Wait a minute, wasn’t that supposed to be green? No, the real Orient Express was blue with stately gold inserts and that’s the color we get in the new LEGO Ideas set.
I was lucky to have the set delivered to me by LEGO thanks to BrickCentral, for which I am very grateful. Everything you will read below is my own opinion.
Building
Building the set was a lot of fun, and the dedicated tracks (instead of standard LEGO tracks) are a very nice addition. At first glance of the box I already imagined this huge sheet of stickers and placed crookedly on the wagons. But there were very positive surprises: golden, even prints on the tiles. Bravo LEGO!! This adds a really huge exclusivity to an exclusive transport.
The interiors of the carriages are wonderful, spacious, and filled with details.
Here we come to one of the most important things, the Orient Express fits on regular tracks from any LEGO set which is brilliant news. The proportions of the wagons themselves are perfect, huge at almost 40 cm long each.
I think it couldn’t have been done better. It’s got a beautiful shape. The locomotive/engine has nice details, but it is a bit overwhelmed by the wagons. It might need some gym workout or it could be difficult to go uphill.
The disadvantage is some repeatability. We start by building a 120 cm long track and pass through 2 wagons that are the same from the outside and many steps are repeated, which is noticeable after time.
Details
The interiors of the wagons with “wooden” inserts look beautiful. The golden crowbar in the locomotive cabin is perfect, a hidden diamond in a cleverly designed chassis. I can go on and on about all these little details that make up the beautifully crafted set.
Minifigures
We get 8 minifigs here but I don’t think any of them will beat the porter and the cameraman, in my opinion. They are great.
This does not mean that the others don’t stand out. Each is nicely set in an era with interesting accessories (the vintage camera is awesome) and style.
I have the least sentiment towards the driver, but I respect him for his hard work which would be difficult in a tuxedo. Minifigures give the set this fun function, which means that the set is not just a “collector of dust” on the shelf, but a nice set to play with– my children confirm this 100%.
Behind the scene
The combination of long black and navy blue surfaces, which are also shiny, makes it difficult to photograph. Due to the size, you definitely need a large area to work on. It’s a pure pleasure to photograph minifigures with a train in the frame. The ability to create layers with the train and minifigures in foregrounds and backgrounds is fantastic.
Summary
Orient Express is beautifully designed in terms of proportions and the spirit of the era, at least the carriages and minifigs. The locomotive/engine is the weakest part.
In terms of photography, it’s tough to shoot because it’s loooong and repetitive. Is it worth buying? At 299 euros, it’s not my first choice, but you can’t go wrong buying it.
You can seriously enjoy looking at it, unfasten the wagon from time to time, hold it, look at it, put it back and the world becomes more beautiful. But you can also build tracks, arrange minifigures, ride, and just have fun… that’s what LEGO is all about.
Age: 18+
Price: $299.99 / £259.99/ €299.99/ 469.99 AUD/ 2499 CNY / 121990 HUF
Pieces: 2,540
Availability: 1st December 2023, from LEGO Stores and www.LEGO.com/Orient-Express