Creator

London Bus

A proper little Routemaster, just don't expect anyone riding it.

Brick Rated Score

3.7/5

Set 40953 · 2026

Pieces245

Minifigsn/a

Year2026

Set number40953

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The verdict

I picked this one up expecting a quick nostalgia hit and got exactly that, a chunky red double decker with real curves in the front end and a roof that lifts off so you can peek inside.

It is a genuine upgrade on the 2016 version LEGO sold for years, more than double the pieces and a much better sense of the actual bus shape. Where it stumbles is the empty feeling once you open it up, no driver, no passengers, nobody home. If you love the Routemaster or you want a cheerful desk model of London, this earns its spot on the shelf, but treat it as a display piece, not a driving toy for kids who want figures to play with.

Best for: London fans and Creator souvenir collectors who want a shelf piece, not a play set

The full review

What it is

The first thing that got me was the front end. LEGO has actually sculpted that rounded Routemaster nose instead of just slapping red bricks into a box shape, and it reads as a London bus from across the room. At 8.8 cm high and 15 cm long it is small enough to sit on a windowsill or a desk without taking over, and the destination signage and route number give it that little bit of character that makes you smile when you spot it.

The catch

Here's the honest part. This replaces the 2016 mini London Bus, and while it is close to double the piece count, a lot of that growth went into shape and structure rather than content. Pop the roof off and there is no driver, no seated passengers, just an empty shell you can peer into. At €19.99 or $19.99 for 245 pieces, that is a fair chunk of money for a set that some reviewers are calling a premium tourist souvenir rather than a proper Creator build. Five stickers rather than printed elements also takes a bit of shine off it for anyone who cares about that stuff.

Who it's for

If you are after a quick, cheerful build to bring home a bit of London, or you collect Creator vehicles and want the current version on your shelf, this delivers. If you are buying for a kid who wants to actually play bus driver with little people riding along, or you are counting cost per piece, I would look elsewhere or wait for a sale.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

This is a fast build, the kind you finish with a cup of tea still warm beside you. The chassis goes together in a handful of steps, and most of the work is in getting that curved front and rear fascia to sit right, which is where the set actually earns its keep. There is no complex color switching or awkward part swapping, just a steady climb from wheels to windows to roof.

The standout here is really the shaping rather than any single rare piece, LEGO leaned on angled plates and a few curved slopes to fake the Routemaster's rounded body in a way the old 118 piece version never managed. There is nothing here that will excite a parts collector hunting new molds or printed rarities, this set is about silhouette over substance, and it mostly pulls that off.

Fun facts

01The 40953 London Bus replaces the 2016 mini London Bus (40220), more than doubling the piece count from 118 to 245
02It launched through the LEGO online store on March 1, 2026, priced at £17.99 / $19.99 / €19.99
03The bus measures roughly 8.8 cm high, 15 cm long, and 5 cm wide, still small enough to sit comfortably on a desk
04Despite the roof lifting off to reveal both decks, LEGO did not include a single minifigure in the set, not even a driver