samsz_3

May be controversial, but I think this R2D2 is better than the UCS version

Agree, I think TLG is missing a trick here. They could have made a small 0-4-0 steam or diesel shunter for city with powered up (for steam would need tanks to cover it). Add in 2 wagons and a circle of track (no straights) and they may have been able to get a trainset out for under £100 in today's money.

Runs well, considering it only uses 1x train motor - with everything TLG said, I thought it would be slower. Because of this, I'm planning on putting 2x PF train motors in a carriage, and putting the battery box in the dining carriage as well, in the door section, so most of the interior is preserved. I guess the weight of the coach is giving the train motors lots of traction.

I would guess another issue TLG encountered is the length of the coaches. Although they are on bogies and will go around standard Lego curves, there will be a lot of drag (explanation if interested: the drag will be on the rearmost bogie sets of the coaches, due to the sides of the wheels being pulled against the rails, as the load path follows along the coach. On tight curves, the coach body has a large angle compared to the tangent the curve at the rear bogie. The issue is much greater on 1x 40stud coach, than 2x 20stud coach, as on the 2x, the load is transferred through the couplings at a much smaller angle between coach and tangent). This will be even worse with the silly plastic wheels, without metal axles. Like I've said before, using custom Trixbrixx (or equivalent) wide curves, this won't be an issue, but obviously TLG don't want to make a whole new set of track geometry.

Wow that was quick! Nice job

The middle wheelset of the tender can slide from side to side, so it will go around R40

Hmmm. I could understand the short stubby locomotive for A) IP reasons and B) to make the train motorisable. The fact that they made the design compromises, and it still won't run is personally an issue. From my quick look, the coaches are 44 studs long. I'm curious to know if the bogies on the coaches and the leading wheels on the loco actchually pivot. If they do (i.e. so it can be pushed around curves), I think "it's to heavy to motorise" actchually means "it's to heavy to motorise using the official plastic wheels, 1x PU motor and with all the additional friction of R40 bends, so Joe Bloggs with his Lego city can't do it. The train guys with their buwizz, custom wide curves and wheels will be fine". At the end of the day it's LEGO, we will find a way...

Potential prototypes the locomotive is based on: SCNF 230 Prussian P8 Anymore for anymore? By extending wheelbase and dropping cylinders its not too far off a blue P8 imo.

This looks incredible! What are the roof tiles made of?

Agreed. I stopped getting LEGO as a kid in around 2010, and started getting into it again as an adult in 2019. The mould marks on my original pieces are hidden and impossible to notice, but parts like tiles now have huge flashing marks. Also some of my childhood windscreen pieces have no scratches, but these days, I open a new set and find scratches on transparent parts.

I think very loosely based, even more than Maersk/EN/Horizon. I think it's fine not to be based on a prototype, but this doesn't even look like a generic SNCF steam engine. If it has a smoke box, was dark green, and had smoke deflectors, then I could start to buy it. Apologies, you are right! I meant firebox (been a long week). For those who aren't aware - alot of European steam locomotives have a distinct more squared off part of the boiler next to the cab where the firebox is.

Yeah - I also really don't like the lack of a smoke box. I think I'll add one when I extend the locomotive.

Exactly! Takes some of the "toy train" proportions away from it. I think adding a stud between the wheels, and two studs to the pony truck should be a minimum. If you change to XL wheels, you would probably want more to keep things "in scale". Speaking of which, ^ agree with comments above - I can't find very good information on Orient Express locomotives. If anything that does work to LEGO's benefit - it doesn't have to be based on a specific prototype. The Emerald Night was only loosely based on the LNER A3. The Maersk train was only loosely based on an EMD SD40-2. This set had to appeal to: General AFOLs looking to display a set Therefore it will need it to look good on display AFOLs with a LEGO City Must fit on standard L gauge track Therefore the locomotive must go around R40 curves (unlike submission) Therefore must be no wider than 8 wide Those who recognise the Orient Express through pop culture (e.g. Agatha Christie) Must have be big enough to have an interior Therefore must be at least 8 wide Kids (just because it's aimed at adults, doesn't mean kids can't unwrap it on Xmas day...) Must be solid enough to be built and handled by older kids Therefore no finnicky/flimsy/illegal building techniques (unlike most MOC trains) Original Ideas designer: Be faithful to the original Idea Train fans: Absolutely must be a perfect scale recreation of the real thing ;) With all these requirements in mind, I think the choice to focus on the coaches was the right idea, so people can "re-enact the Orient Express", bear in mind it is a whole train, not just a locomotive. To make this possible at had to be 8 wide. This drives the length of the coaches to keep them in scale. Set budget than will limit how big the locomotive can be. The idea (haha) of the set is good, I just do wish the execution of the locomotive was better. Extending the loco by 4-8 studs could definitely have helped balance the visuals of the thing.

Orient Express Lengthened by Sam Szeto, on Flickr Did a very quick edit of lengthening the locomotive and moving the cylinders down. I think I will mod mine to be like this. Extending the wheelbase is simple, and will be fine on R40 if you change it to flange, flange, blind. Extending the pony truck, should be simple enough, however to bring the cylinders down will require making the pony truck articulate as well - so I can understand why that was not done on the official set.

First impressions! Impressed with the coaches, locomotive looks too short. Very happy that there are 2 coaches - and the cutaway shows they are 8 wide. Locomotive looks quite short and squat - but (hopefully) this is because it can go around LEGO track. The leading wheels being right next to each other looks wrong. I'm not familiar with the European prototype, but UK steam locomotives usually have the cylinders between the first and second pair of leading wheels. I know the community can do better things to go around their wide curves, but I guess this the compromise Lego has to make. Set needs to be able to be sold to kids and AFOLS and go around R40 curves. The wheels are too close together. It's possible to make more spaced out wheel sets using EN wheels that go around R40 if you go (flange, flange, blind) The coupling rods do look like the 3D printed ones the community uses. Interested in the coupling connections. They don't look like the normal buffer pieces, but it would be silly to use a non standard connection on an AFOL train designed to run on tracks. Obviously they won't go back to the single magnets, but I'm wondering if they have a built in piece, like the buffers without the buffers. Overall most anticipated set of the year, and I Will definitely buy one.