(Written by William)

It’s rare for me to interact with a LEGO DUPLO set. This doesn’t mean I don’t like them, but rather that the building experience I crave is missing for my skill level from sets meant for toddlers. However, it did make me curious when one of the recently released sets, the #10428 LEGO DUPLO Big Interactive Community Train, hit the $139.99 price tag. That’s got to be something big and advanced, right?

Fortunately, I have a three-year-old nephew who is about to turn four.  This gave me a unique opportunity (and an excellent excuse) to look at a set that is completely out of my norm. Thus, I dared to ride the #10428 LEGO DUPLO Big Interactive Community Train!

I can imagine many parents wouldn’t pick up a set at this price, given the age rating of 3+. However, there are plenty of adult LEGO fans who are itching to get their little one into the building scene as soon as possible. And if that set happens to be fun for them as well, all the better. So, is this the ideal set to share with my little buddy? Let’s find out.

LEGO DUPLO TRAIN – STORY & INSTRUCTIONS

As I mentioned above, I don’t build with DUPLO. So, imagine my surprise when the first thing I encountered was a storybook-style play guide in the instructions. Every page gave a glimpse of something to interact with. From these pics, I began building. Each panel ended up straining my brain to fill in small details that should have been easy to follow, but weren’t since everything was already built.

I know many builders out there love recreating a set just from a complete picture of a model. Their minds break down aspects of the model and let them find the right parts to duplicate what they see. I am not one of those people. And it only sort of helps that this was a DUPLO set. What was I missing?

Turns out I was actually missing the instructions. After the booklet goes over all the various play features, it finally goes into the more familiar building instructions. Do I feel dumb? Yes. However, it brought an interesting perspective I had never considered. An advanced builder could have a really good time building a set like this if they only went off of the play guide and did not look at the step-by-step instructions. Instead, only use the instructions to double-check how well they did. I’m pretty sure the little person you are building with will find it hilarious.

LEGO DUPLO TRAIN – PLAY FEATURES

This set has a decent variety of play features. The train itself has an engine, a passenger car, and a cargo hauling car. The cargo car has two hoppers that are connected on hinges to allow their contents to be dumped out. As for the engine and passenger car, each has a simple base and a formed frame that makes up each section. So, the build is easy. The engine has a spot behind the engineer to trade out printed 1x2x2 bricks.

As five special locations to visit on your train trip, you get four interactive areas. One of these is a switching station, which lets the train go completely off the tracks and become a runaway train. Or you can be a little more civil and have the train get onto the tracks with the provided ramp. I might be encouraging my nephew to do the first more than the latter.

Next up is the train station. This is where the passengers wait. They can check the clock and enjoy refreshments from the pitcher while they wait. You also get a few extra parts that can serve as a table with food and chairs to add to your station’s accommodations.

Uh oh, the train is running out of power. Fortunately, this is an electric train. The next location is a power station. This uses a windmill to charge the station. Take the hose and connect the cable to the side of the engine. The engine has a stud on both sides of the engineer’s compartment. Right next to this stud is an electric bolt to show you where the power needs to go. Once all charged up, you’re ready for the next stop.

Since this is a working train, we’ll need to pick up some heavy materials. Drive the train under the slide. Once your cargo car is in place, use the lever on the slide to release bricks to fall into the car. This is not as easy as it looks. You’ll need to leave this to the professional; I recommend someone close to the age of three.

Wow, that cargo slide really makes a mess. Thank goodness we have one more stop on this trip. The train can get all cleaned up. Washing up is not just for cars; trains get dirty, too. Use the bar to stop the train, then turn it to let the wipers do their job. You can use the lever to lift the wipers in case you don’t want to wash all the people in the train. Or maybe you do, people get dirty too, especially after they’ve eaten all that food and juice like animals.

Speaking of animals, you also get a bird and a cat to add to your play potential. Additionally, there is a flag, a wrench, and a brick printed with tools to add to the fun. But even with all this, you might think it’s an overpriced set, but then there are the advanced features…

LEGO DUPLO TRAIN – ADVANCED INTERACTIVITY

The set also features some advanced play options using an app. I’m pretty sure there is some link or QR code found on the instructions or on the box, but I had a really tough time trying to find it. And when I did a search for the app, I found a number of options that it could be. So, to save you time, below are the links to both the Android and iOS versions of the app this set uses.

• Google: DUPLO Interactive Train App
• Apple: DUPLO Interactive Train App

Though, do these apps add much to the experience? Checking it out, you do get a series of videos to help provide play opportunities to help build skills like focus, timing, and patience. These videos are helpful to a small degree, but not terribly exciting.

Fortunately, there are a couple of other features that do seem promising. One of these lets you change up how the train acts when it scans the Star icon on the paddle. This expands the utility of a basic part by offering different sounds to go with the train, which is nice.

However, the big feature is the ability to control the train. This is a simple train, so the controls are forward, back, and stop. Given the age rating, that is enough to satisfy any young engineer. You could say the app is nothing ground-breaking, but it does round out the set, making it feel like something that can grow with a child and their developing skills.

LEGO DUPLO TRAIN – FINAL THOUGHTS

For the average parent with a toddler, this is an expensive set. I can definitely imagine better ways to spend money for a little one. However, if you’re a fairly well-off relative looking to spoil a child, this might be a good candidate. It has a serious amount of play activities that are great for developing skills, and it still feels like a toy, since many kids will reject a learning opportunity that feels like a chore.

Ideally, a family that fits in one of two categories would also be the target market for this type of set. If you are a big LEGO family and can’t wait for your little one(s) to get into building, this might be hard to resist. Not only is it fun, but there are plenty of other sets you can add to it. Plus, LEGO fans know that DUPLO can be used for LEGO building even after a child has grown up.

The other group of people is train enthusiasts. At $139.99 MSRP, this is a very well-priced train set that works. Having motorized functionality can make a toddler feel like their train is just as good as their older person’s train. Finding a product this durable that can withstand heavy play is not a simple thing.

Still, the price of this set is a barrier that is hard to ignore. I do recommend checking out the video I put together to showcase the train and its functionality (watch below). Mind you, I did not use an app. The only thing I added was the four AAA batteries it needed. So don’t feel pressured into thinking you need a smartphone/tablet to make anything work.

Hope this helps and gets you on track for your own train adventures! If you want to check out the set, it’s available at the LEGO DUPLO section of the Online LEGO Shop.

What do you think? Do you look at DUPLO sets as a teen or adult builder? And what do you think of this advanced DUPLO train? Is this something you would consider yourself or as a gift for younger builders in your family? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below!