LEGO Unveils River Steamboat: A Nod to Classic Americana

The new LEGO River Steamboat set is a stunning addition to the LEGO Ideas line, offering both a beautiful final product and an engaging building experience. The quality of a LEGO set is often measured by its build process as well as its end result, and the River Steamboat exemplifies this perfectly. The construction flows seamlessly from one step to the next, with a logical and organic progression that keeps builders engaged. The ship's layered design, where each floor is easily removable, allows for full access and visibility of the intricate inner details, making it a joy to explore and display.

LEGO has long catered to its adult audience with its modular buildings, and the River Steamboat extends this concept to a modular boat. The attention to detail, both in the unique and mundane aspects, creates a cohesive and impressive whole. This set, inspired by the historic paddle boats of the Mississippi River from the 1800s, captures the essence of these vessels that transitioned from industrial transport to pleasure boats, complete with amenities and entertainment. My wife and I experienced this firsthand on our honeymoon in New Orleans, enjoying a riverboat cruise filled with dining, dancing, and jazz music.

LEGO Ideas River Steamboat

Priced at $329.99 and available exclusively at the LEGO Store, the River Steamboat is part of the LEGO Ideas line. This line allows LEGO fans to submit original ideas and proof-of-concepts for community voting. Successful ideas, like the River Steamboat, become official sets, with the original designer receiving a share of the profits. Other successful 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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The LEGO River Steamboat, set #21356, comprises 4,090 pieces and is a true delight for LEGO enthusiasts. The set includes a jazz lounge and a dining room, as well as practical areas like a boiler engine room connected to the paddle wheel. Pushing the boat activates the wheel, adding a dynamic element to the build. The pilothouse features a steering wheel that, when turned, moves the rudder at the bottom of the boat. Additional features include a kitchen, sleeping area for the crew, and an anchor on a chain that rolls up on a spool. Another spool of riggings raises and lowers the boarding stages on the ship's bow.

The build is divided into 32 separate bags, starting with the ship's base, which includes the boiler room and a miniature nautical museum. This section showcases a piston engine, an aeolipile (steam turbine), and a Watt steam engine, alongside a small kitchen with a refrigerator, stove, and basin sink. The minimalism and clever repurposing of LEGO pieces, such as using a hot dog bun from a Fairgrounds build as an engine reinforcement, are particularly impressive.

Moving up, the main deck houses the dining room and jazz lounge. The lounge, positioned above the stern, is equipped with tiny LEGO accessories for drums, saxophone, microphone, and an upright bass. The dining room is elegantly designed with tablecloth elements, attractive chairs, and light fixtures that span both inside and outside the compartment. Wall posters advertise the on-board entertainment, including a stylized depiction of the A-Frame Cabin, another LEGO Ideas set available at Amazon.

The dining room is built separately and then 'dropped' into the larger build, creating a deck space where minifigures can enjoy the view. However, the set does not include minifigures, which might have added more life and playfulness. Perhaps LEGO intended this set to be more for display than for play.

The crew deck, one floor above the main deck, features beds and a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and shower stall. The pilothouse, located above, includes the impressive steering wheel mechanism. Turning the wheel at one end of the ship moves the rudder at the other end, achieved by threading a rod through all four levels of the steamboat. This small mechanical effect is a testament to the meticulous planning and engineering involved in the set's design.

The set is filled with delightful details, such as white billowy flags repurposed from croissant accessories, neat white railings lining the outer decks, and patterned tiles in the lounge areas that mimic rugs. Despite its size, the set feels like it contains 3,500 pieces rather than 4,090, but the intricate details and well-appointed rooms justify the extra pieces.

As William Strunk notes 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 serves a purpose, every decorative element is meaningful, and every room contributes to the overall aesthetic and functionality. This set is a must-see for LEGO enthusiasts.

LEGO River Steamboat, Set #21356, retails for $329.99 and is composed of 4,090 pieces. It is available exclusively at the LEGO Store.

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