New engine element and app control for LEGO DUPLO

10875 Freight Train will bring a new level of functionality to LEGO DUPLO when the set is launched later this year.

LEGO DUPLO news is rarely reported here at Brick Fanatics, as it is not particularly relevant to the site’s readers. On this occasion, the DUPLO news coming out of the International Toy Fair does contribute to the overall picture of the kind of products that LEGO Group is developing.

A new set, due for release later this year, has been announced – LEGO DUPLO1 0875 Freight Train. 10874 Railway and 10872 Bridge will be supporting sets, although images have not been shared.

PromoBricks shares official images and this product description, provided by the LEGO Group:

The typical whistle of a locomotive, headlights in the dark – the LEGO DUPLO freight train convinced by great features. When children let the train drive over one of the five colored function blocks, a beep tone sounds, the lights go on and off, the freight train stops or changes direction. The function blocks thus provide a first introduction to programming. Small locomotive drivers can playfully and intuitively interact with the train. Another highlight: the patented Push & Go engine. By briefly pushing, children continuously roll the train on the rails. When the goods have arrived at their destination, it is enough to lift or stop the locomotive – and then it stops.

A new Push and Go engine element powers the train, and to meet the needs of the target audience of toddlers, all it requires is a push. Specific track elements that the train travels over cause set reactions, such as a sound or a light. This is a new level of technology for LEGO DUPLO trains, that have typically required the child to push them along rather than having any motorised aspect. The new engine element comes at the same time that LEGO City trains will be introducing Power Functions 2.0.

The optional app that will somehow be compatible with 10875 Freight Train also points to a new level of interactivity between the products and digital experiences. Last summer, when then LEGO CEO Bali Padda sat down with LEGO Fan Media, he discussed the intention to expand the possibilities of what the brick could do, and better combining digital media with LEGO products. With the new Power Functions, the recent launch of LEGO Boost and now more development in LEGO DUPLO, it seems that the LEGO Group is keen to expand the portfolio of ‘working’ products.