This set is the best lego set in the world.

Pros:

- Good amount of track

- Brilliant set design

- Awesome Minifigs

- Fun to build

- Choice between red and yellow light

Cons:

- Instructions hard to understand at some times

- Sliding doors hard to put on

Overall 10/10

This set is simply brilliant! This has been the only set for beginners that comes with a switch! When you want to change the way the train goes, you must use the yellow lever of the switch. In comparison with the 9V switches that could be bought several years earlier, I find the switch mechanism works much smoother with this switch. LEGO must have improved the mechanism.

The buffer stop is also very nice! I think that set 4553 (Train Wash) is the only set that has a buffer stop as well. I don't have set 4553 yet, but when I look at the pictures, I find the buffer stop of 4512 much better.

The diesel engine comes with a light in the front. There's no light in the engine's back. I mean no light that is powered by electricity from the motor. Maybe this could be changed with some alterations, though I don't know how difficult this is. I've never tried. Somehow the engine often derails because of the cable between the light brick and the 9V motor. Especially when it goes fast, it sometimes leaves the tracks. Through the cable to the light brick, the movements of the motor are a bit limited when it goes into a curve. I strictly assemble such sets according to the building instructions. I'll have to check if I wasn't sloppy. Maybe I didn't assemble it correctly so the engine always derails. But I am not sure. I think it's more a general problem and not a construction error.

You get three waggons with containers and some other freight material. For the containers you get a forklift. The gold bars are also something special. Be careful with the forklift's spring! It can be worn out within some years when you play with it too much. So far I have not been able to get the spring as a replacement part for older forklifts. I don't know where to get such small springs.

You get the locomotive driver in many other sets. That is quite annoying when you have so many minifigs that are absolutely identical. At least, LEGO could have used different faces for him.

There is also a speed regulator. It would have been nice if LEGO had produced two versions of this set: one with the speed regulator and one without it. Without it the price would certainly have been lower. They did this with set4560/4561. I don't know why they can't do it with other train sets as well.

I don't like the new hinge bricks. Of course, they are more robust than the old hinge plates. But the old hinge plates do not need as much space as the new ones.

Anyway, this set is ideal for those who have not yet got a train set. If you buy it, you won't be disappointed. With this set alone you can play many hours.

this was actually my very first lego set that i bought. for myself. as a grown up person. non, je ne regrette rien. i think they've done everything right with this set, its quite perfect.

the box car may be a bit unstable, but there's a nice gag involved: one tile on the box car, which is a gold transport, shows a "franz jäger"-label. "franz jäger" is a fictive producer of safes in the danish "olsen banden"-movies (kind of criminal comedies). so here you have an actual reference to the world outside the lego-universe, which is quite rare in non-sw/hp/spiderman/whatever licensed product lines.

This was my first train set, and I am very happy with it. I think that if you are going to buy a train, buy this one. It includes everything you need to get started, like the motor, speed regulator, light, and track. The engine is extremely well designed and is very strong. The box car on the back is very cool, and although it can fall apart, as long as you don't grab it by the sliding doors it won't. The other two cars are simple, but they are great. The hopper car works well, although there are two stickers that cover multiple pieces. I didn't put those ones on. That is my one and only dislike. The flatbed carrier holds the cargo very well, and the forklift can easily remove and load the cargo.

I like the design of the forklift. It is very easy to play with and holds cargo well. It is compatible with the cargo from the cargo crane.

There is so much you can do with a LEGO train. I suggest you get this set, as well as extra track. I have recently added the cargo crane and the engine shed to my layout, and combined they make a great setup to play with. I also enjoyed interfacing my train with the LEGO Mindstorms RCX, to make it operate autonomously. This set is the perfect set to play with, put on display, or add on to something you already have.

Got this set one week ago. This is my first train set. I'm into technic lego since my childhood. I never thought to buy a train. Bu t when i saw this set my interest in train sets began. I examined all 9V sets (past present). My favorite set are 4564 and this one. I thought to buy a second hand 4564 from bricklink but 4512 set has superiorities to 4564. A double bogie box car with traim doors, A double bogie flatbed, bigger track, switch point and a light brick. Then i decided to buy this set. It has everything you expect from a lego train set. The design of the locomotive and the box car is excellent, the flatbed and the hopper are OK. The set has a nice color scheme. The design of the forklift is nice to (and the usage of minifig seat as mudguards for forklift truck deserves an applause !!).