Harry Potter working model vehicles come to UGEARS for the holidays

UGEARS is the Ukrainian company that creates spectacularly engineered models, reflecting the history of science and technology in plywood gears and rods. They also make steampunk and fantasy creations. Last year and earlier this year I reviewed several STEM kits provided by UGEARS (check out my reviews here) as well as a magnificent mechanical winged dragon model (reviewed here and still flying). UGEARS has secured the license to make working, functional vehicles from the Harry Potter franchise.

We’ll be reviewing them and some other new products soon, but today we’re previewing what’s available for the Harry Potter line below (check out the videos for each to see them in action). Order any or all now at the UGEARS website here to get them in time for Christmas (and support the artisans, engineers, and craftspeople in Ukraine).

Let’s start with that awesome Hogwarts Express train set kit. Here are the details from UGEARS:

Enter the Wizarding World and join Harry, Hermione and Ron on an exciting journey aboard the Hogwarts Express with this special working model train by UGEARS. Leaving from King’s Cross Station in London with destination Hogsmeade Station near Hogwarts Castle, this beautiful wooden model train has a spring-powered locomotive, a coal tender, and a passenger carriage in which three figurines of the young wizarding heroes are seen heading off to school. Wind the model with the special key, twist the smokestack Start/Stop switch, then watch the mesmerizing motion of the locomotive’s gears, wheels and connecting rods as it chugs ahead. The UGEARS Hogwarts Express can travel 4 meters (with tender and carriage) or 6 meters (locomotive only) on any smooth, flat surface. This beautiful 3D wooden model train also comes with a section of track and Platform 9 ¾ buffer stop for an elegant static display.

The handsome locomotive can be run on its own or coupled with two cars—a coal tender and a passenger carriage. The tender has an empty coal compartment in which you can store the train’s wind-up key or other small objects. The passenger carriage has three compartments, three doors that open, and a removable roof, allowing you to place the figurines of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley on special mounts that move side-to-side when the train is in motion. You can also place these character figurines next to the train for static display, as though the youngsters were waiting to board the magical Hogwarts Express for another term at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The locomotive is the driving force of the model, with its metal spring engine and gears that transmit power to the moving wheels. The locomotive is wound using a special key (there are winding slots on both the left and right side of the engine), but first be sure to twist the smokestack to the “Stop” position. Once the spring is wound, hold the model while twisting the smokestack to the “Start” position, then release and watch the train pull out in a straight line.

Then there’s the Weasley family Ford that the kids drive–and fly. Here are the details:

The Anglia is a faithful reproduction of the Weasley’s enchanted Muggle car. Children will delight as they fly it through the air or pretend to race it along a track just ahead of the Hogwarts Express. Who can forget the scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when Harry and Ron fly back to Hogwarts in the Anglia, before losing control and crash landing in the Whomping Willow? After a narrow escape, the young wizards and all their belongings get ejected by the car, upset at the abuse it has received.

The UGEARS Flying Ford Anglia has a spring drive that transmits torque to the rear wheels, providing drive power. The car can travel 3-4 meters on a single wind-up of the ratchet mechanism located on the undercarriage. The spring drum is safely tucked under the model car’s seats, while the authentic rear license plate functions as the start/stop button. There is also a neutral gear that lets the car roll freely. The front wheels rotate 25 degrees in either direction and can be turned using the steering wheel or by pressing the wheels themselves, allowing the car to travel in a straight line or turn circles (you are in charge of making the Anglia fly!). The car rides on any flat surface, from carpet to slippery tile, thanks to the grippy rubber band “tires” encircling all wheels.

You can manually open the doors, trunk and hood of the Flying Ford Anglia. The open hood (or “bonnet” in the UK) reveals engine details, while the trunk (or “boot”) is large enough to accommodate Harry’s model suitcases with laser-engraved Hogwarts crest.

But here’s where the real magic comes in: thanks to a special mechanism attached to the spring-loaded shaft running through the cabin, the Anglia has a secret “ejection” function. When the front license plate is pressed, the trunk and side doors pop open while the tilting front seats and a lever in the trunk dramatically throw all passengers and contents from the vehicle. Place Harry’s suitcases in the trunk, press the front plate, and watch as they are unceremoniously ejected by the angry Anglia!

Last, but not, least is the Harry Potter Knight Bus, as seen in the best Potter movie of them all, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Here are the details:

The Knight Bus from the Harry Potter series is here to rescue young wizards, witches and Muggles alike. This DIY wooden mechanical model bus is an exciting addition to the UGEARS Harry Potter collection, and a very clever piece of engineering indeed. To create this triple-decker bus, with its unique features from the Wizarding World universe, our Ugears designers and engineers set themselves an ambitious goal: create a bus that can narrow and expand itself, and change speed when it does, just like in the movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

The speedy Knight Bus can roar through the streets of Muggle London (or your living room) thanks to its powerful spring-powered motor, which is wound using a secret key stored on top of the bus. Raise the magical manipulator button, also on the roof of the bus, to lock the drive gears and prevent the bus from running away before all wizards and witches have boarded. With the bus stopped you can now remove the secret winding key, insert it into the ratchet mechanism on the side of the bus and give it a few twists. To set the bus in motion, press down the magical manipulator button while holding the bus, then let go! The Knight Bus roars off thanks to a system of gears that transfer energy from the spring to the wheels, including a “flip” gear that lets the bus continue coasting.

The standout feature of the DIY wooden model Knight Bus is its ability to transform by narrowing or expanding its width with a twist of the magical manipulator. Twist the knob on top of the bus counterclockwise and the bus becomes narrow, for squeezing between traffic. Twist the knob clockwise to expand the bus (and any passengers) to their true size. But here’s the amazing thing—as the width of the bus changes, so does the speed! In its normal (not compressed) state, the bus travels astonishingly fast. Compress the bus and an internal mechanism makes the bus travel in slow motion.

Check out the other builds we reviewed at borg if you missed them: the 2-in-1 Arithmetic Kit (reviewed here), the Gearbox (reviewed here), the Random Generator (reviewed here), the Tachometer reviewed here), and the Variator (reviewed here). In addition to the other STEM kits we reviewed, UGEARS offers four other STEM kits you may want to try: a Differential gear, a Counter, a Pendulum, and a Curvimeter tool, and outside the STEM series are other engineering marvel kits like the Pneumatic Engine and Dynamometer, plus many stunning, elaborate, advanced kits like the Windstorm Dragon. Take a look at all the available UGEARS models at the UGEARS website for more information.