Best Set of 2006!
Posted by
Blade
in Australia
on
13 July 2008
Well for all us here in Australia the last two weeks have been our major toy sales for the year. I lashed out and have spent over $1000 on LEGO. Yeah I know, crazy! This model was one of the larger ones I picked up for $160AUS at Myer, who are usually Overpriced but this was one of their exclusives, along with Town Plan and the Eiffel Tower, which I also got :)This set is quite large and detailed as you would expect so I'll run through it piece by piece.
Firstly: The Locomotive
It is beautiful! Old style with all new mod cons. It is powered by a bower pack of six AA batteries. It is a fair amount and dose make the model quite heavy, but it is well worth it once you see it going round. The motor dose take up a fair amount of the interior room, but there is still room for a seat and controls at each end. There are four doors, two at each end for the conductor to get in and out. The carriages are connected by magnets at either end of the locomotive. There are also two headlights at the front of the train and two tail lights at the back. The front ones work when in use and the tails can be wired up too with an extra cable and globe.
The roof removes quite easily too see inside and the train has seven speeds in both forward and backwards directions. If you speed the locomotive right up by itself it will derail on the tightest bend but with a full train or on a smoother bend she will stay on the tracks. The conductor is dressed in classic blue overalls and blue conductor’s hat, with a red scarf, grey gloves and quite a detailed smiley face.
Secondly: The Dumper or Cargo Wagon
Just what you would expect. Lovely bright red colour, can be filled right up with pieces and by lifting either side of the wagon will release its contents onto whatever is below. I have found my doors quite firm but if they do become flimsy, simply replace the black hinge pins for newer ones. The wagon also has a shovel at one end and a broom at the other for clean up. Comes with ten 1x1 cylinders as filler but could use a little more. Both ends also have a magnet so it can be attached from either direction and added onto.
Third: The Crane-Car
Very well designed section of the train. It has a small cab in the same lovely green as the train, with quick release roof and twin doors for the operator. He is dressed in all orange, with a red helmet and grey gloves. His face is quite detailed and he looks like he is concentrating hard on his work.
It also has a mid size crane at the back, thus why it is called a crane car. The crane is yellow with black and grey. It has 360 degrees turning and can be raised and lowered. The hook is on a rope with a winder at the back for even more fun. When the crane is lowered, the arm sits comfortably between the lights on the roof of the cab. When the crane is raised right back you can easily access the cock pit for the crane operator, which lifts up like the old street sweeper. He is also dressed in a nice bright orange, with blue sleeves, red helmet and a detailed face.
In between the two is a space for a frame which can be lifted by the crane and fits over a car for lifting it onto the train. Also underneath the carriage are two legs, which swing out and drop down to be used when the crane is used, to stop it becoming top heavy and tipping over.
Fourth: Flatbed and Roadster
Again the flat bed is like its name, just a flat carriage wit rails at either end to stop things rolling off, four grates and two rails to help keep a vehicle in place. The red roadster is quite good, slightly longer than a normal LEGO car and different shape and could have used a bit more detail, but a very nice addition to this set. Wheel base is perfect for the clips on the car carrying frame for the crane.
Fifth: The Caboose
Just like in the old movies. Double opening doors on both sides, with lots of room inside. It is red with grey doors and roof. I did find it a bit flimsy when putting it together, but once the roof was on and clipped in, I have found it quite strong. Two of these would have been better but they are simple enough to make.
Sixth: The Forklift
The forklift is a lovely extra for this set so you can’t really complain. It has its own mini fig and working tinges. It comes with three pallets, one of engines, one of barrels and one of tanks, all with a crane pick-up point. Still I find the shape quite strange; it just looks out of shape. The tinges are spring loaded so they always stay up. I have also found the mast doesn't sit quite straight and can make picking up the pallets off a flat surface quite difficult. The wheel sizes and axle lengths are good as they are like realistic, but the scale just isn't right. Maybe my expectations are too high after the Locomotive.
Seventh: The Flatbed Truck
Just to break up the red and green LEGO have made this truck blue. It has a fully working tilt tray with releasable tailgate. The truck also has rear view mirrors, head lights and roof spotties. The tray also has gaps for the forklift tinges to get things off and on with ease. The mini-fig is dressed in orange overalls, with a blue under shirt, grey gloves and a red helmet. His face has detail and is smiley.
Eighth and Final: The Track and Remote Controller.
The track consists of 20 curved pieces, 8 straight pieces and 2 Y shaped pieces, with track changer on each. When assembled it is quite large and spans 147cm/ 57.9" In and 84cm/33" In wide. You will need more than this to move around and play with it fully. It is quite good to start with but buying more tracks is essential to maximise this model.
The controller has four simple buttons one for forward, backward, stop and horn. It also has three channels so you can control more than one train at a time or up to three at the same time. The controller takes three AA batteries totalling nine batteries all up. It would have been nice to see a rechargeable power pack for both but batteries are easier if something goes wrong. The controller is inferred, so no wires, which is a plus but something I would expect from this day and age.
Conclusion:
Overall this is the biggest review I have done to date. From the above you can see why. So much detail has gone into this model and while building it I picked up on so many things that I feel needed to be said. This has to be one of the best models I have in a collection over 400 strong. It has a few minor faults which I have listed most of in each individual section bar one, my biggest pet hate with LEGO. You know it, STICKERS! There are heaps of the bloody things and they are tiny and annoying. I haven't put any of them on and probably won’t. I just paid $160 on special for this model; they could at least have the courtesy to print the bloody pieces. Other than that I look forward to getting more tracks and having more fun with this model. This model is a hard one to rate. I feel everyone will say somewhere between an eight and ten out of ten. Currently I feel this one is a 9/10 or Almost Perfect, leaning towards a ten. Seriously save your money and get this set, you won't be disappointed. Every LEGO fan should have an electric train and if the rumour that they are fazing them all out in 2009 turns out to be true, this could be your last chance and best investment in your collection ever.
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