these kinds of sets attractive to me, since I absolutely hate the compromises necessitated by the standards.
Imho the standards overprioritize stability over looks, which while definitely sensible for sets aimed at children are insulting and inexcusable for sets aimed at affluent collectors of display models, who generally value looks first and foremost. The plethora of awesome display sets from alternative manufacturers speaks volumes. And sometimes they even manage to achieve both looks and stability (and colour matched pins and axles too). "
Given the comments here, I would say people do indeed value stability and don’t find it insulting. Sure you may not mind, but a lot of people do when they’re being asked to spend this much. Lego is expensive, but I’m never afraid they’re going to fall apart from them literally just sitting on a shelf, unlike some of these BDP sets.
"
I've bought close to half the BLDP sets and added both Studgate and the bowling alley to my city layout. I can confirm that none of them have "fallen apart." The builds are complicated and can have intricate if not delicate sections, but I think this particular stigma is unwarranted.
Thank you for the review!!
If anyone is looking for a video review, RacingBrick just posted his. He explained some really important context for this train, and especially for the flatbed wagon. If I understood correctly, Lego straight track pieces come in sets of 4, and this train display was at 7. They had to make the track longer by 1 piece, and both Bricklink and the original designer thought it would be better to add an extra car to the train (and minifigs to go with it) so the display wouldn't be so empty.
This'll be the first BL set I ever order. As a big fan of both trains and Red Dead, this ticks a lot of boxes for me.
Means I'll need to get up at 3:00AM to take a shot at ordering though...!
honest and pertinent review.This is probably the only set i will buy come february 4th.Maybe the locomotive could have been just a little bigger and with more details. GREETINGS FROM MONTRÉAL.
@yellowcastle said:
" @monkyby87 said:
" @AustinPowers said:
" @Brick_Belt said:
"I wish stability and build experience was a factor that went into choosing the final models. Would make me more inclined to purchase. I love a lot of the models but it's difficult to cough up hundreds for a model that might not be up to usual Lego build standards. "
Funny, the lack of adherence to the usual LEGO build standards is exactly what makes these kinds of sets attractive to me, since I absolutely hate the compromises necessitated by the standards.
Imho the standards overprioritize stability over looks, which while definitely sensible for sets aimed at children are insulting and inexcusable for sets aimed at affluent collectors of display models, who generally value looks first and foremost. The plethora of awesome display sets from alternative manufacturers speaks volumes. And sometimes they even manage to achieve both looks and stability (and colour matched pins and axles too). "
Given the comments here, I would say people do indeed value stability and don’t find it insulting. Sure you may not mind, but a lot of people do when they’re being asked to spend this much. Lego is expensive, but I’m never afraid they’re going to fall apart from them literally just sitting on a shelf, unlike some of these BDP sets.
"
I've bought close to half the BLDP sets and added both Studgate and the bowling alley to my city layout. I can confirm that none of them have "fallen apart." The builds are complicated and can have intricate if not delicate sections, but I think this particular stigma is unwarranted."
Indeed. I have several of these sets myself, plus loads of alternative brand sets that often have the same (more often than not unwarranted) stigma.
The only set I ever had that literally fell apart by looking at it was from a company called (ironically enough) "BestLock". That company imho produces the worst kind of crap imaginable. Loads of other reviews on YouTube speak volumes, and I would never dream of purchasing a second set from them.
But of all the other hundreds of non LEGO sets (as well as all the BLDP sets) I have built I have never had any that were even close to at risk of falling apart. There may have been one or two pieces that didn't have the same amount clutch power as one is used from LEGO, but nothing critical.
Also, there are older LEGO sets I have where clutch power is all over the place. Some apparently hold up better over the decades than others, because I have even older sets that have no issues at all.
@AustinPowers said:
" @yellowcastle said:
" @monkyby87 said:
" @AustinPowers said:
" @Brick_Belt said:
"I wish stability and build experience was a factor that went into choosing the final models. Would make me more inclined to purchase. I love a lot of the models but it's difficult to cough up hundreds for a model that might not be up to usual Lego build standards. "
Funny, the lack of adherence to the usual LEGO build standards is exactly what makes these kinds of sets attractive to me, since I absolutely hate the compromises necessitated by the standards.
Imho the standards overprioritize stability over looks, which while definitely sensible for sets aimed at children are insulting and inexcusable for sets aimed at affluent collectors of display models, who generally value looks first and foremost. The plethora of awesome display sets from alternative manufacturers speaks volumes. And sometimes they even manage to achieve both looks and stability (and colour matched pins and axles too). "
Given the comments here, I would say people do indeed value stability and don’t find it insulting. Sure you may not mind, but a lot of people do when they’re being asked to spend this much. Lego is expensive, but I’m never afraid they’re going to fall apart from them literally just sitting on a shelf, unlike some of these BDP sets.
"
I've bought close to half the BLDP sets and added both Studgate and the bowling alley to my city layout. I can confirm that none of them have "fallen apart." The builds are complicated and can have intricate if not delicate sections, but I think this particular stigma is unwarranted."
Indeed. I have several of these sets myself, plus loads of alternative brand sets that often have the same (more often than not unwarranted) stigma.
The only set I ever had that literally fell apart by looking at it was from a company called (ironically enough) "BestLock". That company imho produces the worst kind of crap imaginable. Loads of other reviews on YouTube speak volumes, and I would never dream of purchasing a second set from them.
But of all the other hundreds of non LEGO sets (as well as all the BLDP sets) I have built I have never had any that were even close to at risk of falling apart. There may have been one or two pieces that didn't have the same amount clutch power as one is used from LEGO, but nothing critical.
Also, there are older LEGO sets I have where clutch power is all over the place. Some apparently hold up better over the decades than others, because I have even older sets that have no issues at all. "
The Adventures of Clutch Powers!
Ok, I'll get my hat.
I have built two BLDP sets (bowling alley, construction site) and neither had any noticeable stability issues.
@Ridgeheart said:
"Maybe this is why I'm just not a big fan of the BLDP. Sure, I definitely want to see your MOC. No, I don't want to help you build your MOC. No, I don't want to pay an arm and a leg for the privilege of building your flimsy, fragile MOC for you. What is wrong with you? Get out of my house and take your MOC with you. You're getting bits and pieces all over my carpet."
What if it were a Space Police MOC?
I'll join @StyleCounselor and get my chapeau.
@yellowcastle said:
" @Ridgeheart said:
"Maybe this is why I'm just not a big fan of the BLDP. Sure, I definitely want to see your MOC. No, I don't want to help you build your MOC. No, I don't want to pay an arm and a leg for the privilege of building your flimsy, fragile MOC for you. What is wrong with you? Get out of my house and take your MOC with you. You're getting bits and pieces all over my carpet."
What if it were a Space Police MOC?
I'll join @StyleCounselor and get my chapeau."
In my mind, I'm already gone....
I don't quite understand the Designer Program mechanic. Why such amazing, awesome and gorgeous sets don't get released to the public (as far as I remember they don't)?
@Ridgeheart said:
" @Krutak said:
"I don't quite understand the Designer Program mechanic. Why such amazing, awesome and gorgeous sets don't get released to the public (as far as I remember they don't)?"
Because they tend to fall apart when people look at them too hard. And while we can, and do, fault TLG for producing BRICKS that shatter, or when they skimp out on the print-jobs, or otherwise use faulty materials; the designers who make the official sets generally speaking do an excellent job of marrying form to functionality.
BLDP-designers, not so much."
Soylent green is people.
@Brick_Belt said:
"I wish stability and build experience was a factor that went into choosing the final models. Would make me more inclined to purchase. I love a lot of the models but it's difficult to cough up hundreds for a model that might not be up to usual Lego build standards. "
Definitely agree with the first part. The main component that distinguishes official Lego sets from unofficial ones like this is that Lego does rigorous stability testing. So when you build the model and play with it, it won't fall apart or feel loose. Most unofficial designers sacrifice stability for more detail unfortunately.
Disagree with the 2nd part, I never buy a set based on its build experience, only if I will like the finished model. A pleasant building experience is fine, but I wouldn't detract a set for having a monotonous/annoying building experience.
I like the restaurant cart the most, some clever detailing that I will need to check out in the instructions. The locomotive is fairly generic and the box car and track are a bit over-bricked.
Frustratingly with BLDP no motors are allowed, which this set really needs, plus an oval track. So I will attempt to build something myself, while waiting for something similar to 79111 once Lego become tired of another City passenger train
I don't enjoy the ordering set up for the BLDP sets. If you're not able to be online to order some of them immediately, you will miss out, which has happened to me in the past.
Now, I don't even attempt to order them. They also take months to receive. From what I recall, this is a major reduction in wait time but it is still too long for my tastes.
To those who enjoy these sets, I am happy they're available. For those who invest in these sets, I'm glad you'll undoubtedly have a robust market waiting for you once this round of sets ship.
It makes me wonder how many of these original purchases through LEGO actually reach the hands of the people building them?