(Written by William)
When the #21356 LEGO Ideas River Steamboat was first announced, I got very excited. I proposed to my wife on a riverboat cruise, so this one felt especially meaningful. But then I saw the $329.99 price tag. Fortunately, there was an opportunity to get the set as a review copy, so I got on board to see where it took me.
From the outside, it is really hard to determine exactly what type of set this is. There are no minifigures, so does that make it a scaled model? It has a paddle in the rear, so is it a working model? It looks really fancy, so is it a delicate model? Let’s try tackling this one section at a time and bring a bit more clarity.
LEGO IDEAS RIVER STEAMBOAT – WORKING ELEMENTS
The first thing to note is that this set has quite a few working elements. At the bottom of the boat, there is a wheel that drives the back half of the boat. This wheel will perform two functions at the same time. The first is that it makes the paddle in the rear move. The second is hidden away in a quasi-engine/museum section of the boat. There is a simulated piston on the port side of the boat that looks like it is operating the engine.
Also, inside this engine/museum compartment are a number of displays. One is an old-timey boiler, another is a mechanism that looks like it is demonstrating something, and the last is a sample of a different piston that you can turn and watch it operate.
Moving to the prow of the boat, there needs to be some way to get on and off the craft. To accomplish this, two working gang planks can be hoisted up and out of the way through a working pulley system. These work in tandem with one another, so they have to be operated at the same time. Also, at the front of the boat is the anchor. It is clipped in place, but can be released and operated with a vertical wench.
As for the last working element, it is the rudder. This was rather surprising since most watercraft LEGO makes don’t have a working rudder. In order to accomplish this, there are a series of three gearbox connections and a lot of piecemeal axles. The back rudder section is built directly into one of the gearboxes in order to slow the turning reaction down.
The next gearbox is found deep in the hull of the boat around the mid-section. This just changes the direction of the axle from horizontal to vertical. The final gearbox is up in the wheelhouse. This allows the steering wheel to actually turn the entire mechanism. Fortunately, they also added a decorative knob in front of the wheelhouse that also operates the steering mechanism.
The end result is a highly functional model. This is more comparable to the LEGO Icons vehicles series rather than any other LEGO ship or boat. The closest model I could think of is the #21317 LEGO Ideas Steamboat Willie set. That is only because it had a drive wheel under the boat, which moved the paddles and the steam stacks at the top. But by no means would I call that set functional. So, this is a LEGO Icons vehicle, then, right? Well… not really.
LEGO IDEAS RIVER STEAMBOAT – MODEL SCALE
It is safe to say, minifigure scale models can be a bit all over the place. This is partly due to shortcuts made in order to build something within a reasonable size. With that said, this model is probably just a tiny bit under minifigure scale. Everything is just a little bit tight.
But here’s the weird thing. I’ve been on several riverboats, including paddleboats. Those boats are just a little too cramped for comfort. Passageways are narrow, ceilings aren’t very high, and stairs can be downright claustrophobic. In other words, I think this model is actually perfectly scaled for minifigures.
If that wasn’t confusing enough, the model does detailed interiors for all the spaces on the boat. In doing so, there are plenty of scenes that are perfectly suited for minifigures, which only reinforces my opinion. So, then this is definitely a minifigure model, right? Well… again, not really.
I think the problem comes down to the fact that this set is not an easy model to play with. Minifigures are often the representation of how fans can play with finished models. The best you can do with this particular one is pose your characters in various locations to simulate something happening. That is probably why most of the flooring in the model is tiled. It avoids the concept of minifigure play.
LEGO IDEAS RIVER STEAMBOAT – WHAT’S ON BOARD
With how tight the quarters are in this set, it may be hard to make out what is in each cabin. So, let’s go floor by floor and talk about what is in each section of the boat.
On the first floor, there are two separate compartments. The front section is the galley. This has an oven and stove, along with a sink and refrigerator. There are some random pots along with some cooking utensils, including a cleaver and a whisk. Sadly, the fridge does not open up. The door to the galley is near the front of the boat on the starboard (right) side of the boat.
The rear section of the first floor has a door on the port (left) side. Inside this compartment is a museum/engine room. There are three displays to demonstrate the principles of how a steam engine works. There is also a clear railing that shows off a piston that works while the boat is moving. In this section, there are three stickers. Two of these stickers look to be diagrams of a steamboat. The third sticker is a tiny “Caution” sign to warn passengers not to mess with the working engine.
Moving up the stairs at the front of the boat takes us to the second floor. Both the door facing the front of the boat and the one facing the port side lead into the same area. This is an eating section with two dining tables. Lamps with ornate lampshades stick into this area, which can make things hard to see. It is interesting to note that the tops of the tables are built upside-down, leaving room for some creative part usage. I also like the backs of the chairs made of LEGO Technic cams. This is a teardrop-shaped element with lots of holes for axles. As a chair back, this element looks amazingly realistic with an elaborate open weave design.
Moving to the stern of the boat, we enter a hallway with three additional stickers. On the starboard wall are two posters. One is a menu of what is on offer from the galley. The other poster is an advertisement for a jazz band that performs on the boat. On the port side wall, there is a wide landscape picture. Finally, in the rear-most section of the second floor is a small dance area with side tables for refreshment and a small stage featuring a bass guitar, drum set, and saxophone.
To get to the third floor, you can either walk on the outside path on either side of the boat. The stairs leading up to the top deck are built into the wall of the second floor. Exiting on the top deck allows passengers to enjoy a fairly clear view around the boat. On this deck, there are a number of tall structures that are secured with lines. This is also where you see a faux skylight as well as a wench for the gangway. This floor also has a small two-compartment interior section. Both doors are found on the starboard side of the boat. The rear compartment is a sleeping area for the crew. It consists of two bunks and little else. The other compartment is the bathroom. This contains a shower complete with a towel bar, a toilet with toilet paper, and a sink. The mirror over the sink is the final sticker in the set. It is also interesting to see a minifigure pen being used as the sink’s faucet. It is disturbing just how many windows look into this bathroom.
Finally, to reach the fourth and final level of the boat, you can climb ladders on either side of the bunk compartment. This leads up to a door that opens up to the boat’s steering compartment. Turning this wheel will turn the rudder. Fortunately, the gauges on the control panel are printed and don’t require a sticker.
LEGO IDEAS RIVER STEAMBOAT – FINAL THOUGHTS
This set is an amazing build. It is much more thorough in its design than I was expecting. All the small details really give builders a sense of creating something intricate. At times, I felt I was sort of building a LEGO Modular Building with the amount of detail that was being put into the set. And with the addition of the working mechanisms, you get a boat that has been much more pleasurable to build than others I’ve put together. I’m comparing sets like the #10294 LEGO Ideas Titanic and the #910010 LEGO BrickLink Designer Program Great Fishing Boat in this category.
Despite it being the best boat I’ve built in recent memory, it does have some issues. The price point, for one, is not something you can easily overlook. Don’t get me wrong, you do get a lot of parts in this model. In fact, I was shocked to see over 170 white telescopes that help make up the railing for the second and third floors, but the parts that are lacking are glaring. This really feels like it should have had some minifigures. Since it doesn’t, I know a whole host of fans are immediately not interested.
So, where does this leave us? Probably with the fans who picked up models like the #10294 LEGO Ideas Titanic and the #10335 LEGO Icons Endurance. The nautical buffs finally get a boat to go along with the various ships they’ve been collecting. I’d also think it might be interesting for those who have been collecting the LEGO Icons vehicles. This is a smaller scale, but it does have all the characteristics of those types of sets. I personally think this is going to be one of those amazing build experiences that the majority of builders will not experience, which is a shame. Though if you are planning to build your own boat and plan to have a fairly large scale, this might not be a bad option for a parts-pack to start your big project. You can even build it before breaking it down for parts. Ultimately, this is going to be a niche model that I can recommend as a great building experience, but I will admit its price is prohibitive, especially given the other options LEGO has out there currently. In the video below, I talk about the set in a bit more detail so you can decide for yourself.
Impressive set, isn’t it? If you would like to check it out, along with other currently available LEGO ship models, visit the LEGO Ideas section of the Online LEGO Shop.
What do you think? How do you like the LEGO Ideas River Steamboat? Do you have the set already? Feel free to share your thoughts and own reviews in the comment section below!
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