Buy LEGO® Trains: The Complete Guide to New, Old, and Vintage Trains

Buying a LEGO® train starts with choosing the right train system. Modern LEGO® City trains use Powered Up with a battery-powered locomotive and control via a remote control or app. Older LEGO® trains may work with 9V rails, 12V rails, Power Functions, or other earlier systems. At De BrickPlaats, you will find both modern trains and used and vintage LEGO® trains, individual wagons, rails, and train parts.

LEGO® trains have been popular with children, adult builders, and collectors for decades. You can start with one locomotive and a simple circular track, then continue expanding the railway with wagons, stations, switches, level crossings, and additional LEGO® train rails. Precisely because there are so many different generations, it is important to know which parts work together. In this guide, we explain the main systems and differences.

What LEGO® train systems are there?

LEGO® has been releasing trains since the 1960s. The first fully motorized brick train appeared in 1964, followed in 1966 by a train with a 4.5V battery motor and rails. Since then, various electrical systems have been developed. The track gauge has remained the same, but the way the locomotive receives power has changed several times.

4.5V LEGO® trains

The first battery-powered LEGO® trains used a 4.5V system. Among other things, these early trains ran on the familiar blue rails. Later, 4.5V systems with other rails also appeared. These early train sets are interesting to collectors because of their historical place within LEGO® and their distinctly different appearance compared with modern train sets.

12V LEGO® train

LEGO® introduced the 12V system in 1969. In these trains, electrical power is delivered to the locomotive through additional conductive elements in the track. In 1980, LEGO® Train became a more clearly defined product line, and the rails changed from blue to gray. The gray 12V generation from the 1980s in particular is now popular with collectors.

A 12V LEGO® train can be part of an extensive system with locomotives, wagons, signals, switches, and other electrical functions. Anyone wanting to restore or expand an old 12V layout should therefore pay close attention to the correct rails, transformer, and electrical components.

9V LEGO® train

In 1991, LEGO® introduced the 9V train system. In this system, power runs through metal conductors in the rails. The locomotive therefore receives electricity through the train motor and does not need a separate battery box inside the train.

The 9V system is interesting to many train enthusiasts because the metal rails supply power to the locomotive. This clearly differs from modern LEGO® trains, where the power comes from batteries inside the train itself.

RC and LEGO® Power Functions

After LEGO® stopped supplying power through the track, battery-powered train systems running on plastic track appeared. Radio control was used first, followed later by LEGO® Power Functions.

Power Functions uses a battery box, motor, and infrared controller. Since the power no longer comes from the track, these trains can run on ordinary plastic LEGO® train track. If you're buying a used train, it's a good idea to check that the motor, battery box, receiver, and remote control are included.

LEGO® Powered Up

Powered Up is the system used for modern motorized LEGO® City trains. The locomotive contains a battery-powered hub and can be controlled via Bluetooth. Depending on the set, you can operate the train with a physical remote control, the LEGO® Powered Up app, or both.

A well-known example is LEGO® City Passenger Express Train 60337. This train has a motorized locomotive with dimmable headlights and can be controlled with the included remote control or via the Powered Up app.

Overview: 12V, 9V, Power Functions, and Powered Up

This distinction is especially important when buying a used LEGO® train or expanding an existing railway. The track gauge has remained the same over the years, so train cars can stand on track from different generations. However, the electrical operation is not the same: an old 9V or 12V locomotive needs compatible powered track for its original power supply, while Power Functions and Powered Up trains carry their own battery power.

Buy a new LEGO® train

Those looking to buy a modern LEGO® train will mainly choose from LEGO® City. These train sets are designed for both building and play and often contain much more than just a locomotive. Depending on the set, you may get passenger cars, freight cars, minifigures, a platform, vehicles, cargo, and enough track to build a railway right away.

Modern motorized trains use Powered Up. This means you don't need to connect powered track: the power supply is in the locomotive. This makes the system accessible to children and to anyone building an extensive LEGO® railway for the first time.

A modern LEGO® City Train is also easy to expand. Add extra straight tracks, curves and switches, and you can make the layout increasingly larger. With additional wagons, buildings and a station, one train set eventually becomes a complete railway world.

LEGO® freight train or passenger train?

One of the first choices is often between a freight train and a passenger train. Both run according to the same principle, but the play experience differs.

A LEGO® freight train is all about transporting cargo. Such sets often include various freight cars, containers, a crane, forklift or other logistics elements. A good example is LEGO® City Freight Train 60198, which came with a motorised locomotive, various wagons, cargo, a forklift, tracks and switches.

A passenger train focuses more on travellers. This might include passenger cars, a driver, passengers, and a platform or station. Which option is most enjoyable depends mainly on how you want to build your railway world.

Old and vintage LEGO® trains

For collectors, it becomes truly interesting when you go back to earlier generations. An old LEGO® train can differ considerably from a modern set, both technically and visually. Trains from the 12V and 9V eras in particular have a loyal following.

An important part of the appeal is nostalgia. Perhaps you're looking for the train you played with as a child, want to complete an old locomotive again, or are deliberately building a railway that comes entirely from a specific period.

With vintage LEGO®, you may also come across train sets that have not been produced for decades. Always check which parts are included with an older set. A locomotive alone, for example, is not sufficient if the original system also requires a specific motor, transformer or powered tracks.

Do old and new LEGO® train tracks fit together?

This is one of the most important questions when expanding a LEGO® train track layout. LEGO® has not changed the track gauge of its train tracks over the years. As a result, many trains and wagons can physically run on tracks from different generations.

However, the power supply differs. Older 9V and 12V trains were designed to receive electricity through their corresponding tracks. Modern Power Functions and Powered Up trains have their own battery power and can therefore also run on tracks that do not supply power themselves.

Do you want to combine different generations? Then don't just check whether the tracks physically connect, but also consider the locomotive's power system.

Which LEGO® train tracks do you need?

With only the tracks from a starter set, you can usually already build a circular or oval track. If you want a larger railway, additional track elements are a logical expansion.

• Straight rails: for longer routes and stations.
• Curved rails: for making loops and bends.
• Switches: for creating multiple tracks and routes.
• Flexible rails: useful with some generations for accommodating small deviations in a track layout.
• Older electric rails: needed when you want to use an original 9V or 12V system as intended.

For a large track layout, switches are particularly useful. For example, you can use them to combine a main line with a station, shunting yard or storage area for carriages.

What do you need to make a LEGO® train run electrically?

Which parts you need to make a LEGO® train run electrically depends entirely on the system.

With a modern Powered Up train, you generally need a train motor, Powered Up Hub with batteries and a suitable controller. Complete motorized train sets normally include these parts, but always check this for a used item.

With Power Functions, you need, among other things, a suitable motor, battery box, receiver and remote control. An old 9V train uses metal rails and a controller for its power supply. With 12V, it is the specific 12V system with its corresponding electrical components.

Are you buying a used electric LEGO® train? Always read the product description to check which technical components are included.

Adding a LEGO® train station

A LEGO® train station makes a track layout even more fun. Over the years, LEGO® has released various stations, from simple platforms to larger buildings with waiting areas, ticket offices and facilities for travelers.

A station also adds structure to a larger LEGO® city. For example, combine the track with buildings and vehicles from LEGO® Town and other city themes. This way, your train does not just go around in circles but becomes part of a complete built environment.

Which LEGO® train is suitable for children?

For children who are starting with LEGO® trains for the first time, a complete modern train set is usually the easiest choice. It includes a locomotive, rails and often the essential parts for powering the train.

Also pay attention to the recommended age for the specific set. Some train sets contain many parts and require more building experience, while others are mainly designed for extensive play after building.

A LEGO® train is also easy to expand as your collection grows. First, you build a simple track layout and later add rails, carriages, stations and buildings.

Which LEGO® train is interesting for collectors?

For collectors, there is no single train that is the right choice for everyone. One collector may focus entirely on 12V, while another collects 9V locomotives, modern City trains, or specific wagons.

Older train sets can be interesting because of their technology, design, and historical place within LEGO®. Original motors, tracks, transformers, stickers, minifigures, boxes, and instructions can be important to collectors who want to have a set as complete as possible.

When looking at a used or vintage train, do not focus only on the locomotive. Check the complete package and compare it with what originally came with the set.

Buying LEGO® Trains at De BrickPlaats

At De BrickPlaats, you will find a changing selection of LEGO® trains. This may range from modern train sets to older locomotives, wagons, stations, tracks, and parts from earlier generations.

The combination of new and used LEGO® is especially useful when you want to expand an existing train layout. Perhaps you are not looking for a complete train, but rather a specific type of track, an extra wagon, or a part to get an older set running again.

Because used and older train products may be available in different conditions, it is important to read the product description carefully. For example, check whether a motor, remote control, battery box, transformer, instructions, and original box are included if these are important to you.

Not sure which system you have? At our physical store in Oss, we can help you identify it. Especially with older 12V, 9V, and other train systems, it can be useful to establish exactly which generation you have before buying additional parts.

From one train to a complete LEGO® railway world

The great thing about LEGO® trains is that you never really have to be completely finished. Start with a locomotive, a few wagons, and a circular track, then keep adding new elements. With switches, you can create a shunting yard; with a station, the minifigures have a destination; and with additional buildings, the track grows into a complete city.

For children, this means years of expandable play. For adult builders and collectors, it offers the opportunity to bring technology, landscapes, and their own designs together. As a result, a LEGO® train is not just a set, but often the beginning of a much larger collection.

View the current selection of LEGO® trains at De BrickPlaats, including complete sets, vintage trains, tracks, wagons, and other train products.