RobCL
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RobCL's Stats
RobCL's Stats
- 4.1Average Rating
- 234Helpfulness Votes
- 0Featured Reviews
- 8Review Count
- June 24, 2016First Review
- February 11, 2019Last Review
RobCL's Reviews
Posted:February 11, 2019
RobCL
Age:
25-34
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Advanced LEGO builder
Overall:
2
/
5
Does not work with Cargo Train!
" I bought this set to go with the Cargo Train (#60198). The product description clearly states that this light is compatible with that train. There's a significant problem with that though- you can't actually run the wires...
When putting the engine of that train together, it became immediately apparent that you can't use these lights with the cargo train. Yes, they will plug in to the battery box and turn on- but there is no way to wire them through the train and have them actually illuminate any of the lights on the train. The front 'lights' on the train engine have several solid lego plates behind them- meaning that you can't run the wires behind the lights to make them illuminate. Same thing with the little 'lights' above the cabins- there isn't a way to run the LED lights in a way that will actually light them up.
It seems like Lego made these LED lights fully compatible with the passenger train- #60197- you can easily plug those lights in and they shine through the two little round lights on the front of the train. Unfortunately, there's no easy way to do that with the cargo train. The only way to make these LED lights work on the cargo train is to significantly modify the train engine (which makes it look really foolish). Lego should clearly mention in their product description that these LED lights only work with the passenger train.
Worse, these lights are 50% MORE expensive than the old LED lights that essentially perform the same task.
I'm a loyal Lego fan and have purchased many trains from them over the years- and this purchase really disappointed me. I wish that Lego would have designed the engine of cargo train in a way to accommodate these lights- or at least made it clear that they aren't a direct fit.
So now I'm stuck with a set of lights that I can't use.
"
From: Milwaukee
From:
United States
State:
Wisconsin
Age:
25-34
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Advanced LEGO builder
Purchased For:
Self
Play Experience (Optional):
1
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
2
/
5
Share:
+51points
78of 105found this review helpful.
Posted:February 5, 2019
RobCL
Age:
25-34
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Advanced LEGO builder
Overall:
5
/
5
Awesome Set
" From the first time that I saw this set, I knew that I had to have it.
It's absolutely stunning to see in person. The main focus point is obviously the Golden Gate Bridge. Although it's built in a maroon color rather than the bright red orange color it actually is, the Lego designers captured its beauty perfectly with the swinging cables. This part of the model is what made this set a must-have in my book.
The other buildings in the set are pretty well captured too. The designers did a great job with the Transamerica Pyramid. I also love the printed bricks used in Alcatraz Island.
Overall, the Lego designers really hit a home run with this set. It was a really fun build that looks awesome!
"
I would recommend this to a friend!
From: Milwaukee
From:
United States
State:
Wisconsin
Age:
25-34
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Advanced LEGO builder
Purchased For:
Self
Play Experience (Optional):
2
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
4
/
5
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+9points
9of 9found this review helpful.
Posted:February 5, 2019
RobCL
Age:
25-34
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Advanced LEGO builder
Overall:
3
/
5
Average
" Each year I eagerly await the new modular building... and am usually really impressed with what Lego delivers.
I saw the Corner Garage and thought that it too would be a really awesome addition to my modular city. Unfortunately, this set doesn't deliver. It misses a lot of what makes the modular series great.
First, the level of detail in this set is really disappointing. In most of the other modular buildings, the interior is filled with really impressive little builds. This set disappoints in that respect. There's a little tool chest on the first floor and little tiny builds on the second and third floors. When you compare that with the really detailed interiors of the Parisian Restaurant, Brick Bank, and Detective's Office, it's really disappointing.
Second, while the 45 degree angle looks really cool, it's very unstable as you build it. On both the second and third floors, the pieces repeatedly came off as I added windows and trim pieces. It's more stable once completed, but usually modular buildings are more stable throughout the building process.
Third, there's a lack of a story line. With the Parisian Restaurant, there was the proposal dinner. With the Detective Office, there was the bootlegging of cookies. With the Brick Bank, there was the whole money laundering joke. This set has no story line, unless you count the Indiana Jones 'no snakes' joke on the front window.
Given the high price tag of this model, I was expecting a bit more, even if the price per piece count was reasonable.
Now to the parts of the set that are great...
First, the garage door operation is really a great design. I hope that Lego begins to use that design in other applications.
First, the garage door operation is really a great design. I hope that Lego begins to use that design in other applications.
Second, the fact that the tow truck has a working arm is pretty great. That said, the part of the garage that 'lifts' the truck up isn't well designed. It only lifts it up a little bit, the control is rough, and it's really hard to make it work without having the truck fall forwards or backwards.
Third, the outside of the building is well designed and detailed. Unlike the plain interior, the exterior lives up to the modular reputation in terms of details.
I'm a huge Lego fan and I especially love the yearly modular building releases. This set kinda disappointed me. Luckily, it will be placed next to the other buildings in the series that prove that Lego can do better.
Hopefully next January we'll see a new set with more interior details. Until then, we'll all be guessing what that new building will be. A police station or train station would be nice.
"
My Product Recommendations
Parisian Restaurant
(262)
Downtown Diner
(148)
Brick Bank
(127)From: Milwaukee
From:
United States
State:
Wisconsin
Age:
25-34
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Advanced LEGO builder
Purchased For:
Self
Play Experience (Optional):
3
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
3
/
5
Share:
+35points
41of 47found this review helpful.
Winter Village Fire Station
Winter Village Fire Station
Posted:December 24, 2018
RobCL
Age:
25-34
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Advanced LEGO builder
Overall:
4
/
5
Nice addition to Winter Village... with issues
" Overall- this set is a fun build and it goes really well with the other Creator Expert Winter sets that my son and I have built together over the last few years- the Christmas Train, Train Station, and Toy Shop.
The little ice skating pond and Christmas tree were really fun little builds. The building itself uses fun building techniques that end up looking great- like the pillars in the front and decorations in the little top in the top level.
That said- there was a major issue with this set that never has happened with any of the other Lego sets that my son and I have bought over the years... it was not only missing pieces- but missing an entire bag of pieces in step 3. (The bag with the green rug pieces, little snow pieces, and little 1x1 maroon pieces). By the time we noticed the bag was missing, we had already spent two hours putting together the Christmas tree, pond, park bench, fire truck, and the entire first level of the building. The local Lego store was nice enough to exchange the set with no issues (and the replacement set was perfectly fine), but it was frustrating for my son and I... as we had to start over from scratch. I asked if they could just open a new set and hand me the bag of parts we were missing- but the clerk said no, you have to exchange the whole set.
"
I would recommend this to a friend!
From: Milwaukee
From:
United States
State:
Wisconsin
Age:
25-34
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Advanced LEGO builder
Purchased For:
Son
Build Time:
02
hrs
Play Experience (Optional):
3
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
3
/
5
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+32points
32of 32found this review helpful.
Winter Village Station
Winter Village Station
Posted:October 8, 2017
RobCL
Age:
25-34
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Advanced LEGO builder
Overall:
4
/
5
Goes Great with Holiday Train- But Small
" I eagerly purchased this as soon as it was available because I thought that it would go well with the Holiday Train that I received last year as a gift. While it does go very well with that train, I was not completely satisfied with this set.
The set was really easy to put together- a lot easier than most in the Creator Expert line of products. While the angled corner door is an interesting touch, it really isn't all that complicated from a building standpoint. Speaking of that angled corner door- when the building is done- it leaves a noticeable gap between the angled door portion and the other sides of the building. At first I thought that I made a mistake- but nope, that's the way that it is supposed to be.
It also seems a bit small compared with the Holiday Train itself. If you pull the train up to the station, some of the back end of the train hangs off the edge of the platform by a considerable amount.
I was also somewhat disappointed by the level of detail in this set. Most of the Creator Expert 'Winter' sets are really detailed... this one isn't, unless you count the snow on the platform as 'details'. The bus is interesting, but again- short on details for a product in the Expert line.
With all of that said- I still like this set. Despite its small size, the price-per piece is relatively affordable, especially if you include the four track pieces that come with the set. The station does fit really well into the Winter series.
There is one other important thing to mention. If you are buying this to go with the Holiday Train- keep in mind that the Holiday Train includes only circular pieces of track. If you add this station to your holiday train- you will have a gap of four straight pieces on the other side of the oval. You will either need to buy additional pieces of straight track, or have the two pieces of this station on one side of the oval- and the level crossing on the other side of the oval. (I just used extra pieces of track I had laying around from other train sets that I have purchased)
"
I would recommend this to a friend!
My Product Recommendations
Winter Holiday Train
(97)
Winter Toy Shop
(142)From: Milwaukee
From:
United States
State:
Wisconsin
Age:
25-34
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Advanced LEGO builder
Purchased For:
Self
Build Time:
02
hrs
Play Experience (Optional):
4
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
3
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Easy
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+69points
71of 73found this review helpful.
Posted:February 11, 2017
RobCL
Age:
25-34
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Advanced LEGO builder
Overall:
5
/
5
Simply Awesome!
" This set is simply awesome... and worth every penny of the money that Lego is charging for it.
This set includes a little bit of something for everyone... and of course uses building techniques and styles from all of the previous modulars that Lego has sold for the past decade.
This set is a collection of three buildings- one is completely independent while the other two are connected but use different building techniques and styles. The different styles and techniques is the thing that makes this set great. Other than the commonality between the top two levels on the blue and tan building- all of the other parts of this modular offer their own unique building techniques and styles. You will never be bored and will be amazed at the ways that Lego has found to put things together in new and interesting ways.
Lego has introduced some new parts for this set- mainly the new angled pieces that are easy to spot around the fountain. They appear in a few other places too- but those tiles really allowed Lego to create some very interesting and beautiful designs. Lego also introduced some other pieces that allow for the circular part of the brown and tan building with blue spire on top.
The details of this set are simply amazing. The dentist's office has several really cool builds- mainly the patient's chair and the overhead light that moves. The little studio apartment above the dentist office also has a lot of cool little details that pay tribute to current and past Lego products. Lastly, I must say that the little details that are included throughout this set really are another thing that makes it worth the price Lego is charging. The flower bouquets in the flower shop, the piano in the dance studio, and even the rooftop grill and patio all are really well detailed.
Thank you for a really awesome build experience!
"
I would recommend this to a friend!
From: Milwaukee
From:
United States
State:
Wisconsin
Age:
25-34
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Advanced LEGO builder
Purchased For:
Self
Build Time:
10
hrs
Play Experience (Optional):
5
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
5
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Challenging
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+2points
2of 2found this review helpful.
Palace Cinema
Palace Cinema
Posted:February 11, 2017
RobCL
Age:
25-34
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Advanced LEGO builder
Overall:
5
/
5
Impressed
" I recently started collecting Lego Modulars, and this one really impressed me. Each modular presents its own vibe- and this one has a really attractive color scheme and relatively low cost compared to some of the other modulars. It doesn't use challenging building techniques- everything is relatively simple comparing it to other modulars that I have purchased (Fire Brigade, Pet Shop, and Assembly Square). All of those other sets have more complicated building techniques.
The Palace Cinema is still a fun build though. It's a two-story design that includes a simple stairwell with one curve between the levels. The snack counter and ticket sales area on the first floor are well done with lots of fun details. The second floor theater has room for six viewers plus the projectionist. I was a bit disappointed that the projector wasn't in a room by itself- but instead is elevated behind the seats. I was also disappointed that there were no curtains or other coverings for the windows on the second floor.
Some others have complained about the stickers for the movie posters on the windows and the design of the black limo. I share the frustration over the stickers for the windows- I am always disappointed when Lego decides to use stickers for a Creator Expert Set. For the price they charge for these, stickers really are not appropriate. Lego knows that people collect these and display them- and stickers will eventually show signs of wear and start peeling off. I actually don't have a problem with the black limo. I like its shape and only wish that there wasn't such a huge gap in the wheel-well areas. Other than that- I really like the style and shape of the limo.
If you have other modulars- you don't really need an endorsement to buy this- just do it. If you are new to modulars, the Palace Cinema might be a good place to start- just know that collecting modulars from Lego is a very expensive hobby.
...Regardless- get it soon. Now that the Pet Shop is retired, the Palace Cinema is the oldest one around... It is well beyond the normal lifespan of a modular... and is likely to retire sometime in the next year.
Happy Building!
"
I would recommend this to a friend!
From: Milwaukee
From:
United States
State:
Wisconsin
Age:
25-34
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Advanced LEGO builder
Purchased For:
Self
Build Time:
07
hrs
Play Experience (Optional):
5
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
3
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Average
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
0points
0of 0found this review helpful.
Firehouse Headquarters
Firehouse Headquarters
Posted:June 24, 2016
Overall:
5
/
5
Simply Awesome!
" Although the price is really high- this set is simply awesome. The build isn't really that hard- it is just time consuming and some portions are kinda repetitive- like the walls of the second and third floors. That said- the details included from both Ghostbuster movies are awesome. They really did a good job- and there are several details that are fun (and funny) that aren't mentioned in the directions. There are only two suggestions that I have for Lego is that they move away from the black pages in the instruction models- as it sometimes makes it difficult to tell the difference between the different black and several gray colors that are in this set. My other suggestion is that Lego includes more swing-type pieces for the opening sides- preferably at least two at each floor level. In this model, there are several swing-type connections on the first floor to keep the opening wall stable- but none on the second and third floors- only a single connection at the roof level. This makes it somewhat hard to open the larger of the two opening walls without causing damage or making the roof slightly come off.
Several posters have commented that they don't like the fact that the Lego Ecto 1 (From the original movies) doesn't fit in the building without taking out furniture. I actually don't mind- I prefer that my Ecto 1 slightly sticks out the doors.
It may have a huge price tag- but really it is a great set... and it actually works out to below average when you figure out the price per piece. I tried to convince my wife to let me buy a second set to keep as a collector's item- but she wouldn't bite. I'm sure that if you kept it unopened its value would skyrocket after the set is discontinued.
The best part is that my 4-year-old son and I had a blast putting it together and we love our bonding time playing with it. He also has several Lego Scooby Doo sets- and we often have fun pretending that the Ghostbusters team works together with Fred, Daphne, Scooby, Shaggy and Velma to solve mysteries and ghost-related problems with both sets.
"
I would recommend this to a friend!
My Product Recommendations
Ghostbusters™ Ecto-1
(145)From: Milwaukee
From:
United States
Age:
25-34
years old
Building Experience:
Advanced LEGO builder
Purchased For:
Self
Build Time:
06
hrs
Play Experience (Optional):
5
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
3
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Average
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
0points
1of 2found this review helpful.