Random set of the day: Locomotive Black Bricks
Posted by Huwbot,Today's random set is 3745 Locomotive Black Bricks, released during 2001. It's one of 16 Trains sets produced that year. It contains 106 pieces, and its retail price was US$7/£3.99.
It's owned by 262 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you should find it for sale at BrickLink, where new ones sell for around $31.20, or eBay.
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39 comments on this article
Black bricks battlepack.
I honestly cannot tell whether this image is monochrome, or if that's just how the set is.
Sorry, what?
Guessing this was part of that "build-your-own-train" thing in the early 2000s
@Robot99 said:
"I honestly cannot tell whether this image is monochrome, or if that's just how the set is."
Its not monochrome. You can see in the image for 3743 that the LEGO logo on the bag is indeed black.
I have this set. Economical way to get a pile of black bricks.
@AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
" @Robot99 said:
"I honestly cannot tell whether this image is monochrome, or if that's just how the set is."
Its not monochrome. You can see in the image for 3743 that the LEGO logo on the bag is indeed black."
That doesn't prove that it's not monochrome. I can't really see any color in the light reflecting off the bag, either, but I'm not zooming down to the pixel level.
7 bucks for a bag of 106 bricks? Yes please!
@AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
"Its not monochrome. You can see in the image for 3743 that the LEGO logo on the bag is indeed black."
Dang, that's pretty cool then!
Back when LEGO liked trains. Or something. That one catalog was very train heavy... 2000s, US, thought Brickset had it.
https://archive.org/details/lego-shop-at-home-summer-2001
@Maxbricks14 said:
"Black bricks battlepack."
There’s also the blue version! Get them while it lasts!
I think this is one of those sets that almost anyone can claim to own if sourced from spare parts of one's collection. As for me, I would add it to my owned list if I found the baggie in a bulk lot or, lacking that baggie in said hypothetical bin, if the leftover pieces correspond to a large percentage of this set's inventory (I find a lot of polybags that way...).
I once bought the brown version of this via Bricklink at a bargain price, not even knowing at the time what it was for.
Now that I know I can honestly say what a great idea.
Just look at those train sets from that year. Awesome. Single wagons, basic locos with exchangeable colours. And all at affordable prices.
Basically what LEGO has denied us for years and what is offered only by third parties like BlueBrixx nowadays.
@PurpleDave said:
" @AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
" @Robot99 said:
"I honestly cannot tell whether this image is monochrome, or if that's just how the set is."
Its not monochrome. You can see in the image for 3743 that the LEGO logo on the bag is indeed black."
That doesn't prove that it's not monochrome. I can't really see any color in the light reflecting off the bag, either, but I'm not zooming down to the pixel level."
Did you click the link? I’m pretty sure the bricks in that image are blue.
Only black pieces? How is one expect to find any piece? At least half of the pieces should have been pink, purple, orange or whatever bright color!
So this is how Batman builds the Bat-Train
Metal.
@cm5878 said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
" @Robot99 said:
"I honestly cannot tell whether this image is monochrome, or if that's just how the set is."
Its not monochrome. You can see in the image for 3743 that the LEGO logo on the bag is indeed black."
That doesn't prove that it's not monochrome. I can't really see any color in the light reflecting off the bag, either, but I'm not zooming down to the pixel level."
Did you click the link? I’m pretty sure the bricks in that image are blue. "
He is referring to the set of the day image. Indeed, we cannot tell if it is monochrome since there is no spot of colour in sight. With the blue bricks there is no question, but the blackies can be a trick.
@Modeltrainman said:
"Back when LEGO liked trains. Or something. That one catalog was very train heavy... 2000s, US, thought Brickset had it.
https://archive.org/details/lego-shop-at-home-summer-2001"
There was a 2002 Shop at Home catalogue ~90% dedicated to Trains alone. And yes it had this set (and at least 2 'Kits' that also contained it, I think).
This was great, you could buy bricks for different coloured trains, so rather LEGO producing several different sets, they just need to produce a few different packs of coloured bricks.
@thor96 said:
" @cm5878 said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
" @Robot99 said:
"I honestly cannot tell whether this image is monochrome, or if that's just how the set is."
Its not monochrome. You can see in the image for 3743 that the LEGO logo on the bag is indeed black."
That doesn't prove that it's not monochrome. I can't really see any color in the light reflecting off the bag, either, but I'm not zooming down to the pixel level."
Did you click the link? I’m pretty sure the bricks in that image are blue. "
He is referring to the set of the day image. Indeed, we cannot tell if it is monochrome since there is no spot of colour in sight. With the blue bricks there is no question, but the blackies can be a trick. "
I thought he was jesting, but from what I can tell, the image IS grayscale. If you download and inspect it, the bit-depth is shown as '8', whereas the blue version shows as '24'.
A yes, for if you want your train to be more of a dust magnet than it ever was before.
Look at all this coal!
The sticker in the image appears to say 103 pieces rather than the 106 pieces mentioned in the article?
Edit: Plus Bricklink say 103.
The "Johnny Nice" pack.
Wow, that is probably one of the randomest random sets I have ever seen!
My own train! The last big sigh of the 9v line (smaller gasps would follow), and the signpost that TRAINS as an independent theme would soon be gone. If only we knew then what we know now, the theme might have been better received...
In the shuffling madness of the locomotive bricks...
@gunther_schnitzel said:
"The sticker in the image appears to say 103 pieces rather than the 106 pieces mentioned in the article?
Edit: Plus Bricklink say 103."
As far as I know, the number of pieces on Brickset is taken from some Lego inventory server. Lego's inventory for older sets is not always reliable. It sometimes list more, and often less pieces than are actually contained in a set.
[EDIT]
Well, actually if you look at the inventory here on Brickset, it says: "According to the set database, this set has 106 parts. The inventory from LEGO.com contains 101 parts. This suggests that the inventory is 95.3% complete."
So, it seems to compare the inventory stored here to the inventory at Lego. In other words, no idea why it says 106.
LEGO coal :D
@cm5878 said:
"Did you click the link? I’m pretty sure the bricks in that image are blue. "
The set description is “Locomotive Black Bricks”. It’s possible someone cheated and greyscaled an image of Locomotive Blue Bricks, but this RSotD is about the black ones.
3747... Looking pretty monochrome too
@mafon2 said:
"Metal."
Plastic, actually.
I'm not sure why it took me so long to bother looking at the set inventory, but there's six trans-colored studs and a white 1x2 with axle hole in this set. So either they all happen to be hidden behind the label/under everything else, or this set image is indeed greyscale. Although I'm not sure a white brick would look any different in greyscale.
EDIT: Yeah, you can see three grey-ish studs right above the label, no doubt actually trans-red/yellow studs in a greyscale photo.
@Graupensuppe said:
"In the shuffling madness of the locomotive bricks..."
Dang. I wish I had come up with that, it's a perfect fit!
@rslotb said:
" @thor96 said:
" @cm5878 said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
" @Robot99 said:
"I honestly cannot tell whether this image is monochrome, or if that's just how the set is."
Its not monochrome. You can see in the image for 3743 that the LEGO logo on the bag is indeed black."
That doesn't prove that it's not monochrome. I can't really see any color in the light reflecting off the bag, either, but I'm not zooming down to the pixel level."
Did you click the link? I’m pretty sure the bricks in that image are blue. "
He is referring to the set of the day image. Indeed, we cannot tell if it is monochrome since there is no spot of colour in sight. With the blue bricks there is no question, but the blackies can be a trick. "
I thought he was jesting, but from what I can tell, the image IS grayscale. If you download and inspect it, the bit-depth is shown as '8', whereas the blue version shows as '24'. "
It is grey scale, the original has a blue background and is available on the Merlin's Bricks website.
I remember (probably) being the first AFOL in the UK to get and build a (green) train from these kits and get some pictures online, since I worked near the port where the parcels came in and built it at work over lunch! At the time you ordered a large or small train body, an optional tender, and the colour pack you wanted to go with it. And LEGO had only just started its online shopping service in Europe.
Later the town shop in LEGOLand Windsor had all the sub-kits for sale separately. The tender kits were a cheap source of train wheels and couplings, and the green and brown colour packs were in demand as these were still considered rare colours!
As well as the colours that were supplied at the time, it's possible to create yellow (Blacktron) and white (Blacktron II) colour packs. Probably also other colours like dark blue.
I'm surprised red was never offered at the time this was released... maybe it had something to do with the Hogwarts Express that came out that year too? It's the only reason I can think of why a red pack was never made...
@Murdoch17 said:
"I'm surprised red was never offered at the time this was released... maybe it had something to do with the Hogwarts Express that came out that year too? It's the only reason I can think of why a red pack was never made..."
Maybe because the caboose was red?