This is a five star train for kids in the 5 to 8 year old range. Older kids may be more interested in the City line trains (7938 and 7939) or the forthcoming Harry Potter Hogwart's Express train (4841). The City trains, incidentally, are the only ones that come as complete sets with track, motors and remote control devices.
Wow, this is a good looking train! I believe that the photos and box art for the set don't do justice to how it looks when it is built, and how much fun it is to play with. This is an Old West 4-4-0 steam engine, box car, passenger car, and caboose. I would describe the design as more cartoon-like than realistic, with the engine having exaggerated proportions and the cars a tad short. The set includes no track or motor. It is designed as a push train. The engine uses four new drivers (and comes with two extra un-flanged drivers) as well as a cattle-catcher (a new part). The train cars themselves are short but attractively designed. As with the other new trains for 2010, this set is largely brick-built (i.e., few specialized plastic moldings). The set includes Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Bullseye, Rex, and Evil Doctor Pork Chops mini-figures. The passenger car and the caboose are designed with lift-off tops to make it easier to place characters inside, and the box car has a trap door in the roof. The caboose and the passenger car also have doors at each end, but the caboose doors don't open all the way because of the railing. And I find that the engine is not as sturdy as I would like (e.g., the piston cylinders can pivot out of the proper orientation, the cattle catcher comes off when the kids hit objects -- as they are wont to do). The train is not a difficult build, but younger children will likely need some assistance.
Regarding adding a motor, it is possible to use Lego's Power Function (PF) accessories to add one. The easiest way is power the drivers with a motor, place an IR receiver (#8884) in the engine cab, and a battery in the box car. The best motor to use is one that is forthcoming (it is like 8866, but the extension is hard-wired to it -- I will update when it is available). There are two batteries available right now, an expensive rechargeable (which requires a separate wall wart) and an inexpensive AA battery box that does not quite fit in the box car. There will be a new battery box using AAA batteries on the market at some point (same size as the rechargeable); like the new motor, it is included in the new City line trains. And then you would need an IR control pad (#8879). If you are going to this much trouble, it makes sense to build a tender and put both the motor and battery box in it. This engine deserves a tender, and the tender's wheels are a more appropriate size for the motor (the engine's drivers are a tad large). Wheels, coupling magnets and bricks can be had, piece-by-piece, directly from Lego. Obviously, motorization is really a project for tinkerers, but isn't that what Lego is about?
Though train buffs will likely be put-off by the design, this set is going to be very, very popular among children. Grandparents, I think this makes a perfect birthday or holiday gift. I do recommend buying track; the engine's wheels are on two bogies, so the whole thing can get a little sideways without it. You need at least two sets of Lego 7896, though consider getting three sets of 7896 and one set of switches (7895). If you want to add additional old west structures, you can add 7594, Woody's Roundup (which is a scene in Toy Story 2, not 3). |
Very fun for the kids -- Good starter train -- No motor or track