The LEGO River Steamboat is a stunning set that offers a highly engaging build experience. The quality of a LEGO set is defined not only by its final look but also by the building process itself, and the River Steamboat excels in both aspects. The construction flows seamlessly, with each step naturally leading to the next. The ship's design is cleverly layered, allowing each floor to be easily detached for full access to the detailed interiors. This set echoes LEGO's success with adult-focused modular buildings, but with a twist—a modular boat that boasts meticulous attention to detail, merging the extraordinary with the everyday to create a cohesive masterpiece.
LEGO Ideas River Steamboat
$329.99 at LEGO Store
The River Steamboat hails from the LEGO Ideas line, where fans submit original concepts that are then voted on by the community. Successful ideas, like this one, become official LEGO sets, with the creator receiving a share of the profits. Notable past LEGO Ideas sets include The Nightmare Before Christmas, Jaws, and Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon's Tale.
We Build LEGO Ideas River Steamboat
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Inspired by the iconic paddle boats of the 1800s that navigated the Mississippi River, the LEGO River Steamboat captures the essence of these historical vessels. Initially used for industrial purposes, these steamboats evolved into pleasure crafts, offering amenities and entertainment such as gambling and jazz music. My wife and I experienced this firsthand on our honeymoon in New Orleans, where we enjoyed a riverboat cruise filled with dining, dancing, and live jazz.
This set is a true delight for LEGO enthusiasts. The River Steamboat features a jazz lounge and a dining room, alongside practical areas like a boiler engine room connected to the paddle wheel. Pushing the boat activates the wheel's rotation, adding an interactive element. The pilothouse includes a steering wheel that, when turned, moves the rudder. Other functional areas include a kitchen, sleeping quarters for the crew, and an anchor on a chain that can be raised and lowered.
The build process is divided into 32 bags, starting with the ship's base that houses the boiler room and a miniature nautical museum. This section showcases a piston engine, an aeolipile, and a Watt steam engine, alongside a compact kitchen with a refrigerator, stove, and sink. The ingenious design and color use in LEGO sets never cease to amaze, transforming familiar pieces into new contexts.
Moving up, the main deck houses the dining room and jazz lounge. The lounge, positioned at the stern, is equipped with miniature LEGO accessories for musical instruments, while the dining room exudes elegance with tablecloths and stylish chairs. Lighting fixtures span the interior and exterior, and posters advertise onboard entertainment, featuring a nod to another LEGO Ideas set, the A-Frame Cabin.
The dining room is built separately and then placed into the larger structure, creating a deck space for minifigures to enjoy the view. Notably, the set does not include minifigures, which might limit its play value but underscores its status as a display piece.
The crew deck, one level above, features sleeping quarters and a bathroom with essential amenities. The pilothouse, located at the top, is home to the impressive steering mechanism, which connects through all four levels to control the rudder. This intricate feature is a testament to the thoughtful planning and engineering behind the set.
The River Steamboat is packed with delightful details: repurposed croissant pieces as billowy flags, neat rows of white railings, and patterned tiles resembling rugs. Despite its large size, the set's efficient use of pieces makes it feel well-balanced, with every component serving a purpose.
As William Strunk Jr. advises in The Elements of Style, "Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts." The River Steamboat embodies this principle in LEGO form; every brick is purposeful, every detail enhances the overall design. This set is a must-see for LEGO aficionados.
The LEGO River Steamboat, Set #21356, retails for $329.99 and comprises 4,090 pieces. It is available exclusively at the LEGO Store.
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