This LEGO Ideas Concept Aims To Bring the Famed Thalys Train to Our Homes: It's Spot On

I say "potential existence" because the Thalys train project we'll be exploring today is part of LEGO Ideas, a branch of the famed toy maker that lets folks like you and me and lovers of these puzzling items create whatever design they wish. There are even countless tools that allow us to do so, and they're often free to use. Do you have an idea in mind? Then, what are you waiting for?

Well, until you decide to craft your very own LEGO idea, let's dive a tad deeper into the work of a user by the name of The Half Blood Baron, who has actually been a member of this group for over ten years. His or her projects include everything from chess sets, giant mosquitos, Hogwarts Castle, and even Bag End and other Lord of the Rings-themed ideas.

Yet, what really blew me away regarding Baron's work is the attention to detail. Some of these projects don't even need a title; just look at the image, and you'll know right away that it's the Hogwarts Express or Barad-Dur.

As for the Thalys, it's one of Baron's more realistic designs, based on the one and only Thalys brand of trains that have been crossing Europe since 1996, and yes, those trains are still in use today, just under a different name, Eurostar, AKA Eurostar Red.

Now, to craft this hella-accurate version of a Thalys train, Baron used nearly 3,000 bricks and designed the project to scale. There's even space in the cockpit for one operator, and the passenger compartment can fit 20 little LEGO dudes and dudettes. In short, it's as LEGO as it gets! I've added images of the real Thalys trains just for comparison.

Overall, just two sections of a Thalys are depicted here, the locomotive and the passenger car, and frankly, it's enough to keep any kid or adult entertained and busy for hours. I'm not sure you know what it means to put 3,000 LEGO pieces together, but if you do, then you agree.

Starting from the ground up, we can see that the model is designed with track wheels, leading me to believe that this bugger could very well be used as part of your ongoing trainyard project. It even looks as though Baron adds the suspension system trains typically have in place.

As we move up the design, the fuselage is crafted with the iconic burgundy color tones, and toward the rear, the gunmetal grey paint job is also in place. Heck, Baron even managed to incorporate the Thalys logo into his design, which was achieved with 3D pieces that actually pop off of the miniature's body. From the right angle, it looks really neat. LEGO will probably use stickers for the logo if it ever makes it to store shelves, for the "Thalys" too.

At the very top of the two sections, I particularly enjoyed how The Baron took into consideration the ventilation of the locomotive, but most importantly, how the two wagon roofs flow into one another, just like the real deal. Even the all-essential pantograph - learned a new word today - is in place.

Other essential exterior details we need to consider are the skirt that starts from the cockpit and lines each wagon, the little lights integrated into the locomotive, and all the windows and doors your little LEGO creatures will be waving goodbye from.

Speaking of waving goodbye, let's head inside the passenger car and check out what Baron has achieved here. As I mentioned, the interior is designed to fit 20 little LEGO humanoids, and to do that, Baron designed an interior as close to the real thing as possible.

In one of the images, we can see the seating arrangement, tables, and armrests. By the looks of things, the tables are even set up on a swivel function, letting everyone take their proverbial places with ease. Lunch is served.

Now, if you're into trains, this project is sure to appeal to your senses, but if you aren't, you can still appreciate the level of detail The Half Blood Baron went into to create this model, and if you're into LEGO, then the sale is as good as done; sign me up!

There's just one catch to what we see. Because it's a LEGO Ideas project, the one and only way we'll ever see this puppy on store shelves is if it receives 10,000 votes or likes, if you will. Funny enough, it doesn't seem to be a problem for The Half Blood Baron, as this creator is already part of the 10K Club, the "biggest milestone" a designer can achieve through LEGO Ideas. From there, it's onto the last hurdle, an official review from the LEGO members themselves. If that passes, SOLD! Time to take the Thayls and give it a LEGO counterpart.