Big Boy. A name synonymous with American Railroading. One of last of the giant articulated steam locomotives to be built, the 25 strong fleet defined the Union Pacific’s desire to move lots of freight at speed during the Second World War. Their reputation became the stuff of legends, with the name becoming one of the most famous locomotive classes in the world. It’s no wonder that interest in the 4000s surged when 4014 reentered service for Union Pacific Excursion trains in 2019. The interest in the class has lead to countless models made for various model railroad gauges. Only a few models have been made available for purchase in L-Gauge, ranging from small and crude, to expensive and accurate.
LetBricks’s version of the Union Pacific Big Boy was designed by Morningstrummer, a German builder who intended to sell his instructions on ReBrickable to be made with 100% Genuine Lego Bricks. With increasing prices, this dream of building a Big Boy cheaply is almost impossible, and that is where LetBricks comes into play. For almost $300, they source alternative bricks and deliver to the customer in a large decorated box.
The assembly of the Big Boy is a daunting task. Putting together over 3,000 pieces to form one of the largest steam locomotives is not for the beginner builder. A teenager or adult brick fan willing to rise up to the challenge can walk away feeling great completing the build. For my full thoughts on the model, you can view the video below to hear further about the build process.
LetBricks included the necessary electronics to power the Big Boy’s two motors and lights, and I have found them to be just a reliable as the name-brand product, and the rechargeable battery box is more convenient than constantly replacing AAA Batteries. The Big Boy has a decent top end speed and a good slow speed with enough torque to handle any train you throw at it. Morningstrummer did a fine job designing a robust model.
I want to stress that my position in this this blog is not to hype up LetBrick. I am a reviewer who takes a look at brick built trains on the market to find out what is reliable and what is not. I was very impressed with LetBrick’s rendition of the Big Boy packaged in a custom decorated box and electronics included. What stands about LetBricks is that the products they offer are made by creators around the world who partner up with them to bring their MOCs to life. They are a reliable company that has a growing range of products, and if you want to see what they have, buy a set for yourself and find out!
This article comes from Nick Dombi