Customer Reviews

LEGO Creator Emerald Night Train (10194)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

**Update 31 December 2011: Lego delisted this set on its U.S. website. Amazon's own stock of this set is now depleted. I cannot find any national retailer with stock. Third-party retailers are now beginning to crank up the price on this set.**

Which Lego train system is this? This is Lego's first engine and car for the new Power Function's (PF) train system. PF motors and infrared control devices are now common across a number of Lego product lines (e.g., Creator and Technic). If you have the old 9 volt system (which many Lego users were sorry to see discontinued) you can attempt a modification and place an old motor unit on this new train (others are doing this to varying degrees of elegance); axle width has not changed. If you have either of the RC train sets (7897 and 7898, which were brought out after 9 volt in 2006), those units have their own motor and infrared units (i.e., non-PF). PF and RC use the exact same track.

What do you need to run this train? This set does not come with any track or any of the motors or infrared receivers or control units. The track is currently (spring 2010) available in three sets: 7896 (straight and curved), 7895 (switches), and 8867 (flexible track). If these are not readily available on Amazon, check for them at Lego. The PF units are usually a little more difficult to source and the best selection is typically directly from Lego. The PF units required for this train are: 8882 (1 XL motor), 8884 (IR receiver), 8878 (battery), 8879 (remote control), 8887 (transformer for the battery). You can also add a light (8870). The cost of these accessories is usually more than the Emerald Night set itself. Also, the PF Motor Set #8293 is NOT designed for the Emerald Night; 8293 is designed to power a number of Technic sets.

Comments on the set: It is not much of a stretch to say that this is the most finely rendered steam engine that Lego has ever offered for sale. The engine it most closely approximates is a British Pacific Class A3. The set compares nicely to the best of the 9 volt era sets (e.g.: 10020 Sante Fe Super Chief, 10022 and 10025 Santa Fe passenger cars, 10133 BNSF, 10170 TTX, and 10183 Hobby Train). With the Emerald Night, Lego is introducing new driving wheels. If you look closely at them, you will notice that not all of the drivers have flanges (so called blind drivers); this allows the train to negotiate curves that would otherwise be too tight. When Lego announced the Emerald Night, they released a short video of the train's designer, Jamie Berard, discussing the set. I recommend that you find the video on the net as it will give you a better sense of the scale of the train and its novel features. As of late 2009, at least one Lego representative has stated that they will not be producing stand-alone passenger car sets for the Emerald Night.

Of all the Lego trains currently available, this one is the most difficult to build and the drivetrain sometimes requires tinkering. There have been a few discussion threads in the Eurobricks train forum about small modifications that can increase reliability.

In April, 2011, Lego introduced set 10219, a highly realistic American freight engine with two container cars. This new set is arguably a category replacement for the Emerald Night.

Great model to assemble and wonderfully detailed. My son and I enjoyed every minute. However, my 9 yr old wanted to run it as a electric train. He used his own money to buy the parts and the directions are with the model. Unfortunately it doesn't run well. He had it going, but the linkage on the wheels jam/bind from time to time making it un-usable as a lego electric train. We love it as a static model, but not a working model.

I've played with & collected LEGO sets my entire life, and this is the finest looking train set that LEGO has ever produced, especially if you're a fan of steam trains. The main reason for this is that the Emerald Night is the first set that includes the new, larger drive wheels and a moving connecting rod setup, resulting in a more accurate steam train look both for static display and when the train is running. The design is very clean and smooth, with minimal exposed brick lugs, and it comes in a perfect color scheme. It looks more like a model train and less like a child's toy than any previous LEGO train. That said, any child capable of building other complex LEGO sets should be able to handle this one, and will find ample play value in the included minifigures and doors/hatches/roofs that open to expose interiors and little details. Like any other LEGO, pieces can and will fall off with rough handling and play, but since it's LEGO, everything can just snap back together.

It remains to be seen if LEGO's Power Functions (PF) electrical system is a winner or not, but it's now the only option LEGO provides to power this train, so there's not much to debate. It is nice to have wireless control and non-electrified tracks, and the rechargable battery life is quite respectable. On the negative side, there are very obvious digital "steps" in the speed control, rather than a smooth curve from "stop" to "maximum speed". Care is also needed when assembling the model to ensure that the wheel linkages and gear system do not bind and prevent smooth running. As other reviewers have already stated, the electrical parts and track that go along with this set are NOT included, but are needed to really finish this set off. So expect to spend another $100 or so to have something you/your child can run around the Christmas tree or playroom; believe me, they(you)'ll want to.

The detail on the train is amazing. Lego's have come a long way since I was a kid. My son (9) had seen this and requested it for Christmas. He worked on it diligently for a couple of days. Now he is pleading his case to get the motor, transmission and track so we can make it run. The only problem we have had is that the train fell off his shelf and a piece broke. The cool thing is that when we called Lego about it they sent a replacement for free! Kudos to good customer service. Something to keep in mind regarding this product is that to make it run you will drop another $150 or more to get all the parts and track. Ouch! New twist on a classic.

This is in my opinion the most beautiful of all Lego sets. When assembled, it is quite durable and the engineering of this set makes for an unusually robust model. There are two parts that do break away frequently (the coupling and steam/light? guard) when played with by a four year old, but the part separation is due to abuse and not quality or durability. I discovered that because the pieces 'break-away', children tend to handle their toys more gently. The joy of train-wrecks were quickly replaced by more realistic transportation play. I would have expected that simply fixing a broken toy would have encouraged more abusive play, but it seems that they understand that damaging their toys will cut into their precious playtime. I don't think I would know how to teach the lesson of preservation any other way. Do keep in mind that this set is has an age recommendation of 14 years and up and choking hazards do exist. Supervise closely.
The Emerald Night Train uses many universal building blocks with very few 'specialized' molded parts so you are not restricted to making the same model over and over again. There are plenty of hidden things to discover like moving doors and plates and even an engine compartment which reveals the gears. The engine is solid and heavy. I love the coach car with easy to remove cover. The model has a well finished appearance with very few exposed raised dots. The build took several hours and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Too many pieces? What? (goes back in manual two more times). What did I miss? Is this it? Are you sure (says to self)? Too many pieces sure beat too few, but when you're done building a model that took hours to build, you don't get that warm fuzzy feeling like when you put that last piece into a puzzle and you know you're done. It would be possible to do a piece count before the build, but it would be nice to not have to count and separate over a thousand pieces. If I could make a perfect product better, it would be an accurate piece count. It would make for a more satisfying building experience in my opinion. It still is a 5 star product! Way to go Lego!

Ordered this for my 12 year old son for Christmas. He loves it and took great pride in building it. And man does it look cool. This line is a great idea for kids that might be tired of the younger "toy" looking stuff. It is challenging and keeps the interest going for building and figuring things out.

My grandson and I enjoy assembling Lego kits.
The Emerald Night was a challenge and a lot of fun. When we had it finished it was a sturdy toy to play with, or to take apart and reassemble (my grandson's favorite activity).
Some of the parts are quite small, so we use little cups to segregate the parts and then keep them handy.
All in all a great kit.

Our 6 1/2-year old son insisted on this from Santa this year. He has enjoyed it quite a lot and plays with it with the Lego track we bought. We did not get the moters for it and these do not come with it. Maybe we will upgrade to a moter, but he likes it fine right now without it. He was able to put together a lot of the engine and almost all the coal car and coach by himself. So, I think if you are getting this for a "lego-experienced" child, you can go younger than the age on the box.

My husband had so much fun putting this together. It took him several hours, which is exactly what we expected. It was a challenge and a joy to him. I would recommend this for train enthusiasts that like to build things. He is looking for a new train to build now. Durable - not sure, we didn't take ours apart, it is on the shelf for all to see.

The the toy arrived on time. My son was so ecstatic when he got hold of it.In a span of two days he assembled it completely. My son is five years old.