LEGO Inside Tour Exclusive Sets, Part 3: Post-Pandemic Tours
The LEGO Inside Tour (LIT) is a “once in a lifetime experience” that entails a multi-day VIP experience for LEGO fans in Billund, Denmark, the home of LEGO. Sign-ups for the 2025 tours (10 of them!) start today and close on October 31st. You can get a day-by-day event description in our series here.
One of the biggest perks of going on the LIT is receiving one of the rarest LEGO sets, which is given only to those on the tour. Before we continue the journey, you might want to refresh your memory of the LIT sets from Part 1 and Part 2. As a quick refresher, here are all the LEGO Inside Tour models that have been produced in a scrollable gallery below:
2022 LEGO Factory AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) (4000037)
via brickset
One of the memorable LIT experiences is seeing the Kornmarken molding factory in person. There is a nice video online, but it can’t capture all the sights, sounds and smells of the factory. The bulk of the process is all done without much human intervention. While the dozens of molding machines spit out fresh bricks and other elements, a small fleet of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) pick up the filled bins, and provide a new empty bin.
The AGVs are guided by magnets embedded into the factory floor. Laser scanners allow the AGVs to detect obstacles and either move around them or come to a stop until there is a clear path. When a bin of molded elements is full, the molding machine sends a message to the AGVs for the bin to be picked up. But the molding machines don’t sit idle waiting for this to happen. There are always two bins at each machine. When one bin becomes full, a portion of the white vertical pedestal machines rotates, placing the empty bin at the molding machine. The AGV picks up the full bin and leaves a new empty bin. All this continues 24/7!
via lego
The model depicts an AGV offloading filled bins onto a conveyor belt. In the factory a robotic arm picks up a lid and puts it onto the bin and snaps it into place. While not part of the model, tour guests see the lids being washed in an industrial type dishwasher in between uses. All part of the automated cleanliness process where LEGO bricks are not touched by human hands prior to being unpacked and built by the customer!
via duckbricks
All of the bins with freshly molded elements are transported to the high-bay warehouse via conveyor belts. The LIT model also has a pallet jack and two pallets of filled bins. This depicts a later part of the process where bins have been retrieved from the warehouse and are being prepared for shipment for additional processing. While the factory in Billund used to do the entire production process, they now focus on molding elements. Any printing, assembly (i.e., minifigures), or packaging is done at other factory facilities.
There are four unique printed panels (two each of two designs) for the AGV graphics in the exclusive set. There is also an exclusive recolor of the crate element (30150) in bright light blue. (I’ve built this model out of publicly available parts, so please let me know if you have access to any of these exclusive parts to complete it!).
For all three models in this “Part 3” article, the sketch models were designed by the LEGO House Master Builder Stuart Harris with the final model design made by Henrik Andersen, though this could change in the future.
2023 LEGO Fire Engine (4000040)
via brickset
This LIT-exclusive fire truck hearkens back to the days of LEGO wooden toys. While not quite as iconic as the wooden duck, the fire engine makes an impressive display model. This particular design is just one of several on display in the LEGO Idea House and the LEGO House
There are a number of exclusive elements in the kit. There are two curved 6 x 4 double slope (78522) elements that are both recolors in red, as well as exclusive prints with metallic stripes. There are two printed curved 1 x 4 x 1 1/3 slopes (6191) with the historical LEGO logo. (Aftermarket printed element replicas were used in my model.)
There are two new rope elements in tan used for the fire hoses. For my replica I found some white rope in the garage that was a similar diameter and weave texture. Soaking some pieces in leftover coffee for a few hours yielded a reasonably good match for the tan color!
Two other exclusive recolors are the tan 2 x 8 rail pieces (30586) and the inverted curved slopes (1750) in red. I was very fortunate to have ordered these pieces for my model when they were briefly available on the LEGO Pick a Brick website.
The model incorporates several nice demonstrations of engineering principles (play functions). The ladder can be raised, fully extended and rotated. The raising and extension are accomplished using the crank and string mechanism, which also has locking and release capabilities.
2024 The Vault – Memory Lane (4000042)
via brickset
via duckbricks
Another big highlight of the LIT is getting the rare opportunity to visit the vault, where examples of nearly all retail LEGO sets are kept. Many tour attendees will try to find their first LEGO set which is why it is also called Memory Lane.
For many years the vault was located in the basement of the LEGO Idea House, the private company museum for employees and invited guests. In December 2022, the Vault was moved to the second floor of the old factory building which is part of the LEGO Idea House complex. This new location is depicted in the 2024 LIT exclusive model.
via living the brick
The new Vault is significantly larger, offering much more room to display and access the artifacts, and allows room for future years’ products. There is even an inviting lounge area to relax and study a historical set or peruse a LEGO book. The previous basement location was quite limited, and the movable shelves only allowed access to two or three aisles at a time. While the new location is far superior in many ways, it doesn’t have the same mystique as descending into the basement through a hidden door.
via living the brick
The set has a many exclusive elements, most notably the 3D printed duck in dark green. The design is the same as the red version released in limited quantities in 2022 through the LEGO House, and features the same rotating wheels which actuate the movable beak.
Exclusive prints include the 1x8 printed tile with “The Vault,” the black employee torsos with the LEGO House logo/badge, and the LIT lanyards worn by the tour participants. These lanyards are also an exclusive recolor of the Minifigure medal element molded in yellow. Finally, there is also a 1x2 transparent panel printed with “Memory Lane” in the set. (Sharp-eyed viewers will notice that my replica model is, thus far, missing all of these exclusive elements.)
The model also includes a whopping 40 stickers. While I’m not a big fan of stickers, they are necessary in this case to depict a wide array of notable LEGO products on the shelves. I can just imagine some lively discussions about what products would be represented and which would need to be omitted!
Building the model is reminiscent of the 2019 LEGO System House (4000034). A large percentage of the elements go into building the walls (two studs thick for the vault) and floor of the model. A lesser portion is used for the interior furnishings, but it is still a fun model. Perhaps these two exclusive LIT models could be used as a starting point to build the entire LEGO Idea House complex! If any of you want to take on this building challenge, be warned that laz75 has a big head start.
via laz75
While it is a rare opportunity for LIT attendees to visit the vault, there are even more vaults the public never see. Corporate Historian Kristian Riemer Hauge described how The LEGO Group must have at least five copies of a set before one gets displayed in the LEGO Idea House Vault. That’s right, there are four other vaults that are even better stocked and more exclusive! These are dispersed in multiple cities in Denmark, and feature ever increasing levels of temperature, humidity, light and security control. If any of you have ambitions of seeing them, you better hope to get hired as a TLG historian or archivist.
Conclusion
If you’re still unsure whether to apply for the 2025 LEGO Inside Tour, BrickNerd patron Wayne provided a three-part article on his experience. While the exclusive set is different each year and minor tour details may vary, you’re guaranteed to have a first-rate experience!
What will be the subject of the 2025 LIT exclusive set? None of the people involved in the design process are talking, so we’ll need to wait and see! If prior patterns are any indication, it will likely be more of an “object” rather than a “scene.” Certainly, the set will follow the trend of being related to LEGO history and/or something experienced during the LIT and will be cherished by tour attendees!
What do you think future LEGO Inside Tour sets could be? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
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