Random set of the day: Left and Right Manual Points with Electric Rails Grey 12 V
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 7856 Left and Right Manual Points with Electric Rails Grey 12 V, released in 1980. It's one of 28 Trains sets produced that year. It contains 16 pieces.
It's owned by 684 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
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14 comments on this article
Back in the day, Lego was like most toy train brands, even in function. Today, they're no more than a buildable battery train. Wonder why the change? I never recall getting shocked that often, even with 16V Tyco Electric Racing and Lionel 0 Power Supplies. And those things bite!
I like that Huwbot seems to be defaulting to train sets, a lot.
12V track is a pain to maintain, with it’s stuttering Motors when you haven’t run Trains for a while. All subsequent systems were far more user friendly.
But then you have this, or better still the remote controlled points ... and remote controlled signals ... and remote controlled level crossings!!!
Sorry, but Trains were better in my day!
Yeah, sad what has happened to Lego trains. I think it's a sign of the times. Kids just don't like trains like they once did. Although, Lego never did get track geometry right on switches. It should be that on the switched route you could add a single curve track that when turned one way would bring you parallel to the main line and when turned the other way would put you in a smooth circular path. The way it is now makes for a weird zig-zaggy curve.
I have a few tracks from those times. They became very brittle over time and I have to use great care not to break them. So I boxed them aside. Great memories though...
Bring back electronic track with the old style of powering them
Gonna go out on a limb and guess the switch away from powered rails is due to better battery and motor technology. If you can concentrate all the metal in the train, the track becomes much cheaper to make. And then you can run multiple trains on the same tracks and the track no longer has to be a closed loop (I assume the old tracks had to be, I never got any :( ). Plus, you know, no more live metal rails in children's toys. I'm sure train sets still use them, but realistically who buys those - kids or adults? There's not really such a thing as an acceptable level of electric shock where toys are concerned.
I don't care about the power being on board rather than through the rails, but I'd love to see smart points and signals. You could start programming the whole thing, maybe link it in with Boost somehow.
I must say, some Lego sets have the most imaginative names.
The new tracks are much better.
@cody6268: I can think of several reasons. For one, RC trains give you much more control over trains on an individual basis. With electrified rails, the speed controller will affect the speed of every train running on the same track, which is downright silly if one has to pull to a stop at a station and the other has to stop at the same time in the middle of nowhere. For a hobbyist display (either at home or at a convention) where you want the trains running constantly, having trains run at the same speed at all times might be acceptable or even ideal (so as to prevent collisions), but for actually playing with toy trains it has its drawbacks.
Conductive tracks can also be subject to corrosion over time, which makes them require more care/maintenance than people ordinarily expect from LEGO parts. And no matter how many kids are able to avoid fire or electrocution hazards with toys involving a non-insulated electric circuit, they still need extensive safety warnings and instructions on the packaging and/or manual. The legal requirements for these warnings/instructions vary from country to country (meaning that sets sold internationally would have to adhere to whichever country's legal requirements are strictest) and would have to be translated into the languages of the countries in question. A box half-covered in multilingual legal warnings is not super appealing to buyers — having to reserve space for legal disclaimers is a frequent source of frustration for toy packaging designers, particularly since it means less space to show the stuff kids actually care about like pictures of the toy and its features (this is also why LEGO no longer makes any sets featuring magnet elements big enough to swallow — the regulations around those types of products have likewise increased tremendously since they last appeared in sets). And even if LEGO covers their butts enough to avoid financial liability if a buyer misuses the product, news of injuries or house fires resulting from an unsupervised kid misusing a LEGO toy or a pet knocking some conductive metal object onto the rails would still be tremendously bad PR for the company (again, this affects not just train sets but also things like the current Classic, Duplo, and Unikitty buckets, which LEGO had to ensure wouldn't break into sharp pieces or topple over if a kid tried to use one as a step stool).
Also, from a logistical standpoint, batteries are fairly standardized on a global level. A battery-powered train set can basically be sold around the world without changing anything except possibly the manual and packaging. Electrical plugs/outlets/voltages aren't remotely standardized, not even within the EU! There are 15 types of plugs today and that means that LEGO would have to design several different adapters for any new plug-in train or Technic set, and package and distribute them separately according to what the local plug types are. It's a logistical NIGHTMARE, particularly with LEGO operating more extensively in more countries than they were in the 9V or 12V era.
@Aanchir I never knew that was why magnets disappeared, that's super interesting. I always assumed it was a cost thing.
I think I'm closer to understanding the RSotD Comment Section algorithm.
If age is greater than 35 mins, complain. If pc count is less than avg UCS, complain loudly. If train, complain only that childhood is greater than present.
@Aanchir - Can I just say, I always love seeing your posts? They're so interesting to read, such insight into the many details that I didn't even know existed... I really enjoy them :D
On topic... I never actually owned any Lego trains sets; the bulk of the theme was, I believe, before my time. Still, it's cool to see how passionate people on here get about the old train sets ^^
@JonMarten: If it were a cost thing then they certainly wouldn’t change the magnetic couplings in train sets to more pre-assembled ones, considering how much more expensive parts become when you add additional steps to the manufacturing process! It’s kind of a shame because as a kid of the 90s magnet functions were a big part of most themes I enjoyed as a kid, and probably part of why I enjoyed so many even when the builds were mediocre. And trying to make, say, Neo M:Tron MOCs just isn’t the same when the only way to achieve those signature magnet functions with modern parts is to work a huge pre-assembled train coupling into the build somehow.
@BionicleJedi: Thanks! I love it when people tell me things like this because sometimes I get super self conscious and worry that the amount of time and text it often takes me to get my thoughts out just wastes everyone’s time — including my own — and makes people think I’m annoying or preachy or a know-it-all. So it’s good to know that my posts add at least some value to the discussion.