LEGO #21344 - Orient Express

[Toastie]

44 minutes ago, RedBrick1 said:

multiple motorization options and countless videos

Hmmm - countless, as in maybe 20 or even 50? I believe @JaBaCaDaBra is referring to the remaining tens of thousands of sets - well - collecting dust

My take: Leave space here, tease there, render it "possible" - claim it is sooo hard to do, float the super tough TLG QC limits - and off the party goes!

I also believe had TLG had thrown in the PUp stuff, this set wound need to hit the $500 margin, otherwise the Technic freaks, well, would freak out, as they have to live with Control+, which is PUp, for long now, and that pushed (for some "unknown" reason) profit ... well, let's not talk about the lifetime of PUp. Aluminum hat off.

Have fun with the motorization, as I clearly see this as the fun part!

Best,
Thorsten

[zephyr1934]

17 hours ago, Toastie said:

I also believe had TLG had thrown in the PUp stuff, this set wound need to hit the $500 margin, otherwise the Technic freaks, well, would freak out, as they have to live with Control+, which is PUp, for long now, and that pushed (for some "unknown" reason) profit ... well, let's not talk about the lifetime of PUp. Aluminum hat off.

None of the AFOL trains have ever had the motorization included in the set, it was always separate: Super Chief, BNSF, EN, Maersk, HE, Croc. If I recall correctly, the recommended "add ons" for the EN included the LiPo battery, full retail for the controller, and of course the $25 wall wart. But yes, Lego cut some corners to make other corners sharper on this set.

The ironic thing is that they decided to go with the IP holder. So instead of getting the classic train of history that everyone voted for, they produced the modern land cruise that is just starting up and no one even knew about. I bet everyone would have been quite happy if instead this set came out as the "Otherwise Express." Yeah, I know most of this has been said 1000 times, but the subtle bit about the fact that most of the target audience probably does not care about the licensing is the new bit. They could have done an ambiguous brick built logo on the side of the cars and folks would have been happier than the modern logo. They could even point to the misspelled cities and say "see, this isn't the Orient Express". But I don't care, as far as lego trains go, after you get it motorized it is better than most sets.

[ElGreco]

15 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

None of the AFOL trains have ever had the motorization included in the set, it was always separate: Super Chief, BNSF, EN, Maersk, HE, Croc. If I recall correctly, …

Hi there and Happy New Year!

Firstly, kindly allow me to mention that I have some difficulties to follow up the abbreviations you guys use in this forum so for anyone who had the same question with me: AFOL=Adult Funs of Lego, just googled it :)

Now, on the post above by @zephyr1934 , If EN is AFOL (it is provided as 14+ age set) how come and in the Disney Train station I just built (and price wise is definitely 18+ :) ) the train is fully motorized.

So perhaps the approach of “any AFOL train is not motorized” is not that accurate, unless I have misunderstood the definition of AFOL.

[PopsicleLEGO]

Over the past few months I have been working on several designs for the Orient Express - Locomotive, Tender, Baggage Car, Observation Deck and a set of interior designs for those who want to change up there second set of 21344!

Tomorrow the Observation Car get officially released on ReBrickable. Just need to hit the sack now and check everything with a fresh mind in the morning.

 

[idlemarvel]

Didn't take long for the clones to arrive:

I have no problem with copies of Lego retired sets like Emerald Night but this is ridiculous.

[ElGreco]

I was playing around with my recently built Winter Holiday Train and Disney Train and connected all carriages (except engine) of Disney to the holiday train. Motorized is only the Disney train and must tell you that the single motorized wagon (the one behind the engine of Disney train) was able to push pull all wagons of both trains (engine of Disney train excluded) VERY easily!

I just need to find some free time to build my OE and motorise it as well (should have done this two weeks ago).

[zephyr1934]

On 1/7/2024 at 2:49 AM, ElGreco said:

Now, on the post above by @zephyr1934 , If EN is AFOL (it is provided as 14+ age set) how come and in the Disney Train station I just built (and price wise is definitely 18+ :) ) the train is fully motorized.

Doh! (that's Simpson's not Lego, grin) I forgot about that one. Yes, the Disney train was fully motorized, so ALMOST all AFOL trains had the motorization sold separately. And "EN" is short for the Emerald Night, "HE" for Horizon Express.

[lego3057]

-

Edited January 12 by lego3057

[Hod Carrier]

On 1/6/2024 at 4:03 PM, zephyr1934 said:

The ironic thing is that they decided to go with the IP holder. So instead of getting the classic train of history that everyone voted for, they produced the modern land cruise that is just starting up and no one even knew about. I bet everyone would have been quite happy if instead this set came out as the "Otherwise Express." Yeah, I know most of this has been said 1000 times, but the subtle bit about the fact that most of the target audience probably does not care about the licensing is the new bit. They could have done an ambiguous brick built logo on the side of the cars and folks would have been happier than the modern logo. They could even point to the misspelled cities and say "see, this isn't the Orient Express". But I don't care, as far as lego trains go, after you get it motorized it is better than most sets.

I fear that I must take issue with your history, as the "land cruise" that you talk about has been running in one form or another since the mid-1970s, even overlapping with the last of the "official" scheduled Orient Express workings, and the popular Venice-Simplon Orient Express has been running continuously since the 1980s. It's only that the official Orient Express brand is about to have yet another relaunch at the hands of the latest owners (Accor Hotels and French national rail operator SNCF).

That said, the rolling stock used in the new service will include a decent number of refurbished historic vehicles from the defunct Nostalgie Istanbul Orient Express which themselves date back to the 1920s and 30s and will look very like the ones included in the LEGO set, as does the rolling stock used by the Venice-Simplon Orient Express. As such, it means that a builder has plenty of options to decide what period to build in from the century since these vehicles were constructed, and what sort of motive power to pair with their coaches. I think that offers a good degree of flexibility by not pinning us down to one iteration or another.

Speaking for myself, like you I'm not unhappy with the set as, like all LEGO sets, it provides a good starting point and has already sparked a lot of complementary designs for both locos and stock. The only thing that irritates slightly is that the Orient Express is a European icon and some of the designs I've been seeing, although excellent in their own ways, appear to be a little bit too Americanised to my eyes.

[zephyr1934]

On 1/12/2024 at 9:04 AM, Hod Carrier said:

I fear that I must take issue with your history, as the "land cruise" that you talk about has been running in one form or another since the mid-1970s, even overlapping with the last of the "official" scheduled Orient Express workings, and the popular Venice-Simplon Orient Express has been running continuously since the 1980s. It's only that the official Orient Express brand is about to have yet another relaunch at the hands of the latest owners (Accor Hotels and French national rail operator SNCF).

Oh, I didn't mean anything negative or even that the idea was "new," just that the IP holder is pushing the most modern variant of the OE and what I THINK is new is the logo that the new launch has with it. I would hazard a guess that most people who voted for the idea BECAUSE it was the OE did so thinking of the classic train and it's herald like this:

 

Rather than the new logo like this:

 

If Lego had taken the Emerald Night approach (any similarities to any Flying Scottsman living or dead is purely coincidental) then they would have had the liberty to go in other directions (or at least a slightly larger budget to add a bit more to the train). I suspect the emphasis on the cars would have stayed (it's like a modular building only on wheels, good strategic choice to pull in non-train fans) and the engine would not have gotten larger than a 4-6-2 (R40 track limitations) but the logo would have been better.

 

[Hod Carrier]

@zephyr1934 I see an opening for a new sticker. 

Edited January 14 by Hod Carrier

[ElGreco]

Hello guys!

Any idea if LEGO Team has released revised bricks with the correct city names printed on them?

 

Thank you!

[R0Sch]

On 1/21/2024 at 6:33 AM, ElGreco said:

Hello guys!

Any idea if LEGO Team has released revised bricks with the correct city names printed on them?

 

Thank you!

Seems so, because the instruction book was updated on January 14th. https://www.lego.com/cdn/product-assets/product.bi.core.pdf/6519724.pdf
The only question is how to tell apart which production batch has the corrected parts when we pick the set in the stores or buy online. The part numbers were not updated and kept the same which is unfortunate. Wonder if they scrapped all the incorrect tiles.

[Lyichir]

On 1/13/2024 at 12:21 PM, zephyr1934 said:

Oh, I didn't mean anything negative or even that the idea was "new," just that the IP holder is pushing the most modern variant of the OE and what I THINK is new is the logo that the new launch has with it. I would hazard a guess that most people who voted for the idea BECAUSE it was the OE did so thinking of the classic train and it's herald like this:

If Lego had taken the Emerald Night approach (any similarities to any Flying Scottsman living or dead is purely coincidental) then they would have had the liberty to go in other directions (or at least a slightly larger budget to add a bit more to the train). I suspect the emphasis on the cars would have stayed (it's like a modular building only on wheels, good strategic choice to pull in non-train fans) and the engine would not have gotten larger than a 4-6-2 (R40 track limitations) but the logo would have been better.

 

I'm pretty sure Lego would not really have had the choice to feign ignorance about the Orient Express set being based on a trademarked train design in this case, given that it was approved based on an Ideas proposal that was unambiguous about being based on the Orient Express. And even if they could, a "faux" OE would almost certainly have to avoid using a logo too similar to either the current or classic OE iconography to maintain such a ruse.

[M_slug357]

@R0Sch I hope we can request the updated tiles from CustomerService sometime soon?

[ElGreco]

20 hours ago, R0Sch said:

Seems so, because the instruction book was updated on January 14th. https://www.lego.com/cdn/product-assets/product.bi.core.pdf/6519724.pdf
The only question is how to tell apart which production batch has the corrected parts when we pick the set in the stores or buy online. The part numbers were not updated and kept the same which is unfortunate. Wonder if they scrapped all the incorrect tiles.

You are so right! The printed tiles are now corrected and having the same number is not wrong.

I have gathered multiple other issues in the Lego sets I bought (Alpine Lodge, Disney station, Christmas tree) and will send these altogether to the Lego customer support.

 

Thank you for your reply!

[ElGreco]

Following my previous message and having just started building this set, i came across the "bent rails" issue as well. Has anyone here tried to replace these rails through customer support?

Thank you!

 

Edited January 28 by ElGreco

[Interceptor]

On 1/25/2024 at 10:56 PM, M_slug357 said:

@R0Sch I hope we can request the updated tiles from CustomerService sometime soon?

I contacted LEGO customer service about replacing the pieces with typos and they said that the correct pieces are on their way to my address, so there is hope.

[Man with a hat]

On 1/29/2024 at 1:03 PM, Interceptor said:

I contacted LEGO customer service about replacing the pieces with typos and they said that the correct pieces are on their way to my address, so there is hope.

Good to here. Time to contact them as well then. (the replacement stickers I got some time ago already)

[R0Sch]

I will wait patiently until the 30-40% discount. No rush. By that time, maybe boxart will be fixed as well.
Btw, has anyone tried my motorization proposals?

[Lion King]

On 2/6/2024 at 1:59 PM, R0Sch said:

I will wait patiently until the 30-40% discount. No rush. By that time, maybe boxart will be fixed as well.
Btw, has anyone tried my motorization proposals?

Um, what boxart being fixed?

[R0Sch]

On 2/9/2024 at 3:15 PM, Lion King said:

Um, what boxart being fixed?

I mean I expect them to correct the city names on the physical box and instructions too. Just like they did with the UCS Republic Gunship.

[Space78]

I"m waiting too, though not sure I'm going to see 30-40% discounts (where would one get that?)  As a higher cost ideas set, it will be interesting to see how long it will be for sale.  I'm expecting through next Christmas, but maybe not beyond that?  If so, what is the optimal time to buy for best "discount."

[Polarlicht]

I am waiting too. Still no discounts in sight