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Revision as of 06:45, 8 January 2010
Western, also known as Wild West was a LEGO System theme that ran from 1996 to 1997. Three sets were re-released in 2002.
The theme was set in the American Old West in the second half of the 19th century and featured cowboys, outlaws, cavalry soldiers and even native Americans. It was the first theme that introduced realistic fire arms (revolvers and rifles) that could also be found in the real world of today, while Pirates did only feature antique weapons like muskets and flintlock pistols.
Details
Gold City under the watchful eye of the Sheriff, while it's harassed by bandits.
Western was the first minifigure-compatible Wild West-styled LEGO theme, but there have been earlier sets of the same subject. Most notably 620 Wild West Scene (1975) and 617 Cowboys (1975) which both included the old "Hands in Pockets" minifigures, that already had the same cowboy hats used today.
The first sets from 1996 focussed on the aspect of sheriffs fighting against outlaws as well as the military presence in the old west and less on civilian life. The few sets that featured town-life served more as a back drop for the gang of bandits robbing carriages or banks. The town, called Gold City, consisted only of the Sheriff station as well as a bank and a general store (6765 Gold City Junction). The bandits took refuge at an abandoned mine outside the city. Another important element of the theme was the cavalry, based at Fort LEGOREDO. Cavalry soldiers had initially no other purpose than defending money transports against the bandits.
In the second and also last year of the theme, 1997, Indians became a major part of Western. Most of the sets included teepees, including their main settlement, Rapid River Village. Interestingly, none of the sets including Indians featured other Western minifigures and the 1997 sets with soldiers or bandits did not involve any Indians, making it appear as if there is not supposed to be any contact between these two groups.
Three Western sets were rereleased in 2002, similar to Pirates which had three rereleases in 2001.
New and exclusive pieces
Several new pieces were introduced with the Western theme, such as the revolvers and rifles, as well as the soldiers' kepis, which reappeared in grey as part of the uniform of the Imperial officers in Star Wars sets. The bandanas used for the cavalry soldiers and the bandits were another new pieces that were seen again in various later sets, as were the large barrels. The bugle however, appeared only in sets of Western and Time Cruisers.
Rare pieces that did not appear elsewhere include the hollow tree stump and various accessories of the Indians, such as the headdresses of the chief and the medicine man, the hair pieces of the other Indians and the feathers on their heads.
Sets
6769 Fort LEGOREDO is one of the most popular sets of the theme.
- 6712 Sheriff's Showdown (1996)
- 6716 Weapons Wagon (1996)
- 6755 Sheriff's Lock-up (1996), rereleased as 6764 Sheriff's Lock-Up (2002)
- 6761 Bandits' Secret Hideout (1996)
- 6765 Gold City Junction (1996)
- 6769 Fort LEGOREDO (1996), rereleased as 6762 Fort LEGOREDO (2002)
- 2845 Indian Chief (1997)
- 2846 Indian Kayak (1997)
- 6706 Frontier Patrol (1997)
- 6709 Tribal Chief (1997)
- 6718 Rain Dance Ridge (1997)
- 6746 Chief's Tepee (1997)
- 6748 Boulder Cliff Canyon (1997)
- 6766 Rapid River Village (1997), rereleased as 6763 Rapid River Village (2002)
- 6790 Bandit's Wheel Gun (1997)
- 6791 Bandit's Wheel Gun (1997)
- 6799 Showdown Canyon (1997)
- K6762 Western Collection (2002), included the sets 6762, 6763 and 6764
- Other sets/products
- 3974 Cowboy Key Chain
- 5923 Western Photo Frame
- 5317 Wild West Accessories
- 5392 Wild West Accessories
- 8098 Rose Art Floor Puzzle, Wild West 3D
- Rose Art Stick 'n Lift Western Puzzle
- Audio dramas