Anyone know the secret history of the gray era 12v/4.5v system?

[ClassicTrains]

I join too... It would be awesome to get to know, who designed my favourite sets! :)

[Paperinik77pk]

Oh, what a magnificent thread is this.

I've always wondered about the minds who created the 12v sets! 

No idea on the "secrets" but during all these years I somehow made my personal opinion on these designers.

First of all, they could have based their choice on two factors:

• The offer of  top selling model train brands of the time (Fleischmann/Marklin and concurrent Playmobil) who mainly focused on German trains. As an example Lima/Rivarossi producers had a lot of Italian and French rolling stock, which were probably not interesting.  The French  TGV became famous after a pair of years, so the  "phase 1" (1980 to 1983) gray era did not have the time to include it in the offered sets.
• The Deutsche Bundesbahn  had a good range of diesels, steamers and electric trains, both passenger and freight, and many of them were quite "familiar" if not iconic (DB103/E69/BR80/BR89...). Adults bought them for kids, and then became attracted by the the 4,5v/12v systems solutions.

I've always thought the Train designers were a bit limited by Lego selling policies back in the days  (Lego must sell - creativity is good but obviously money is better).

Luckily, the had some opportunities to develop the Train world or show its potential. The back pages of the catalogs were great, but limited to show the offered sets. The 7777 Idea book is the place were they could work at their best. And were they tried to go further and to move towards the  "Unlimited Possibilities"  idea.

The 7777 most relevant "creative spark", in my opinion, is the real integration between Trains and Technic worlds (first signs can be found on 7750 and 7814). 

First Hornby trains were based on Meccano parts and bolts, then became a world on their own. Lego somehow made it in reverse mode. In the 7777 we had bridges, loaders, wagons, cable holders, ramps...all made with a combination of normal Lego and Technic. Beautiful.  

The next natural step should have been to have Technic-based trains, but there were no train wheels with axle holes. Wheels were the only thing lacking, the only one preventing a  complete Technic chassis to run on train track. We had to wait RC trains to have those wheels officially from Lego, and still today the offer of diameters and types is limited .

I am pretty sure one of these designers proposed the train/Technic wheels back in the early 80s...and it surely was a managerial idea not to create them.  And not to create a second 7777 book. 

Personally, I still feel the need to create transmissions, mechanisms and other Technic-based solutions inside MOC trains, and this is all thanks to the 7777 Idea Book and those great designers.

 

Edited January 19, 2018 by Paperinik77pk

[Carrera124]

After 18 chapters, the article series is finished for now:

https://www.promobricks.de/category/lego-eisenbahn

Maybe there will be part #19, but the topic planned for this chapter is really huge and complex, so it will take some time to decide if to continue or not.

Thanks to all readers!

[Dav1d]

I happened to come across Brickset https://brickset.com/sets/list-15965 'Sets designed by Jens Nygaard Knudsen' - it says he designed set 7710 the push along steam train with 4 wheel blue & yellow passenger coaches. I wonder if he designed other. One of the characteristics is that all the sets fit together as one collection.

  

[zephyr1934]

Wow, you might have found the winner. Looking through that list, he designed some of my favorite sets from my childhood.

[Gioppa]

About the 12 volts,never forget the never-come-out-in-the-shop you can find int his topic;go down and see, i appriciate to recreeate the crocodile

 

archive.is/g993d

(copy and paste,that is the link..sorry i never learn how to put photo or link...)

 

 

Edited July 14, 2018 by JopieK
Added the image for you