Expanding the LEGO Holiday Express by Exploring the Visual Identity of Winter Village Trains

The Winter Village theme continues to be a popular and beloved seasonal product line, with fans eagerly anticipating each year's new releases. This theme often incorporates elements from other themes into a holiday context, as seen with the Star Wars 40806 Gingerbread AT-AT Walker. The focus of this article, however, is on the holiday-themed trains, specifically the 10361 Holiday Express Train, and how it compares to the 2016's 10254 Holiday Train.

The 10361 Holiday Express Train appears to be a spiritual successor to the 10254 Holiday Train, sharing similarities in size, form factor, and play features. Both sets feature a caricatured steam locomotive pulling decorated wagons designed to deliver toys. Each set includes a loop of track, a small station platform, and several minifigures. The trains also incorporate unique wheel-driven animation features: the 2016 train has a rotating Christmas tree, while the 2025 train includes a "chuffing" chimney and an animatronic polar bear. The 2025 edition also features paper-based element bags, a welcome change for future LEGO products.

The article highlights the special place trains hold within the winter/Christmas holiday tradition, drawing inspiration from the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train. The author's family has replaced a traditional Christmas tree with a winter village-themed layout, complete with a customized holiday train. The village occupies 6x3 baseplates and is fully illuminated, including animated lighting for fireplaces and decorative lighting garlands.

For LEGO enthusiasts looking to expand their Winter Village, consider a LEGO train track to create more elaborate layouts. You might also want to get a LEGO storage box to keep your collection organized.