(Written by William)
When LEGO initially offered the #40746 LEGO Santa’s Delivery Truck for review, I thought it would be a gift-with-purchase set. The piece count (224 pieces) is about right and the newly released #10339 LEGO Winter Village Santa’s Post Office fits perfectly with the model. However, there was one issue. A freebie this size tends to only come with a purchase amount a bit higher than the $100 that the post office set is priced at. Therefore, it makes sense that the #40746 LEGO Santa’s Delivery Truck is a regular for-purchase set. Structured this way, LEGO fans can build a fleet of postal vehicles of whatever size, since buying the trucks in any quantity would be much simpler.
On the whole, this is a fun little set. It has the unique old-timey characteristics found in all the LEGO Winter Village sets. This makes the building experience interesting, despite it being simple. However, this set might be a little too steeped in the seasonal line for newcomers. Let’s break things down and see why I might think that.
LEGO SANTA’S DELIVERY OR MAINTENANCE TRUCK?
On the surface, this truck is decorated to be a postal vehicle. There are the stickered panels with the post office logo found in the #10339 LEGO Winter Village Santa’s Post Office. There’s a sack hanging off one side with an envelope. Plus, a shovel and lantern on the opposite side, in case an elf needs to clear a path to make a delivery. It, of course, has some festive delivery components as well. There is a decorated tree on top and the back compartment is packed with presents ready to be delivered. This is sort of odd because I thought Santa did all the deliveries, but maybe this elf is just taking the presents from the workshop to the post office so that things can get sorted and packed onto the sleigh.
All of this makes sense, but why are there other tools? The only physical tool is a wrench next to the mail sack on the outside of the truck. This could be explained as some sort of grabber. But as soon as you open up the truck and look at the stickered panels you will see a whole host of brushes, paints, and other tools. I suppose LEGO fans don’t have to apply the inside stickers, but the original intention for the vehicle gets a little confusing.
My guess is that the North Pole post office’s job is to only deal with Santa and his entire operation. This means sorting and responding to any mail that’s heading to Santa. It also includes the production of toys at his workshop. A place for his staff to live at the elven clubhouse. And the logistical center where gifts are brought to be loaded onto Santa’s sleigh, hence the need for a truck and post office. Considering the truck is how elves move things around, it makes sense that they’d also deliver building supplies.
The truck is not some one-off set in the seasonal line. It is a culmination of many years of world-building in LEGO’s Santaverse. Someone new to these sets might be a bit perplexed. Just know that all these sets do exist and there is a method to the madness.
LEGO SANTA’S ULTRA-ACCESSIBLE DELIVERY TRUCK
Seasonal sets look good and are meant to be played with. Therefore, they tend not to have enclosed and inaccessible spaces. Given that this is a delivery truck, it sort of needed to be closed up, at least a little bit. However, to aid with the playability, the truck opens up in three ways.
First, the roof pops off giving access to the driver and what’s inside the truck. Second, the side of the truck swings open on a hinge. This means you don’t have to squeeze your hand into a cramped space. Additionally, you can pull down the tailgate for a tiny bit more access. (I don’t consider this the third access point, but rather part of the hinging open of the back.) The third access feature is making sure all the presents fit on tiled surfaces. If any of the surfaces were studs then anyone playing with the model might find themselves ripping gifts apart rather than pulling them out of the back of the truck.
LEGO SANTA’S DELIVERY TRUCK – FINAL THOUGHTS
This truck is affordable and more of a way to expand on the Santa’s Post Office set. It also further rounds out the growing operation Santa has at the North Pole. So, there’s a bit more value for those who have collected the seasonal sets for a long time.
The building experience is simple yet the vehicle has a unique shape and style. It references classic features like all the LEGO Winter Village sets. This novelty prevents the model from feeling boring. The only drawback is that this set seems out of place without other models to go with it. The post office is the ideal set to pair with this one. In the video below, I will talk a bit more about the set, and if you want to check it out, it’s available at the seasonal items section of the Online LEGO Shop.
In summary, this set has a lot going for it, and it is well-priced given its size. However, if you’re on a budget and you’re looking for a generic holiday gift, I would probably suggest looking at other affordable models. This one is rather specific in what it is despite it being a solid set design.
What do you think? How do you like the new LEGO Winter Village Post Office and Santa’s Delivery Truck? Feel free to share your thoughts and own reviews in the comment section below!
And you might also like to check out the following related posts:
- LEGO Winter Village Post Office & Delivery Truck!
- LEGO Winter Village Alpine Lodge Press-Release
- LEGO Winter Village Holiday Main Street Press-Release
- Cute LEGO Winter Village Projects with Instructions
- More LEGO Winter Village Dioramas & Display Ideas
- Off-Season Storage for LEGO Winter Village Sets
- November 2024 – New LEGO Sets & Promotions
