⌘ K
"A visually impressive display model with extraordinary carriage detail, but the Orient Express earns its Skip It rating at BrickScore 58.5 because its $299.99 price tag, non-running design, and locomotive compromise create a value case that many buyers, including 30% of LEGO.com reviewers who would not recommend it, find hard to justify."
The Orient Express Train is a visually splendid display model that divides opinion sharply enough to earn a Skip It verdict with a BrickScore of 58.5. Reviewers consistently praise the richly detailed passenger carriages and elegant overall look, but value for money is the set's most contested aspect, scoring just 39 out of 100 in aspect consensus. The locomotive itself drew sustained criticism for deviating from the fan-submitted Ideas design, and the set is not motorized out of the box, requiring significant modification to run on standard LEGO track. Owner data is more mixed than the enthusiast rhetoric suggests: 320 ratings average 4.22 out of 5, and LEGO.com's own value-for-money signal sits at 3.49, with only 70% recommending it.
Where they split: The single sharpest divide is between buyers who accept this as a display model and are delighted by it, and those who expected a functional train at this price and felt let down. The locomotive design change from the Ideas submission also creates a measurable split between fan backers and general buyers. Owner ratings of 4.22 paired with a 70% would-recommend rate suggest more genuine ambivalence than pure enthusiasm.
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"I love the Orient Express' carriages, but wish the engine was more distinctive to match"
Brickset Reviews
"the model actually looks beautiful, but when compared to the ideas submission there's clear differences"
Tiago Catarino
"It's the 52nd LEGO Ideas set, and features a detailed model of The Orient Express."
Jay's Brick Blog"The sticker sheet that comes with the first batches of the set will most likely be wrong. The stickers here with the yellow background should actually be metallic gold instead."
RacingBrick
"The locomotive is widely viewed as the most disappointing aspect of the entire set and I have to agree with that"
JANG's LEGO Reviews"this is probably one of the more disappointing sets of 2023 which is unfortunate cuz this is one of the last sets to be released this year and I thought Lego would be going off with a bang"
Solid Brix Studios"I love the Orient Express' carriages, but wish the engine was more distinctive to match"
"the model actually looks beautiful, but when compared to the ideas submission there's clear differences"
"It's the 52nd LEGO Ideas set, and features a detailed model of The Orient Express."
"The sticker sheet that comes with the first batches of the set will most likely be wrong. The stickers here with the yellow background should actually be metallic gold instead."
"The locomotive is widely viewed as the most disappointing aspect of the entire set and I have to agree with that"
"this is probably one of the more disappointing sets of 2023 which is unfortunate cuz this is one of the last sets to be released this year and I thought Lego would be going off with a bang"
A visually stunning and detailed display train that owners overwhelmingly love for its rich carriage interiors and elegant styling, though a vocal minority are frustrated by the non-motorized locomotive, misspelled city name stickers, and some quality control issues on printed parts.
LEGO.com4.0Walmart4.4Amazon5.0
