2015 LEGO Trains?

[peterab]

Is anyone else starting to get very worried that we haven't heard ANYTHING? not even a name, picture, or even mention that there will be a Expert Creator set... I am really starting to get worried now!

If you look across all of the themes there is a pattern. We haven't seen pictures of the next series of collectable figs, modular building .... A couple of years ago I asked a LEGO employee what they thought of Grogall posting leaked pics of unreleased sets. They said they thought he was getting the images from their public website, by scanning the image cache before the set pages were made public. Legally they couldn't do anything about it but they didn't like it and were trying to educate their people not to put the images up early so as to plug the leaks. It seems they have been successful lately.

I certainly won't start to worry unless we get to January and we haven't had a Creator Expert train released.

[wondermonkey]

That's interesting. The silence from Grogall has been deafening. I did enjoy his leaks though, the buildup to the official release seemed more enjoyable then.

[ecmo47]

I like the idea of a Shay or a Heisler (fully geared of course!) but an outside frame steam engine like a D&RGW K-27 would be awesome!

[AgentRick]

Back on topic, I'm really fond of the 2016 50th Anniversary idea from a few pages back. I could easily see them making a Steam set based off of 720 or 725 for the Blue-Rail era, a modern version of 7740 with Tan and Dark Red in place of Yellow/Red for the Gray-Rail era, and a version of 4564 for the 9V era, even if it might be similar to 3677.

[detjensrobert]

I'd love to see a reiteration of the hobby train set.

[zephyr1934]

a modern version of 7740 with Tan and Dark Red in place of Yellow/Red for the Gray-Rail era, and a version of 4564 for the 9V era, even if it might be similar to 3677.

Oh yes, that would be fantastic to see 7740 revisited with the detail of the AFOL trains (there have been some good looking MOCs of this train in the various photo repositories). While I like 7564 a lot, I don't think it has the same iconic status as 7740 and it has been redone not once (3677) but twice (4512) already.

[ronenson]

I tried once to make a modern version of 7740 in LDD, but dark red and tan just doesn't give it that 7740 feeling. Dark red an yellow would work though. Also, dark red and tan make the coaches look very similar to the enerald night coaches.

[bp10030]

88000 LEGO® Power Functions AAA Battery Box sold out at S@H EU. What does it mean for future trains?

[AlmightyArjen]

Back on topic, I'm really fond of the 2016 50th Anniversary idea from a few pages back. I could easily see them making a Steam set based off of 720 or 725 for the Blue-Rail era, a modern version of 7740 with Tan and Dark Red in place of Yellow/Red for the Gray-Rail era, and a version of 4564 for the 9V era, even if it might be similar to 3677.

no no no, hands off the 7740! ;)

[Paperballpark]

88000 LEGO® Power Functions AAA Battery Box sold out at S@H EU. What does it mean for future trains?

Yes that's curious. Especially as the servo motor states 'Temporarily out of stock'...

I don't think it means they're killing PF. They've just brought out two new trains that use it (and the battery box).

I hope it means they're replacing it with a smaller box...

[leg01982]

i was just about to order 3 battery boxes too :(

[dr_spock]

I ordered a few battery boxes for double VIP points October. I guess that put their available inventory over the edge.

I don't think it means the battery box is going away. They didn't enable the "retiring soon" indicator for the product on the web site. They probably didn't make & stock enough to meet demand. Predicting demand can be more of an art than science.

It looks like the 88000 is still available on the USA S@H.

[Dread Pirate Rob]

no no no, hands off the 7740! ;)

:) Yes :) While I would love a 7740 it is probably the easiest 12v to add power functions to. Just a shame I missed out in the 80s...

[3797]

I wouldn't mind, if there was no new train next year. I'd rather see the HE on the shelfes for a bit longer.

A new train station that looks at least as good as the modular buildings and uses about 2000 to 3500 parts would be more interesting to me. Ideally something old fashioned in dark red with white windows, black roof and dark tan window sills.

Then in 2016, I'd like to see a proper german steam engine with a tender. Dark green passenger cars (with proper 4x3 train windows and doors!) and maybe even a freight car should be made available as separate sets, so we can buy as many as we want.

Also, I'm kind of sick of all the diesel freight trains.

[Redimus]

I'm not sure how keen I am on a Creator Station. The stations Lego normally do are far from spectacular (although the last two haven't been bad modern station designs), If they did do one, would it include the platform? Would a platform be a separately available build (and would anybody actually want to buy them if they were)?.

I could maybe see them doing the station building on it's own, but it'd be hard to make it identifiably a station building without any sign of a platform *and* the fact that, unlike say a firestation of a department store) railway stations tend to vary wildly dependent of country and importance of location.

Perhaps it's one of those I don't see it until TLG pulls it out and I'm all over it, but for now, I still can't see it.

[Legononymous]

I would be thrilled I'd they started producing individual car sets that you could add to your train and sold tracks in regular stores instead of having to go online for them.

[BryanKinkel]

I would be thrilled I'd they started producing individual car sets that you could add to your train and sold tracks in regular stores instead of having to go online for them.

Been done a couple of times before. I don't think it was ever successful. Back in 2001 LEGO had the My Own Train line. It was originally a LEGO online exclusive. But a large set with track eventually made it to Toys R Us. Individual cars where briefly sold at Target and eventually heavily discounted. Some Gray Era cars such as 7818 Passenger Wagon, 7820 Mail Van and 7814 Crane Wagon were sold individually in the US through the JC Penny catalog.

But I think the days of LEGO selling a complete train system are long gone.

There is always the possibility that if the right market conditions come along, LEGO will make individual cars. But I think it is unlikely. Toys today have a short shelf life. And parents like to purchase products where everything you need is in one box.

It's a shame.

[3797]

I'm not sure how keen I am on a Creator Station.

Me neighter. That's why I said that I want it to look as nice as the modular buildings and with a slightly higher part count, so that they can include a platform. I'm not saying that I'm wishing for another $50 station. What I have in mind is a proper train station similar to the Parisian Restaurant but a bit bigger and with a platform that is at least 64 to 96 studs long. Like a bigger Metro Station with more detail.

Sure 64 studs isn't much, but I'm sure we could easily extend it with parts from BL or PAB.

Been done a couple of times before. I don't think it was ever successful. Back in 2001 LEGO had the My Own Train line.

The problem with the My Own Train sets was that the the design was utter shi.. ... I mean, not so good. Like Jack Stone and Town Junior, it was such a HUGE step back that it just didn't really appeal to anyone who already owned enough sets from the 80s and 90s. Most people who bought those sets back in the day used them for parts. At least over here in Germany, where we were used to seeing much nicer sets on the shelves.

With the EN, Maersk and HE, they have proven that they are able to design much better looking sets than the My Own Train stuff. I'm not saying that they should go overboard, but they could at least test the waters with a nice looking engine and no more than 2 different cars as additional sets. Or maybe just one additional passenger car with a few extra parts and instructions for an alternative model like most creator sets seem to have. A passanger car like the middle cars of the 7740, 7745 or Metro Liner sets and an alternative model like the 7819 or 7820. All it would take would be two sets of extra doors, so not much ABS wasted. Make it dark green, tan, dark tan or brown and use proper train windows and doors and it will sell. Personally, I'd prefer dark green and would buy at least 5 to 10 sets.

I didn't buy the Emerald Night, because I really didn't like the passenger car's brick built doors and the fact that they didn't sell passenger cars on their own.

[Legotom]

I was at the Lego VIP event today in Glasgow and Horizion Express is 15% off. So I would think that's a sure sign it's retiring at the end of the year. Similarly both the Duplo trains were 15% off so I guess they're retiring too. Does anyone know of any new ones in the works? I have a TFOD (Toddler Fan of Duplo) who loves his train and would love another train.

One thing I'd love Lego to do is a box of train wheels, like they do car wheels. Just a box with four wheel sets, two couplings and two bogie swivel plates would be great. Maybe even put in a train base plate in dark bley or black. I think it'd be great for kids to build their own wagons and carriages up, and great for us AFOLs too. I know you can get that from S@H, but I think this would be far more accessible for the majority. Especially kids. I could see kids buying a fire engine and a wagon base to make a fire train, or police train or whatever.

[3797]

I just bought two HE, before it's too late and I was told that there will be a newer version of the battery box in 2015.

[dr_spock]

I just bought two HE, before it's too late and I was told that there will be a newer version of the battery box in 2015.

Maybe they'll fix the issue where some brands of AAA battery tips that are too wide to make proper contact with the positive terminals?

[3797]

She said something about "more efficient" but I doubt that something like a battery box for standard AAA batteries can be made to be more efficient. Less expensive to manufacture, maybe.

[leg01982]

hopefully if they update the box it will still take AAA batteries..... I just bought loads of rechargeable AAA's lol

[wondermonkey]

Hopefully they bury the molds for the IR receiver and the battery boxes beneath the parking lot, like they did with the monorail track.

[zephyr1934]

One thing I'd love Lego to do is a box of train wheels, like they do car wheels. Just a box with four wheel sets, two couplings and two bogie swivel plates would be great. Maybe even put in a train base plate in dark bley or black. I think it'd be great for kids to build their own wagons and carriages up, and great for us AFOLs too.

They had that and it was a great set...