LEGO Ideas 21344 The Orient Express Train includes an unlikely crossover

17/11/202320/11/2023 Rachael Davies 1050 Views 1 Comment

LEGO Ideas 21344 The Orient Express Train includes a number of recoloured dark blue elements, including one unlikely crossover from a retired theme.

Made up of largely dark blue and black pieces, 21344 The Orient Express Train introduces a number of dark blue pieces to the LEGO system. With gold accents and silver highlights throughout, the overall effect is impressive for the LEGO Ideas set, even if it’s quite an obvious change from the original fan-designed submission.

However, eagle-eyed readers might well notice a similarity between the train’s steam domes and creatures from a very different LEGO theme, especially when looking from the angle in the picture below…

If you haven’t spotted it yourself, we’ll give you a clue: banana! That’s right, the steam domes on top of the brick-built engine are dark blue minion heads, complete with the recognisable eye patch, as LEGO Ideas Design Manager Jordan Scott confirmed to Brick Fanatics and other LEGO Fan Media. Specifically, we believe this is the element used to recreate Stuart, the one-eyed and droll-humoured member of Gru’s team. Although all the LEGO Minions sets are now retired, the moulds are clearly still knocking around in the LEGO Group’s archives.

Elsewhere in the model, other new dark blue elements include the train doors, as well as 3×3 windows in pearl gold for the first time. With such a defined colour scheme, it’s no surprise that the designers needed to get some parts recoloured – and with great effect.

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Rachael Davies

I write about all the very best fandoms – and that means LEGO, of course. Spending so much time looking at and talking about LEGO sets is dangerous for my bank balance, but the LEGO shelves are thriving. You win some, you lose some.