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71044 Disney Train and Station

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I love the looks of the set, both the train (let them do even more 8-wides, let's drop 6-wide altogether :P ) and especially the station. Don't care about the Disney figs, but don't mind them too.

The real pain with this set are the new plastic wheels for me. "Only the profit is good enough" - this quote from a friend of mine sums it up good. A real shame.

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6 hours ago, ShaydDeGrai said:

Multiple studies have found that using "touch controls" on a flat surface as opposed to actual knobs, buttons and levers retards find motor skill development.  The haptic feedback  of grabbing, turing or pressing  something that actually moves is fundamentally different from simply encountering resistance when pressing on a solid surface and that richer feedback is essential for toddlers and young children.

In addition, focusing on a physical, reflected light 3-D object stimulates different areas of a developing child's brain compared with a light emitting 2-D surface.

Yep, that sounds exactly like playing with Lego. If you let your kids help build, problem solved. Also, you can find them other toys to play with as well - it’s not like this is suddenly going to be the only one they’ll ever play with.

6 hours ago, ShaydDeGrai said:

Screen time, regardless of what it's displaying or whether one is passively watching or actively interacting, reduces the "blink rate" of the viewer's eyes, screws with normal serotonin production and disrupts circadian cycles (or in terms that parents of young children can better relate to: it screws up nap time and makes tantrums more abrupt and intense).

There’s a huge moving toy train in front of them. They’re going to be focused on it, not the phone.

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On 8/13/2019 at 4:21 PM, dr_spock said:

Too bad, the train isn't sold separately.

Looks like you need to collaborate with...

On 8/13/2019 at 7:18 PM, Littleworlds said:

I'm not really into trains, but the set looks really awesome. I'm especially taken by the station. Such lovely brickwork - and internal decoration is there too. If that would be sold as standalone, I would be on board! 

..and you could both be happy!

On 8/14/2019 at 12:22 AM, Jim said:

I’m sure you can strike a deal with someone who only wants the station :wink: 

Jim knows whats up, listen to Jim.  ^^

On 8/14/2019 at 12:38 AM, LEGO Train 12 Volts said:

The Lego Disney minifigs are not my favorites but the set is quite nice:...

I'm sure you can make more money back selling the figs alone on eBay, or local Facebook marketplace.  People will want those figs and be willing to pay much more than you value them so save themselves 100's of dollars/euros/etc

On 8/15/2019 at 5:12 PM, zephyr1934 said:

Recoup some of the cots by reselling the minifigs to those of the absolute opposite position- "why would I want a train set but boy do I want those figures!"

^See, Zephyr sounds smart too, listen to Zephyr lol^^

21 hours ago, ShaydDeGrai said:

For adults, a smartphone is probably as good as a physical controller, but for young children there's a growing body of child development literature that finds there is a world of difference between them.

Multiple studies have found that using "touch controls" on a flat surface as opposed to actual knobs, buttons and levers retards find motor skill development.  The haptic feedback  of grabbing, turing or pressing  something that actually moves is fundamentally different from simply encountering resistance when pressing on a solid surface and that richer feedback is essential for toddlers and young children.

In addition, focusing on a physical, reflected light 3-D object stimulates different areas of a developing child's brain compared with a light emitting 2-D surface.  Screen time, regardless of what it's displaying or whether one is passively watching or actively interacting, reduces the "blink rate" of the viewer's eyes, screws with normal serotonin production and disrupts circadian cycles (or in terms that parents of young children can better relate to: it screws up nap time and makes tantrums more abrupt and intense).

The color bars that you lay on the tracks in Duplo trains are a far better control solution than the Bluetooth-Phone App solution used here as far as Pre-schoolers (and even up to 3rd grade (9-10 year olds) when it comes to Serotonin and circadian effects) are concerned.

 

This is fantastic, I'm continually impressed by the knowledge and things I learn about on Eurobricks.  As a brand new parent, I hadn't even thought about fine motor skills etc. I know I see many, many parents limiting "screen time" but hadn't looked into any of the reasons/benefits of why. 

--------------------------
As an owner of Lego trains for ~30 years, but still newbie to AFOL communities, I most appreciate this set for opening my eyes to a wealth of knowledge that I hadn't yet delved into here.  I know I was disappointed the last couple years as I bought new tracks and trains and suddenly realized my old 12v system wasn't 100% compatible.  I have a pretty large collection of train parts and pieces that I have yet to fully utilize because of the lacking compatibility.  I will now have to move my train project and learning up my queue-line so I can make a large Christmas build.  I'm curious to see how it looks next to all my existing things after reading everyone else's critiques and commentary. 

First impressions: I like this set, it is nice to see a decent size station building paired with a train.  Also, great that it has a drive motor with it although I too would desire an included controller, allowing me to leave smart devices away on the charger.  The sticker shock of the price I would rate at medium to low, especially considering aforementioned parts and the licensed characters.  I definitely will move this to the top of my shopping list so I'm not left empty handed come the holiday season.

Since I am completely unaware, does the included motor allow you to simply turn on and let it run?

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27 minutes ago, Rockstaremcee said:

Since I am completely unaware, does the included motor allow you to simply turn on and let it run?

That's actually a running complaint about the new Power Up system, unlike the (soon to be) old Power Functions, LEGO has yet to release a "dumb" battery box for Power Up.  

Under the old (IR) and hardwired systems, you could simply turn things on and walk away.  Under the Bluetooth design, if the controller loses connectivity for any reason, the motor stops.

I've heard rumors that a simple on/off battery box is coming and it would make sense, but, rumors are just rumors until the product is on the shelves. 

The good news is that older Power Functions train motors and controllers are still widely available and (form factor wise) its an easy replacement if you want to retrofit an older motor into the model to have a turn it on and forget it until the batteries die capability.

PS: Congrats on being a new parent, I hope you and your child have many happy years (re)discovering Lego trains together!

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On 8/13/2019 at 2:29 PM, legotownlinz said:

Good luck! 

I got the job so that means i am now obligated to buy it. 

Edited by Goldenmasamune

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On 8/13/2019 at 3:12 PM, TeriXeri said:

If it's anything like the Disney Castle, a price drop seems very unlikely, at least for online retailers around here, Disney Castle is out for 3 years, cheapest being LEGO themselves. €350.

Other websites last known prices are €400 and €450 *oh2*

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LEGO-Disney-Princess-The-Disney-Castle-71040/352639000357?epid=230328168&hash=item521aec1f25:g:xj0AAOSwJyxcrWKI He's got it for $250! (Built and displayed, but still, if you just want one...) 

On 8/13/2019 at 5:18 PM, legotownlinz said:

8 studs wide :cry_sad:

It must be smaller, not wider than other trains. It will look strange whenever another train is nearby. And it will get stuck at all existing platforms. Congratulations to Lego to produce a set that is incompatible with virtually any existing Lego train layout. They mess up a set that should have been a no-brainer. It's unbelievable. It's a set for beginners who don't notice that the scale is horribly wrong. I bet all train fans will be very disappointed once they run the train the first time and notice all the flaws.

Maybe it was difficult or even impossible to make the train look good at a smaller scale. But if they cannot do it right, they shouldn't do it all and release something else.

And as usual: price, stickers, plastic axles, ... nothing is done right in this set.

 

Come on! At least it's a trains set! There hasn't been a good one since the Constitution Train Chase set, which I got for $60 recently. But it's still a cool set, nearly worth the price just to have the Goofy minifig. (Which fans have been requesting for a loooong time now.) Plus, it wasn't MADE to be a companion to existing Train sets - it was made to go with the Disney Castle set! So I see no problem. (But then, I'm not a giant Trains fan, either. So I can see where you're coming from. I build my own train stuff - generally out of the demolished remains of the sets I have.)

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Had a chance to see this set today at the Lego Store.  Looks pretty good but I am not planning on purchasing.  I'm not a huge Disney fan and train will look out of place with my 6 wide stuff.  That said, I'm glad they offered this set and sure a lot of AFL will love it!

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Price drop in Australia to match Disney Castle pricing (like other areas). LEGO just refunded me the AU$50 difference as I ordered on VIP release.

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8 hours ago, CMFanatic said:

$102 shipping + add import taxes to that and it will be over $450 for a used set :rofl:

LEGO sells it MISB for €350 if I wanted one new (which I don't, I was merely pointing out the lack of price drop on the Castle set over 3 years)

Edited by TeriXeri

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9 hours ago, TeriXeri said:

$102 shipping + add import taxes to that and it will be over $450 for a used set :rofl:

LEGO sells it MISB for €350 if I wanted one new (which I don't, I was merely pointing out the lack of price drop on the Castle set over 3 years)

Whoops! :facepalm: I'm in the USA so it would be cheaper for me - but I guess that shipping to Europe would be quite overpriced.

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9 hours ago, Goldenmasamune said:

In the real train, are the drive wheels on a bogie? 

Nope, a modification to make it easy to run on lego curves.

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5 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

Nope, a modification to make it easy to run on lego curves.

IMO, the method they chose to "make it easy to run on LEGO" curves is actually a worse solution than what would have been used on the original prototype:  namely, having the driving wheels fixed to the frame with the pilot truck being connected via a double-pivot.  This is based on my own testing with my 4-6-0 Wasteland Express locomotive that has a longer wheelbase (well I mean that part should be obvious, since it has 3 driving axles instead of 2 like the Disney train).

I mean I'm guessing it's probably a way to keep costs down somehow, but it still has me scratching my head...

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Doesnt the emerald night do as you describe? 

 

I'm almost done with the the train part; I have to say the size of the "Lilly Belle" car is driving me bonkers; It is way too short, and the 8 wide makes the proportions look even worse. Thing thing really needs to be at least 32 studs long. 

Thankfully, that is fairly easy to fix. I also really want to make the train itself more like the original. I'd love to make the driving wheels make the train move but I'm not sure if I can do that in an aesthetically pleasing way. There is honestly nothing wrong with making the tender move the train, It's just a thing I need to get myself past, or find some way to build my own motor housings and such. 

After I redesign this thing, I really want to give it some chrome gold/chrome silver parts. In the technic/model team forum i see this done occasionally. Where do you get parts chromed? 

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1 hour ago, Goldenmasamune said:

Doesnt the emerald night do as you describe? 

 

I'm almost done with the the train part; I have to say the size of the "Lilly Belle" car is driving me bonkers; It is way too short, and the 8 wide makes the proportions look even worse. Thing thing really needs to be at least 32 studs long. 

Thankfully, that is fairly easy to fix. I also really want to make the train itself more like the original. I'd love to make the driving wheels make the train move but I'm not sure if I can do that in an aesthetically pleasing way. There is honestly nothing wrong with making the tender move the train, It's just a thing I need to get myself past, or find some way to build my own motor housings and such. 

After I redesign this thing, I really want to give it some chrome gold/chrome silver parts. In the technic/model team forum i see this done occasionally. Where do you get parts chromed? 

Yes, the Emerald Night does, indeed have the rigid driver wheels with the dual-pivot pilot truck, which makes the design decision on the wheels for this train even more puzzling....

As for the chromed bricks, look under the "custom" section of Bricklink:  There's a pretty big outfit that sells nothing BUT chromed Lego bricks & parts in a variety of colored chrome plating.  I think they're even called "Chrome Bricks" or something like that, but that would probably most likely be the source, since IIRC, they even have chromed technic gears for sale in their store.

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16 hours ago, Laura Beinbrech said:

IMO, the method they chose to "make it easy to run on LEGO" curves is actually a worse solution than what would have been used on the original prototype:  namely, having the driving wheels fixed to the frame with the pilot truck being connected via a double-pivot.  This is based on my own testing with my 4-6-0 Wasteland Express locomotive that has a longer wheelbase (well I mean that part should be obvious, since it has 3 driving axles instead of 2 like the Disney train).

I mean I'm guessing it's probably a way to keep costs down somehow, but it still has me scratching my head... 

Well, it is also a way to keep the build doable. Simply requiring people to quarter the wheels is difficult to clearly communicate to all builders. If you do not appreciate that suitability, at best, you spend an hour on customer service to figure out that you need the 1/4 turn for the rods, at worst you never seek help and go away thinking you wasted $300 on a set that doesn't work. So both the HP train and Disney train have "rods" that move, but do not require quartering. For non-train heads (and even many train heads) that is great. The mechanics to get rods to work is a lot more complicated, e.g., quartering, and also figuring out how to keep the rods from interfering with the pilot truck. I'll be taking a stab at that at some point in the near future, but I can totally understand why Lego did not want to include that detail in this set where most of the buyers would not even notice the difference.

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Just now, zephyr1934 said:

Well, it is also a way to keep the build doable. Simply requiring people to quarter the wheels is difficult to clearly communicate to all builders. If you do not appreciate that suitability, at best, you spend an hour on customer service to figure out that you need the 1/4 turn for the rods, at worst you never seek help and go away thinking you wasted $300 on a set that doesn't work. So both the HP train and Disney train have "rods" that move, but do not require quartering. For non-train heads (and even many train heads) that is great. The mechanics to get rods to work is a lot more complicated, e.g., quartering, and also figuring out how to keep the rods from interfering with the pilot truck. I'll be taking a stab at that at some point in the near future, but I can totally understand why Lego did not want to include that detail in this set where most of the buyers would not even notice the difference.

Benn has a point. I battled this with my upcoming train model, so I can attest to the difficulty. That's said, the resultant detail is quite breathtaking.

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6 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

Well, it is also a way to keep the build doable. Simply requiring people to quarter the wheels is difficult to clearly communicate to all builders. If you do not appreciate that suitability, at best, you spend an hour on customer service to figure out that you need the 1/4 turn for the rods, at worst you never seek help and go away thinking you wasted $300 on a set that doesn't work. So both the HP train and Disney train have "rods" that move, but do not require quartering. For non-train heads (and even many train heads) that is great. The mechanics to get rods to work is a lot more complicated, e.g., quartering, and also figuring out how to keep the rods from interfering with the pilot truck. I'll be taking a stab at that at some point in the near future, but I can totally understand why Lego did not want to include that detail in this set where most of the buyers would not even notice the difference.

Like I said, I'm sure Lego had their reasons.  And I'm familiar with quartering and both the hows & whys of it:  After all, I volunteer at not one, but two heritage railways that have preserved steam locomotives (East Broad Top RR and the Waynesburg & Washington RR). ;)


Also on a side note, and speaking of the W&W RR locomotive, that issue with the drive rods (or at least the cylinders) interfering with the pilot truck can also be an issue with RL locomotives:   The W&W had a lot of hairpin turns, and you can see where the pilot wheels wore grooves into the ends of the steam cylinders on the preserved 2-6-0 locomotive because of them riding up against the cylinders going through said curves repeatedly over the years...

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After having had this set for a while now, I feel it isn't worth the price tag at all, especially when compared to the disney castle. I feel it is easily $100 overpriced for what you get.

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I was on the fence about buying this set (nothing wrong with it, I just prefer MOCs), but I did want to figure out how to retrofit it for rods since I've already had several inquires. I was hoping I could do the rod design without the set, and in fact I managed to come up with what I think is a really nice solution. Trouble is, it is hard to visualize how the prototype fits in to the set. So I broke down and got a copy of the set.

After building the engine and first car, I must say that I am impressed with the look and feel of the locomotive. The proportions and general design really has the feel of a narrow gauge engine. I would say the train has the feel of an entry level G scale train set- short and wide rolling stock, and as noted, I think that works well for narrow gauge. Of course there is that nagging problem that it is essentially a bogie engine the way it's built, but that will soon be fixed. I could also see redoing the cab roof to have long flat slopes instead of the curves necessary to get Micky in the cab.

(Once I have the retrofit documented I'll post that in a new thread)

 

 

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55 minutes ago, zephyr1934 said:

I was on the fence about buying this set (nothing wrong with it, I just prefer MOCs), but I did want to figure out how to retrofit it for rods since I've already had several inquires. I was hoping I could do the rod design without the set, and in fact I managed to come up with what I think is a really nice solution. Trouble is, it is hard to visualize how the prototype fits in to the set. So I broke down and got a copy of the set.

After building the engine and first car, I must say that I am impressed with the look and feel of the locomotive. The proportions and general design really has the feel of a narrow gauge engine. I would say the train has the feel of an entry level G scale train set- short and wide rolling stock, and as noted, I think that works well for narrow gauge. Of course there is that nagging problem that it is essentially a bogie engine the way it's built, but that will soon be fixed. I could also see redoing the cab roof to have long flat slopes instead of the curves necessary to get Micky in the cab.

(Once I have the retrofit documented I'll post that in a new thread)

 

 

 

It's funny we both pretty much had this idea, and you made a post about it just a few minutes before I did! I started a new thread with something I came up with; I look forward to seeing your ideas! 

 

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A few more things I left out, in the pictures the locomotive looks like a reworking of the Lone Ranger locomotive... which might be the case to some degree, but with the 8 wide cab and additional detailing, in person it definitely feels more substantial.

I do have one more gripe. The stickers for the tender are split across two 2x4 tiles. It is hard to get these aligned just right. Those parts probably should have been printed.

 

6 hours ago, Carefree_Dude said:

It's funny we both pretty much had this idea, and you made a post about it just a few minutes before I did!

It's a small world after all (sorry... had to say it)

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