Product Idea |

Sheriff's Office and Jail

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Sheriff Wyatt rides again!

My re-imagining of a classic LEGO theme, Western, featuring a sheriff's office building with integrated holding cells. The scene depicts Sheriff Wyatt standing outside, taking in the morning air, oblivious to the dastardly machinations going on around him! At the back of the model, we see wanted bandit Flatfoot Thompson approaching the brick wall of the jail cells with clear intentions, while inside, his incarcerated associate Dewey Cheatum tries to distract the sheriff's deputy, Zack. In the other cell, another notorious bandit, Black Bart, bides his time!

The build

A sneaky snake slithers out from under the raised veranda towards the sheriff - and a suspiciously snake-shaped box lies open around the other side! Bullet holes can be seen peppering the woodwork, along with some wear and tear to the boards, and a prospector-style lantern hangs above the entrance. Meanwhile, a rat scurries out of its hole on the right side! Lots more details to discover inside and out; those are just a few highlights!

Although it's not technically a modular building, several sections do lift out easily to allow access to the interior, which does introduce a degree of modularity. The main roof, jail cell roof on one side, front facade and veranda can all be separately removed.

In terms of the colour palette, I wanted a certain warmth for the wooden exterior so went with reddish brown and dark orange primarily, while the use of dark tan on the foliage suggests the sun-bleached nature of the arid desert landscape. The overall idea was to provide a modern twist on the theme in terms of building techniques and finishes, while still maintaining the core DNA of the original line through use of moulded pieces such as the horse and bushes. Hopefully I've managed to strike that balance!

Historical background

Although historical accuracy wasn't my biggest driver, I did do some research on the old west in the latter half of the 19th Century, when this build is set, and found that the notion of flat rooves is largely a myth - by all accounts, most rooves were pitched. Wooden shingles were often used, but so too was clapboard, which is the design I went with for the main roof and the veranda. Inside, the only source of light was oil lamps, as it would have been; some affixed to the walls, some hanging from the ceiling joists and some placed on desks. Adobe bricks were sometimes used in construction, along with corrugated iron rooves, which is what I chose to represent with the jail cells. Buildings were usually raised off the ground throughout - another detail I've tried to capture here.

My vision for the set

I wanted to pay homage to the Western theme with this model; the last few years have seen re-imaginings of classic themes such as Castle, Space and Pirates among others, and I feel this theme too holds a special place for LEGO fans of a certain age. This set would potentially capitalize on the desire to see Western make a return in some form, while also appealing to fans of the Wild West in general. For my own part, I grew up in the era of Classic Space but the sets of this era still have a nostalgic pull, in terms of the warm colour palette and the striking simplicity of the designs.

I would intend this primarily as a display set, but there are a number of features that also lend themselves to play: the brick-built saloon-style doors are fully functional, with 180 degrees of movement, two jail cell doors both open outwards and all of the drawers in desks and cupboard open up and can be used for storing accessories. Lifting up three floorboards in the office also reveals a secret gold stash under the building! Very little is 'locked down'; minifigs can be moved around freely, along with furniture such as brick-built chairs and desks, to play out a range of scenarios.

Five minifigures are included: Sheriff Wyatt, Deputy Zack and the infamous cadre of bandits; Flatfoot Thompson, Dewey Cheatum and Black Bart. All the main players of yesteryear!

Part count: 2734
Approx dimensions: W 41cm x L 36cm x H 20cm

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