Review: 70424 Ghost Train Express
Posted by CapnRex101,Supernatural forces have been associated with trains rather frequently and 70424 Ghost Train Express has attracted significant attention. This set looks wonderful in official images, although its industrial aesthetic deviates from traditional ghost trains within fiction.
Nevertheless, that reflects the broader Hidden Side theme which confers ghoulish features upon otherwise mundane subjects. Moreover, this set introduces an exciting ramp component for integration with railway tracks, hence I anticipate this being an interesting addition to Hidden Side, following other appealing sets.
Minifigures
Two significant variants of Jack Davids have been produced. This example wears an attractive red jacket with golden buttons and white pocket linings which compliment his corresponding hood piece, although I think that hood may appear even better in red. However, the double-sided head is brilliant and a metallic silver charm hangs from Jack's belt, making reference to his dog who appears in other Hidden Side sets.
Parker L. Jackson features even greater detail as numerous colourful patches decorate her denim jacket. This medium lavender hair piece appears equally impressive, particularly in combination with the bright light yellow hat. Such vivid colours seem entirely appropriate within the Hidden Side theme and I like the differing facial expressions too, conveying happiness and slight frustration.
Similar excitement emanates from Professor J.B. and her alternative expression looks outstanding, presumably depicting the unfortunate aftermath of an experiment. Moreover, I like this dual-moulded hair piece which comprises lavender hair and white goggles. This textured detail is excellent and the printed lenses look magnificent as well.
J.B. wears an unkempt lab coat with various items stored in pouches around her waist. They appear interesting and the pink shirt underneath also looks marvellous, featuring an adorable Frankenstein's Monster symbol which loosely resembles minifigures depicting the character. However, none of those minifigures share this precise design which is somewhat disappointing in my opinion.
Printed mobile phone tiles are provided for each character. These accessories display ghosts which have become visible through the Hidden Side app. I appreciate their bright colours and the printing is very detailed, although Professor J.B. lacks the separate weapon that appeared in 70423 Paranormal Intercept Bus 3000.
Fun civilian characters appear across the whole Hidden Side range and Paul is among my favourite examples, due primarily to the banana motif printed on his unique torso. This blue plaid design looks brilliant too, although I think the dark tan legs should have been printed as they appear slightly bland beside other residents of Newbury.
Paul's face looks absolutely suitable for his environment though, displaying a cartoonish grin on one side and inexorable terror on the other! The enormous glasses are similarly appealing and this piece has only appeared in four earlier sets so I am delighted to see it again. Unfortunately, no accessories are provided for Paul but this is certainly an enjoyable addition to the townsfolk.
Two members of the train crew are also included. Ms. Santos features an impressive dark brown hair piece which has only previously appeared in 71043 Hogwarts Castle. The head is more common and lacks an alternative expression but I like the exclusive torso component that features an identification card alongside metallic gold railway pins on both lapels.
Chuck wears a matching dark red uniform, although his waistcoat includes some elegant pinstripes. Another badge displaying the railway emblem is fixed to his chest and that symbol appears again on the ticket emerging from his pocket. This moustachioed head was introduced during 2016 but seems appropriate for the ticket inspector, conforming to their traditional appearance.
Ghostly possession dominates the Hidden Side theme, hence trans-neon green heads and spring yellowish green hair pieces accompany each minifigure. These can replace the standard elements, thereby conveying possession. Both characters look magnificent in this form, although the unkempt beard component seems extremely large when compared with Chuck's printed moustache!
The Completed Model
Newbury contains numerous ramshackle buildings, suggesting that paranormal entities have already started to exert negative influence across the town. This structure is unusually reliant upon stickers to represent such dilapidation which is slightly disappointing, although I appreciate the contrast between the dark tan platform and the station building. The green recycling bin looks nice but I think the yellow seats should feature muted colours.
This building measures almost 13cm wide so there is plenty of space for minifigures inside. However, the interior furnishing could certainly have been improved. I like the simple ticket machine but the rest of Newbury Station is completely empty and some posters or additional seats would have been rather effective. Fortunately, the clock and lantern attached on the exterior look great and the platform steps are ingeniously designed, incorporating a medium nougat lattice window with reddish brown 1x4 tiles.
Several models within the Hidden Side theme include transformation functions and Newbury Station continues that trend. Turning the lantern and the clock will reveal some spring yellowish green claws above the roof and the sign folds upwards to display an intimidating visage. These features are fairly basic when compared with larger buildings but they work nicely and I particularly enjoy the claws.
Four straight track components accompany the station, providing sufficient room for the entire train. This seems unusual as modern LEGO train sets have frequently contained curved track which form complete circuits. However, that is unnecessary here because buffers are situated at one end of the track, featuring a small ball joint for attaching the train securely.
The opposite end includes an innovative ramp, eliminating the requirement for additional track along with its associated cost. This element connects to the track neatly and allows trains to transition from the track to the floor and back again! Hopefully that might enable LEGO to produce more small trains since expensive circuits of track will no longer be necessary when this component is provided.
While the station and track elements provide important play value, the ghost train itself seems more exciting. The whole train measures 46cm in length which is comparatively short, although I think this vehicle contains the most integral features of any LEGO train, including a substantial locomotive and some differing carriages. The cargo of equipment for capturing ghosts seems unusual though.
Black and dark red elements are combined to marvellous effect on the locomotive. Its shape appears fairly similar to 60052 Cargo Train, although this model is significantly smaller and details are focused in different areas. For example, the fuel tank and air reservoirs situated between the two bogies seem exceptionally simple as they are represented by one 4x6 inverted slope component.
The locomotive looks more impressive when viewed from the front, due primarily to greater detailing. Light bluish grey 1x2 grille slopes form narrow steps between the railings and I think the trans-yellow headlights look great. In addition, the combination of exposed studs and smooth surfaces is effective and stickers are applied on the windscreen, depicting residue which has been formed by windscreen wipers.
Four additional stickers are situated along either flank. The resulting radiator grilles look perfect and I appreciate how the railway emblems have been integrated. Both doors are decorated with locomotive numbers which seem realistic and I presume they denote the graphic designer's birthday. This vehicle lacks the metal axles from past LEGO trains and that decision has elicited some controversy. Even so, they look nice and perform adequately for play.
However, my favourite aspect of this entire locomotive are its extraordinary transformation functions. Twisting the light bluish grey Technic switch beside the cab will open the low-nose section, revealing many teeth inside, while wings can be deployed by moving another switch on the roof. Each function feels incredibly smooth and they change the appearance of the locomotive quite dramatically!
Furthermore, the roof can be removed with ease to access the cab. Two printed control consoles are found inside and there is plentiful room for the driver to either sit or stand. In fact, you could introduce some simple modifications which would allow two minifigures to stand inside comfortably because the doors occupy relatively little space.
Two flat wagons are connected to the locomotive using dark bluish grey ball joints. These are slightly more difficult to disconnect than traditional magnetic couplers but they occupy much less space and I think they are appropriate for this set. The first wagon carries an examination chamber for possessed minifigures which is fun, differing from anything else across the Hidden Side theme.
Hinges enable the cylindrical chamber to open and you can place one minifigure inside. Two screens are situated beside the examination chamber, displaying an alarm signal and approaching ghosts. An almost identical sticker appears in 70423 Paranormal Intercept Bus 3000 which demonstrates superb consistency in the design of Professor J.B.'s technology for restraining vexatious ghosts.
Colour wheels appear in almost every Hidden Side set and are necessary for interaction with the app. This example is concealed reasonably well, underneath the computer monitors, but can still rotate for scanning. Two further stickers are placed on the exterior of the cylinder, presumably representing the containment status indicator and an electronics access panel.
The second flat wagon transports a mysterious dark red and black container. Stickers are applied on both sides and they look reasonable, although I would have preferred designs which suggest liquid is seeping from cracks in the container rather than being splashed across the outside. The graffiti on the opposite side is slightly more appealing in my opinion.
An enormous weapon for capturing ghosts is mounted atop this container, further corresponding with 70423 Paranormal Intercept Bus 3000. The other model is similarly equipped with cannons, featuring the same trans-purple and dark azure details. I love the light bluish grey structures surrounding those trans-purple elements and there is enough room for a minifigure to stand behind the weapon.
Despite the strange liquid on the exterior, opening the container reveals nothing inside. That seems disappointing but offers an opportunity for modification. Furthermore, both the examination chamber and the shipping container are easily removable from their respective wagons, revealing some pearl gold elements underneath which complement those adorning the locomotive.
Overall
Trains remain exceptionally popular and attract significant attention among older LEGO fans. 70424 Ghost Train Express undoubtedly includes some interesting details and finds an appropriate balance between realism and eccentricity which feels consistent with the whole Hidden Side theme. Moreover, the transformation functions are excellent, particularly on the focal ghost train locomotive.
Newbury Station is considerably less appealing when compared with larger buildings such as 70422 Shrimp Shack Attack which include greater detail. However, I understand that the designer wished to focus attention upon the ghost train and the station offers welcome play value. The price of £69.99 or $79.99 feels slightly more expensive than many other Hidden Side sets but I still think that represents reasonable value.
I hope you have found this review informative. Let us know by liking this article and share your opinion of the set in the comments.
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28 comments on this article
Good review!
I think the emptiness of the container car is so that you can remove the blaster from the top and store it inside.
The use of towball pieces to couple the cars together is neat and, like the towball on the buffer and the new rerailer piece, has probably been chosen to make the separate components easier to arrange in the order the app can recognize. I hadn’t considered the possibility of the rerailer track allowing for smaller train sets in the future, which is certainly a neat idea!
“An exciting ramp component”. Wow.
@Mr_Thrawn - I think it is exciting for LEGO train fans. Recent train sets have contained complete loops of track which increases their cost significantly. The new ramp component provides an alternative to closed circuits so the cost of trains may be reduced which would potentially entail LEGO producing more of them.
I love when people are able to comment constructively on a persons review of a set as opposed to just making silly and pointless remarks for no apparent reason.
Thank You for the review.
Cheers all.
@red_dragon_taiyo that appears to be how the comments here go now, unfortunately. The fate of anywhere in the internet where people are encouraged to give anonymous opinions is a grubby kind of low level nastiness. All we can do is try and flood them out with actual conversation about the sets.
Cap'n, I got the impression from the promo photos that the windows are meant to look like evil eyes - there's no feature that puts colour behind them or something to emphasise the shape? That's a missed opportunity.
I like the ramp. It reflects the fact that toy trains aren't all for enormous accurate layouts in grown men's basements. This one is for scooting around on the carpet. I for one would have had a blast with this as a kid, and then enjoyed being able to "park" it with ease.
This is a great review (as always). I'd looked into the set before and couldn't decide whether it was worth it or not. Now, I think I will be getting it. I like the ball joint connectors between the cars, and the new track piece is also interesting (though the possibility of more train sets not including complete tracks also would mean they would not be powered) and I love the transformation. That said, I almost like the train better without the possession features, and may build it differently as such. Thanks for such a great review again, @CapnRex101 !
I didn’t realize that dark brown hairpiece was so rare. It’s currently available in the build a figure bins at Lego stores.
do the wings pop back in again as easy as they pop out? and if so, would switching them between in and out look appropriately enough like they were flapping?
Good review! Definitely excited to get this set, although as usual with any of my bigger LEGO wish list items, I'm trying to wait for a good sale/deal/markdown before I make a purchase.
I think the overall aesthetic, even with a diesel train rather than an old-timey steam locomotive, suits the way the theme has a present-day setting in which devices like 3D printers, computers, and smartphones are fairly normal, but situated in a dreary, decrepit town in the American deep south.
Speaking of which, in case there was any ambiguity about the setting, it's more or less confirmed to be on some LEGO.com pages: for example, the description of the boss ghost Captain Archibald refers specifically to the Gulf of Mexico: https://www.lego.com/en-us/kids/articles/hidden-side/most-wanted-ghosts-captain-archibal-fa0fc9c46b4f4dde9aac6c04749d9e8f
I've definitely seen a lot of trains, boxcars, and station platforms like this over the years during various trips up and down the east coast, albeit with normal painted graffiti made by humans rather than ghostly ectoplasm graffiti, as this set appears to include! And I think this aesthetic is a really nice departure from the more 19th century inspired horror imagery in the Monster Fighters theme (e.g. Gothic castles, haunted steam engines, mad science laboratories, and steampunk-ish hero characters). As popular as that theme was, I'm glad this theme wasn't just more of the same.
I wouldn't be surprised if the reason for the boxcar being left empty is so JB can stash the ghost-capturing cannon there when her team's not on patrol, so it doesn't attract undue attention! In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if media tie-ins with this set have some of her tech arriving in Newbury or being moved around by train, since these gadgets seem too bulky to cart around by a lot of other methods.
Regarding the yellow seats on the station platform, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they are brightly colored so that the app can recognize them as a potential target for "de-glooming". Same goes for the recycling bin, though that doesn't stand out quite as much since it's not too unusual a color for a recycling bin regardless of how run-down the surrounding setting happens to be. Whereas benches even in less gloomy settings tend to be subjected to a lot more wear and tear.
It's surprising to me that the magnetic coupling piece is used in the very back of the train. I understand that the use of ball and socket joints for the other couplings (including the very front of the train) is to make sure everything's secure and properly spaced when using the app, which is not necessary in the back of the final carriage since there's nothing it attaches to in the setup used during gameplay.
But seeing as the parts needed to construct brick-built buffers are already used at the end of the track, you'd think that the designer could've done the same at the end of this train, potentially eliminating the cost of using a complex pre-assembled element AND allowing consistent connectors to be used throughout so the cars could be more freely re-arranged during non-app-based play.
Maybe this was intended more as a concession to collectors of LEGO trains from other themes, so that they wouldn't need to purchase any extra magnetic couplings or dissemble any sets and MOCs that use them if they wanted to connect the locomotive and/or carriages from this set to ones from other themes?
As far as new parts or techniques are concerned, I'm definitely excited for some of what this might mean for the future of LEGO trains! In particular, I wouldn't be surprised if the all-plastic wheel and axle pieces and non-magnetic couplings make it easier for LEGO to create train sets at a "4+" building level, seeing as there might have been safety, cost, or building level concerns with putting thin metal axles that attach via unconventional connection points in sets aimed at kids that young.
Trains are obviously popular enough with both the LEGO Duplo and LEGO City core audiences to maintain a recurring presence in both those themes, so making train sets that target the intermediate building level immediately between those themes seems like a no-brainer!
I also understand that many toy train manufacturers have been switching to plastic axles, and I imagine that the testing LEGO did with the axle elements they developed for the new roller coaster track also gave them all the insight they needed into how they could make a plastic axle and wheel bearing using "in system" connections that would both rotate freely and be resistant to long term wear and tear.
Besides those considerations, the new wheel housings have more anti-studs underneath ,which could potentially open up new customization opportunities. Obviously, I know dedicated LEGO train fans will need to see reviews and/or testing by other fans to have any kind of confidence in a big change like this, and I have no idea what consensus about their quality they'll arrive at in the long run. But LEGO definitely doesn't seem to have rushed into this decision.
The ramp is nice as well, and the review touched on its main value for future sets, but I also have heard even more serious LEGO train fans expressing excitement about the potential for the part in their own custom-built layouts, since longer or heavier trains are often a much bigger hassle to re-rail than the smaller and lighter trains that typically appear in sets (regardless of target age).
I wouldn't even be surprised to see the civilian, train conductor and station master torsos appear in future train sets, similar to how City and other modern-day themes have used several of the civilian torso designs from themes like Agents or The LEGO Ninjago Movie. Definitely a lot of great stuff to be found in this set and throughout the Hidden Side theme!
@CapnRex101
I have nothing against the ramp. It is indeed an interesting part. I just thought the way it was phrased was humorous.
I was expecting the review to include a description of the Augmented Reality features as I thought that they are the main part of this set. Without these it is just a strange train.
@SeekerBear: Even if LEGO did start releasing more non-motorized train sets, it's not nearly as hard to modify a train to allow for Powered Up control as for Power Functions, since with Powered Up you don't need a separate receiver element in addition to the hub/battery box, nor do you need to maintain a line of sight between the controller and receiver.
The ramp piece definitely is exciting. There is no need for Lego to always make trains sets with full circuits now, people can buy the track parts separetely too.
I'm not saying that ALL trains sets onwards should have only few track parts instead of a full circuit. But with this new ramp piece, Lego can make cheaper train sets to be sold alongside "premium" ones with full circuits.
The set looks pretty good, it's just a shame the minifig printing is such a mixed bag again. The train personnel torsos are excellent, but the banana (while cute) is far too pale - it's odd, because the lighter blue shade is perfectly applied. The white on Jack's torso isn't bright enough either, like the yellow on Parker's legs, while the pink on JB's torso is fantastic. What gives?
TLG have made plenty of train sets without including any track - there's currently the Hogwarts Express 75955, the previous unpowered Hogwarts Express sets, several creator expert trains, not to mention the plethora of individual locomotives/cars back-in-the-day.
The new ramp piece is more likely included here for ease of mounting the assembled train onto the track due to the ball joint connections which require more effort to connect than magnetic couplings. It might prove less convenient to connect each train car individually after placing it on the track where the models could potentially un-align from the tracks when snapping the ball joints into the holders making it a bit frustrating compared to simply having the magnets attract without any effort.
In any case, having the new ramp piece available to help with mounting trains onto tracks is a welcome addition.
I'm not a fan of replacing the metal axles, it feels like a step down from a well established, reliable and proven train component. I'm curious what the weight difference is between the metal axles and these new plastic axles - any changes in weight distribution that would move the center of gravity away from the bottom of the model and lighten the overall weight of a train under power at speed that's using these new parts is going to lead to derailments, especially around curves.
Not a train fan but enjoyed the review.
I'm thinking of doing this for our store copy, but I'm thinking of situating the Boxcar directly behind the locomotive and stuffing one of the newer bluetooth battery boxes in it and replacing the back wheels with the motorized ones, that way it doesn't look too garish powered up. At least, that's what I plan of doing with the boxcar's empty space.
I literally built this myself, on the weekend.
I loved the train more than I thought I would. Like, I really like it. I like the general style of the Hidden Side sets (everything looks ramshackle and decrepit, and the train looks rusty and old. It gives all the sets personality, unlike a lot of City stuff these days), and I really liked the gimmick of the teeth and demon wings. It works brilliantly, and I thought it was a bit hokey, but I really like it.
Also, a big selling point for this set, for me, was the station. We didn't just get a simple platform, we got an actual (albeit small) station building, and I thought that was a very cool feature.
I still hate those new wheels, though. And I quickly adjusted all the carriages to add buffer magnets, but that was easy enough to do.
@darkstonegrey: The previous style of wheel holder with two wheels and a metal axle had a net weight of 8.17 grams total according to BrickLink, while the new style wheel holder with two wheels has a net weight of 6.3 grams. So that's a difference of 1.87 grams, or a little more than the weight of a 2x6 plate.
Even so, if a weight difference like that could have a severely negative impact, then the same would apply to the weight discrepancies between other differences in bogie construction that have already been appearing in sets and MOCs alike for years now, such as the use of Technic-based bogie construction for at least a decade at this point.
Certainly I'm aware that past sets' bogie designs have been criticized in reviews and/or modded by train fans to improve performance, but suffice to say that if proper LEGO train functionality could be sabotaged by small weight changes like this, then it would make no sense as a toy system that children with minimal technical know-how are encouraged to customize.
@sirventricle: While I can't speak for all of the discrepancies you're describing, it's no surprise at all that JB's torso print has no issues like some of the others do, because it's pretty much always been normal (not only with LEGO, but in general) for dark color inks to work better on light color surfaces than the other way around. In some cases LEGO has been able to diminish the faded look by using multiple coats of ink, but a second coat of white or yellow can sometimes come at the expense of the number of colors LEGO can print on each surface of the part.
Even in the days when single-sided printing was the norm for the majority of minifig parts, I suspect this was a major motivating factor in why so many torsos in classic LEGO Pirates sets (like those of the redcoat and bluecoat soldiers) featured darker colored patterns on a white or yellow torso, even if it would theoretically make more sense the other way around. LEGO certainly had access to white ink well before LEGO Pirates came out, but the background color usually showed through at least enough that it would usually only look "off-white".
@Brickalili - Yeah, the wings retract and extend smoothly. You can totally simulate 'flapping' with them. Not that I have done this on more than one occasion or anything, being a mature adult and all. :p
@CapnRex101: I could've sworn it said "enticing" before, I see that it's been changed... I imagine @Mr__Thrawn wouldn't have made that comment had it said "exciting" to begin with since I too thought "enticing" was a strange choice of word. Even stranger is that it now says "exciting" in their comment, too, but I don't know who actually edited their comment.
@Aanchir: A number of tests have been performed on the new plastic axles with... varying(ly subjective?) results. Some found the new plastic axles to perform just as well as or even more consistently than the metal ones, others found the complete opposite — that the metal axles are far and away superior. I don't have any authoritative or empirical findings of my own since I don't own any of the plastic axles, and LEGO CS very kindly hooked me up with additional metal axles, wheels and magnetic couplers for free before the plastic ones came out (all I did was tell them I wanted to extend my 60197 train!), but what I think is that if the plastic ones do have more friction, then that's a good thing for those who want the bogies to stay in place, because these metal ones roll too easily when I don't want them moving about.
As for the set itself, despite the station being small, I like what I see, though a lot of the sand green is unfortunately obscured by the reddish brown columns. The train doesn't interest me all that much, but I really like the train staff uniforms. That dark red on light royal blue looks impressive and is a very refreshing change, even if only for Hidden Side, from the dark blue we've seen for nearly two decades (though the yellow top and black pants of the Station Master reign supreme for me).
They are fantastic sets, though I have held off on the train so far as it doesn't appeal in quite the same way. That said, all of the others have exceeded my expectations once bought and built so I might get it eventually.
All of the Hidden Side range have been discounted to between 40% and 48% off rrp already in the UK which is a mixed blessing really. It makes for great value purchases, they make great part packs as well, but given the quick and extensive discounts I do wonder if Lego will continue with the theme. I certainly hope so
Great review - thanks for the insights! This set had flown under the radar for me but now I'll be on the lookout if it pops up on clearance.
The new train ramp piece is really neat - I can see that coming in handy for AFOLs at shows when trying to get a new train on a secondary line ready. Instead of clicking each car to the track you could just roll it on / off.
As for the all-plastic axles, really just a matter of time. I imagine it'll help keep the price down and (as others above have mentioned) let them target a younger age with trains. I agree that a "4+" train set would be neat even if it's just the engine with a few play features.
Overall I think Hidden Side is hitting the mark on the aesthetic and theme. The big question is - will we see another wave after this one?
Interesting set, though I really do like the townsfolk figures in the hidden line, particularly the waitress from the Shrimp shack set. The conductor figs are really nice looking and I plan to get a few of those. The train doors are always welcome as well, and that ramp from rail to floor is interesting and I'm just thinking about how else it can be utilized. The set over all for me is not something I would buy, especially at retail. Not really a price complaint, but more of what I am will to pay.
General shape of the engine is terrible. It looks like something that a 8yo could build. Of course we have to take into consideration that it "transforms", but still, one of the ugliest Lego engines ever. I do not undermine it as a playset, but comparing it to other Lego Train set's this one looks like it was from the '90.
As for lego train side of the model: again we do not get typical magnets between the carts but only some cheap replacement. It is even more bizzare, because the ending cart has magnet bumpers??
I agree with @szczudel1 - the locomotive looks pretty bad. Usually the locos at least try to resemble a real world engine. This might possibly look a tiny bit like an American diesel engine, but only if you really, really squint a lot. The ramp piece is okay, but you will never really need more than one (to easily move the train on the tracks). Replacing the couplers with standard connectors instead of magnets seems incredibly cheap, though. If I ever wanted to connect them to the rest of my trains, I would have to buy additional magnet couplers on Bricklink which makes this set almost a no-go from the get-go. Apart from that, I really do not get why you get the same minifigs over and over again. Since most of the sets of this theme are 40+% off, they are pretty good part packs, though, because they contain nice colors.