In anticipation of 910002 Studgate Station

[JopieK]

I was lucky enough to be able to get 910002 Studgate Station (BrickyBricks82's great LEGO Ideas project that made it to the Round 3 Bricklink Designer program and was sold out almost immediately with 10.000 items sold.

The instructions are now online and it seems the sets are shipping (I also got my Track and Trace number and invoice).

Will try to make a review soon :)

[GoHabsGo]

I can't wait for the review 

[Blacktron2]

There is a review of Studgate on Brickset- https://brickset.com/reviews/65274

I have found the review to be quite well-written.

The only thing that has caught me off balance is the spacing between the two parallel tracks - it is apparently 6 studs instead of the standard 8 studs. I hope that it will be simple to get the standard 8-stud spacing.

My Studgate will arrive later today.

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Very nice set ...I like the wrought iron architecture!

It's not the usual Lego station with few pieces and even less details.

[ivanlan9]

Mine just arrived today.  I haven't even cracked the box!  I'm still working on the Jazz Club modular, but I'll start on Studgate soon.  Probably next week.

I also plan to do a review, with pix, of the BlueBrixx Engine Hall, but will post that in a different forum.  Short take: very nicely done, clutch excellent, mishaps few.

[ivanlan9]

I returned StudGate Station Monday.

I know, everyone gasps .  But I had good reasons.

Since the pre-orders sold out so quickly (I think I heard three hours?), I was delighted to have managed to pre-order so fast.  Then I forgot I bought it until I got the shipping notice.  As usual, other kits and other tasks interfered, but I was finally able to start on it week before last.

1) For a $400USD kit, they could've included printed instructions. The inconvenience was strengthened when the card in the box point to a dead URL for the PDF. I eventually tracked it down before Lego responded to my email.

2) Things went fine until I assembled the roofs on the two commuter cars.  They wouldn't fit properly:  pushing one end down until it snapped onto the top of the car meant that the other end raised up a little. It looked very much like a better fit would have resulted if the roofs were one stud longer, but I can't be sure of that, as I planned to come back to that after I'd finished building the whole kit. I wasn't happy, however: I'm not accustomed to poor fit in Lego-designed models. I chalked it up to the fan designer, whom I believe to be the same person who designed the Botanical Gardens, which Lego did not pick up after it achieved 10000 supports.  I bought the Chinese-made Gardens kit, however, for under $100, which I enjoyed quite a bit. On that, the building structure was fine and went together quite well, even though it required a little more dexterity and fiddling to achieve stability.  The plants inside were mostly OK, but the taller ones in the middle of the building fell off/apart when trying to install the walls.  It still looked fine, even with fewer plants inside, and I was very happy with the value.  I ended up taking it apart and putting the parts in my non-Lego parts box.  On the train roofs, I figured I could rework them later, but I was a little irked that the design, with the Lego and Bricklink logos on it, might not be what I've come to expect over the years (more on this later).

3) I then went on to the (huge) baseplate and began building up the foundaton.  Once again, everything went fine--until I got to the bags numbered "5".  There should've been 3, but there were only two.  I tried making up the missing bits from my own collection, but when I realized that the two bags I had contained less then half the parts I needed, I stopped and recovered the parts I'd supplied.

4) I've been buying & building Lego kits since 1990, the tail end of the 4.5v era.  I'm talking probably 500 sets or so (which includes every 9v set, as well as the Airport Monorail [at a very good price!]). In all that time, I think I've had missing parts in 10 or fewer sets, and never more than a single part in a set.  Never had a bag missing until Studgate.  Which left me with no confidence in the quality control for the beast.

5) Coupled with the ill-fitting roofs, the missing bag pushed me over the edge:  I did not want the kit.

6) So I called Lego and complained.  The very nice young woman on the other end was very sympathetic, and as always, Lego Customer Service was stellar.  I had my return label before I even hung up the phone.  She told me, "Stick the label to the box, drop it off, and you're done."  I did just that:  I taped the label to the outside of the box, as I had already recycled the corrugated box it shipped to me in.

Maybe I overreacted.  But my feeling was that if the quaility control was bad enough to miss a minimum of a whole bag of parts, there was no telling what else was missing--or going to fit poorly.  Honestly, I can get missing parts and poor fit from the lesser-quality non-Lego bricks.

I was deeply disappointed in Lego.  Perhaps others had better experiences:  I'd be very interested in hearing them.

[RichardGoring]

15 hours ago, ivanlan9 said:

I returned StudGate Station Monday.

I know, everyone gasps .  But I had good reasons.

...

I was deeply disappointed in Lego.  Perhaps others had better experiences:  I'd be very interested in hearing them.

It's a shame that you had such a negative experience. I've not built it yet, but look forward to doing so one day. I think it's worth noting a few things, for no other reason that to hopefully help you feel better in some ways and/or direct your displeasure in the right way.

Do you mean this Botanical Gardens? LEGO MOC Botanical Garden by Berthil | Rebrickable - Build with LEGO. If so, it's designed by Berthil, whereas Studgate was by BrickyBricks82. I parted out the Botanical Gardens and agree with some of your comments about fiddlyness, but overall I loved it, and assume that MOCs make these kinds of compromises in most cases. It always highlights to me the strength of fan designers, but also just how good the LEGO design process is to make things work so elegantly.

On that, it's worth noting that the Bricklink Designer Program sets are not LEGO sets. They are designed by the fan designers, and don't go through the same LEGO quality control, which is why you get reports such as yours - the fishing boat in particular is known for being very unstable mid-build. the packing is also done by Bricklink, not LEGO, so again, not the same processes, and much more manual than a standard LEGO set.

FWIW, if there are missing elements, LEGO will replace them in the same was as a regular set.

Ultimately, it's a shame that LEGO themselves have not produced a highly detailed station, so we are left with MOCs, but I still appreciate the BDP and the fan designers for bringing these sets to market at a relatively affordable (!!) price! I hope the next set is much more to your satisfaction.

Edited April 13, 2023 by RichardGoring

[davidzq]

Sorry you had such a negative experience. 

Unfortunately missing bags do sometimes happen, in any set. I've experienced it twice. Both times Lego had the missing parts shipped to me quickly.

My Studgate had all of its parts.

 

As for a review...here's an honest one.

I too experience the dead link of the instruction card, telling me to download a non-existent (at least on Android) app. Similar official apps returned the QR code and set number as invalid. But I knew instructions were available on BrickLink.

 

As for the build itself....I'll start off by saying my expectations were low. I did not like the anesthetic of this set, it's like four separate architecture style buildings smashed together, plagued by gaudy over-detailing (real buildings, even Gothic, do not have this many random decorations!).

As for the build...I was very unimpressed by the trains. Train base, with basic studs-up walls, overly simplistic. I was also dismayed by the use of three 1x2 plates instead of the ALREADY USED 1x6, and 1x2x3 panels instead of the ALREADY USED 1x4x3. Unfortunately this trend of Parts-Out-Of-Other-Parts continued throughout the build (artificial increase of piece count?). There were also odd choices such as a single black 1x4 Brick with groove with three grey ones, which I assume was an accidental color selection error during the design that didn't get caught.

The instructions are terrible. Those twenty four technic arches? You build them ONE AT A TIME! The glass? Add five, add five, add five, add two, do this on eight separate occasions! Four identical lamp posts? Build X2, then build X2 again! Add 3 of a piece, next add the other 3 of that piece. The instructions could have very easily been 30% shorter. The resulting build experience was me following a few pages, then skipping ahead for the next ten pages to see that I'm doing the exact same thing all over again. Many layers of bricks/plates are not staggered, so there are many weak spots in the structure which could have been easily corrected by rearranging rows of plates/bricks. It felt like I was building a very large 4+ set.

The track layout places the tracks 14 and 18 studs to center, far from the established standard of 8 stud intervals. The 4x4 tile with 4 studs on the crossing will block any train motors.

There is a track signal placed directly behind a stairway.

The platforms are built up to the edge of the track, so any non-6 wide trains cannot pass. Curiously, the platforms are hinged and fold down, granting an additional half plate of clearance (not enough to make any difference).

 

So again, I'll say I did not expect to enjoy this set based purely on looks. But I am a train collector, I needed it for my collection. 

But this has been the most negative build experience I've had in several years.

Edited April 13, 2023 by davidzq

[Murdoch17]

I realized the track spacing issues when the model made it to the voting period. I also remember seeing the other issues with clearance and thinking "If the got that simple bit wrong, what ELSE did they get wrong?" I was very vocal on Facebook when people were asking if it was a good idea to get it. (I told them no, it's not worth it) I guess this proves my point this set is just for display and worthless for everything else but a parts pack, and even then should have been gone over more thoroughly by it's designer for flaws, as Lego sure as heck didn't! (In a similar fashion, the Modular LEGO Store model from the same Designer Program isn't even to scale with mini-figs, and thus incompatible with the official line it's emulating! But that's off topic...)

Edited April 13, 2023 by Murdoch17

[RichardGoring]

57 minutes ago, Murdoch17 said:

(In a similar fashion, the Modular LEGO Store model from the same Designer Program isn't even to scale with mini-figs, and thus incompatible with the official line it's emulating! But that's off topic...)

I think I'm going to sell my copy of the modular LEGO store for this reason, and that it's actually quite bland. I knew both of those things when buying it, but hoped that more pictures and reviews would reveal something better. They didn't, and it's going for $400+ which is far better spent on something else.

I do wish the train station was smaller. I would love them to have picked The Meeting Point, but sadly not. And they've changed the program now, so we're unlikely to see it. What a shame.

https://ideas.lego.com/projects/d877ae63-11e8-4e20-ac19-97c72ebe25c6

[iragm]

I'm really surprised at the negative reviews here.  It's the only set in this round of the BDP that I wanted and got -- I don't have much for trains at the moment, but I knew that if I didn't get it, I'd regret it, just like I regret not picking up a reissue Metroliner back in 2002.  It looks great.

The track offset and 8+ wide trains not being able to pass through it have been known issues since this was shown.  I'm sure someone will figure out how to widen the station by ~6-8 studs, which should fix both issues.  I still think it looks amazing.  Haven't opened my copy, again, no space for trains at the moment.  The missing bag reported above worries me.

Has anyone built this and is happy with it?

[JopieK]

Wow I think I need to open the box then finally and count the bags. Haven't had any time yet :s. The diner was fine though, my brother built it some weeks ago.

[Hod Carrier]

On 4/13/2023 at 5:46 AM, davidzq said:

The instructions are terrible. Those twenty four technic arches? You build them ONE AT A TIME! The glass? Add five, add five, add five, add two, do this on eight separate occasions! Four identical lamp posts? Build X2, then build X2 again! Add 3 of a piece, next add the other 3 of that piece. The instructions could have very easily been 30% shorter. The resulting build experience was me following a few pages, then skipping ahead for the next ten pages to see that I'm doing the exact same thing all over again.

I suspect that at least some of this is as a consequence of the requirements set down in the Bricklink Designer Program Guidelines, which stipulates that certain criteria must be met (click for details). Having browsed the Series 1 entries, I thought I'd have a look at the submission requirements to see if it's something I'd like to have a go at for Series 2. As such, I've been reading through and trying to absorb the guidelines and I'm not sure that I'm sufficiently tempted. While I can understand that some of the requirements exist for a reason, I can also see that it can result in a somewhat dissatisfying experience, as has been reported here. It seems that the requirement for clear instructions has resulted in a situation where rigid adherence to the guidelines produces unnecessarily bloated instructions where a slightly more flexible approach could have dealt with this problem.

That said, I think the designer may have slightly misunderstood part of them. The requirement for the first step is to have no more than 5 elements, but from there on out it can be up to 5 different elements and a maximum of 10 elements per step. If there are 17 glass panes to fit, this is going to take at least two steps depending on whether or not other elements are required to be used and if building them up extends the construction by more than 12 studs in any direction. Exceeding any of these limits would necessitate an additional step. I also wonder whether or not the designer tested the instructions using a third party (and probably less experienced) builder to ensure that they were adequate and to gauge the quality of the building experience.

It's a shame to hear the negative comments about this design, as it promised so much. Looking at it, I had pigeon-holed it with as a Modular building rather than as a Train-theme design. I'm sure that some of the negative aspects could be addressed by modding the kit, though.

[ivanlan9]

As I said, I was disappointed in the set, but I did say that it was my experience only, others might be happy with it.  For me, the ill-fitting roof and the missing bag combined to convince me that it wasn't my cuppa.  I really wanted the set and tried hard to like it.

And I, too, wish very much TLG would produce a station set worthy of the Lego brand.  But I think that's naive to hope for nowadays.  They're in business to produce *toys*, not to cater to a minority within a minority.  While they're leaving millions of dollars on the table (all those after-market suppliers!), what they are after is *billions.*

[Toastie]

5 hours ago, ivanlan9 said:

what they are after is *billions.*

Hi Ivan,

I am very sorry that you had this experience. But: I'd react in exactly the same way - there is no overreaction at your end. None whatsoever. When the premium brand, constantly overpricing their products - just to rake in whatever they can - but don't get it right, regardless of selling platform - then, yes, I'd do that as well. Buying a user driven platform is one thing. Turning it into an oh so perfect Danish operation is another.

Fortunately, I ran out of physical space, so LEGO sets > €10 are not reasonable anymore. And thus none of the monsters :D

You did it right.

And your assessment is absolutely right. It is what it is - they are a multi-billion dollar company. And what do such companies do? They are after the billions, otherwise they collapse.

Best wishes - hope all is well with you and the family,
Thorsten

Edited April 14, 2023 by Toastie

[MasterHenry2180]

I actually had a knock-off brick stud gate station (though I like to call”third-party bricks’) a few years back not knowing that lego might be releasing the very same set some years later. It also has gotten quite some bits that I need to change,like the roof ,as it keeps bending whenever I want to open it to play,or the train cart’s wheels does not even work on lego tracks!

 I always think that Lego’s got a bad problem of set ideas leaking to other companies,like the tallneck set ,or them Harry Potter train set etc,etc,etc,etc,etc.

[SerperiorBricks]

I got my Studgate in the later wave of sets being sent out. I didn't have any missing pieces, or any stability issues.

I completed the build, and just looked over the thing. Something was just 'off' to me. I realized that I wasn't a fan of the top platform on the set. In real life, a lounge held up by the glass window makes very little structural sense. The decorations and even the chandelier just feel so off, like it should be hanging over the high-ceiling lobby or grand staircase leading down to the trains. I still like the original design, but I think in practice the ceiling is just a little silly.

I want it to have that glass roof in multiple segments over the trains, and maybe the glass at the front to close it in a bit more. Here are my plans:

https://flic.kr/p/2oAVvjX 

https://flic.kr/p/2oAUmgx

The additional garage door pieces are best purchased from LEGO bricks & pieces for cost reasons. Removing the top lounge really fixed the over-the-top nature of the station.

[LordsofMedieval]

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the QC issues have something to do with the way this set was designed, approved, and then rapidly shifted to being an 'official' project due to Bricklink's acquisition by TLG. One of the nice things about Ideas (although a lot of designers find it reprehensible) is that when Lego approves an idea, they vette the living daylights out of the thing. Are part fits legal? Is this the best use of pieces? "Is this how 'we' (TLG designers) would approach a given problem?" Etc, etc. And the resultant released Ideas set is typically rock-solid in Lego's best traditions (albeit often VERY different from what the designer wanted). 

That's not how the Bricklink contest went at all. Supposedly, the designs submitted for voting and eventual builds were first examined by... some people... at Bricklink. But when the competition/sale was handed off to Lego, TLG didn't go the extra mile to make sure whatever was being sold was up to their standards - they just treated it as a write-off and completed the contract to the barest legal obligations possible. "Here is your box of parts; here are your online instructions. Have a good day."

None of this is excusing Lego. But I was pretty critical of the Bricklink program (before the buyout by Lego) when it launched (I got the forest castle because I figured it would be very difficult to screw that set up. Still haven't built it, though, so maybe it's a wreck, too), and the station just looked... funky... to me. Like, I would prefer a depot on an eventual layout to be more building and less train shed (but that's just me). But I was also struck by how fragile the whole thing appeared just from the teaser photos. So considering the design issues, aesthetic issues, and Lego's introduced culpability... I guess I'm kind of glad I stayed away.

Edited June 8, 2023 by LordsofMedieval

[ivanlan9]

@SerperiorBricks has an amazing design to turn Studgate into a very nice train shed, which they've combined with a couple of the Boutique Hotel modulars for the station/terminus.  If I have any suggestions, it would be to add support pillars between the tracks of the shed.  Other than that, the design looks impressively European and charming.

The set would have to retail for $1000+, of course, but golly, how nice it looks!

[LordsofMedieval]

2 hours ago, ivanlan9 said:

@SerperiorBricks has an amazing design to turn Studgate into a very nice train shed, which they've combined with a couple of the Boutique Hotel modulars for the station/terminus.  If I have any suggestions, it would be to add support pillars between the tracks of the shed.  Other than that, the design looks impressively European and charming.

The set would have to retail for $1000+, of course, but golly, how nice it looks!

I, too, FAR prefer his design to the original. It looks clean and very European.

[RedBrick1]

On 6/8/2023 at 2:48 PM, SerperiorBricks said:

I got my Studgate in the later wave of sets being sent out. I didn't have any missing pieces, or any stability issues.

I completed the build, and just looked over the thing. Something was just 'off' to me. I realized that I wasn't a fan of the top platform on the set. In real life, a lounge held up by the glass window makes very little structural sense. The decorations and even the chandelier just feel so off, like it should be hanging over the high-ceiling lobby or grand staircase leading down to the trains. I still like the original design, but I think in practice the ceiling is just a little silly.

I want it to have that glass roof in multiple segments over the trains, and maybe the glass at the front to close it in a bit more. Here are my plans:

https://flic.kr/p/2oAVvjX

https://flic.kr/p/2oAUmgx

The additional garage door pieces are best purchased from LEGO bricks & pieces for cost reasons. Removing the top lounge really fixed the over-the-top nature of the station.

Oh wow. This is fantastic! A gorgeous modification.