The new LEGO River Steamboat set is a stunning addition to any collection, offering both an engaging build experience and a visually impressive final product. The quality of this set is evident throughout its construction, which is both logical and intuitive, guiding builders seamlessly from one step to the next. The ship's design is cleverly layered, with each floor easily detachable, allowing for full access and visibility of its intricate interior details. This set exemplifies LEGO's commitment to adult fans, much like its modular buildings, but with a unique twist – a modular boat that showcases meticulous attention to both the extraordinary and the everyday elements, resulting in a cohesive masterpiece.
LEGO Ideas River Steamboat
Priced at $329.99, the River Steamboat is part of the LEGO Ideas series, where fans can submit their original designs for community voting. If selected, the fan's creation becomes an official LEGO set, and they receive a share of the profits. Previous successful sets from this line include "The Nightmare Before Christmas," "Jaws," and "Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon's Tale."
We Build LEGO Ideas River Steamboat
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The LEGO River Steamboat draws inspiration from the historic paddle boats that once navigated the Mississippi River in the 1800s. Initially used for industrial transport, these steamboats evolved into pleasure vessels, offering amenities and entertainment like gambling and jazz music. This transformation is reflected in the set, which captures the essence of a bygone era while also serving as a nod to modern riverboat cruises, such as the one I enjoyed with my wife on our honeymoon in New Orleans.
This set is a true delight for LEGO enthusiasts. It features a jazz lounge and dining room, alongside practical areas like a boiler engine room connected to the paddle wheel. Pushing the boat activates the wheel, while the pilothouse's steering wheel controls the rudder. The set also includes a kitchen, sleeping quarters for the crew, and an anchor on a chain that rolls up on a spool. Additionally, another spool adjusts the boarding stages on the ship's bow.
The build process is divided into 32 bags, starting with the ship's base, which houses the boiler room and a miniature nautical museum. This section showcases various steam engines, including a piston engine, an aeolipile, and a Watt steam engine. Adjacent to the engine room is a compact kitchen with a refrigerator, stove, and sink. The ingenuity of LEGO design shines through in the clever repurposing of pieces, such as using a hot dog bun from a Fairgrounds set as an engine reinforcement.
Moving up, the main deck hosts the dining room and jazz lounge. The lounge, positioned above the stern, is equipped with tiny LEGO accessories for drums, saxophone, microphone, and an upright bass. The dining room exudes elegance with tablecloth elements and stylish chairs, complemented by light fixtures and posters advertising onboard entertainment, including a nod to another LEGO Ideas set, the A-Frame Cabin.
The dining room is built separately and then integrated into the larger structure, creating a deck space where minifigures can enjoy the view. However, the set does not include minifigures, which might have added more life and playfulness to the model. This choice may reflect LEGO's intention for the set to be more of a display piece than a play set.
The crew deck, one floor above the main deck, features sleeping quarters and a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and shower. The pilothouse, located at the top, boasts an impressive steering mechanism that connects the wheel to the rudder through all four levels of the ship. This intricate engineering showcases the meticulous planning and effort that went into creating this set.
The set is filled with delightful details, from the repurposed croissant accessory used as billowy flags to the neat white railings and patterned tiles that mimic rugs. Despite its size, the set feels like it contains fewer than its 4,090 pieces, but the detailed rooms and well-appointed spaces reveal where those extra pieces are utilized.
As William Strunk notes in "The Elements of Style," "Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts." The River Steamboat embodies this principle in LEGO form; every brick serves a purpose, every decorative element is meaningful, and each room contributes to the overall aesthetic and functionality of the ship. This set is a must-see for any LEGO enthusiast.
LEGO River Steamboat, Set #21356, retails for $329.99 and comprises 4,090 pieces. It is available exclusively at the LEGO Store.
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