The Lego® Icons Holiday Express Train 10361 is worth it for anyone building a Winter Village or simply wanting a train to circle the Christmas tree. We built it ourselves and motorised it. Our verdict: a warm, beautifully designed holiday train with real play features and a complete track circle in the box. It is not a strong investment right now, but as a seasonal display and play set it earns its place. Current retailer prices are on the Brickfact page for the Holiday Express Train 10361.
- Pieces: 956
- Age: 18 and up
- 16-piece circle; motor sold separately
The key facts at a glance
| Holiday Express Train 10361 | |
|---|---|
| Pieces and figures | 956 pieces, 4 minifigures |
| Train | Locomotive, coal tender, flat wagon with polar bear, end carriage |
| Train size | about 49 cm (19.5 in) long, 13 cm (5 in) tall, 7 cm (2.5 in) wide |
| Track | 16 curved pieces forming a closed circle |
| Extras | Platform with miniature toys, 3D-printed mini train |
| Stickers | none, every detail is printed |
| RRP | $129.99 / £109.99 |
| Best price (9 November 2026) | $129.99 / £109.99 |
| Market value (9 November 2026) | $110.17 / £82.45 |
| Release | October 2025 |
| Brickfact retirement forecast | December 2028, not confirmed by Lego |
Who it suits: Winter Village collectors, families with a free spot around the tree and anyone who wants a festive train without having to buy electronics. Who can wait: owners of the 2016 Winter Holiday Train 10254 who are happy with its similar concept.
Design: a train that looks like Christmas from every angle
The box already shows why this train has so many fans. The locomotive pairs dark blue and light blue with gold accents, red poinsettias and green wreaths. A white steam cloud sits on the chimney, a printed number plate carries the set number 10361 and the boiler wears a "Holiday Express" nameplate. The result looks elegant and playful at the same time.
Four clearly different vehicles follow:
- Locomotive with cab: The driver rides here in a red scarf. The cab is open and easy to see into.
- Coal tender: It links the engine to the rest of the train. It matters for the motor conversion, because the battery hub hides inside it.
- Flat wagon with polar bear: The large polar bear with scarf and bell is the star of the set. Presents and little trees stand beside it.
- End carriage: It is styled like a gift with a red bow on the roof and has a small interior.
The platform with a lamp post and a toy stall turns the train into a small scene. The stall holds tiny models such as a digger, a ship and a helicopter. Four minifigures are included: a driver, a guard and two passengers. According to Brickfact data, all four appear only in this set.
We especially like that there is not a single sticker in the box. The number plate, nameplate and decoration are all printed. For a model you rebuild every December, that is a real advantage, because nothing peels or creeps out of line.
The highlight: a 3D-printed mini train
The set includes a small blue toy locomotive in its own gift box. It is not a standard moulded element but 3D-printed, which makes the Holiday Express one of the first regular retail Lego sets with a printed part. The mini train has rolling wheels and a little chimney that moves as it rolls.
In the scene it is a present for the passengers: on the box it stands in front of one of the figures as if it had just been unwrapped. For collectors it is a small piece of Lego history. For everyone else it is a charming detail you will pick up more than once while unpacking.
Push-along functions: the chimney bobs and the bear rings
Even without a motor, the train is more than decoration. Push it along the track and the locomotive's chimney rises and falls. At the same time the polar bear on the flat wagon rings its bell and nods its head. Both functions are driven by the axles.
For smooth movement, the train should not skim too lightly over the rails. Push it steadily with a little pressure on the locomotive and the bear wagon. The wheels then grip reliably and the chimney and bear move on every lap. Children pick up the knack quickly, and that is exactly the charm on Christmas Eve.
The build: relaxed and varied
Our build took about 2 hours. Depending on your pace and experience, plan for 2 to 3 hours. It comes in six stages: platform and mini models first, then the locomotive, the bogies, the tender, the polar bear wagon and the end carriage. There is some repetition in the wheel sets, after which the stages change pleasantly quickly.
The polar bear is the most demanding part. It is built from many curved elements and sideways-facing bricks and looks surprisingly round when finished. The bow on the end carriage is also made from curved pieces. The 18+ rating mainly reflects the Icons range's adult audience. Older children can join in with a little help, ideally as a family project.
Space: how much room the track circle needs
Lego does not state a diameter for the track circle, so we measured our own assembled circle: roughly 64 cm (25 in) across the track centre and about 70 cm (27.5 in) across the outer sleepers. That matches standard track geometry, where sixteen curved pieces form a circle with a radius of 40 studs to the track centre.
| Setup | Recommended area |
|---|---|
| Track circle with train only | about 80 × 80 cm (32 × 32 in) |
| Track circle with the platform beside it | about 80 × 100 cm (32 × 40 in) |
| Around a tree | tree stand and skirt no wider than about 45 cm (18 in) |
You need the margin because the carriages swing outwards on curves and you have to reach the train to push it. Around a tree, the circle fits a normal stand. With a very wide stand or a large tree skirt, measure first.
We measured the train itself at about 49 cm (19.5 in) long, so it takes up roughly a quarter of the circle. On a shelf you can also display it without track next to your Winter Village; a depth of about 10 cm (4 in) is enough.
Motorising it: our experience and the real cost
The Holiday Express is designed for an upgrade. The instructions show how to swap one bogie for the Powered Up train motor, while the battery hub disappears inside the hollow coal tender. From the outside you see almost nothing of the conversion.
When we motorised ours, it took some fine-tuning before it ran evenly and had enough grip on the circle. The layout is a likely reason: the heavy hub sits in the tender while the motor bogie carries little weight. Set aside a quiet evening for the conversion and test runs rather than leaving it for Christmas Eve. After that the train laps the tree on its own, and that is the moment that makes the effort worthwhile.
| Component | US price (9 November 2026) | UK price (9 November 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday Express Train 10361 | $129.99 | £109.99 |
| Hub 88009 | $68.40 | £44.99 |
| Train motor 88011 | $13.99 | £12.99 |
| Remote control 88010 | $22.99 | £19.99 |
| Complete with remote | about $235.37 | about £187.96 |
| Complete without remote (app control) | about $212.38 | about £167.97 |
Add batteries for the hub and remote. The remote is optional if you control the train with the Powered Up app on a compatible phone. Our guide to the first Lego train explains exactly which parts you need and how to prepare the first run. Current prices for the individual parts are on the pages for the hub 88009, train motor 88011 and remote control 88010.
Holiday Express Train 10361 or Winter Holiday Train 10254?
The 2016 predecessor is the obvious comparison. Both trains run on a track circle, both have a platform and both include a wagon with a moving feature.
| Holiday Express Train 10361 | Winter Holiday Train 10254 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pieces | 956 | 734 |
| RRP | $129.99 / £109.99 | $99.99 / £74.99 |
| Status | currently available | retired since late 2019 |
| Market value (9 November 2026) | $110.17 / £82.45 | $202.27 / £151.36 |
| Features | bobbing chimney, bear with bell | rotating tree on the flat wagon |
The new train is larger, more colourful and sticker-free. Above all, it costs about a third less new than the old train fetches on the secondary market today. If you never bought the old one, 10361 is the better and cheaper way in. If you own 10254, you can display both: two holiday trains in one village look less like a duplicate and more like a little station.
Price: buy now or wait?
At RRP the price per piece is about 13.6 cents in the US and 11.5 pence in the UK. That is fair for a set with large moulded parts, printed elements and a complete track circle, but it is no bargain. On 9 November 2026 the best prices in Brickfact's comparison were $129.99 and £109.99, both at RRP.
Our take:
- Buy now if you want it under this year's tree. Saving a few pounds or dollars is not worth a whole season without a train around the tree.
- Wait if the season does not matter to you. A target of about $110 or £85 matches the current market value.
- Set a price alert: the set page can notify you as soon as the price drops.
There is no rush. Brickfact expects the set to stay on sale until at least late 2028; Lego has not confirmed a retirement date.
Is the Holiday Express a good investment?
As an investment, there is little in its favour right now. The market value sits about 15 % below RRP in the US and about 25 % below in the UK, and the set is likely to stay on sale for several more years. In our Lego investment study, collectors paid a median of 30 % below RRP before retirement. Investors should therefore wait for clear discounts.
The predecessor shows why Winter Village trains stay popular: 10254 cost $99.99 and today has a market value of $202.27. That kind of growth is not guaranteed for 10361. As a building and display model it is worth its money; as a sealed investment it is at best a candidate at a discount.
Tips for setting up and storing after Christmas
- Lay the circle first: set out the track before decorating the tree. That way you are not kneeling in needles and tinsel to close the circle.
- Add lighting: the train has no lights. If you light your Winter Village, our guide to Lego light kits covers suitable options.
- Do not store it fully built: our experience with Winter Village sets is that models stored assembled often come out of the box half collapsed. Separate the carriages, remove the bear and the bow, and put paper between the parts. Expect a few loose bricks anyway.
For more seasonal ideas, see our list of Lego Christmas decorations and the overview of the Winter Village Collection.
Verdict: the holiday train you will set up every year
The Holiday Express Train 10361 is a thoroughly enjoyable Christmas set. It looks fantastic, has no stickers, brings real movement to the scene with its chimney and polar bear, and includes the track circle. The 3D-printed mini train makes it a special piece for collectors too.
There are small caveats: the motor conversion needs some fine-tuning, and the price rarely drops below RRP. Neither changes our recommendation. If you want a train for your Winter Village or for the space beneath the tree, 10361 is a Lego holiday train you will happily rebuild every year.
Sources and method
Product details come from Lego's official product information. Prices, market values and the retirement forecast come from the Brickfact database as of 9 November 2026; market values are average selling prices on secondary markets, not retailer prices. We measured the build time, the track circle and the train length on our own build; the 2 to 3 hour range is our estimate for different building speeds. Our statements on the build, motorisation and storage are based on our own experience with the set and the Winter Village Collection.
