LEGO Ideas 21344 The Orient Express Train includes an unlikely crossover

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 3x3 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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