How to build a brick steam train
To build a brick steam train, line up black wheels under a long gray frame, build a coal tender at the back with black coal on top, make a green boiler with a black nose, add yellow bands, a dome and a tall black smokestack, then a red driver's cab with light-blue windows. 70 pieces, 5 steps, ages 7–13.
The steam train build at a glance
| Pieces | 70 (30 kinds) |
|---|---|
| Steps | 5 |
| Ages | 7–13 |
| Colors | red, black, light gray, dark blue, green, light blue, yellow, white |
| Finished size | 24 × 4 studs, about 6.7 cm (2.6 in) tall |
| Special pieces | None: plain bricks and plates |
Parts you need
8× red 1×2 brick
5× black 1×2 brick
3× light gray 2×6 brick
3× black 2×4 brick
3× dark blue 2×4 brick
3× green 2×4 brick
3× light gray 2×4 brick
3× green 1×6 brick
3× green 2×3 brick
3× black 2×2 brick
3× green 2×2 brick
3× red 1×4 brick
3× light blue 1×2 brick
2× light gray 2×8 brick
2× red 2×4 brick
2× dark blue 1×4 brick
2× yellow 1×2 brick
2× black 1×4 plate
2× black 1×1 brick
2× yellow 1×1 brick
1× green 2×8 brick
1× green 2×6 brick
1× green 4×8 plate
1× black 1×8 brick
1× green 1×8 brick
1× white 2×4 brick
1× green 1×4 brick
1× light gray 2×2 brick
1× green 1×2 brick
1× white 1×2 brick
Step-by-step instructions
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1 Wheels and long frame
Line up black wheels, then lay long gray bricks on top. That's the strong train frame!
Find: 3 light gray 2×6 bricks, 3 black 2×4 bricks, 3 light gray 2×4 bricks, 2 light gray 2×8 bricks, 1 green 2×8 brick, 1 black 1×8 brick, 1 dark blue 2×4 brick, 1 black 2×2 brick, 1 dark blue 1×4 brick, 1 light gray 2×2 brick, 1 black 1×2 brick
Did you know? Flying Scotsman's big driving wheels are about 2 meters tall, taller than a grown-up!
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2 The coal tender
At the back, stack dark blue bricks, then green walls, a big green plate, and black coal on top!
Find: 2 dark blue 2×4 bricks, 2 black 1×4 plates, 1 green 4×8 plate, 1 green 1×8 brick, 1 white 2×4 brick, 1 green 1×6 brick, 1 green 2×3 brick, 1 dark blue 1×4 brick, 1 green 1×2 brick, 1 white 1×2 brick
Did you know? A steam engine's tender carries coal and water so the engine can keep making steam.
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3 The green boiler and black nose
Build two layers of green bricks at the front, with black bricks at the very nose. That's the boiler!
Find: 3 green 2×4 bricks, 2 green 2×3 bricks, 2 black 2×2 bricks, 2 green 2×2 bricks, 2 black 1×2 bricks, 1 green 2×6 brick, 1 green 1×4 brick
Did you know? The boiler heats water into steam, and the steam pushes the wheels around.
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4 Round top, dome and tall smokestack
Add a green top with yellow bands, a dome, a tall black smokestack, a red bumper and yellow lamps!
Find: 2 green 1×6 bricks, 2 black 1×2 bricks, 2 yellow 1×2 bricks, 2 black 1×1 bricks, 2 yellow 1×1 bricks, 1 green 2×2 brick, 1 red 1×4 brick
Did you know? Puffs of smoke and steam shoot out of the smokestack, making the famous choo-choo sound.
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5 The tall driver's cab
Stack tall red cab walls, put light blue windows up high, then press the red roof on top!
Find: 8 red 1×2 bricks, 3 light blue 1×2 bricks, 2 red 2×4 bricks, 2 red 1×4 bricks
Did you know? Two people work in the cab: the driver controls the speed, and the fireman shovels coal.
Questions parents ask
How many pieces do you need for a brick steam train?
70: 8 red 1×2 bricks, 5 black 1×2 bricks, 3 light gray 2×6 bricks and 27 more kinds. The full list is in “Parts you need”.
Are these steam train instructions free?
Yes. Every step is on this page.
What if I’m missing a color?
Use a brick of the same size in another color. The shapes hold the model together; the colors are only for looks.
