subject: BrickTrainShop reviews the Classic Lego 7750 "Steam Engine with Tender" [print this page] BrickTrainShop reviews the Classic Lego 7750 "Steam Engine with Tender"
No discussion of LEGO steam locomotives would be complete without mention of the 7750 Steam Engine with Tender. Arguably the greatest and most beloved of all steam engines ever made by LEGO, number 7750 is unique as the only steam engine to include large driver wheels. Those wheels give the locomotive its massive, powerful stance and evoke images from the height of the steam era. Today 7750 stands as the largest steam engine set ever produced by LEGO.
Like many LEGO trains from the 12V era, 7750 is based on prototypes from the German railways and wears their traditional black and red livery. The locomotive resembles an actual Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft Class 64 locomotive, which is a large German tank engine with a 2-6-2 wheel configuration. The LEGO rendition uses a different wheel arrangement: two trucks, each with a pair of tandem axles. This change is probably due to the difficulty of constructing a realistic three-axle truck that can negotiate tight curves without the use of blind (flange-less) driver wheels. In the modern era, Big Ben Bricks
produces blind wheels for this exact purpose. However, this set from the year 1980 predates BBB wheels by nearly two decades, and LEGO evidently decided to pursue a solution that would not require separate molds for the flanged and blind driver wheels.Locomotive 7750 features another subtle compromise of realism in its design: it includes a tender. On a real tank locomotive, the water and fuel are carried on the engine
itself; hence, a tender is not used.
The LEGO version of the engine utilizes its tender as a means of propulsion; the 12V train motor is located beneath the tender. This arrangement is familiar to LEGO steam fans, who frequently use powered tenders as a straightforward means of powering a locomotive.
The tender also gives 7750 a more impressive look, like that of a mainline passenger locomotive. Consistent with other 12V-powered sets, weights are included to ensure good electrical contact between the rails and the train motor. The weights also help to prevent slippage of the drive wheels.
Set 7750 came with two minifigures: a driver and a fireman. Like other sets from the 12V era, it included a decal sheet that permitted the set to be customized with logos from most major national railways in Europe. No track or additional accessories were included; however, the set did include functional lighting elements. Two lighting bricks illuminate the marker lights at the front of the engine and the red lights at the rear of the tender.
Building a 7750 clone from parts is difficult due to the rarity of several parts found in the set. The large train wheels were featured only in this set and a subsequent service pack. The red train motor shows up only in one other set, the 7730 Goods Train, which features a smaller steam engine of a similar livery to 7750. The black windows used in the cab of the engine are hard to find in quantity, and the steam cylinders and red buffers have always been difficult to find in quantity. Red bogey plates were featured in 7750 exclusively. As a result, clones of 7750 are rare, but builders have designed many excellent replicas of German locomotives that remain more faithful to the original prototypes.
Some view the 7750 steam engine as being simplistic and lacking in authenticity; however, it is worth noting that this set predates the widespread use of SNOT techniques by many years. Despite its compromises in realism, 7750 is a classic among LEGO train sets and a particularly unique LEGO locomotive. As a result, the set fetches handsome amounts on eBay, typically into the hundreds of US dollars for copies in good condition. It is certain to remain a favorite of LEGO train fans, and it holds a place in history as one of the greatest steam locomotives LEGO has ever produced.
Should you decide to build a 7750 of your own you will find all the parts you need in our shop under Lego Train Parts. We also have the actual original set for sale under Lego Train Sets. If our BrickTrainShop does not have the parts you need please check our other stores HalfPriceLegos.com and LegoClearance.com we guarantee all of our parts are genuine Lego Parts not fake fraudulent versions, that have popped up all over the web in deceptive advertisements.
