I got the Gold Mine because it was big and I was envisioning a good usage for the mountain bricks. And what the hell because it looks very nice.
When I bought it I found the mountain bricks are in fact a few big parts… but anyway… let’s review it.
Model data
Name Gold Mine
Ref. Code 4204
Theme City
Year 2012
Parts 748
Price £69.99
Minifigs 4
Where can I buy LEGO 4204?
Amazon
Model background
The Mine is a busy place, full of miners digging for gold!
Break up the rock with the big drilling machine and transport it out of the mine with the train. Then load it onto the conveyer belt with the crane and haul it away with the truck! There’s even a safe to keep the gold inside. Help the miners find even more gold by blasting with the dynamite! Includes 4 minifigures: crew chief, crane driver, driller and truck driver.
• Includes 4 minifigures: crew chief, crane driver, driller and truck driver
• Features mine, drill, truck and crane
• Accessories includes 3 dynamite packs, (1 with a timer), 2 detonators, 2 rocks each containing 6 gold nuggets, 36 small rocks in a selection of colors, 2 gold bars, explosion warning sign, storage box, jackhammer, fence with hazard lights, wheelbarrow, broom, shovel, pickaxe, walkie-talkie and coffee cup
• Mine features train, train track, mine door, safe and working conveyer belt
• Drill features spinning function
• Crane features rotating cabin, moving arm and lowering shovel
• Truck features articulated cab
• Drill for gold nuggets!
• Haul the rocks with the train!
• Operate the conveyer with the crane!
• Load the truck!
• Lock the gold in the safe!
Model Box
This set comes in a big box like it is the norm on expensive LEGO sets. This sets comes with seven plastic bags with all the parts.
And this is the back part of the box.
Manuals
This set comes with four manuals.
Building experience
This is a fun set to build. I have been a bit disappointed with the mountain bricks as I was expecting real bricks and not that cheap alternative. The truck head is quite nice and the mine train looks great for its size.
I just really don’t understand why LEGO decided to use such strange parts for the crane, the truck loading part and the mountain…
Here is the timelapse building and video review.
Complete model
This is the complete model.
Let’s review each part.
The Mine
The mine has several interesting parts.
It has a superb office/safe box were the gold is stored next to the train tracks.
Just over it there is a crane that it is use to load the bucket with gold and rocks from the train and a bit to the right you have a transport track that takes rocks from the bucket to the truck.
The crane
The crane is nicely done with very little but highly specific parts: LEGO this is quite close to cheating!. It can rotate over its axis and lower or raise a claws that takes rocks.
The drill machine
It looks good but really I feel like cheating… that big part on the front doesn’t look like LEGO…
The train
I really love the way the train looks. It is a narrow track train with only 4 studs width but that looks really nice and close to the original.
The truck
I have mixed feelings with this truck. It really looks quite good but the way the back part is done… so few parts… it feel pretty much like a Playmobil. Still… it is a good looking LEGO truck.
Overview
Value for money
Playability
Parts
Pros
– It is big
– It is highly playable
– The built set looks really nice.
Cons
– It is expensive
– The mountain is built with just a few huge pieces
Does LEGO 4204 worth the money?
Dunno. I have mixed feelings. The full set looks nice and it is big but on the other hand there aren’t so many parts on a set so expensive. Decide yourself, if you have an extra pocket money, this set does a nice acquisition but it won’t be my first option for LEGO City.