For National STEM Day, LEGO sent over the Explorers’ Arctic Polar Express Train, and we passed it to our resident expert: a middle schooler who has built more LEGO sets than most adults have owned.
The build itself is surprisingly involved in a good way, with its 1,517 pieces. There are several distinct sections—the locomotive, two train cars, a full mountain tunnel, the Arctic outpost, a mining cave, and even a snow tractor—so the process never drags.
Our tester said it felt like “a bunch of mini builds inside one big build,” which kept them locked in longer than usual. The 3D model view in the LEGO Builder app also came in handy whenever a step needed a closer look.
Once the 10 AAA batteries went in (yes, be prepared to have lots on hand or get some from Amazon), the set really came to life. The remote-controlled engine is strong, and on the Powered Up app you can fine-tune the speed far easier than with a normal train knob.
At full blast, the train goes really fast—fast enough that it came flying off the tracks on a curve, which got a laugh every time. With the snowplow on the front and the bright Arctic colors, it looks great looping through the build.
The little details stand out more than expected. The rockfall trigger inside the tunnel is simple but fun, and the zip line that drops a minifigure from the mountain to the outpost was hit repeatedly during play. The mining cave has hidden crystals tucked inside, and the outpost’s crane arm can swing cargo on and off the flatcar. Even the snow tractor feels like its own mini toy.
The set also includes six minifigures, including Johnny Thunder for longtime LEGO fans, plus two Arctic foxes that ended up being way more popular than we expected. Between the explorers, the cave, the outpost, and the train itself, there’s a lot to stage and rearrange, and our tester kept finding new ways to combine things long after the build was finished.
If you want a set that’s worth the time to build and actually fun to play with afterward, this one fits that niche really well. It’s packed with activity features, looks great on a table, and mixes creativity with just enough engineering that it feels right at home for STEM Day. Most importantly, the middle schooler who built it gave it an immediate, no-hesitation thumbs up—and kept playing with it long after the review was done (which means less time on screens).
You can buy the LEGO City Explorers’ Arctic Polar Express Train Set on Amazon.ca and LEGO’s website at $259.99 CAD.
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