Random set of the day: Coast Guard Quad Bike
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 7736 Coast Guard Quad Bike, released in 2008. It's one of 45 City sets produced that year. It contains 33 pieces and 1 minifig, and its retail price was US$4.99/£3.45.
It's owned by 4751 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
Help me come to life! If you like the set I've chosen for you today, please pledge your support for me on LEGO Ideas so I have a chance of becoming an official LEGO set!
61 likes
26 comments on this article
I really loved this range of coast guard sets. That base (modelled after an oil rig) was one of the most interesting and inventive town sets they've ever put out.
It only has one seat, and no cargo rack. It has giant car-sized tires that will ride up on anyone and anything. I can only assume they use this to go “find” victims to rescue when there aren’t any victims to rescue.
Only branch of real world military represented in LEGO, and the reason why is they are noncombative. At least, that's what I've been told.
Why are the handlebars so tall
@MCLegoboy said:
"Only branch of real world military represented in LEGO, and the reason why is they are noncombative. At least, that's what I've been told."
You obviously haven’t met my uncle Herbert who is a coast guard member...
@PurpleDave said:
"It only has one seat, and no cargo rack. It has giant car-sized tires that will ride up on anyone and anything. I can only assume they use this to go “find” victims to rescue when there aren’t any victims to rescue."
Go look up "Arctic Trucks". They are intended for deep snow but I think they would work on sand as well.
I had this set, it was alright for what it is.
I do miss those little boxes one used to get with the push tab, I think they cost around $10 AU? They also used to do ones that were little minifig packs, I had the small cement mixer (came with one construction worker). I remember there was a garbage man with a push cart and dumpster if Im not mistaken, a policemen with a highway patrol speed camera (also included a speed limit sign, damn shame I didnt buy that one) and there was a firefighter although I forget what came with it. There was also Soldier's Arsenal, my only red coat naval soldier sadly, and another set which had a pirate with some treasure cooking fish. I wish they made these sets nowadays.
In regards to coast guard, yes the 2008/2009 line was pretty cool, I liked the ship and lighthouse although the most recent coast guard ship they did was the best since it was the first time we've had a proper coast guard base.
Thing with Lego coast guard sets though, for some reason Lego refuses to release small to medium sized non-inflatable hull coast guard patrol boats.
Ive always wanted a proper patrol boat that wasnt the same size as a cargo ship, likely using that 'medium' hull piece which floats that they've used for various so called fishing boats, with a closed in cabin/superstructure.
Those large inflatable dingy hull pieces are way over used. Personally I would liken them to that 4 wide specialised windshield piece Lego uses on every single helicopter smaller then 6 studs wide.
I feel like Coast Guard is one of those themes that isn't too obtrusive like police or fire, and the sets are still very good. Personally I bought the whole 2013 series and still have it built now.
@MCLegoboy said:
"Only branch of real world military represented in LEGO, and the reason why is they are noncombative. At least, that's what I've been told."
The US Coast Guard also helps in deterring drug smuggling and human trafficking. There's videos of Coast Guard Snipers taking out boats from a helicopter.
Maybe LEGO CG deters smuggling of MegaBlocks pieces into LEGO City.
This guy looks like he loves his job—probably because his job mostly involves riding up and down the beach looking for pretty seashells.
@Brickchap said:
" I do miss those little boxes one used to get with the push tab, I think they cost around $10 AU? They also used to do ones that were little minifig packs, I had the small cement mixer (came with one construction worker). I remember there was a garbage man with a push cart and dumpster if Im not mistaken, a policemen with a highway patrol speed camera (also included a speed limit sign, damn shame I didnt buy that one) and there was a firefighter although I forget what came with it. There was also Soldier's Arsenal, my only red coat naval soldier sadly, and another set which had a pirate with some treasure cooking fish. I wish they made these sets nowadays.
In regards to coast guard, yes the 2008/2009 line was pretty cool, I liked the ship and lighthouse although the most recent coast guard ship they did was the best since it was the first time we've had a proper coast guard base. "
Those impulse sets were the best, and unlike polybags, were available pretty much everywhere.
@MCLegoboy:
In the US, the Coast Guard functions as something of a hybrid between military and police. For all practical purposes, they are a police force, but in times of war can be called up to serve as something like a defense-only Navy. Most of the time it's just deterring smuggling, and performing rescues at sea.
I grew up near the coast of Lake Michigan, and at one point the USCG was stationed all around the Great Lakes region. Ostensibly, this was because the Great Lakes are an international waterway, and four of the five Great Lakes also serve as international borders. In practice, though, it also had a lot to do with the fact that the Great Lakes can be more treacherous than the open ocean during foul weather. The local maritime museum where I grew up got an old USCG surf boat to put on permanent display. The deck was noticeably crowned, and the very short railing around the gunwale had lots of gaps along the base to allow for drainage. The boat was designed to go out in the worst seas imaginable, and if it got inverted by the waves, it would self-right like a pendulum, and the water would immediately drain right off the deck. Basically, whatever was so bad that you needed to have someone come and rescue you before your ship sank, this had to be able to shrug it off like a kid running through a sprinkler in the yard.
This was one of my first Lego sets :)
@PurpleDave Very interesting! I did see a television show which mentioned some ship I believe it was in the 19th century which sank in the Great Lakes partly due to not having enough drainage gaps. (If I also recall correctly there was some claims the captain deliberately made the ship sink to get the insurance money or something like that).
Its interesting that the Lego Coast Guard sets always seem to be based on the United States coast guard, especially the large ship they release every time they do coast guard. Im not against this, and the most recent wave included a medium sized inflatable rescue boat and truck very likely inspired by the U.K coast guard, although Id be interested to see what other country's coast guards could be replicated in Lego.
I was very happy with the most recent coast guard starter set which had a beach buggy very reminiscent of the one's Surf Life Saving use here in Australia.
For me I find coast guard Lego interesting since Australia doesnt really have a coast guard, at least like what is depicted in the Lego sets. Jetskis rescuing surfers and so forth reminds me a lot of Surf Life Saving which have nothing to do with coast guard activities. At least in my local area the rescue helicopter is the Westpac rescue helicopter, a service funded by the Westpac bank and which has nothing to do with the government.
We do have Border Patrol/Customs ships similar to the big U.S coast guard ones (which are basically just naval ships without quick firers and machine guns) and they handle all the people smuggling, asylum seekers, drugs etc. etc. side of things.
Quad bike is an oxymoron :-/
This was one of my first ever LEGO sets. I think my grandmother got it for me for my 5th birthday. It's not much, but I still have it on my shelf. Just for nostalgia's sake.
@Brickchap said:
"...
Thing with Lego coast guard sets though, for some reason Lego refuses to release small to medium sized non-inflatable hull coast guard patrol boats.
Ive always wanted a proper patrol boat that wasnt the same size as a cargo ship, likely using that 'medium' hull piece which floats that they've used for various so called fishing boats, with a closed in cabin/superstructure. "
They had something like that at one point, 30 years ago: 6353 Coastal Cutter, which I think fits your description best (although the closed cabin is just for show there)
More fun for kids to have something to build as well as a mini-fig for $5. Found out that as well as patrolling long stretches of beach they are also seen towing Jet-skis and inflatables on the beach. So if you want to ride a quad on the beach become a lifeguard!
Yes, I remember it! It was my first LEGO, LEGO by weight! I checked what sets it contained and it was this quad without a minifigure, the vehicle from 7419 itself and the truck with 7633 painted black.
Oh, I have this one. It was fun when paired with 7726. The size difference between the two was enormous.
@Brickchap said:
"I had this set, it was alright for what it is.
I do miss those little boxes one used to get with the push tab, I think they cost around $10 AU? They also used to do ones that were little minifig packs, I had the small cement mixer (came with one construction worker). I remember there was a garbage man with a push cart and dumpster if Im not mistaken, a policemen with a highway patrol speed camera (also included a speed limit sign, damn shame I didnt buy that one) and there was a firefighter although I forget what came with it. There was also Soldier's Arsenal, my only red coat naval soldier sadly, and another set which had a pirate with some treasure cooking fish. I wish they made these sets nowadays.
In regards to coast guard, yes the 2008/2009 line was pretty cool, I liked the ship and lighthouse although the most recent coast guard ship they did was the best since it was the first time we've had a proper coast guard base.
Thing with Lego coast guard sets though, for some reason Lego refuses to release small to medium sized non-inflatable hull coast guard patrol boats.
Ive always wanted a proper patrol boat that wasnt the same size as a cargo ship, likely using that 'medium' hull piece which floats that they've used for various so called fishing boats, with a closed in cabin/superstructure.
Those large inflatable dingy hull pieces are way over used. Personally I would liken them to that 4 wide specialised windshield piece Lego uses on every single helicopter smaller then 6 studs wide. "
You've got a great memory of the contents! The price? Not so much. These sets were generally $3.99 - $4.99 and were unceremoniously superceded by the CMF line. A crying shame...
This set is so nostalgic to me, I had so many great memories with the old CITY sets. They had something that made them special in my opinion. It's sad that the new LEGO CITY sets aren't as good anymore.
I didn't count but I'm guessing ATVs might have been the most produced vehicles in Lego. Maybe I'll count some day.
@Lego_lord:
You’ll need more than a day to count those...
Nostalgia.
@Brickchap:
https://www.michiganmaritimemuseum.org/explore/our-fleet/uscg-36460/
There’s a link to the surf boat I mentioned. The Great Lakes are collectively estimated to have claimed between 6000-25,000 vessels (the massive swing is due to how many of them have never been located). Michigan once had as many as 247 lighthouses, and with 100 still in operable condition still outranks every other US state and most other nations. Storms can spring up with little to no warning, swells rival what you’d see on the ocean (there are a lot of pictures of my hometown’s lighthouse with waves crashing _over_ the peak), many vessels would hug the shallow coasts for easier navigation, and you’ve got crowded international shipping lanes full of ships operating through several language barriers and with wildly different understanding of right-of-way rules on the open water. Oh, yeah, and the lakes mostly ice over during the winter, and fog is a year-long hazard. Before GPS became common, it was normal for ships to navigate the lakes by just aiming for the next lighthouse down the coast.