Today I'm taking a look at the Lepin brick bank (set 84001) which is a clone of the LEGO set of the same name (10251, now retired and very pricey on the aftermarket) I'll be covering this build in one (slightly longer) post, as it's a simple set as far as modulars go, but it is a good one.
This is the newest produced Lepin set I've built in some time so I can really tell that they had upped their game before the infamous police raid, I hope any 'King' sets I purchase in the future maintain this high level of quality.
I was aware that Lepin had switched to numbered bags but this was my first time coming across them, what a difference to the build process! This set went together way quicker than my last few modular builds.
I'll make a point here to talk about the print quality on the decorative window pieces, while obviously not quite to LEGO standards (And only printed on one side) they are nonetheless very clean throughout, gone are the days of blurry prints on special pieces.
On to the build itself, I've read and watched many reviews of both the LEGO and the Lepin version of this Bank/Launderette corner building, so I knew what I was getting into. All the bricks in this bootleg were of excellent quality and I had zero issues, I flew through this ground floor build.
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| The tiled floor is gorgeous! |
We get enough space behind the protective screens for 2 bank tellers (Though only one comes in the set) there is a small cheque writing table to the right of the double door entrance, and on the left is the curved staircase which leads upstairs, as well as a 'security' door for staff entry.
There are stacks of cash piled up inside the vault with a very nifty working door that uses a few simple Technic pieces for it's mechanism. The top of the vault consists of a couple of jail cell pieces.
One of the things I really like about this set is that both the washing machine units and the chimney are completely detachable for easy play. The washing machines have a pass through from the vault behind them, this is a play feature that allows you to 'launder' the money. (LEGO and their puns)
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| LEGO burglar not included in this set! |
The Soap 'n' Suds Launderette has a brick-built sign, which features a washing machine, and a pair of minifig trousers. Inside is a single seat for waiting customers and a table for folding clothes, a Newspaper and a clock adorn the walls.
This is only a 2 story building, upstairs we just have a desk for the manager's PA and the managers office itself, a balcony along the corridor overlooks the bank entrance.
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| You don't see many offices with an open fireplace! |
The finished PA's office contains his desk, a coffee machine and a fireplace (only there to justify the building having a chimney), the door leads through to the manager's office...
...Where we find the manager's desk, along with 2 chairs for those all-important meetings, and a drawer unit topped with an owl statue, the manager also has a bird's eye view of the bank entrance. On the wall is a portrait, presumably of the bank's founder or the previous manager.
This floor also contain's another staircase that gives roof access.
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| Edna K and misaligned door lights courtesy of my daughter! |
The white columns and sand green frames really make the first floor exterior pop. This is such a nice looking building.
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| The Manager's eye view of the entrance and waiting area. |
The completed roof. We get a nice curved skylight. A chimney entrance for a burglar (which conveniently opens just above the vault), the access door and some nice decorative detailing.
The 2x1 dark grey with hole is the connecting piece for this impressively constructed chandelier which hangs inside above the bank foyer.
A double sided clock on the outside corner, a bench and the trademark street light complete the outside details. This is already one of my favourite modular buildings, it's simple and elegant and I really like the details packed into it.
We get 5 minifigs in this set, from L to R we get the manager (with his stamp), his assistant, the bank teller, a photographer, and a competition winner (who also comes with a beanie hat and bandit mask to convert her to a burglar)
We also get a ladder, as well a mop and bucket for cleaning the outside of the bank windows and clock. All of the figs have standard smiley heads and basic back prints.
So as you can probably tell, I'm very pleased with this set. It was a fun build and the finished model is fantastic.
This brings me to the end of my modular build queue for now. I'm weighing up my options for my next purchase, but I have some more official LEGO sets to build as well as some other smaller bootleg sets so please check back soon.
where can i buy this model?
ReplyDeleteYou can buy in :here
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