LEGO Unveils Classic Americana Steamboat Model

The new LEGO River Steamboat is a stunning set that offers a delightful building experience. The quality of a LEGO set is not just in its final appearance but also in its construction process, and the River Steamboat exemplifies this perfectly. Each step in building this set flows seamlessly into the next, providing a sense of forward momentum. The ship's design is thoughtfully layered, with each floor easily removable, allowing for full access to the intricate inner details of the vessel. This set follows in the footsteps of LEGO's successful modular buildings for adults, but with a twist – it's a modular boat. It showcases the same meticulous attention to detail that elevates the overall experience.

LEGO Ideas River Steamboat

Priced at $329.99 at the LEGO Store, the River Steamboat hails from the LEGO Ideas line. This line allows fans to submit their original ideas and proof-of-concept models for community voting. When an idea gets selected, it becomes an official LEGO set, and the creator earns a share of the profits. Previous successes from the LEGO Ideas line include sets inspired by "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 draws inspiration from the historic paddle boats that once navigated the Mississippi River in the 1800s. Originally used for industrial transport, these steamboats eventually gave way to steam engine trains and screw propeller boats. With their practical use diminished, they transformed into pleasure boats, featuring amenities and gambling facilities. Today, they continue to offer entertainment, much like the riverboat cruise my wife and I enjoyed during our honeymoon in New Orleans, complete with dining, drinks, dancing, and jazz music.

This set is a must-have for LEGO enthusiasts. The River Steamboat includes a jazz lounge and a dining room, alongside practical areas such as a boiler engine room connected to the paddle wheel. Push the boat, and the wheel turns, adding to the interactive experience. The pilothouse features a steering wheel that, when turned, moves the rudder at the bottom of the boat. There's also a kitchen area, a sleeping area for the crew, and an anchor on a chain that rolls up on a spool. Another spool manages the riggings for raising and lowering the boarding stages at the ship's bow.

The set's 4,090 pieces are organized 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 compact kitchen with a refrigerator, stove, and basin sink. The minimalistic design of LEGO is impressive, with pieces like a hot dog bun from a Fairgrounds build being repurposed as an engine reinforcement in this set.

The main deck houses the dining room and jazz lounge, with the lounge positioned above the stern and featuring tiny LEGO accessories for musical instruments. The dining room exudes elegance with tablecloth elements, stylish chairs, and light fixtures straddling the compartment's interior and exterior. Wall posters advertise on-board entertainment, one featuring a stylized A-Frame Cabin, another LEGO Ideas set (available at Amazon).

The dining room is built separately and then integrated into the larger structure, creating additional deck space for minifigures to enjoy the view. However, this set does not come with minifigures, which might have added more life and playfulness to the ship. Perhaps LEGO intended this set more for display than for play.

The crew deck, one floor above the main deck, includes beds and a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and shower stall. The pilothouse above features the impressive steering wheel, connected to the rudder by a rod threaded through all four levels of the steamboat. This mechanical marvel reflects the careful planning and engineering that went into the set's design, a detail that LEGO builders will surely appreciate.

The River Steamboat is filled with delightful details, such as the white billowy flags made from croissant accessories, the neat rows of railings lining the decks, and the patterned tiles in the lounge areas, resembling rugs. Despite its size, the set feels more like 3,500 pieces rather than 4,000, but after exploring its many detailed rooms, you'll understand where those extra pieces went.

William Strunk's guiding principle from "The Elements of Style" states, "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 adds to the aesthetic without being superfluous, and each room contributes to the cohesive whole. This set is truly a masterpiece for LEGO lovers.

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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