LEGO Harry Potter 75955 Le Poudlard Express, Jouet de Train Modélisme pour Enfants

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Have I read this right? A lot of words criticising just about everything to do with the set ... but you're still going to buy it? Flame yellowish orange rings are situated along the boiler, which realistically narrows towards the front. They are gold on the original train, but I think flame yellowish orange is a satisfactory alternative. Moreover, these rings help to disguise the unavoidable steps as the boiler becomes gradually narrower, so the transition between each section is relatively subtle. While the doors are functional for minifigures, actually reaching inside the vestibules is difficult. Sections of the roof can be removed, but they provide very limited access. Unfortunately, I am unsure how this could have been avoided because the doors must be secured, so detachable wall panels or larger roof panels would be impractical.

Moving on, bag three builds the tender (or in the LEGO description, coal car), which also has the correct number of wheels compared to the prototype (original real-world object). It’s a basic lil’ guy, and maybe could be a bit longer, but it gets the job done. Unfortunately it really doesn’t have enough room in it to hide a battery box, which is one of the primary ways that this size of LEGO steam locomotive gets motorized. Folks who want this train to run under power will likely need to expand the tender significantly, or motorize one of the coaches instead. This setup uses the same system as #3, but with the rechargeable battery, also readily available from LEGO, but is more expensive. Everything else is the same. Bags 1 and 2 build the locomotive, based on the real-life Great Western Railway Hall Class, no. 5972 “Olton Hall”. The most basic differentiator of any steam locomotive is the wheel arrangement, and the set gets it right, and reasonably proportionate as well. Olton Hall is a 4-6-0: four leading or pilot wheels, six driving wheels (connected to the drive shaft, in other words, powered), and no trailing wheels (when present, these would be under the firebox or cab). Another interesting parts decision is that the whole train uses technic connectors between cars, instead of the magnet couplers that have been used in other train sets through last year’s. Maybe it’s a cost saving measure? Or maybe the magnets would have looked awkward with the tiny coaches with a single wheelset at each end. It’s a little unfortunate since as a British train the Hogwarts Express coaches should have the buffers that have always been molded in to LEGO’s magnet couplers.Regarding the length of the passenger car, I could swear the length of the coaches changes over the series of films. Maybe I’m thinking of the real-world train rides, but in most shots it looks like the coach is longer than the engine, but shorter than the engine plus tender. I’ve seen something that shows the coaches on the viaduct being about twice as long as they look in some of the films.

Since this set was revealed it has been interesting to see all the complaints about the size and it not being Lego standard size, but basically nothing about the fact that this is almost exactly G scale - a standard scale in model trains that predates Lego's selection of their standard rail guage (the distance between the rails). Accessory elements include 3 pieces of luggage, 4 wands, chocolate frog, ice cream, 2 newspapers, King's Cross Station sign, Platform 9¾™ sign and a ‘Wanted' poster. I love the sand blue seats situated along the right side of the coach, leaving enough room for a narrow passage on the left. The armrests do not allow the Honeydukes Express trolley to pass when the wall panel is attached but it does fit between the central seats and there is plenty of space when the panel has been removed. I was slightly concerned that minifigures with short legs would appear awkward in these chairs but they actually look alright in my opinion, almost matching standard seated figures.Two unidentified Hogwarts students complete the minifigure selection, belonging to the lesser-represented houses. The generic Hufflepuff Student is older and includes standard legs with his yellow-trimmed Hufflepuff robes, while the younger Ravenclaw Student features the same triple-moulded legs as Hermione Granger from her first year. The Hogwarts Express measures 46cm in length and consists of the locomotive, a coal tender and one passenger carriage. Trains often look somewhat awkward without sufficient carriages but including just one here was probably the right decision as additional passenger carriages would have increased the cost of the set, without adding very much play value. Personally, I think the train looks impressive with only a single carriage.

Furthermore, the whistles which should be situated in front of the cab are absent. Fortunately, the cab itself looks brilliant, with the locomotive number on the outside and ample mechanical detail inside. The cables surrounding the throttle lever and coal box seem particularly effective, while studs are provided to secure a minifigure. This setup uses the old 9 volt system. I do not recommend this unless you already have all the parts for a 9v setup. It’s very expensive to get them so many years after the system was retired. Our protagonists generally travel in passenger compartments, but the Hogwarts Express also provides open seating. The third section therefore recreates that seating and takes inspiration from The Half-Blood Prince, where Draco Malfoy and his companions ride. The combination of reddish brown wood panelling and dark blue fabric on the seats looks superb. The realistic proportions between the locomotive and tender are among the greatest strengths of this model, particularly because other LEGO trains have sometimes struggled in that regard. Fortunately, this example appears perfect and viewing the vehicle from either side also reveals its authentic wheel arrangement. The interior is far more detailed than I anticipated, featuring four seats with sand blue upholstery along with a matching floor. Both the roof and the left side of the carriage are only attached using a few studs so they can be removed with ease, allowing access to place minifigures inside. Hopefully the designers of future LEGO trains will include similar removable wall panels as this is extremely useful for play.Platform 9 ¾, on the other hand, includes a series of trans-yellow light fixtures to reflect the change in environment. Minifigures must pass through the wall between the two Muggle platforms to access the Hogwarts Express and the wall is accordingly mounted on two Technic pins so will swing open neatly, as demonstrated in the image below. 4708 Hogwarts Express from 2001 also included a hidden wall panel but this example is less conspicuous. Draco Malfoy accordingly joins Harry, wearing a fitting Slytherin-themed suit. The dark green shirt introduces a welcome splash of colour, but my favourite detail is the silver serpent pin on Draco's tie. Even though its size is substantially exaggerated, I am glad this was included. The character's unpleasant facial expressions are perfect too. Thankfully, the most important areas of the carriage are readily accessible. Whole segments of the roof and wall can be removed, including one which reveals the corridor. The use of reddish brown and tan inside looks beautifully traditional and I think this two stud width is adequate, as minifigures can stand comfortably inside.