LEGO #10261 Roller Coaster

snowhitie

I'm really thrilled about this, it's a hefty but not a crazy pricetag for what you get I guess. Will have to keep my wallet closed for SW day and then wait for some double points or something.

Samuel_DJ

People are probably going to want to punch me for bringing this up, but with all the promotional photos showing only the Ferris Wheel, Carousel, and now the Roller Coaster together, do we consider the Fairground Mixer as part of the Fairground Theme?

... shades of Market Street...

daewoo

Samuel_DJ said:

People are probably going to want to punch me for bringing this up, but with all the promotional photos showing only the Ferris Wheel, Carousel, and now the Roller Coaster together, do we consider the Fairground Mixer as part of the Fairground Theme?

... shades of Market Street...

They are listing them that way because they are still available while the Mixer is not.  At least, that's why I think they listed that way.

jedijason1138

I'm going to get this as a birthday present to myself, but it will be for my sons and I to build together. They love roller coasters! They also love Minecraft, so we may be doing some modding.

Recce

At that price, I felt we're being taken for a ride. 

ryjay

It's a pretty cool set, but an easy pass for me 

Pumpkin_3CK5

Didn't care much for the other carnival/theme park rides, but this one's pretty cool. 

Paperballpark

I suspect the price is higher than it otherwise would be, because of the inclusion of eight different large new pieces, which will all have required new moulds.

ecmo47

Comment#1: And already on eBay for $600.00. What doofus pays that?

Comment #2: It has 4100+ parts but it doesn't LOOK like 4100+ parts. We should have a contest and guess how many white 2x2 round bricks it has in it. Looks like that part will be a significant portion of the build.

CCC

DB361 said:

So, who's going to be the first one to complain about the repetitiveness and quantity of the chain link pieces. That'll probably break the record for the most of the same piece in any one set!

It will have a long way to go to beat the humble technic pin. For example, there were 724 black ones in the Bucket Wheel Excavator, along with 457 3L blue ones.

paul_merton

Can't one of you great ball contraptioneers build something that automatically sorts and joins lots of chain links...

arathemis

^you want an automatic lego machine that builds your lego? How lazy can you get? :)

stefxan

Building Taj Mahal was also very repetetive. The most common part is included 236 times. I thought it is more. 

I like the set itself but I´m looking more forward to see the MOC´s inluding 3 and more of these ;-)

Astrobricks

arathemis said:

^you want an automatic lego machine that builds your lego? How lazy can you get? :)

Once this is achieved, just add some AI and LEGO can take over the world :)

ryjay

arathemis said:

^you want an automatic lego machine that builds your lego? How lazy can you get? :)

lol, they're called "my kids", and thank god for them,  cuz I'm not building this stuff...fun to look at when finished, but I'm not building

piratemania7

What a great set and a surely large price tag. For what it is I don’t think it is overpriced but again it’s only a certain population that will be purchasing this on day one. Definitely a creator expert set.

brianoblivion

I managed to snag an early Roller Coaster set and finished building it two days ago. This thing is a behemoth, the pictures don't really do justice to just how huge it is. To give some perspective, it takes up about 2/3 of my average size coffee table and (i would estimate) is just short of the size of two Assembly Squares side by side. 

It's an incredible engineering job and is a seriously gorgeous set and as far as playability goes, my 7 year old son has already gotten more use out of it than the Carousel and Ferris Wheel sets combined. For myself as an adult i've found it's incredibly zen to turn the crank and just watch this thing in motion. I've totally lost track of time at least twice in the past few days. The mini figures are all top notch, and the juice hut, ticket booth and cotton candy cart are all excellent details. Another big plus is that it's fairly sturdy, the base stanchions are anchored in and it can be lifted by picking it up in two specific spots that are detailed in the back of the instructions-similar to how the Minecraft Mountain Cave set can be lifted and moved.

On the negative side, it was the most tedious build i've ever undertaken. This was the first time in my building experience that i couldn't wait for it to be over. And i was thinking that before the 203 chain link assembly. At least 80% of this is stacking 2x2 round bricks over and over and over...There's so much fundamental structure that has to be precisely in place and it's not all identical. So switching to auto-pilot won't really work here. The gear mechanism-which spans  a huge amount of space-is the most complex i've ever encountered in a Lego set but is pretty straight forward in terms of construction. Again, the engineering that obviously went into this is rather staggering.

I've read that the Taj Mahal, Big Ben and London Bridge sets are also on the repetitive side. I don't have any of those and if they're anything like this, i'm kind of glad i've never picked them up. On the whole though, the pros outweigh the cons. I'm glad i have it but I'm really looking forward to the next wave of Minecraft sets. I can post pictures if that doesn't break any rules...

BrickByBrick

^i think pictures should be fine as it's been officially revealed, right?

Matt89190

I don't mind repetition in some situations. I've built plenty of Technic, so I don't think the chain link or gear assembly should bother me.

As for stacking 2x2s, I don't see myself minding that either - I can handle simple repetition. What bugs me is the repetition of somewhat more complicated assemblies. The 24 of those panels on the Carousel nearly pushed me over the edge...

msanders

brianoblivion said:

I managed to snag an early Roller Coaster set and finished building it two days ago. This thing is a behemoth, the pictures don't really do justice to just how huge it is. To give some perspective, it takes up about 2/3 of my average size coffee table and (i would estimate) is just short of the size of two Assembly Squares side by side. 

It's an incredible engineering job and is a seriously gorgeous set and as far as playability goes, my 7 year old son has already gotten more use out of it than the Carousel and Ferris Wheel sets combined. For myself as an adult i've found it's incredibly zen to turn the crank and just watch this thing in motion. I've totally lost track of time at least twice in the past few days. The mini figures are all top notch, and the juice hut, ticket booth and cotton candy cart are all excellent details. Another big plus is that it's fairly sturdy, the base stanchions are anchored in and it can be lifted by picking it up in two specific spots that are detailed in the back of the instructions-similar to how the Minecraft Mountain Cave set can be lifted and moved.

On the negative side, it was the most tedious build i've ever undertaken. This was the first time in my building experience that i couldn't wait for it to be over. And i was thinking that before the 203 chain link assembly. At least 80% of this is stacking 2x2 round bricks over and over and over...There's so much fundamental structure that has to be precisely in place and it's not all identical. So switching to auto-pilot won't really work here. The gear mechanism-which spans  a huge amount of space-is the most complex i've ever encountered in a Lego set but is pretty straight forward in terms of construction. Again, the engineering that obviously went into this is rather staggering.

I've read that the Taj Mahal, Big Ben and London Bridge sets are also on the repetitive side. I don't have any of those and if they're anything like this, i'm kind of glad i've never picked them up. On the whole though, the pros outweigh the cons. I'm glad i have it but I'm really looking forward to the next wave of Minecraft sets. I can post pictures if that doesn't break any rules...

Thanks for your mini-review. I`m looking forward to building this and playing with it (my son will love it!).

For the minecraft set images - post a link but not images. There is a `leaks` section in the members area where you can put the link. We`re also eagerly awaiting the new minecraft sets!

ecmo47

Burning with curiosity on how you got one early but I don't suppose you can tell. So how many 2x2 round bricks are in it?

SumoLego

brianoblivion said:

On the negative side, it was the most tedious build i've ever undertaken.

The Robie House will always win this distinction.  I never need to see another dark reddish brown 1x2 ever again in my life.

But, as I am glutton for punishment, I look forward to building this one!

Lego_Star

@brianoblivion Did you build/setup the Boost and Power Functions "upgrades" for this set? And if so, what did you think of them? Thank you for your mini review.

Paperballpark

The Ferris Wheel was the most repetitive build I can remember - and I'm the bloke who decided Big Ben wasn't enough and built the whole building!

Bosstone100

 Wasn't Robie House dark red? 

tomahawker

@brianoblivion Thanks for the info posted so far.  I'm incredibly excited about this set.  Are you planning to post some pictures?  Can you answer any of the questions posted here?  Have you tried running 2 trains at the same time?  Can the trains be longer than the 3 cars shown in the pictures?

HugeYellowBrick

Does this help? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Aeq4Ju36PE
There is another video from the same event showing a six car train, but I can't find it ATM

mr_benn

^ Thanks for the video.  Weird how they were running with just 2 cars - it looks like only having the 2 meant that it was off the winch ramp before it could get past the next wheel, causing it to stick and require the hand of god to come in!

msanders

There’s another video of the event showing the 3 cars And 5 cars. Also, I saw a one car in one of these videos. It could reach the bottom but not get to the beginning of the motorised incline. 
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=spAYSYd9rgE

tomahawker

Thanks for the video links.  Obviously the train needs to be at least 3 cars long to negotiate the turn at the top of the hill.  It looks like it could accommodate trains of 5 or 6 cars with no problem.  Still don't know if it would be possible to run 2 trains simultaneously and maintain the spacing so they don't collide.

willp2003

I'm looking forward to seeing some Mocs. 
Whose gonna buy 3 sets and call it coaster, coaster, COASTER!

Powderfinger

More girl on video, less Coaster.

dehnehsu

I don't like the clumsy tire system at the top. It's too jarring. It would look smoother with a slow pitched descent after the lift.

Pumpkin_3CK5

@Powderfinger Person should've aimed the camera at the lady explaining the features so people could see her fac---- hear her better.

mr_benn

^ & ^^^ - urgh, please don't be creepy.

Actually rather agree with @dehnehsu about a drop right after the lift to get it moving rather than the wheels at the top - but then this would have extended the whole coaster by an extra straight bit and thus pushed up the price even more.  

I wonder if if this is successful, they might give thought to creating more track pieces, i.e. curves that also slope rather than what we see now.

msanders

Jangbricks has a time lapse video of the build on his channel. Not long until his review I hope - he’s my favourite Lego YouTube!

ecmo47

I'll have to say that the video sort of "un-sold" me. I realize that it's a random snap-shot of time, but you would think that Lego would put their best foot forward and make sure that thing is running top-notch. Gets stuck at both the top and the bottom? Have we got another Wall-E on our hands?

Ma1234

ecmo47 said:

I'll have to say that the video sort of "un-sold" me. I realize that it's a random snap-shot of time, but you would think that Lego would put their best foot forward and make sure that thing is running top-notch. Gets stuck at both the top and the bottom? Have we got another Wall-E on our hands?

No Wall-E situation. The roller coaster clearly needs three cars in order to fully run, and it was for whatever reason only displayed with two. That's not long enough to reach the first tire before the train is off the chainlift.  

brianoblivion

Now that i've had the set up and running for a week i'd like to add that yes, the cars do get stuck sometimes at the bottom of the chain. This does indeed happen with three cars. I have not tried it with just two. "Get stuck" might not be the best way to put it-sometimes the lead car (the lead car in both the dark and light blue trains is a slightly different design than the two backing cars) fails to engage with the chain and needs a slight nudge. Also, after a week the set does need to be inspected and tightened up. Winding the gear plus the wear and tear of the cars riding the rails causes some (understandable?) loosening of the track and the support pillars.

Another issue is that of the cars coming untracked at the top of the incline. This goes hand in hand with the loosening issue, especially at the very top of the incline where the last two pieces of track are joined only with a single, unanchored 2x2 brick with a 45 degree angle front. This needs to be checked frequently. Its just not the most secure connection unfortunately and does come apart from the repetitive weight of the cars passing over. This will cause the train to fall off the track. It is a simple fix however.

I have tried it with six cars and running the two separate three car trains at the same time and both worked fine aside from the issues i mentioned above. 

One other problem, and one i have not been able to figure out, is that now, when the train comes into the station it makes contact with the the inside track that holds the other, idle train. This did not happen at all during the first few days and now only happens sporadically but i'm at a total loss to explain why. Everything appears perfectly identical as when first assembled. I'm chalking it up to a less than ideal base (my coffee table is not exactly an oak round table) and a 7 year old child doing God-knows-what when i'm not in the room.

I understand people's concerns-this is an expensive set and should be structurally bullet proof considering-and as we lead up to the official release date i will report back with any other problems/concerns. I will say that on the whole, IMO, there was nothing terribly major; nothing was even close to totally falling apart and the set still works as it should.

I'm sorry i haven't checked back sooner. if anybody has any other questions i'll do my best to answer them in a more timely manner...

Mogwai

Would you post a screenshot of the proposed boost integration? Thanks for the detailed ongoing perspective!

Crownie

I was excited about this as a concept, but in reality it illustrates just how problematic the friction levels are. I can't believe LEGO went with plastic wheels instead of some sort of ball-bearing system. I imagine child safety was a concern, though. Requiring the side friction wheels at the top of the lift is ridiculous and I can only imagine the frustration MOCers are going to feel when they start to try and build their own creations.

msanders

Jangbricks review is up. He shows the 6 cars going together. Also power functions but no boost demonstration. He raises a couple of downsides to the set but this is to be expected of any Lego set. Overall, he's super chuffed with the set. 

I'm too excited! Can't wait to get it. I picked up Lego Boost because I was going to get it eventually so this was a great excuse! I can add that and show people if no-one does it in the meantime (still a long way to go until I can get one delivered!). The downside of getting the Lego Boost is I also needed to pick up a new iPad since I have the now ancient iPad 2! So the rollercoaster has cost me the same as the millennum falcon with the Lego Boost and new iPad cost on top! I think I'm a bit crazy, but I already knew that! 

chrisalddin

seeing that next to #10246 DO was a shock....
it is so BIG.....
if i was to get it. i would only have 1.. count it 1... place to place it..... and even then. it would only be there for a little bit. as it cound not stay there!

daewoo

chrisalddin said:

seeing that next to #10246 DO was a shock....
it is so BIG.....
if i was to get it. i would only have 1.. count it 1... place to place it..... and even then. it would only be there for a little bit. as it cound not stay there!

That's my big concern as well.  I just don't have any place to put something that big for an extended period of time.  I'll still get it, but it will probably spend most of its time in a state of partial disassembly.

brianoblivion

It really is huge. The upside is because it's so big it doesn't take much else to create a full on amusement park MOC with the Ferris Wheel, Carousel and Mixer.That would be a healthy layout right there. The downside is it will dominate any modular building type village to the point i can't see it fitting into just about any cityscape. Placed on the outskirts somewhere would work but who has that much space? I personally am happy to let it be a solo piece. I still have an overwhelmingly positive feeling about it in spite of some annoyances and the never-ending build.

Tomorrow i move mine to a more open space. Hopefully it survives a two hour car ride as i'm not ready to reassemble any part of it just yet. I will be able to hook it up to a battery box this weekend but i don't have LEGO Boost...

chrisalddin

i wonder if anyone is going to buy say 2x or 3x copys of the set and try to build a super mega sized coaster.
and i say super mega size, as the dam thing is super sized now.....

JudgeChuck

@chrisalddin I'd say that is a given... It certainly won't be me though; one set will be more than enough!
I am definitely going to add #31084 Pirate Roller Coaster to my growing Theme Park collection though!

Bosstone100

So, what are the divisions of this thing? I probably have one place to put it but it's wherethe ferris wheel currently lives. 

SamJ

It would be cool to have two built next to each over, mirrored similar to the Crazy Mouse Coasters and have them race each. 
Think I'll just get the one for now though. 

Aanchir

Bosstone100 said:

So, what are the divisions of this thing? I probably have one place to put it but it's wherethe ferris wheel currently lives. 

The base seems to be about 84 studs (26.46in/67.2cm) wide by 48 (15.12in/38.4cm) studs deep, but some parts extend out further than that. The press release says it's over 20” (53cm) high, 34” (88cm) wide, and 16” (41cm) deep.