LEGO Unveils River Steamboat Model, Celebrating Classic Americana

The new LEGO River Steamboat is a stunning set that offers an engaging build experience. The quality of a LEGO set is defined not only by its final appearance but also by the journey of constructing it, and the River Steamboat exemplifies this beautifully. The build process has a forward momentum, with each step naturally leading to the next. The ship's layered design, where each floor is easily removable, allows for a full view and accessibility of all the intricate inner details. LEGO has long catered to adult fans with its modular building series, and the River Steamboat is a modular boat that continues this tradition with meticulous attention to both unique and everyday details, creating a cohesive and impressive whole.

LEGO Ideas River Steamboat

$329.99 at LEGO Store

The River Steamboat hails from the LEGO Ideas line, where fans submit original ideas and proof-of-concepts for community voting. Successful ideas become official LEGO sets, with the original designer earning a share of the profits. Past successes from this line include sets like 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 iconic paddle boats that once navigated the Mississippi River in the 1800s. Originally designed for industrial transport, these steamboats evolved into pleasure boats for dining, gambling, and entertainment after being outmoded by steam engine trains and screw propeller boats. This transformation is evident even today; during my honeymoon in New Orleans, my wife and I enjoyed a riverboat cruise down the Mississippi, filled with dining, drinking, dancing, and live jazz music.

This set is a true delight for LEGO enthusiasts. The LEGO River Steamboat 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's movement, while the pilothouse's steering wheel controls the rudder. Additional features include a kitchen, sleeping quarters for the crew, and an anchor on a chain that rolls up on a spool, along with riggings that adjust the boarding stages on the ship's bow.

The build is divided into 32 separate bags, starting with the ship's base, which houses the boiler room and a miniature nautical museum. Here, alongside the actual boat engine, you'll find a piston engine, an aeolipile (steam turbine), and a Watt steam engine. Opposite the engine room lies the kitchen, complete with a refrigerator, stove, and basin sink. The ingenuity of LEGO design shines through, with elements like a hot dog bun from a Fairgrounds build repurposed as an engine reinforcement in the Steamboat.

One level up is the main deck, featuring the dining room and jazz lounge. The lounge, positioned above the stern, includes miniature LEGO accessories such as drums, saxophone, microphone, and an upright bass. The dining room exudes elegance with tablecloth elements and stylish chairs, complemented by light fixtures that straddle the compartment's interior and exterior. Wall posters advertise the onboard entertainment, with one depicting the A-Frame Cabin, another LEGO Ideas set available at Amazon.

The dining room is built separately and then integrated into the larger structure, creating a deck space where minifigures can enjoy the view. Notably, the set does not come with minifigures, which might have added more life and playfulness to the ship. However, this absence suggests that LEGO intended this set to be more of a display piece.

The crew deck, one floor above the main deck, includes beds and a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and shower stall. The pilothouse features the impressive steering wheel mechanism, which, through a rod threaded through all four levels of the steamboat, controls the rudder. This feat of engineering showcases the meticulous planning that went into the set's design.

There are numerous delightful details in this set, from the white billowy flags repurposed from croissant accessories to the neat white railings lining the outer decks and the patterned tiles in the lounge areas that mimic rugs. Although massive, the set feels like it contains 3,500 pieces rather than the actual 4,090. Once you've built and explored all its specific details and well-appointed rooms, you'll appreciate where those extra pieces went.

In his book "The Elements of Style," William Strunk articulates a guiding principle of writing: "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. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subject only in outline, but that every word tell." The River Steamboat embodies this principle in LEGO form; every brick has a purpose and function, every decorative element is pleasing and not superfluous, and each room contributes to the overall aesthetic. This set is definitely a must-see for LEGO lovers.

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

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