Next Expert Train?

Aanchir

SumoLego said:

dougts said:

SumoLego said:

^ There is always someone ready to complain or be critical with the Creator sets...

usually with good enough reasons these days

Aside from the 2015 WV re-tread and Hoth, I don't have much to complain about.  

And only one of those was a Creator set anyway. :P

SumoLego

Right.  Then there is even less to complain about.  

Glacierfalls265

Some of the sets TLG has released are weird in different ways for me! For example, I liked the Constitution Train Chase but wished it had come with a passenger car. The Hogwarts Express was okay, but not as realistic as I would have liked. And I'm not really  big fan of the Horizon Express. So I went and built the Orient Express and that is enough for me! 

RevBlues

I lightly modified the Constitution to make it look a bit more British and Bricklinked an Emerald Night car (window frames cost more than the rest of it...).  :o)

Glacierfalls265

I know! The window frames are horrendously expensive! Luckily I just stole the glass from the Hogwarts Express and bought 10 white frames, but still! Similar to those lion head pieces

Bumblepants

It was rather cruel to bring this thread back to life without news of a new Creator Train. 

Glacierfalls265

Ahh, @Bumblepants curiosity killed me. Or at least, might cause minor irritation ;)

Lyichir

It wouldn't be in the Creator theme, but it recently occurred to me that if we were ever to get a large Friends D2C set, a train and possibly a station is one of the best subjects I can think of that hasn't already been covered in a smaller set.

SumoLego

^ It would be a nice addition to the Grand Hotel.

sid3windr

sooo...  did the Winter Holiday Train take the place of an actual new Creator Train set, or could we be expecting another one soonish?

I'd assume the Winter Holiday Train took up a WV slot, and it's been 4 years since Horizon Express now... :)

Yodalicious

I would like to see one in 2018 tied to the "carnival" theme to go along with the Carousel, Ferris Wheel, etc. Different cars carrying different small rides or booths.

MattDawson

TBH I sometimes think the Expert train line is dead - the 2 year cycle would've meant 2015 with steam , with 2017 with a diesel, and 2019 for an electric train. 

I mean, there might still be a window of opportunity - HE wasn't released till December - but lack of rumours, and the fact the train wheels would've gone off the parts catalogue without the Winter Holiday train doesn't bode well...

Bumblepants

We are also due for new City trains in 2018 so that makes me think a Creator Expert train is even farther in the distance

Paperballpark

Yes, I think we can quite safely assume the line is dead. From what I've heard, HE was not a good seller, and there's been no rumours of any more since.

LostInTranslation

Maybe they should do a Bat-train and see how that sells? Seems like they've done every other possible kind of vehicle for Batman over the years. 
It could be like a sort of mobile Bat cave command centre, a bit like the train in Goldeneye, together with plush Orient Express style dining and living quarters, so it would have cross-market appeal. I'd buy that. 

fourstud

How about a MONORAIL!!!!

MattDawson

Paperballpark said:

Yes, I think we can quite safely assume the line is dead. From what I've heard, HE was not a good seller, and there's been no rumours of any more since.

The trouble with HE is that it's half a train... and a full train (2 sets) is extremely long - and not to mention costly - nearly £200 (including AAA battery box, motor and receiver) for a motorised 6 vehicle train, excluding anything to run it on? Or a controller?

If we do get something outside of City... I'd actually say either Friends or Ninjago. Ninjago could have a nice commuter train in need of rescue, or a train for the Ninjas or Garmaddon to transport equipment on.

As for Friends... well, it's probably the last thing Friends haven't covered... 

goshe7

MattDawson said:

As for Friends... well, it's probably the last thing Friends haven't covered... 

Now that you mention it, a Friends Train Store is definitely missing from the lineup.

Tkatt

I guess you forgot about 41111: Party Train. 

Lyichir

CM4S said:

How about a MONORAIL!!!!

What an incredible idea! It's a wonder no one else has thought of it before! ;)

gmonkey76

They could wait two years and come out with a circus train, and kill two birds with one stone.

sid3windr

Shame though, I really like EN/HE, and City trains are too basic and not enough Creator Expert for my modular city layout ;) Guess I'll have to save up for the Maersk train (even though I don't have EN yet - I like to plan ahead). If a nice new train was coming that would have been ace. :)

nkx1

Paperballpark said:

Yes, I think we can quite safely assume the line is dead. From what I've heard, HE was not a good seller, and there's been no rumours of any more since.

The HE was not all that great of a train IMO. It was a half-train as MattDawson mentioned above, and to me, it simply didn't have the same level of visual appeal as the Emerald Night or Maersk trains. I think that would be a strategic error in logic on Lego's part, to assume that because that the HE didn't sell well, that a more appealing train also wouldn't sell well.

I'm guessing that, despite our collective enthusiasm for cool trains, the general public just doesn't see the same appeal, and most likely Lego has concluded that trains in general are not worth the effort due to poor sales. I really hope I'm wrong, because I'd really like to see another cool train (as would my 4-year-old, who already has the EN and Maersk lol).

Paperballpark

nkx1 said:

I'm guessing that, despite our collective enthusiasm for cool trains, the general public just doesn't see the same appeal

Unfortunately correct.

MattDawson

Paperballpark said:

nkx1 said:

I'm guessing that, despite our collective enthusiasm for cool trains, the general public just doesn't see the same appeal

Unfortunately correct.

That's because Lego haven't marketed a Giraffe car or a mail coach...

oldtodd33

I've been thinking the same thing for the Lego train line. With the trains they are offering now being on perpetual sale at Amazon and the lack of a new Creator train I believe the train theme is pretty much dead. I would love to be proven wrong but I don't think so, unfortunately. 

Fauch

I would rather pay 120€ for a train with a nice advanced build than 200€ for a train with a basic build. yeah, sure, those come with rails and power functions, but you need to have the space for that.

madforLEGO

Paperballpark said:

Yes, I think we can quite safely assume the line is dead. From what I've heard, HE was not a good seller, and there's been no rumours of any more since.

TBH neither was #10194. Is it a great set? Sure, but I think people forget that LEGO had to discount them to move the rest out of their warehouses.

oldtodd33 said:

I've been thinking the same thing for the Lego train line. With the trains they are offering now being on perpetual sale at Amazon and the lack of a new Creator train I believe the train theme is pretty much dead. I would love to be proven wrong but I don't think so, unfortunately. 

IMO The trains on Amazon are on perpetual sale because they should not cost that much. To those that say that is not the case, I'll offer exhibit 'A': the trains are perpetually on sale at Amazon, and I doubt they would be selling them at that price to lose money. If I remember correctly, LEGO moved away from 9V to make trains cheaper. Since then, the prices have jumped in the past two releases. Offer more bang for the buck and they sell, just another example of LEGO getting a bit greedy IMO.

Matt89190

Yodalicious said:

I would like to see one in 2018 tied to the "carnival" theme to go along with the Carousel, Ferris Wheel, etc. Different cars carrying different small rides or booths.

This is a nice idea, but I think it would be cooler if the train was actually part of a park and took you all around - like the Legoland train

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kWELBtE3DIU

(I know there was some kind of Legoland train staff exclusive but it doesn't hurt to dream :)

piratemania7

I'll remain perplexed - #60098 was perpetually not on sale either via the main [email protected] site or Amazon.  It must have been a true "exclusive" in that sense unlike the #60052 which was HEAVILY discounted at times.

Bumblepants

piratemania7 said: 

I'll remain perplexed - #60098 was perpetually not on sale either via the main [email protected] site or Amazon.  It must have been a true "exclusive" in that sense unlike the #60052 which was HEAVILY discounted at times.

That one was TRU exclusive

SumoLego

Although, one of the few 'exclusives' available at the Retail Lego Store.  (I also think Arkham from TLBM is at the Retail Store as well.)

It still strikes me as odd that local retail stores don't carry the Wal-Mart, TRU and Target exclusives.

MAGNINOMINISUMBRA

^ Are you sure about that?
only reason I ask is, here in Australia, we share TRU exclusives with our OS counterparts.  I know for a fact I've seen the Heavy- Hauler at a couple of retailers but can't ever recall seeing it at TRU.
  It's a bit of an odd duck that heavy haul train - with it being released so close to 60052, I've always wondered if the original plan was for it to be European release as it seems much more prototypical for Euro cargo trains than 60052 (which reminds me a lot more of US and Aussie locos).

sid3windr

No TRU in Belgium, but we sometimes have an exclusive to a store - this means they're not in any of the other toy stores, but they are available on [email protected] and the Lego Store.

MAGNINOMINISUMBRA

Just went and had a look - it looks like TRU Aus DO sell the Heavy Hauler! In fact it's currently on sale for 199 AUD.  Definitely not a TRU exclusive here though as it's also listed on other retailers sites (unlike other TRU exclusives).   

stlux

@sid3windr In Belgium #60098 seems to be a Dreamland exclusive.

Mynatt

Sorry to go back on the topic of the appeal of trains in the current day in age but was just watching this documentary of Model Trains. One detail that they keep going back on was this fascination of trains back when trains were very popular, how people wanted models of trains that were popular or trains that they rode on. Even looking back in Lego's history, its apparent that trains were much more popular back in the day as there used to be so many more sets. Before watching this model train documentary I thought that of course there is a market, who doesn't like having a train go around their house, but then after watching this, I understand completely that with the change of times and the decrease of fascination with trains can absolutely affect the model train market. However at the same time, I would imagine that there is enough of a market for trains to be released every 2/3 years.

Here's the documentary, really interesting about how the market of trains went.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX5ZEV354yI

madforLEGO

MAGNINOMINISUMBRA said:

Just went and had a look - it looks like TRU Aus DO sell the Heavy Hauler! In fact it's currently on sale for 199 AUD.  Definitely not a TRU exclusive here though as it's also listed on other retailers sites (unlike other TRU exclusives).   

Typically the exclusives are more country specific. For #60098, TRUs and LEGO had them,[email protected] and LEGO stores have had them on sale only 2-3 times I think, but the sale price now I think is the best it has been, I just do not want anymore (I think I have two or three, got them on sale for 20% from LEGO during their run)

#40166 was the little LEGOland promo train and LDCs have them off and on. To the best of my knowledge there was only one report of finding them at a LEGO store.

catwrangler

Given what @Mynatt and @madforLEGO both said, I'm wondering now if the train sets sell better in countries where more people use trains regularly - more contact = more interest?

CCC

catwrangler said:

Given what @Mynatt and @madforLEGO both said, I'm wondering now if the train sets sell better in countries where more people use trains regularly - more contact = more interest?

I don't think so. Kids these days just aren't interested in playing with model trains, boats, planes, etc.

My son has a lego train set (red passenger express). He likes spending his time building things to go around the train set, but rarely actually plays with the train itself. A couple of laps and he is bored.

Bumblepants

^yeah the size oval you get from a typical set is pretty pathetic. It takes a sizeable investment in track packs to get a layout that is enjoyable.

MAGNINOMINISUMBRA

^Agreed.  A single train on a single loop (or even one with a double switched partial parallel line) is pretty damn boring - it goes round, then it goes round again.
  As soon as I introduced a multiple switched double loop (with a partial third parallel loop) plus an internal reversing loop and multiple sidings running three trains... What used to be 10 minute play sessions increased to three hours plus.
  The main downside of this was that the layout now used an ENTIRE bedroom floor.

Paperballpark

I reckon I have about 750 sections of straight track, and probably well over 400 pieces of curved track, although 320 of those are built into the curved roof of my train station. Still, well over 80 sections of curved track is rather more than I need - especially since I started using ME models curved track.

At shows I used to display six loops of track, running one train on each, which could often keep kids entertained for hours.

At least I fixed the initial problem of not having enough track...

Astrobricks

@Paperballpark are there pictures of your train station somewhere? I'd love to see that.

CCC

Paperballpark said:

I reckon I have about 750 sections of straight track

And there is part of the problem, that's £750 in straight track, without considering the trains...

Bumblepants said:

It takes a sizeable investment in track packs to get a layout that is enjoyable.

And a sizeable investment in floor space!

MAGNINOMINISUMBRA

CCC said:
SNIP
And there is part of the problem, that's £750 in straight track, without considering the trains...

Bumblepants said:

It takes a sizeable investment in track packs to get a layout that is enjoyable.

And a sizeable investment in floor space!

That's also around 95 METRES of straight track alone so it MAY be considered by some to be a complete overkill!  
GLORIOUS.
MAGNIFICENT.
OVERKILL!

SumoLego

CCC said:

Bumblepants said:

It takes a sizeable investment in track packs to get a layout that is enjoyable.

And a sizeable investment in floor space!

I think you mean a sizeable investment in storage space that happens to have a table-height platform above it.

ecmo47

Short of an Ideas set that makes it, I doubt that we will see another Creator train from Lego. To fill that need in the hobby, ya'll need to head over and check Brick Model Railroader:

http://brickmodelrailroader.com/

Lots of hard work and dedication have gone into the site since they opened 30 Dec 2016. 

Also, check out the latest issue of Brick Journal which is dedicated to Lego trains. Cale Leiphart, one of the driving forces behind BMR, wrote a couple articles for the issue. One article was the history of how BMR came into existence. One interesting stat from the article is that BMR has 55K views, 500 website subscribers and 800 Facebook followers. While I doubt this is going to make Lego sit up and take notice, it does give some evidence on how big our "niche" is.

http://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_78&products_id=1327&zenid=87c39d8098e86a6cf4da3fad5d113647

Enjoy!

drdesignz

I've just recently started getting into trains, so I hope we have some good stuff coming.  It may not be the most profitable product for them.  But it's a staple of the brand and I think that in itself can continue bringing us the better Creator designs.  Anyway, I have this old Micro Machines train box, which has pictures of the series on the back.  I thought it was interesting and some food for creative train-building thought.

alexwil

drdesignz said:

I've just recently started getting into trains, so I hope we have some good stuff coming.  It may not be the most profitable product for them.  But it's a staple of the brand and I think that in itself can continue bringing us the better Creator designs.  Anyway, I have this old Micro Machines train box, which has pictures of the series on the back.  I thought it was interesting and some food for creative train-building thought.

Whoa! That brings back some fond childhood memories!! Definitely had 1 or 2 of those when I was younger!