Cheaper alternative for lego set 10027

[davidek_20]

http://peeron.com/scans/7777-1/ page 32-34 or 74-77

Edited December 16, 2025 by davidek_20

[JopieK]

Thanks for sharing @davidek_20. I should have 7777 lying around somewhere in hard copy. It always amazes me how LEGO was stimulating LEGO Train friends back in those days with great ideas. Today everything is so plain. I mean even the idea of a police train: maybe leave the fantasy to the kids?!! It would be much better to provide more generic trains and allow to easily extend into different ways.

See e.g. also:
http://belay.peeron.com/scans/7777-1/24/

Of course the parts of those days may be a little too basic, but these days it is totally the opposite: virtually impossible to do something with one's imagination.

[LL1982]

The parts are maybe basic @JopieK but indeed the concept is great. I love that 7777 book just for viewing and thinking could i do something like that? I envy that hobby trains set. Its just a Christmas box full of nice stuff and you can build and change. It would be day 1 buy for me if sets like that come out. I know I can also bricklink all those parts and it has seriously enough crossed my mind that I got a part list loaded in BL. 

But I also feel torn from times, shall I build my layout more realistic, or keep an approach like Lego always did and use real world inspiration to build my own version. 

I agree that police train it is lost on me. I can see it from a 8 yrs old perspective that this can work. But why not put a generic locomotive back on sale (with motor) and sell carriages as loose item. I remember my brother and I used to build the train that we boarded with the car in Switzerland each vacation. No motor, just hand powered train. We had a great time just reusing bricks. My daughter she likes to build, but she builds and is done. There is no rebuild. It feels more static than how I remember my own youth.  

[zephyr1934]

Yep, 7777 was amazing. There were a few good threads in 2017 and 2022 where someone posted their building of 7777 in real bricks, but all of the photo links are dead. 

[LL1982]

You can also check out this movie. Dutch guy rebuilds 80s layout.

https://youtu.be/V1OIXwXhm-4?si=srJfD-DPclaJGkt1

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

On 12/16/2025 at 12:34 PM, JopieK said:

I should have 7777 lying around somewhere in hard copy. It always amazes me how LEGO was stimulating LEGO Train friends back in those days with great ideas. Today everything is so plain.

...these days it is totally the opposite: virtually impossible to do something with one's imagination.

I fully agree with your point of view!

If there were a score for playability and imagination, those years would definitely be at the top of the list. 

[zephyr1934]

On 12/17/2025 at 2:54 PM, LL1982 said:

You can also check out this movie. Dutch guy rebuilds 80s layout.

https://youtu.be/V1OIXwXhm-4?si=srJfD-DPclaJGkt1

Oh yeah, that Dutch guy is one of our regulars...