4841 Hogwarts Express Train Discussion

[ZueriHB]

I didn't find it, just took the link from the other thread because I know some train tech's don't visit that thread. Sorry for not giving credit !

Good thing you did this. Alas didn't happen the same with the Toy Story Western Chase Train Thingy?

About the train, it looks... lackluster compared to the other steam engine by TLC (Emerald Night), and as I'm not that big a HP fan, I may pass this set.

Oh, and again only one carriage.

[WesternOutlaw]

Sorry guys - I didn't see Darth Legolas' initial post. I think I've set things right.

[Darth Legolas]

I didn't find it, just took the link from the other thread because I know some train tech's don't visit that thread. Sorry for not giving credit !

Sorry guys - I didn't see Darth Legolas' initial post. I think I've set things right.

It was a collaborated effort. We all did something.

I wonder if there will be a special edition Power Funtions RC version of this set? Looks like the wheels aren't geared, but I could see this with flexi-track, rechargeable battery box, IR remote, receiver, and motor for $200.

Too bad this one doesn't have a Station like the older ones, but a very nice tidbit is the cart for the passenger section.

Edited February 14, 2010 by Darth Legolas

[escortmad79]

Looks as awful as the last one!!

TLG missed an opportunity to make something similar to Emerald Night which would've appealled to Harry Potter fanatics, Lego Train lovers & AFOLs alike & sold in droves!

[pugsx3]

How will you go about aquiring red 2 x 4 round slope bricks?

those slopes are in the toy story train

[The Green Brick Giant]

If they wanted to jack the price up with the blue car they should have just made another train car.

[The Alchemyst]

If they wanted to jack the price up with the blue car they should have just made another train car.

Remember that this set is still targeted to the kids, and with the car you add playability and more connection to the actual story.

[AllanSmith]

In New Zealand we never got the motorised Hogwarts set with the tender. This set allows me to get the coal tender with stickers.

Last year at a hobby expo I put small train wheels under the blue car and had the HP loco pushing it. Like the scene in the movie crossing the bridge.

Also the red Creator car this year has 1 red curved panel so I could now modify an Emerald Night into a HP loco by buying heaps of that Creator set.

Edited February 14, 2010 by AllanSmith

[CommanderFox]

WOW this sets looks Incredible!

So much improvment to the old one!

Thanks for posting images!

CommanderFox

[jonwil]

Those who say the Hogwarts should have had the EN wheels need to remember that if the Hogwarts Express had EN wheels it would need to be as big (and expensive) as the EN in order for the wheels to look right.

I can certainly see some people taking the EN and making it dark red and then modifying it so it looks like the Hogwarts Express.

[DaCheese]

Disappointingly similar to the one before it. Having said that, the display model does show that the designer has paid a bit more attention to the real thing this time. Take a look at the real 5972:

Features that have been reproduced fairly well on the new kit are the curved nameplates, cabside number plates and shed plate (that little ellipse on the smokebox door at the front). I've just discovered that 10A is the shed code for Carnforth, where West Coast Railways, 5972's owners, are based, so although it's a detail that the designer will have lifted straight off the loco without thinking about its meaning, credit is due for including the plate. The headboard (the thing that says "Hogwarts Express") is the right shape too, but it's been made far too big like last time, resulting in the smokebox number being below the poor representation of the smokebox dart (used to open the smokebox door, and much too long on the model) instead of above it. Annoying as this number's the right font!

One day, when I can afford to, I'll build my own, and it'll be spot on.

[Dan-147]

Totally disappointing!!! It's just a rehash of all the previous Hogwarts Express trains with some minor detail changes. I was hoping that TLG would use the drivers from the Emerald Night to at least get the right wheel configuration!! I wasn't expecting a locomotive as glorious as the Emerald Night but I was certainly expecting the big drivers. What a let-down....

[David (New Zealand)]

In New Zealand we never got the motorised Hogwarts set with the tender. This set allows me to get the coal tender with stickers.

Last year at a hobby expo I put small train wheels under the blue car and had the HP loco pushing it. Like the scene in the movie crossing the bridge.

Also the red Creator car this year has 1 red curved panel so I could now modify an Emerald Night into a HP loco by buying heaps of that Creator set.

Funny you should say that - I got one at ToyWorld. Maybe another limited release so you may not have seen it at your local store?

[jonwil]

Those who are asking for EN wheels on this thing (and all the detailing that would go with them), remember that this set is US$80, the EN is US$100. Also, this set is licensed and contains the car too. So an EN style train would cost too much.

[______]

It looks alright, just a bit hard to modify. However after seeing the real thing I would want to give it bigger wheels if I bought it.

[Duq]

Perhaps, but I'll be waiting until an official announcement to decide what I think of the set.

So captain, now that the official pictures are out what do you think?

I still think it's as ugly as the last one, looking like one of those cars disguised as a train that you see in shopping centres.

[Snapshot]

So captain, now that the official pictures are out what do you think?

I still think it's as ugly as the last one, looking like one of those cars disguised as a train that you see in shopping centres.

I agree. The red engine in the foreground is how it should have been but was 'cost reduced'. This is the engine used for the HP game and we were all hoping it would become the new HE model. You can see some details like the arches over the drivers have been used but the wheels haven't.

It was made by Carl 'Bricktrix' Greatrex and there are probably better shots of it in his flickr stream.

[Duq]

It was made by Carl 'Bricktrix' Greatrex and there are probably better shots of it in his flickr stream.

Yup:

Hogwarts Express by bricktrix, on Flickr

[fred67]

Yup:

That's beautiful, no doubt, but it's got a lot of hacks, like the boiler being covered with red vinyl.

The carriages are spectacular. I'm definitely down with modifying the EN to make it look more like this... I just wish I had more time.

[locoworks]

That's beautiful, no doubt, but it's got a lot of hacks, like the boiler being covered with red vinyl.

The carriages are spectacular. I'm definitely down with modifying the EN to make it look more like this... I just wish I had more time.

the boiler has the protypical taper so i imagine it is not lego underneath but a former to give the 'correct' shape. i'm not knocking it, or any of the others in the photo, they look like their protoype originals and are very impressive. i remember the good old days when the wheels came out that had those big red plastic centres with a brass pin to push into the special grey blocks. these days there at that many 'special' pieces it is like playmobil with warts..

[peterab]

That's beautiful, no doubt, but it's got a lot of hacks, like the boiler being covered with red vinyl.

Carl gets great results but some of his techniques go beyond what I feel comfortable with using myself. The red vinyl is one of those. On the other hand his experimentation is pushing the boundaries and has resulted in some great new techniques such as string to hold on diagonal tubes to give the effect of bracing.

[Teddy]

Carl gets great results but some of his techniques go beyond what I feel comfortable with using myself. The red vinyl is one of those. On the other hand his experimentation is pushing the boundaries and has resulted in some great new techniques such as string to hold on diagonal tubes to give the effect of bracing.

I agree, it looks really nice, but the amount of "stickers" is just too much for my liking as well. In my opinion, they dominate the MOC instead of supporting it.

Kind regards,

Teddy

[Bricktrix]

That's beautiful, no doubt, but it's got a lot of hacks, like the boiler being covered with red vinyl.

Actually on the engine there is ONE "hack" a bent aerial for the front handrail, the rest of it is a legit build.

The red vinyl on the boiler is merely used to cover parts that I needed in red but didnt want to have to pay for at over 7$ each on Bricklink.

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=x1042a the description on my Flickr pictures says the same, just shows what people dont read eh!

The same as I used red vinyl on the carriage sides as I only had those parts in bulk in black.

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=432361 shows the first (HP game used design for the boiler) the boiler in the Flickr pictures is a slightly different design but along the same idea.

[fred67]

Actually on the engine there is ONE "hack" a bent aerial for the front handrail, the rest of it is a legit build.

The red vinyl on the boiler is merely used to cover parts that I needed in red but didnt want to have to pay for at over 7$ each on Bricklink.

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=x1042a the description on my Flickr pictures says the same, just shows what people dont read eh!

The same as I used red vinyl on the carriage sides as I only had those parts in bulk in black.

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=432361 shows the first (HP game used design for the boiler) the boiler in the Flickr pictures is a slightly different design but along the same idea.

You got the smooth tapered effect from vinyl... I'm not knocking it, it looks fantastic, but while your intent may have been merely to cover certain colors, it had a whole other effect as well.

[Bricktrix]

You got the smooth tapered effect from vinyl... I'm not knocking it, it looks fantastic, but while your intent may have been merely to cover certain colors, it had a whole other effect as well.

No, I did not. The smooth tapered effect is produced by the build / design. The pictures to how it is built show that. If I had used these parts http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=x1042a in red it would look exactly the same. The small rubber bands cover the slight gaps caused by the angle join at the rear where it meets the firebox.

I'd be the first person to shout out if I had used vinyl to create an angled joint not possible in LEGO, but this build is legit without the need of it. TLG have to approve every design / build that we put into game also.

The 2nd design for my personal build, alters the bottom of the rear of the boiler to stay in line with the front of it, as I did not like the slight step it created on the first design. On screen in game it was not that noticeable, but in brick, my eyes drew straight to that step so I adjusted it. Again this was not done by using vinyl, the design was altered with different connection points at the rear and by putting 1 plate inbetween the 2 boiler halves to increase the depth at the rear.

I would have taken pictures of this in the proccess as I did the first design, but the pinstripe stickers were already in place, as they are not the easiest part to replace, I did not take it apart again just to take more photos.

I hope this helps clear up any confusion as to what your obviously missing from the pictures?

Carl

Edited November 19, 2010 by Bricktrix