CITY / TRAINS / 60423
LEGO® CITY 60423 Downtown Tram
A surprisingly complete tram set
Some sets enter the collection after months of anticipation. Others are discovered almost by accident. For me, the LEGO® City 60423 Downtown Tram and Station definitely belongs to the second category.
I hadn't paid much attention to it when it was released, but spotting it while browsing through a catalogue was enough to immediately catch my attention. After all, when trains – or trams in this case – are involved, you know it's difficult for me to resist.
And after building it, I can say that it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise.
Three sections and plenty of playability
The star of the set is obviously the tram itself, consisting of three sections, with two almost identical outer cars and a different central section.
The build is relatively straightforward and accessible, as you would expect from a City set, but it never becomes boring. Despite the inevitable symmetry and repetition, the building experience remains enjoyable from beginning to end.
Access to the interior is also cleverly designed. The roofs can be removed, while the ends of the two outer cars can be opened, making it very easy to place minifigures inside.
Even without applying the stickers – something I usually prefer to avoid – the model still looks surprisingly complete thanks to the number of pre-printed elements.
A proper tram stop
The set isn't just about the vehicle. The two platforms help turn it into a complete little urban scene.
The main stop is particularly successful, featuring a small kiosk complete with a coffee machine and newspapers, as well as a ticket machine. On the opposite platform there's a simpler shelter with timetable displays.
These may seem like minor details, but they make a significant difference when the set is incorporated into a larger LEGO® city.
Accessibility takes centre stage
One of the most interesting aspects of set 60423 is its focus on accessibility.
Among the six minifigures is a visually impaired passenger with a guide dog and another passenger using a wheelchair. But LEGO® goes beyond simple representation: a small manual mechanism allows part of the platform to be positioned at the same height as the tram floor, symbolically making boarding much easier.
It's a simple feature, cleverly integrated into the play experience rather than being merely decorative.
A few compromises
Not everything convinces me equally, though.
The doors simply swing outward, which isn't particularly realistic compared with the sliding or folding doors we would normally expect on a real tram. Still, this is an understandable compromise considering that we're dealing with a toy rather than a scale railway model.
What bothers me more is the considerable gap between the three sections of the tram.
The spaces are quite noticeable, and the Technic-based connection system also looks somewhat awkward. Considering what LEGO® has achieved with other trains, it's difficult to believe that such large gaps were absolutely necessary simply to allow the tram to negotiate curves.
What about motorising it?
The axle construction is interesting too, with separate wheels and metal axles fitted into the bogies.
And that inevitably raises another question: how difficult would it be to motorise this tram?
We'll find out soon, because that's exactly what I intend to try.
Final thoughts
The LEGO® City 60423 Downtown Tram and Station is one of those sets that manages to offer considerably more than you might initially expect.
It's fun to build, packed with minifigures and small details, highly playable and, above all, perfect for bringing a LEGO® city to life. Some construction choices could have been more elegant – particularly the connections between the tram sections – but overall my verdict is definitely positive.
And if you can find it at a discount, it becomes an even more attractive proposition.
A set I can easily recommend and one that can make a real difference when added to an urban LEGO® layout.
My railway projects continue with the L914 Sogliola locomotive and the Transformable Railway Yard for the BrickLink Designer Program.