[Kon-Peki]

Is this the 3rd generation of Lego City trains?

We have the first (?) generation in which each train uses IR (I think) and each controller can deal with 2 trains at once, but are selectable to 4 "channels" - so 8 trains in total. I wanted to buy another train or two a few years ago but they had switched to a bluetooth-only system.

We also have one of the Duplo bluetooth trains and it is pretty nice as well.

[TonyTrapp]

There's at least two generations before that "first (?)" generation: 12V powered trains from the 80s and 9V powered trains from the 90s. In both cases, the train tracks were conductive. No batteries needed. A controller was attached to the train tracks. Still my favorite system, as it has no parts that can ever become obsolete (dead batteries, unsupported phone apps, unsupported bluetooth protocols...)

[jacquesm]

And before then the 4.5V 'blue' rails (you could upgrade from that to the 12V system by swapping out the motor and adding the middle rail, but that lost you the ability to make certain tracks because then the two rails would end up being shorted out, which is why Maerklin long ago decided to use a center track for one pole and the outside for the other).

[incanus77]

I have train set 182 [1] from 1975, bought at Harrod’s in the UK and brought back to the US for a family friend who passed it on to me. It’s still in the box with styrofoam liner.

[1] https://brickset.com/sets/182-1/Train-Set-with-Motor

[jacquesm]

If it was never used it is worth a fortune.

[incanus77]

Oh, it was definitely used, but appears to be all there. It's notable in that the set comes pre-assembled and in the styrofoam packing, which is how I received it. I can only imagine what new would look like.

[mschuster91]

> 9V powered trains from the 90s

You could use an RCX to control and power the train motors. Fun times from a simpler world, the downside was obviously that you could have only one train running on the grid because the power was supplied back to the rails!

[TonyTrapp]

To clarify, you could run more than train but they would all go at the same time! Unless you parked them on a passing loop, of course...

[Kon-Peki]

I do like the version we have, as you can theoretically have an almost unlimited number of trains running. But yeah, it was really frustrating to have them cease production.

On the other hand, based on the photos in this article, it looks like the traction motor assembly may be common across recent generations which would allow tinkerers to make their own controllers.