A s p a r t of the final wave of traditional 9V t ra i n s et s , t h e Train Engine Shed was offered a l o n g w i t h t wo other railroad structure sets from t h e “ Wo r l d C ity ” theme, the 10128 Train Level Cro s s i n g a n d 4513 Grand Central Station. Origin a l l y t h e Tra i n Engine Shed sold for $70 USD, altho u g h i t wa s p ossible to find copies at a discount to wa rd t h e end of the 9V era. T h e Tra i n Engi ne Shed’s 2003 release date m a kes i t a re l atively recent “flashback”. In the five d e ca d e s o f LEGO® trains, this set stands as the o n l y exa m p l e of an engi ne shed, despite routine re i s s u e s o f other structures like level crossing a n d t ra i n stations. However, a predecessor to t h e Tra i n E n gine Shed may be found in the cla s s i c 7 7 7 7 Tra in Idea Book. T h e Tra i n Idea Book depicts a yellow and red e n g i n e s h e d that bears more than a superficia l re s e m b l a n ce to the modern one. Specifically, t h e I d e a B o ok engine shed is hinged in the mi d d l e to p rov i de two short bays or a single long o n e, a l s o a key design feature of the 10027 set. T h e d e s i g n s share arched windows and stepped ro o fl i n es w i t h skylights. The two structures are a l s o s i m i l a r i n size. A l th o u g h the roundhouse is perhaps the m o st reco g n i zable of all railroad structures, the LEG O ®
G ro u p h a s n eve r re l ea s e d o n e . C o n s i d e r i n g t h e l i m i te d m a r ket fo r L EG O ® t ra i n s a n d t h ei r a s s o c i ated b u i l d i n g s , t h i s i s n o t s u r p r i s i n g ; a ro u n d h o u s e wo u l d b e a st ro n o m i ca l i n p r i c e a n d a d i ff i c u l t d e s i g n to exe c u te . H owever, a s t h e p i c t u res f ro m t h e Tra i n I d ea B o o k h i nt , s eve ra l e n g i n e s h e d s co u l d b e co m b i n ed a n d a n g l e d a p p ro p r i atel y to fo r m a ro u n d h o u s e - l i ke s h a p e. A d d i t i o n a l l y, m u l t i p l e t ra i n s h e d s co u l d b e p l a c e d s i d e by- s i d e to c reate a l a rge r t ra i n s h ed . Ret u r n i n g to t h e 1 0 0 2 7 Tra i n E n g i n e S h ed , t h e s et wa s co m p o s e d m a i n l y o f b a s i c b r i c ks b u t a l s o i n c l u d e d a d e c ent s u p p l y o f u n i q u e p a r t s . T h e b l a c k s l i d i n g d o o rs a n d l a rge , ca st l e- st y l e b ay d o o rs we re es p e c i a l l y u s ef u l . T h e b l a c k s l o p es u s e d fo r t h e ro o f were q u i te ra re u nt i l re c ent l y, w h e n t h e s e e l em ent s s u r fa c e d o n P i c k- a - B r i c k wa l l s i n L EG O ® sto re s . T h e g rey b r i c ks i n c l u d e d a re “o l d ” l i g ht a n d d a r k g rey ; t h i s s et wa s a m o n g t h e l a st m a d e b efo re t h e sw i tc h to “ b l ey ”. T h e E n g i n e S h e d i n c l u d ed n u m e ro u s a c c e s s o r i es s u c h a s a f u l l s et o f to o l s , we l d er ’s ye l low h a n d t r u c k , d r i l l p res s , a n d l at h e w i t h a c h ro m e e l e m ent b ei n g m a c h i n e d . T h e s e fe at u res a n d t h e f l ex i b l e l ayo u t o f t h e st r u c t u re a d d e d g reat l y to t h e s et ’s p l ay va l u e . No te t h at , a c co rd i n g to Pee ro n , t h e ye l l ow h a n d t r u c k a p p e a re d i n t h i s s et a l o n e!
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