Set #40338 Christmas Tree: This wonderful holiday gift is presented as one of the Gift with Purchase items for Christmas 2019. It required a considerable amount of spending to receive, at least over 120$ CND. But it is well worth it, definitely as LEGO has given us plenty of Christmas Trees over the years, but this one takes the cake. And why is that you ask? Well let’s discuss the sets high points to answer that question.

Packaging

Showcased in a snowy forested glen the LEGO Christmas Tree packaging includes the Limited Edition logo in the side of the box and demonstrates the festive spirit behind this set by showing off what it looks like and what it can do.

The manual is a solid booklet as well, put together very nicely and easy to follow along with because of the very nature of this set.

Parts

Loaded with plates and decoration elements this tree has a load of jewels, green and pearl gold elements. In fact you get quite a few pearl gold flowers. On top of that are four of the large red half round bricks that make up circular roof builds and the like. It’s a very solid set with a lot of larger elements and has at least 107 parts less than the Gingerbread House, but is still quite memorable.

The build

Bag #1: This set is constructed in two parts, first you make the foundation AKA the base of the tree. This is an interesting build which includes a rotating section where two toy train models are constructed. This was a really enjoyable build and featured some very interesting ideas. Single studs are used to make candy cane shaped pillars.

Bag #2: Moving on from the base you start to build the tree itself in sections. Each section shares similarities and differences with the previous, as most of them involve highly similar branch builds, but the decorations are changing the colours quite often and the placement. As you work on this build you begin to see the tree come together and it his extremely satisfying.

The completed model

This model is tall, it is roughly close in height to a two story LEGO building with the tree topper attached, in fact if you put it beside the LEGO Store model it would probably reach the roof, just looking at it next to the Sanctum Sanctorum I can see it almost hits the middle of the third floor in height.

And the details are superb. Loaded with decorations and layers this tree stands out quite nicely. The snow flake element introduced with Elsa in Disney Series 2 is re-used here in yellow to make a glowing star on the top of the tree. A small star element is attached to it to make it resemble a proper tree topper. The model just looks great, as a bonus there are three gift builds in lime green, light purple and light teal to sit under the tree. And if you put it next to a Minifigure it will be properly in scale for a traditional outdoors tree seen in many town squares.

Overall opinion

I loved building this set and I enjoy the simple turning mechanic, twist the top of the tree and the trains will rotate below. I have no idea if it would be possible to motorize this build, that is for a more talented MOC artist than I to attempt, but if they could pull it off. This would be the crown centerpiece of a Christmas/Winter Village ultimate display. Loved receiving this set, loved building it and highly recommend it if you missed out. Highly Recommended.

I bought all my Christmas gifts online for the sole purpose of getting this set with my purchase. My parents are both in their 60's and have recently got into Lego and since the festive season is a big thing in my home it was an obvious piece to want.

Box/Instructions

The box the set came in was relatively small, with two (2) bags of bricks, each containing two (2) bags of small parts. I immensely enjoyed this fact, since I often feel that the boxes for sets are unnecessarily big, so this is a BIG Boost for the Green idea. The instruction manual is small, containing 103 steps.

Parts

The parts list for this build is not overly extensive and since it is a tree it is obviously very green. The crystals and the ball pieces are all simply coloured, but work out to a really nice effect in the end. And the Trans-Yellow star for the top is also a nice touch that I enjoyed adding to my collection.

The Build

Building the set was immensely fun, the loose gifts are gorgeous though I do feel that the 4-leave flower plate would have been a better choice than the one used in the set. However, the base as beautiful and the trains beneath the tree are a stunning micro scale design. Once the base is set up and one moves to the actual tree the build becomes a bit more complicated, alternating 2x4 plates as well as 1x6 and 1x4 parts work for an attractive visual but it is vital to keep track of which direction you have the various levels as a deviation leads to the tree looking a little lopsided. But it is also an easy fix if you do go astray.

The completed model

The overall model is appealing, the chosen colours for the bulbs and crystals works really well, giving the tree a fully festive feeling. The trains rotating on the bottom gives it a whimsical twist. The tree is very sturdy, right from the first step to the last one.

Overall opinion

I don't regret waiting to do my Christmas shopping until this tree became available. It was a great way to spend time with my family and the end result added a little more fun and whimsy to the festive decorations. If you love Christmas, you will love this set.

I've been waiting for this set for a few months to make a gift to a loved one.
In the meantime I had told her about the Saturn V.
So she gave me the Saturn V and in the meantime she received the Christmas tree as a gift.
It's very nice, easy and fun to build - even if I didn't assemble it myself - and it has the ability to make the little train turn by hand. It's a nice gift from Lego.