This is a very cute set with lots of colors. The Corner Deli features a deli sandwich restaurant with outside dining, two miniature “deli sandwiches,” a cook minifig and a customer carrying her sandwich.
The actual structure is two stories tall and can be set up open with the interior exposed, or as a closed building. The first floor is either wood or “brownstone” while the second story is a very pleasant shade of blue/green. There is access to the roof via ladders and a ceiling hatch.
The roof has a TV antenna and a colorful bird sitting on it. There is an easy chair upstairs for the deli owner to relax after a long day making and selling sandwiches. I like the red and white canopy above the sandwich counter and flip-up window so sandwiches can be passed to customers outside. It even comes with a fire hydrant (and I will have to add the dog leaving his mark!).
I added this set to the LEGO City sets that I own to give my city more variety in terms of building designs. I really enjoyed building this set. LEGO Creator sets can be built three different ways and I see myself picking up more of these to enlarge the structure.
If you’d like to add the Corner Deli to your display, you can find it on Amazon by clicking here.
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This is one of the coolest LEGO sets that I have ever purchased. Packed with new features and details not seen on any previous years’ releases.
The included fire truck has a cab ready for a driver and the new water cannon feature with swivel base and extendable arm. Squeezing the rubber bulb on the cannon causes the “water jet” to extend and knock out the flames.
It appears that the fire started in a garbage can and then spread to the giant burger above. The kit is equipped with “flames” above both the garbage can and the giant burger. There are four flames that are mounted on swivels above and behind the giant burger so they can be knocked down with the water cannon.
The set has a motorcycle for the other firefighter, and there is the burger bar chef who has the fire outside his business. Another “new for 2019” feature is the detailed fire axe with a red and silver axe head.
Another legit features of this set is the “sliding glass window” at the front of the burger bar. It opens and closes just like the ones uptown.
I purchased this set to add to the LEGO city that I am building for my model railroad Layout which will be done in O scale. The city will allow me to include some LEGO City trains in the mix, probably on their own layout wing.
If you’re interested in picking up the LEGO City Burger Bar Fire Rescue, you can find it on Amazon here.
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If you love LEGOS, trains, and Harry Potter, then this is the set for you. At 801 pieces, this model train set includes a train station with pedestrian overpass and clock, the Hogwarts Express, tender, a passenger car, and a handful of mini figs.
The LEGO minifigs include Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Remus Lupin, the Trolley Witch, the Dementor and Scabbers figures. The Trolley Witch even has the chocolate toads that Ron is always eating!
The LEGO Hogwarts Express model train set is not motorized, but it does roll by hand on LEGO City track. Another difference between this set and other LEGO train sets are the train’s couplers. The Hogwarts Express uses connectors and pins, instead of the magnetic couplers used in the motorized sets. They work best if the train is moving in the forward direction.
The best feature of this set is the custom Hogwarts Express art details on the engine. These are very nice and colorful. The engine is pretty detailed with three set of “drive” wheels on each side and has the appropriate sets of smaller wheel before the “drive” wheels. It is a bold engine showing shiny red and black.
There were actually quite a number of videos for the different methods used. I took the Bluetooth receiver/battery pack and built a slightly longer engine tender which I then mounted the LEGO drive motor/wheel set to. The weight of the battery pack is sufficient to give the drive wheels good traction.
With my upgraded train set, the tender now pushes the engine down the track. This works ok as long as you keep the layout simple with gentle curves and straight track. It will not negotiate wiggle track at all. I took the extra parts from the second kit and made an extra passenger car, and added a “caboose”. This motorized train looks very nice as it runs around the track. The Bluetooth control, using your tablet or smartphone, gets you some added sounds to liven up the operation.
My updated Hogwarts Express on display.
I am a fan of Harry Potter and have purchased most of the sets that are currently offered. My future model train layout will combine my love of Lionel O scale trains with LEGOS and LEGO City trains. Of course it will have the secret wall at the station and a rail line to the city “by the lake” for a boat ride to Hogwarts Castle.
Here are just some of the Harry Potter kits you can add to your Hogwarts Express layout:
I have added several of these sets to my collection already, but I haven’t yet bought the six thousand piece castle set. The sets I have are all colorful, and form an interesting feature in my layout. I haven’t decided yet how I will use Aragog’s Lair, since it really needs a deep dark forest located beyond the castle. Guess I need more space!
We all love the movie The Polar Express, and Lionel has produced quite a range of train sets, rolling stock, and accessories around this story. I’ve always wanted my own Lionel Christmas Tree railroad layout, and was excited when I discovered I could own The Polar Express. I was delighted to find Lionel offers O scale including The Polar Express LionChief Train Set with Bluetooth.
This set has a 40 inch by 60 inch oval of FasTrack, a DC power pack, remote control, the engine and tender. It also comes with two coach cars and an observation car, all with “snow” covered roofs. These Lionel model railroad sets are special in that they also come with four O scale figures that can be attached to the cars and engine by using the available figurine pins on them. The figures each have a socket on one foot that fits the pins. My grandson and I love staging figures on the roofs of the cars, or the front of the engine, and watching them ride the rails.
Another version you might find in model train hobby shops, or perhaps used from a private model railroad seller, is Lionel Polar Express Remote Train Set, which is very similar to what I’ve listed above, except it does not include Bluetooth controls, and neither the passenger cars or observation car are painted with snowy tops.
When I bought my set, I also got a The Polar Express Holiday Gift Set which came with a hard bound copy of the picture book and a beautiful silver bell for the Christmas tree. Our version of the gift set came with a “golden ticket”, but current versions may come with the movie on DVD or Blu-ray instead. These extras were the perfect gift for my grandson, who is my favorite train buddy.
If you shop around, you might find other versions of the Polar Express sets in the Lionel Ready to Play and American Flyer (by Lionel) model railroad lines. Please note that engines and track provided with either of these sets are not compatible with Lionel O scale FasTrack, which is the track I prefer.
Now comes the fun part, expanding the Polar Express train set. The available expansion accessories fall into three main categories. First, Lionel offers an extensive array of add-on cars. Second, there are the Lionel O scale accessories like bridges and other structures. And third are the Polar Express figures packs.
Here are just some of my favorite add-on cars for The Polar Express:
Disappearing Hobo Car 6-84602
Hot Chocolate Car 6-84603
Letters to Santa 6-84601
Diner Car 6-84604
Boxcar 2-Pack 6-83645
Conductor Announcement Car 6-83437
Silver Load Hopper 6-84370
Baggage Car 6-84605
Combination Car 6-84600
There are many additional cars that be found on the shelf in hobby and train stores from previous Lionel releases. In addition to several of the railroad cars above, I own a Polar Express Aquarium car and a Silver Bells car. I’ve also added several non-Polar Express Lionel O scale Christmas cars, including a Christmas Music Box car. With all the extra cars, and another Lionel engine, we were able to run more than one train around the Christmas tree this year!
The Polar Express Scenic Accessories
In addition to this wide variety of model railway rolling stock, Lionel produces a number of O scale Polar Express scenic accessories. I started with a bridge, since my layouts always include water (using a piece of blue vinyl) and fishing. I added some vintage Lionel accessories and a train station platform, but there are even more additions available including the hero’s childhood home, the Polar Express Gateman shed, flagpoles and more.
In addition to displaying my Polar Express and other holiday model railroad sets with Lionel accessories, I also set up a village of ceramic buildings that I’ve collected over the years. My little town has complimented my O scale Christmas model train set for many holiday seasons. While they aren’t exactly the same scale, they are close enough, and the bright lights of the village on a white felt bed bring to mind steam trains rolling through a small town in winter.
This brings to mind a little tip: If you don’t have lots of O-scale accessories, but you have other toys and decorations in a similar scale, feel free to use them! All it takes is a bit of imagination, and you can decorate your model railroad with any manner of items, from paper mache mountains, to ceramic cottages and LEGO townhouses.
Add-on figures for The Polar Express:
Finally, Lionel has produced a range of O scale figures specifically for The Polar Express railroad line. Available sets include more characters from the movie such as Santa, his elves, reindeer, wolves and rabbits.
Setting up a Christmas layout is really fun, and I hope you’re feeling inspired to build The Polar Express model railroad set at your house this holiday season.
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If you like trains and LEGOS, then this is the set for you! The LEGO City Cargo Train 60198 is one of the newer remote control motorized train sets that includes Bluetooth control so you can operate the train from your smartphone or tablet. The Lego Powered Up app is is a free download from your favorite app store.
This train set is full of features and accessories. Besides the motorized, remote control engine, you get the parts to build a operating crane railroad car, a loaded log freight car, and a flat railroad car with 2 cargo containers. One of the cargo containers contains a bank vault with money and gold and there is an armored van for making deliveries. The set includes 6 LEGO minifigs and a siding control tower.
I love that this set comes with a turnout switch and a track dead end bumper stop. It has enough track to make a nice loop with the siding on the inside of the loop. You can park Lego railroad cars on the siding. Kind of makes you want more railroad cars or another engine. Yep, that’s how I think. When it comes to toys, more is better, don’t you agree?
I really enjoy playing LEGO trains with my grandson, who is just starting to understand that if you take your LEGO apart, and don’t know how to put it back together again, then you end up with a tub of parts, but no toys to play with. I added the LEGO City Heavy Cargo Transport 60183 Building Kit to this layout and my grandson, who is six years old, put the entire kit together by himself. He has played with it almost daily for the last two weeks and it is still all put together.
I love this set so much so that I bought two of them. Here’s why.
I have purchased LEGOS for others most of my life. It wasn’t until a few years ago that my son came up with the idea to use LEGOS to build a monitor stand for his computer. I stole his idea and ran with it. I have been buying LEGOS for myself ever since.
I really enjoy building the LEGO sets. If you know me or have seen any of my other articles and reviews, then you know I also love trains. So buying a LEGO train set was a very easy decision. Even knowing that I would end up with a room filling layout, I jumped right in.
The LEGO City Passenger Train 60197 kit has 677 pieces and suggests it is for ages 6-12. It has a motorized engine and two railroad cars, enough track to make a loop, some LEGO minifigs and some track side accessories. It comes with a remote control but you can also operate the engine from your phone or tablet using the LEGO PowerUp app that is available for free. The LEGO app has the added benefit of adding sounds to your play.
The kit has everything you need to load passengers and take them on their journey. I bought the second passenger train kit because I wanted a longer train with an engine on each end. That was the reason I ended up with lithium batteries. With six new lithium batteries, the engine pulled the entire train (engine plus 4 railroad cars and a “dummy engine”) fast enough that derailments could, and did, occur! This is a very fun set and like all LEGOS, they can be added to and modified to suit your own needs.
*Reviewer’s note: I do not own this train. It is my Papa’s. But, he lets me play with it sometimes, so I know a bit about it.
I like the LEGO City Passenger Train 60197 because it can plow things like logs off the tracks with its cone shaped nose, just like my LEGO City High-Speed Passenger Train 60051 (You can see my review about the 60051 model train here). I like using the Bluetooth LEGO Powered Up controller on my Papa’s cell phone. It’s a lot of fun, and the Bluetooth controls are really neat.
The main thing I don’t like is that the LEGO City Passenger Train 60197 isn’t my model train set, so I can’t crash it or tear it apart. Papa wants me to always keep it together and keep it un-crashed. I also dislike that it doesn’t fit through the Harry Potter LEGO Hogwarts Express station because of the electricity hooks on the roof. If you want to play with this with the LEGO Hogwarts Express train station, take the electricity hooks off the top of the passenger train, then it will fit through the Hogwarts Express station (but ask permission first so you don’t get in trouble).
If you want to get the LEGO City Passenger Train 60197 to build, you can find it on Amazon here. But, make sure you figure out your LEGO rules before you start running your train, so you know if you’re allowed to crash, or not!
Want to see more? Check out some of our other articles and reviews below.
*Reviewer’s note: I do not own this train. It is my Papa’s. But, he lets me play with it sometimes, so I know a bit about it.
What I like: I like that the LEGO City Cargo Train 60198 is as green as Christmas. I like using the Bluetooth LEGO Powered Up controller on my Papa’s cell phone to move the model train around the track. I like running this model train on the LEGO Bluetooth app, even more than I like running my O Scale Lionchief BNSF RS3 model train on the Lionchief bluetooth app.
The only thing I don’t like about the LEGO City Cargo Train 60198 is that it isn’t my train, so I can’t crash it or tear it apart (and I love train crashes). Papa likes to always keep his trains put together, and keep them un-crashed. Although this train set is for 6 and up, Papa’s rules about not crashing makes it seem like it’s for kids 69 and up.
If you want to get the LEGO City Cargo Train 60198 to build, you can find it on Amazon here. But, make sure you figure out your LEGO rules before you start running your train, so you know if you’re allowed to crash, or not!
Want to see more? Check out some of our other articles and reviews below.
The LEGO City High-Speed Passenger Train 60051 model train set reminds me of a real-life bullet train. It’s white like the Cascades of Amtrak, which is really awesome. I like moving things off the tracks with this train’s bullet nose. It’s a great pusher! Because the engine nose is made of one giant piece, it doesn’t fall apart as much when it crashes. Which is good, if you like crashing trains like me!
I like to combine the LEGO track that comes with this set with the track from my LEGO City Cargo Train 60052 to make a giant LEGO train layout. I like that you can set the controllers to run two trains, so I can run this bullet train and my freight train at the same time, with the same controller.
What I don’t like: This set is hard to build without help, similar to LEGO City Cargo Train set 60052 (You can read what I think about that set here). Also, the bullet nose sections of this train are hard to get connected. Although this train set is for 6 and up it’s very difficult to build without a grownup helping.
I saved my own money for a long time to buy the Lego City Cargo Train 60052 train set. I built it with Dad the first time. It’s L Scale, which is close to O Scale model train size, but it’s L for LEGO! I like to crash my trains a lot, and I like to take my LEGO kits apart and build new things. Mom has helped me rebuild this set a couple of times, too.
The LEGO City Cargo Train 60052 set reminds me of a real-life CSX Freight Train. I like that it’s blue like Amtrak. I love crashing this train set. When I first got it, I would crash the train into the truck, and crash the forklift into the crane.
I don’t like that when I crash it, the headlights on the bottom fall off. It’s pretty hard to build, and I have a hard time building it without help because it’s such a big set and I just want to play. Although the LEGO City Cargo Train 60052 model train set is for kids 6 and up, it’s very difficult to build without a grownup helping. If you want to build this set with your kids, you can find the LEGO City Cargo Train 60052 on Amazon here.
Make sure you build it together, and you decide if you’re okay with crashing it or not. It’s more fun when everyone agrees on how to play trains!
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Reviews from a family of gaming geeks. 