Photo by Xavi Cabrera on Unsplash
LEGO Announces 2,540-Piece Orient Express Ideas Set
November 16, 2023
LEGO has announced a mammoth 2,540-piece Ideas set featuring the Orient Express just in time for the holiday season. This is a must-have wish-list item for any train or LEGO aficionado.
The Orient Express Train debuts as set number 21344 and joins the LEGO Ideas family. The detailed set has a 4-6-0 steam locomotive, a 3-axle tender, a restaurant car, and a sleeping car.
The set rests on a track that also doubles as a stand. However, no complete circle of tracks is within the box, according to 9to5Toys.
LEGO’s official site describes the Orient Express set as “a paragon of French luxury and an engineering marvel for railroad aficionados the world over,” adding that the train “has stoked imaginations for over 140 years.” LEGO also notes that the new Ideas model “offers interpretations of the train’s most refined features” and includes eight character minifigures to play with.
The Orient Express’ dining car features cozy tables and inlaid wood panels, while the bar features green bottles and cut-glass mirrors. The Orient Express comes on the heels of 2022’s Harry Potter-themed train set, the Hogwarts Express Collectors’ Edition, a runaway sales hit for LEGO despite its retail price of $499.99 and its overall 5,129 pieces.
However, LEGO claims there is some compatibility between all of its train tracks, so train fans can utilize many of their already-existing pieces. LEGO generally keeps the width of its tracks the same, creating huge savings for customers. Train cars from earlier models will also connect to new train sets.
This new set depicts the luxury passenger train service that ran from Paris across Europe through Strasbourg, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, and Bucharest, and then arrived in Istanbul. The Orient Express sister train, the Simplon Orient Express (later known as the Direct Orient Express), also traveled from Paris to Istanbul but headed south through Lausanne, Simplon, Milan, Venice, Belgrade, and Sofia before arriving in Istanbul. The ride was known as one of the most luxurious in the world before it stopped running in 1977.
LEGO’s The Orient Express is available to purchase beginning Dec. 1. The retail price is $299.99.
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