Customer reviews from LEGO
LEGO - Icons Holiday Express Train Building Set 10361
Average customer rating
3.3
(120 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 120 reviews
5 Stars
43
4 Stars
15
3 Stars
18
2 Stars
26
1 Star
18
52%of customers recommend this product.
(
63 out of
120)
Customer Reviews for LEGO - Icons Holiday Express Train Building Set 10361
Posted by: RexCasualMarshmallow
Verified Purchase:Yes
I am always excited for the new Winter Village set to come out to set up my annual layout for Christmas. Love the last train and though I don't NEED two I figured it would be a change of pace. Just got it motorized today and found its pretty unusable. The design of the front wheels allows them to spin 360 and the lightness of the front of the train makes it derail regularly. The Polar Bear car is too light and the gear mechanism takes to much effort to turn resulting in the wheels not turning and the train just dragging it along. No idea why but they did not use the magnetic train couplers and instead used a few cheap blocks as couplings, so if you wanted to mix and match with the previous train you would have to improvise. Finally, the additional price seems too high for the rather small set considering the Powered Up pieces are not included. Even the extra little bench looks cheap compared to previous models. Really just an all around miss on this years addition.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Customer Rating
1
Don’t waste your money
on December 5, 2025
Posted by: Smoop
Verified Purchase:No
Poor build. Tiny unnecessary pieces. No Easter eggs. Does NOT run on track. Plain. For children. NOT 18+. Pieces don’t fit together well. Complete junk. Don’t waste your money. Not even any nice pieces other than the little 3D train. Very poor representation from Lego. Mine is back in the box. What a waste.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from LEGOBy Leah, LEGO® Customer Service, December 7, 2025
Oh no! Sorry that everything wasn’t awesome with your new Holiday Express Train set and that the pieces aren't holding together as they should, that certainly doesn't sound right. Please reach out to us at LEGO.build/Service-BV so we can help you with these issues.
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Posted by: InspectorDelicateWindow
Verified Purchase:Yes
I agree with the many other reviews of this set that buying the motor is a complete waste of money. I was going to buy the motor as an additional cost, but after I realized it was three separate items, each obscenely overpriced, I ditched the idea. Luckily I had a motor left over from another train, and was able to try it out. I am so glad I didn't spend the money on the motor. As others have pointed out, this train does NOT move with the installed motor. It suffers from the exact same problem that the last holiday train (10254) suffered from: the wheels slip when attempting to move the gears installed in the towed cars. In 10254, the tree prevented the motorized train from gripping the track. And in this one, BOTH the bear and the pumping smoke stack prevent the wheels from gripping the track because the motor will not both move the train and the geared attachments.
The sad fact is, LEGO knows this. The team must have tested it, and they chose to sell it--and the additional motor pieces--to unsuspecting customers.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Posted by: MateDedicatedCrug104
Verified Purchase:Yes
Train would’ve been more impressive if they included or made available the motor, circuit and remote. I’m really dissatisfied that it’s on back order
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Customer Rating
3
Average set, bad value for money
on November 17, 2025
Posted by: EmperorGrandLobster
Verified Purchase:No
Set is nice for the casual builder, but if you have been collecting the annual holiday sets, you can't help but compare this to the previous train set (model 10254). The light blue colors are fine but not as festive as the red/green combo. Price per piece is outrageous, and I don't understand the 3D printed element. This is a Lego after all, all pieces are technically 3d elements!! Bad decision if this particular 3D printed piece is what drove up the price, but time will tell if this piece will make this become a collector's item.
Also, a few things to note when you add the Powered Up parts: (1) The wheels will slip on slower speeds due to the lighter weight above the motor, you have to be at mid speed 5 or above to get good traction; (2) The up-and-down steam chimney mechanism and the bear's arms look fine when you pull the train by hand, but with the motor, the chimney doesn't noticeably go up and down due the speed coupled with a smaller gear, and the bear weirdly looks more like a kid having a tantrum at higher speeds; (3) the Powered Up phone app doesn't have a version for this set, you have to use the other train sets (perhaps one will be released soon) -- the app is an alternative to shelling up extra $$$ for the remote.
In my opinion, the only reason to get this is if you missed the first train set and in need of a holiday train, or a completist filling your annual set tradition. Such a shame that corporate Lego priced it high (especially promoting it to add the motor and remote) coupled with a non-practical 3D printed piece.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Posted by: GeneralSpecialIcepaw
Verified Purchase:Yes
I find that this train doesn’t move very well with the powered accessories. The front engine powered wheels spin out and the polar bear rear wheels don’t rotate well either. I think the original Christmas train was more successful.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Customer Rating
2
Disappointed
on November 26, 2025
Posted by: Scottie 11
Verified Purchase:No
No need to get into the weeds, other reviews have covered the sets issues. The 3D printed piece is cute, but feels like a gimmick. We’ve loved the 5 previous Winter Village sets, but this one is poorly designed and very overpriced. What a shame.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Posted by: BricksJustBCoz
Verified Purchase:Yes
I have been buying the winter village sets every year since they first began the series, and rebuilding them every year with my family, and this is the first time I have regretted buying a holiday set. The train is a step down in both build quality and playability from the previous version. I was hugely disappointed that they chose not to include the powered up components with the increased price, and even worse, failed to anticipate the demand for the powered up components needed to make it motorized, so I didn't even bother assembling the track because I had no way to drive it. (The set didn't work with the previous version's power setup). The train car connections are a major disappointment compared to the magnetic ones in the previous Holiday Train. Overall, it's an ok Lego train, but lacks the detail and whimsy that makes the holiday sets a fun tradition in our house. They found a way to raise the price while providing a worse product than the previous iteration.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO