Orient Expedition

And we're back! Now for something completely different.

I must have been very good during 2023, as an unexpected surprise Christmas morning was finding a Lego Orient Express set sitting under the tree with my name on it.

Lego trains are a bit of mixed thing for me. Don't get wrong I do like them, and there are some incredible builds out there with a surprising amount of detail (As an example, check out the work by my friend Andrew over on his Flickr page) The part that gets me is the size, they're usually sort of somewhere between O Gauge - Gauge 1, so even a small engine is quite large. Not so bad if you're just displaying trains, but I would like to see this run. I've visions of it being like photos of old Hornby Tin-Plate trains taking over the whole living room carpet! I suppose the one trump card Lego has over other model trains is that you can literally break it down into its component pieces and essentially flat pack it away!

But how was it building wise? 

Well, I started out by saying to myself that I was only going to build it two numbered bags at a time, much like the Titanic build a couple of years back, but by the end of that day I'd already finished the Restaurant Car, I was enjoying myself that much! Adding all the details to the bar and tables was a lot of fun, some of the stickers are a tad fiddly to apply, but the exterior lettering is all printed on the bricks, and very well done. Another nice little bit of innovation is that the windows are built 'sideways' to allow them to be easily taken on/off when accessing the interiors. 

A really nice surprise was opening the instruction booklet and finding out that one of the figures in the set (The lady in the red hat) was not Agatha Christie as some online commenters are claiming, but is in fact the character of journalist Pippin Reed from the old (late 90s/early 2000s) Adventures Line. In short, the theme was essentially a homage to Indiana Jones/old action adventure films. A bit of hunting saw me retrieving my old 'Lord Sam Sinister' (The villain of the piece, complete with hook for hand, monocle and no doubt twirlable moustache!) to also join the characters on the train.

Much like any other model railway, it's the little details that count. The tail lamp on the back of the restaurant car was a really nice touch.

Having finished the Restaurant car the next stop was a sleeping car, featuring a first class suite and smaller compartment with bunks and washbasin. Again, there's some really nice details in here, particularly the typewriter, though the toilet in the suite was a bit confusing. I couldn't actually tell what I was building until it was in place in the carriage!

Notice the 'mirror' above the bed!

As someone who used to be in awe of the pictures of Lego trains from the 1970s/80s, it was really nice to see these classic train door elements making a come back for the end vestibules. Look closer and you'll see more of the 'faux panelling' inside. I'm also told this cameraman figure here is a representation of the sets designer - a nice little cameo.

Finally the locomotive - The Sapphire Star. I REALLY like this. Seeing how far along Lego have come with steam engines compared to diesels is always an interesting topic, and one the designers often comment on as the humble Brick certain lends itself more to Diesel/Electric units than steam. Here though it's a really clever design, the central core of the locomotive is essentially a box shape, with the curved tiles wrapping round it to create the boiler.

I must give a mention to the front of the footplate above the bogie. In another piece of design innovation, this is assembled upside down! A nice use of the 'negative space' on the bricks.

Also, the tender chassis caught me by surprise. I found myself building a working 'not quite Cleminson' chassis with a traversing centre axle to negotiate the incredibly tight standard curves of Lego track. Really nice that this has been thought of so that it doesn't remain a static display piece.

As an aside, this is the first time I've even known a Lego set build coaches first, then the engine. It was a much nicer build experience this way I found.

I've seen a few comments online loudly proclaiming that the engine is too 'cartoony', and to some extent there is foundation for this claim. The original concept for this particular set showed a very accurate french locomotive with a single coach. However, I'd argue that in this medium, there would always have to be a compromise somewhere, if not in visual aesthetics, then certainly in either technical or financial terms, much like any other model train. I certainly don't think it looks bad, it nicely complements the figures and certainly doesn't look out of place with the coaches. 

Lego has proved they can do bigger, more accurate trains - but that doesn't always mean better. The Hogwarts Express - Collector Edition (76405) is a good example of this. Sure the engine looks nice, but it's been made to a much larger scale than the figures, totally dwarfing them. I much prefer this slightly smaller scale, this this in itself is apparently large, being the first time one has been built to eight studs wide. It works well! The coaches in particular look and feel incredibly solid, not toy-like at all.

In conclusion: A very fun build for the days between Christmas & New Years. If anyone was to make a start at getting into Lego trains, this is the set I'd recommend. Here's to hoping there's more trains in this style from them in the future. It might even tempt me to make an 'under the Christmas Tree' layout...

And before anyone asks the obvious question...

Yes. Yes you CAN buy a minifigure of Poirot!