The Lego Tower Bridge is a scaled recreation of London’s famous Tower Bridge and has a long and rich history. The Tower Bridge should not be confused with the London Bridge which is a separate structure altogether.
The name “Tower Bridge” is derived not so much from the towers that form part of it’s design but the bridge’s close proximity to the Tower Of London.
Either way it is an iconic image of London and it is no surprise that Lego chose the iconic structure to be a part of their Large Scale Models series, recreating notable architectural landmarks of the world.
The Lego Tower Bridge set is squarely directed at adult or older teen collectors as it contains 4287 pieces and is a very large model. The set consists of the tower bridge itself and four scaled vehicles including a double decker red bus and a black taxi, both instantly recognizable symbols of the London public transport system.
Lego Tower Bridge Details
Lego Set Number: 10214
Pieces: 4287
Minifigures: N/A
Price: US $239.99 / £209.99
Ages: 16+
Released: June 2010Theme: Large Scale Models
Instructions in PDF: Available at Lego.com
Best Prices: We recommend Amazon for this product (Free Shipping) or Amazon UK
Lego Tower Bridge 10214
Lego Tower Bridge:
A Little Background
The London Tower Bridge spans the river Thames which winds it’s way through London, the capital city of England.
The second major bridge to be built on the Thames (after the London Bridge) the Tower bridge was designed and constructed over a period of eight years, from 1886-1894. Demand from increased development and traffic in the London area during the late 19th Century necessitated an additional bridge be built.
However as tall-masted sailing ships sailed and docked in the area, a traditional fixed bridge could not be built as the masts would restrict their access. Designers would have to come up with something special.
And they did.
The double leaf bascule bridge is raised in two sections by a system of hydraulics that allow the drawbridge to open and admit ships through that would otherwise have been stopped by the bridge’s span. Traffic drives across the bridge when it is down and then is stopped for the duration of the bridge’s raising and lowering.
Lego Tower Bridge: A Closer Look
Construction
The Lego Tower Bridge set is long and tall!
With 4287 pieces the completed model measures 40″ (102 cm) long, 17″ (45 cm) high and 10″ (26 cm) wide so if you want to keep it assembled then you will need to make some serious space for it on a shelf.
The box itself weighs about 5kg (so we recommend purchasing from Amazon who offer free shipping!).
Construction is recommended for ages 16+ but if you are a younger Lego fan with experience with following Lego instruction books then it is mainly time and patience you require.
To put the whole thing together takes about 15 hours and the three instruction books contain about 50 steps in each.
Sorting the pieces before you start to build will save a heap of time so have some spare bags handy (resealable if you will be doing it over a few days).
As with all of these highly detailed sets there are many small pieces (this is where the time and patience come in).
Final Model
The completed model is beautiful and captures the essence of the drawbridge very well.
If you like the color tan then you will love this set – there are about 500 of the 1X1 tan slopes alone! The sky blue of the wires and the top piece that spans the bridge set off the bridge really well.
A great thing about the final model is that it can be taken apart in large pieces for transportation or storage and then reassembled easily.
Overall the building process is alot of fun and gives you an appreciation of the details in the this gothic styled structure that you might have missed on a casual glance.
Lego Tower Bridge: Review
Our Recommendation: Recommended
This is a beautiful set for Adult Lego fans or teens who are serious about their Lego and/or architecture.
If you have the space to accomodate the model’s length and height then don’t hesitate. This is a model that needs to be put on display in order to truly appreciate all the minor details and once this set out of production it’s price will rise in the secondary market. .
We would recommend this as a gift for older Lego fans but not necessarily just those 16 years and over.
A younger Lego fan who is committed can put this set together if given some initial guidance with sorting the pieces before the build and planning their construction over a period of a few days.
In short the Lego Tower Bridge is a beautiful model and a wonderful addition to Lego’s series of Large Scale Model sets.
We recommend purchasing through Amazon for this product (They offer Free Shipping and it is a big, heavy set) or Amazon UK.
Lego Tower Bridge Gallery
