VIA Rail in LEGO?

Would you want a VIA Rail Canadian in LEGO®? How about a VIA Corridor train?

If Nick Lafreniere is successful with his bid, this could happen. Nick has designed two potential LEGO kits featuring some of VIA’s trains operating today.

Nick needs your help to get these to kit form. Click one or both buttons below, or read on to learn more!

The Canadian

The LEGO Canadian
The LEGO Canadian

The proposed Canadian set features a refurbished F40PH-2D locomotive, a baggage car, a Chateau sleeper car and a Skyline dome. One could be a pedant and point out that the Canadian tends to have Manor cars more than Chateau cars, but who wants to be that guy?

The locomotive has a diesel engine inside along with the head end power (HEP) unit. The locomotive can be equipped with standard LEGO motor and battery components to make it operational, with lights and able to be controlled via Bluetooth.

Each car has full interior details, and the roofs come off. Check out the passengers in the Skyline dome!

Purchasing two of these kits would give a decent facsimile of a Canadian, although it would be nice to have at least one coach. Maybe there’s a way to kitbash a baggage car into a semblance of a coach.

The Corridor Train

The VIA Rail Corridor train in LEGO
The VIA Rail Corridor train in LEGO

The planned “Corridor” train set includes an unrefurbished F40PH-2D locomotive with two LRC (“Light, Rapid, Comfortable”) cars. One is an economy car and the other is a business class coach.

The cars are fully equipped with interior details, including a galley, luggage rack and restroom, and have operable doors and steps.

Interior of LRC coach in LEGO
Interior of LRC coach in LEGO

I think these are really cool!

How You Can Help

So how can you help make these a reality?

The way LEGO Ideas works is that designers upload a design, then people support it. If the design gets 10,000 supporters, LEGO will consider it for a production kit. More details here.

Here’s how to help. Go to the following two links and click on the blue SUPPORT button in the top right. You will have to create a login for LEGO.com to vote.

Nick and the trains could really use your help!

Thank you!

Just One More Thing

4 thoughts on “VIA Rail in LEGO?”

  1. Steve, I don’t suppose you can get me in contact with Nick? My son will not leave me alone about this… help

    ~broke Lego Father

  2. Long time lurker, first time commenter. Living an hour away from the nearest but seldom active rail your blog gives me my regular ‘fix’. I truly appreciate it Steve!

    Thanks for sharing Nick’s work, what an amazing build both are. I love the Canadian – Hopefully it garners enough attention to become an official lego set. If not, maybe plans and a parts list could be made available for purchase….

    Mark

    • Hi Mark, thanks for “emerging from the shadows” and commenting! I’m glad you like my blog and I appreciate that you read it!

      I’m really hoping for at least the “Canadian” to become an official set.

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