Getting hooked into vintage LEGO 12V trains is a descent into madness not unlike the world of classic cars. Both hobbies consume unreasonable amounts of time, money, and nerdy street cred! Luckily, my addiction is not the “collector” flavour, but rather the restoration artist. I am happy to find 12V train sets or element specimens in any condition and restore them to showcase condition (as described in my previous article on 12V track restoration). This also involves “remixing” classic 12V era train models—that is, rebuilding them using a very restrained combination of both old and modern LEGO elements to a contemporary re-interpretation. It would be too easy to blame my exploration of vintage LEGO 12V trains on my friend Holger Matthes since the release of his incredible book LEGO Eisenbahnwelt (shown below). No, this passion for 12V trains started with my exploration into the 12V electrical accessory system (shown below). I...















