The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-17 was probably the final expedition of the Golden Age of Antarctic Exploration. Led by third time Antarctic Explorer Ernest Shackleton, the goal was to cross the icy continent from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea, via the South Pole. What actually happened was a feat of human survival that could be summed up in a single word: than name of the ship they had set sail on: Endurance.

Overnight, the LEGO Group has revealed a 3011 piece replica model of the Wooden Brigantine Endurance. This set will be released on 29th November 2024, priced at $AUD399.99/£229.99 / €269.99/ $USD269.99. There will be a gift with purchase at release featuring Minifigures of Ernest Shackleton and photographer William Hurley, along with one of the lifeboats used to ensure the survival of the crew.

I’m a little excited by this set…

The story of the Endurance, and how Shackleton’s leadership led the crew through a winter trapped in the Antarctic pack ice, before the ship was crushed and sunk, has become the stuff of legend. The fact that the crew were able to make their way to Elephant Island in lifeboats, and then have a crew navigate to South Georgia Island in one of these small boats in August 2016, is the stuff of Legend, and perhaps we will go into that further in the future.

Why should I care?

I was fortunate to travel to the Antarctic 20 years ago, and the story of Shackleton’s adventures were drummed home as we found the ice close in around the ship in the evening, the further south we headed. That said, we never went quite so far south as the Endurance, but the landscape was truly awe inspiring.

The industrial archeology from previous scientific expeditions, as well as the whaling and sealing industries and a retired WW2 spy base made for a fascinating trip.

But back to the LEGO set…

This is a beautifully detailed model of the wooden ship that carried the crew to the Antarctic. It has 3 masts, 10 sails and full rigging, and while it is significantly smaller than minifigure scale, it is still 80 cm long.

Early purchasers will also be eligible for a special Gift with purchase, including one of the lifeboats, as well as minifigures of Shackleton and Willam Hurley, the expedition’s photographer. I continue to marvel at the skill of the crew who navigated one of these boats over 1000km from Elephant island to South Georgia

I haven’t been offered this set for early review, but will be a day one buy for me, and we will touch on some more of the history of the ill fated expedition as we go through the build.

The set will be released on November 29, and will be available from LEGO.com for $AUD399.99/£229.99 / €269.99/ $USD269.99.

Have you previously heard or read the story of Shackleton’s expeditions? Do you like the look of this model? Leave your comments below.

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Play Well!