It seems as though I am in the same boat as other reviewers with this being my very first set...I think even my first ever pieces of Lego. I can remember wanting a Hornby train set, boy was I wrong...thanks Mum! I have particularly fond memories of the 7710 and the little circle of track but it really came to life once I hit the 12v phase. Later I went on to get electric rails etc. and the level crossing, the car transporter and the crane depot. Then came the dark days when it was packed away and forgotten about :( Around 1999 it was resurrected and it found some new friends via eBay and salvaged parts such as the 7745, 7740. It now even has two extra carriages. If you don't already then definitely see if you can get one, it's a little beauty...

The 7710 is one of the earliest trains of the minifig era ("Legoland" as it was called in European catalogs). It came out at a time where Lego was producing many train sets at the same time, either full trains with track or individual locomotives and wagons, during the launch of the 12V system which started the first truly golden period for Lego Trains enthusiasts.

Besides the 12V motorized trains and locomotives, Lego also offered a 4,5V battery train and a push (non-motorized) train on sale for the younger, and the 7710 is the non-motorized set of that period. As such, it was probably the best option for a "starter set": it's got a lot of playability, since it included a full train and track, and since the locomotive is designed around a hollow train base with room for electric motor, it is very simple to "upgrade" the train to a motorized version. A 12V fan should not have overlooked this set at all... but just bought one extra engine separately and made it fully 12V. Because of this, the set was great for both the trains beginner and the experienced.

The design of the locomotive is quite good, although not the best case of steam engine. Comparing it with steam locomotives of the same size and period, it probably is a little less attractive than those included in some other sets, mostly due to the lack of doors.

The wagons are simple compared to those of more recent trains, but in line with other sets of the time. They are very solidly designed and have one of the best colour scheme used for trains, perhaps inspired by the Dutch railways of the time. As other trains of this period, the roof of the wagons are built over tiles and are therefore easily removable to operate the minifigs inside.

The track is only a circle, which is minimal. It doesn't include the inner electrified rail, which needs to be bought separately when motorizing the set.

The set is completed by a passenger loading platform with a bench, and five minifigs, three railway operators and two passengers.

PROs:
- simple but very effective and attractive design of both the locomotive and wagons
- compelling colour scheme
- nice assortment of train-specific pieces
- basic track included for immediate play
- cheap price due to lack of motor
- immediately modifiable for motorization
- high minifig ratio

CONs
- locomotive doors would have made it look even better
- all-curves tracks are generally of little use for those who already own enough rails

Just as the last reviewer this set was my first train set, it came with a multitune of stickers making it possible to turn into any major railcompany's train.
The few trains I built, mostly loco's where inspired by this set that came with a steam loco, to carriages, a platform, engineer, conductor and passengers.

Overview
Year of release: 1980
Last year in catalog: 1984
Set type: train starter set (entry level / push-a-long)
Generation (within grey era): 1.0
Predecessor (within grey era): none
Successor (within grey era): 7715

General description
When the new system was introduced in 1980, this was the smallest train starter set available. But this doesn't mean that it was cheap - the price was within the range of bigger technic sets like the Unimog 8848.

Locomotive
The steam locomotive is pretty simple and straightforward, it even lacks doors. As it is a push-a-long train, there is no electric motor. Instead, it has a motor dummy which is built of basic bricks and train wheels. The dummy is connected to the train base only by four studs, therefore the whole construction is a little bit weak (in the successor set 7715, this issue was improved). Some additional plates and basic bricks are helpful to reinforce the models structure in an invisible way, which means it looks quite the same from outside.
It can be upgraded either with a 4.5v motor (additional battery car is required) or with a 12v motor (additional conducting rails for the track are required). But only the black 12v motor was available as a separate item, which gives the locomotive a dark and really strange look. If you can afford it, better use a red motor to upgrade to 12v.

Wagons
The two wagons are identical, except the stickers make one of them "first class" while the other one is labelled "second class". There are a lot of doors and windows, which were very exciting new parts back in 1980. The blue-yellow color scheme is unique to this set, the doors are blue with yellow printing. The roofs can be easily removed, to get access to the minifigs.

Other contents
The track is a complete circle without straight sections. And there is a small station platform that helps the passengers to get in and out.

Variants and alternate parts
This set comes either with the first (767) or second (4166) version of the dark gray sleeper plates.

Personal opinion
This set is a basic entry into the grey era train system. Especially the locomotive is really basic, while the two passenger cars are nice and offer good playability.