Favorite Train Station

[Hobbes]

With the airport the first of the infrastructural facilities has been decided on. Now it's time for a train station.

Going way back to 1975 LEGO has provided quite a few different train stations over the years.

Which one is your favorite? Vote here and share your thoughts about the set(s) :-)

Here are the candidates

(Click thumbs for bigger pictures)

1. 148 Central Station

Way back in 1975 LEGO gave us the first train station. The design was pretty simple

but offered a city feeling. Since people actually couldn't move at that time the lack of

accesibility didn't matter, either.

2. 7822 Railway Station

Five years later, people in the meantime had learned to move, the train station received

a complete overhaul. The basic design with two platforms for one track more or less

stayed the same, but acceptance among people was kind of low, not many showed up.

So the number of personnel was kept low.

3. 7824 Train Station

Shortly thereafter, in 1983, trains had become a lot more popular. The old station was

torn down and a new one erected. The two platform design was abandoned, instead the

focus was put on modern design and easy accessibility. People showed up in bigger

numbers, too, so more personnel had to be hired. Economy thrived.

4. 4554 Metro Station

That last train station stood its ground for almost ten years. Probably in secret lots of

designers were working on a brand new station that should meet the growing demands

of passenger traffic. They came up with a completely redesigned modern station. The

name was changed to "Metro Station", signalling the growth of the city. It was recolored

in yellow to sport a friendly look. The building now offered lots more room for waiting

passengers, a restaurant and a new modernized control center.

5. 2150 Train Station

Four years later, passenger traffic had grown constantly, city council decided to build

a second train station. Because the design of the last station had proved reliable they

decided to use it again. A known concept should provide lower cost in maintenance and

the acceptance among passengers had been high, too. To seperate it from the first

station it was painted red.

6. 4556 Train Station

Despite a lot of investing in railway transportation that sector wasn't immune to problems.

With the decreasing prices of plane tickets and car prices the railway had to fight decrea-

sing numbers of passengers. Both train stations proved to be too expensive to maintain.

So, in 1999, city council decided to go back to one trainstation. Due to the volume the

previous two stations had to handle in the past their degree of deterioration was high and

restoration would have been too expensive. So a new, cheaper station was designed to

handle the lower passenger volume and train traffic.

7. 4513 Grand Central Station

In 2003, with the city having grown into a metropolis, city council decided on a redesign

of the station. Passenger volume hadn't increased so they tried to mix the success of the

1992 and 1996 stations with the low-cost design and maintenance of the 1999 station.

Surveys showed that yellow had been a widely accepted color so they went back to it, too,

and that station serves up to today.

So, which one is your favorite?

I will pin this poll for convenience and (try to) declare a winner around the weekend of October 7 & 8 since I'm on vacation the week before. After that I'll unpin it again and you can find it via the City Index and still discuss and vote if you haven't already.

Vote on!

[Jipay]

The winner got my vote :-P I like it not because of the deisgn or anything but only because it is the biggest set of all.

The World City would have been my second vote : it included a lot of cool stuff in a smaller set

[xwingyoda]

Loool, I am the only one as of now that went for modernity (4513) :-D Its the only one I have and I bought it 50% off for the fantastic parts (especially those curved windows...)

2150 ould make a perfect fire station with a few mods ;-) I love that design because it has a look of a smalll town old feel ;-)

I would love for them to reissue one like that but in Sand Red that looks like bricks ;-)

Anyhow,

Vote On !!

*yoda*

[snefroe]

can anybody explain what a yellow train station is doing in a what almost looks like a space scenery? :-X I'm guessing they had a tube left fom the days of the space monorails or so, but honestly, the cover of the set is completely ruined by it! >:-(

i only had 7822 and 7824. both were fantastic... for the early 80's that is... the electric lights were just great, the bridge was a real cool feature! sure, it all looks a bit primitive now, but they still give a realistic view of a small station...

[Hobbes]

can anybody explain what a yellow train station is doing in a what almost looks like a space scenery? :-X I'm guessing they had a tube left fom the days of the space monorails or so, but honestly, the cover of the set is completely ruined by it! >:-(

I was wondering, too. Every Train box art of the 1990s was set inside or outside a cave. Very weird choice...

[alex54]

I voted for the 4554 station. This station is, for me, the symbol of a lego train station, because I see it in so much magazines, and just see it in real one aftrenoon (one of my friend had it when I was a child). This station have a classic look, which remind me of the traditional french station. And it is big, giving it the importance of a real trainstation.

However, my second choice is the 4513 grand central station. Yes, I like this modern set, which gives the station a contemporary look. For the firts time (with thos city polls) , a new set has the second position im my opinion, but we can vote just one time, so...

[Jipay]

can anybody explain what a yellow train station is doing in a what almost looks like a space scenery? :-X I'm guessing they had a tube left fom the days of the space monorails or so, but honestly, the cover of the set is completely ruined by it! >:-(

I was wondering, too. Every Train box art of the 1990s was set inside or outside a cave. Very weird choice...

They were all (or almost) metro liner related. This is why

[Hobbes]

They were all (or almost) metro liner related. This is why

What's the metroliner doing in a cave? It runs between DC and NYC, there's no caves ;-)

[PaulC]

It makes no sense to me that a modern train station in a town or city should only have one platform. Ony one train can stop at the station at one time? How can they run a railway system like that? 7822 This is the only Minifig station with two platforms, plus I've always loved it's classic design and fantastic footbridge, so it gets my vote.

[snefroe]

It makes no sense to me that a modern train station in a town or city should only have one platform. Ony one train can stop at the station at one time? How can they run a railway system like that? 7822 This is the only Minifig station with two platforms, plus I've always loved it's classic design and fantastic footbridge, so it gets my vote.

well actually, we have many small train stations with only 2 tracks, through out Europe. Most of our railroad systems are organised to not only travel from one big city to another, very often, there are small stations in between, or the line itself is linked with smaller lines, bringing passengers from villages/small towns/industrial parks/... to the larger lines. Sometimes these stations don't even have people working there. In that way, i think all these stations, except for the last one, resemble a typical small station quite well. Sure, a train station of a big city is a different story, but Lego could never turn that into an actual set.

[UltraPrime]

I could travel from here to my Mum's house, and go through three unmanned small platforms. One of which is only 10' long.

[Jipay]

They were all (or almost) metro liner related. This is why

What's the metroliner doing in a cave? It runs between DC and NYC, there's no caves ;-)

I hate when you do that X-D

[mdoyle]

Ill have to add my own. Being a big fan of frieght trains as opposed to the passenger trains I'm putting a write in vote for #4555

[AlanYap]

i voted for 7822 .

one main reason is becoz it has an overhead bridge. i think most real life train stations have it.

Would be even more perfect with 2 tracks running across.

[Zarkan]

4513 for me. Just like in the airport poll, I voted for Grand Central Station because of it's smooth, modern look, and all the cool details and construction. It looks so much better than the cruddy World City Police Station, even looks right at home in the present time City theme! I only hope than when TLC makes a new one, that they keep this one in mind. ;-)

[WesternOutlaw]

Definately 4554. My vote without hesitation. I wish I had purchased this years ago, but I didn't have a train to circle it. I like the yellow station followed by the red duplicate. The worst station (and I own it), is the new yellow station. Way too modern. I don't like the architecture, and it just looks like an underwater sub base to me.

4555 is pretty slick too. I don't remember this set at all. Very nice.

[Commander Wolf]

I'll have to agree with 4554.

And I too wish I had bought it when it was still available.

I think they should have re-printed it along with the Metroliner and Club Car.

[phoinix]

voted for 4554 as well.. *y*

i do not own a train station but this set is in my top priotities if a good set pops up at ebay! (and if i have the money for it)

it looks so much better in yellow than in that red one...

the latest model looks owfull!! i think its the worst one!like the latest airport set..its just too modern and has too many glass walls!

and like someone else said it looks like an underwater sub-base!

i wouldnt be surprised if the aqua-raiders base looked like that! :-P

[alex54]

the latest model looks owfull!! i think its the worst one!like the latest airport set..its just too modern and has too many glass walls!

and like someone else said it looks like an underwater sub-base!

i wouldnt be surprised if the aqua-raiders base looked like that! :-P

I don't agree with you! Yes the last one looks moden with lot of glass walls, like the new airport. But the real new buildings are like that, the modern constructions have more and more glass walls, it is the modern architecture style. On the contrary, I find it very nice, this modern touch is well done and makes this station different from the old classic one. It was my second choice...

[highlandcattle]

I don't agree with you! Yes the last one looks moden with lot of glass walls, like the new airport. But the real new buildings are like that, the modern constructions have more and more glass walls, it is the modern architecture style. On the contrary, I find it very nice, this modern touch is well done and makes this station different from the old classic one. It was my second choice...

I agree with alex on the glass thing I still dislike the station because of the huge sign on top!

[Hobbes]

Man, I haven't voted in my own poll yet!

Well, I voted for 7822. My choices were this one and 4513. Yes, the latest one, because unlike most people I like it. And unlike most people I don't really like 4554.

I'm a fan of modern trainstations (I mentioned it here once) and 7822 has the "necessary" two platforms and the bridge, and 4513 has the looks. 4513 could be a bit bigger, though. And the size, the bridge, and the two platforms made me vote for 7822.

But to be honest: of all the train stations ever made by LEGO no one really stands out for me. Maybe, just maybe, the new RC trains might prompt another train station next year or so...

Just a reminder: I'll (try to) announce a winner on Sunday afternoon, around 3 or 4 CET.

[Asuka]

I

[Hobbes]

After all the wedding hassle and honeymoon stress (;-)) I hereby declare

EB's favorite train station:

4554 Metro Station

The vote was pretty clear with 15 votes out of 35 (so far). The latest set 4513 didn't finish dead last but didn't receive that many more votes than the other new sets in the other polls, either. One could call that another defeat.

Topic unpinned. Voting's still possible but won't be taken into account anymore.

[Minifig Lecturer]

4554 is also the best town building ever made.

[phoinix]

4554 is also the best town building ever made.

i second that.

and maybe we could have a contest for the best town/city building ever made!!