First images of LEGO Ideas 21344 The Orient Express Train land online

The first images of LEGO Ideas 21344 The Orient Express Train have debuted in an official LEGO catalogue, revealing a set that’s changed heavily from the original submission.

Based on a concept by fan designer Thomas Lajon, 21344 The Orient Express Train follows 21343 Viking Village as the next LEGO Ideas set, and – given its presence in the October 2023 LEGO for Adults catalogue – will presumably be arriving on shelves sometime later this year. Where the original design envisioned a larger-than-life dark green train with a single carriage, the final set reimagines the locomotive in dark blue, at a scale that seemingly fits on regular LEGO track.

That will be music to the ears of anyone disappointed 76405 Hogwarts Express Collectors’ Edition isn’t compatible with normal LEGO rails, and ensures 21344 The Orient Express Train should choo-choo right into your wider LEGO collection. It also one-ups Lajon’s original design by including pieces for two carriages rather than one (presumably possible through scaling down the rest of the set), creating an expansive display piece.

The change in scale means the iconic train is now compatible with minifigures, and eight are pictured in the catalogue – all with yellow skin tones, suggesting the set isn’t based on a particular licensed appearance of the Orient Express (such as Kenneth Branagh’s 2017 movie Murder on the Orient Express). They look like an eclectic cast of characters, encompassing train staff and passengers.

There’s a full interior in both carriages, which appear to include passenger compartments and a bar, and the entire model sits on LEGO rails with a brick-built black base. There’s no official word yet on 21344 The Orient Express Train’s price, piece count or release date, but all those details can’t be too far away now given the timing of this catalogue’s launch.

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