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161 LEGO Trains Battery Wagon thumbnail image

161 LEGO Trains Battery Wagon
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161 LEGO Trains Battery Wagon
  • Battery Wagon thumbnail
  • Battery Wagon thumbnail
  • Battery Wagon thumbnail

LEGO 161 Battery Wagon is a vintage Trains set from 1972 valued at $141 for new and sealed sets, up 2287% from an original retail price of $5.89. Annual appreciation has averaged 6.06% since release. Used copies are valued between $37 and $52 depending on condition.

Set Value (New/Sealed)

This chart represents the current new/sealed value of the set Battery Wagon since September 2017. High accuracy
LEGO 161-1 Battery Wagon is a Trains 4.5V / 12V set released in 1972, containing 8 pieces. Also known as Battery Wagon with Signal and Direction Switch, it includes a battery wagon with a red base and blue detachable roof, wires, a lid, and a signal piece for use with LEGO motorized train sets. The wagon is designed to hold three C-cell batteries under the removable roof and has a side-mounted off-center switch for changing direction. It also features an under-mounted power interrupter button for starting or stopping the train, and the body carries an "International Transport" sticker.

A new and sealed Battery Wagon is currently valued at around $141, with annual growth of approximately 4%. The average used price is $42 for those in good overall condition. Based on current trends, this set could be valued near $148 within the next year. New and sealed listings currently range from $147 to $199.
All regions

For Sale (New/Sealed)

 (ES) No foil, box opened to check whats inside. Seems never used $136.60
-2.9%
(US) 161 Battery Wagon - Brand New In Factory Sealed Box
BrickEconomy Choice
$199.00
+41.5%

Sets in Trains / 4.5V / 12V

180 4.5V Train with 5 Wagons

Theme / Subtheme Trains / 4.5V / 12V
Year 1972
Pieces 228
Availability Retired
180 LEGO 4.5V Train with 5 Wagons
Retail $6.50
Value $1,872.69
Growth  +28710.6%
Annual growth 11.1%

724 12v Diesel Locomotive with Crane Wagon and Tipper Wagon

Theme / Subtheme Trains / 4.5V / 12V
Year 1972
Pieces 155
Availability Retired
724 LEGO Trains 12v Diesel Locomotive with Crane Wagon and Tipper Wagon
Retail $29.99
Value $1,370.72
Growth  +4470.6%
Annual growth 7.3%

181 Train Set with Motor, Signals and Shunting Switch

Theme / Subtheme Trains / 4.5V / 12V
Year 1972
Pieces 148
Availability Retired
181 LEGO Train Set with Motor, Signals and Shunting Switch
Retail $22.50
Value $1,204.03
Growth  +5251.2%
Annual growth 7.7%

171 Train Set without Motor

Theme / Subtheme Trains / 4.5V / 12V
Year 1972
Pieces 147
Availability Retired
171 LEGO Train Set without Motor
Retail $9.35
Value $294.88
Growth  +3053.8%
Annual growth 4.2%

170 Push-Along Play Train

Theme / Subtheme Trains / 4.5V / 12V
Year 1972
Pieces 93
Availability Retired
170 LEGO Push-Along Play Train
Retail $5.25
Value $250.41
Growth  +4669.7%
Annual growth 7.5%

131 Passenger Coach

Theme / Subtheme Trains / 4.5V / 12V
Year 1972
Pieces 67
Availability Retired
131 LEGO Trains Passenger Coach
Retail $3.19
Value $336.80
Growth  +10458.0%
Annual growth 9.0%

132-2 Port Crane and Flat Waggon

Theme / Subtheme Trains / 4.5V / 12V
Year 1972
Pieces 60
Availability Retired
132-2 LEGO Trains Port Crane and Flat Waggon
Retail $3.49
Value $344.64
Growth  +9775.1%
Annual growth 8.9%

130 Double Tipper Wagon

Theme / Subtheme Trains / 4.5V / 12V
Year 1972
Pieces 20
Availability Retired
130 LEGO Trains Double Tipper Wagon
Retail $2.89
Value $189.34
Growth  +6451.6%
Annual growth 8.1%

My Collection

Battery Wagon Reviews

24 reviews
4.7
Collectors
Investors
BrickTrains-Sets
“The 161 Battery wagon is a set for the 4.5 volt line. The purpose of this set is to send charge into the battery, the battery life last a lot longer then the battery box, but unfortunately, it only goes one direction at a time. A surprise I found, was that the battery wagon... More itself is one solid piece, cutting the number of pieces down, to 8 pieces! Those pieces being wires, a lid for the box, and a signal piece for the train set. The signal does the same thing as the 156: Signals.”
Full review at bricktrains-sets.com
“To avoid the limitations imposed by the classic battery box, LEGO made a bold choice to produce a purpose-built battery wagon for trains. This would have been a significant investment in molding and manufacturing since this item would only benefit the train theme... More exclusively. In any case, this battery wagon served the train theme well—being released in no fewer than 10 variants in different body colors, wheels and couplers.”
Full review at bricknerd.com

About Trains 4.5V / 12V

In 1972 LEGO released the 4.5V and 12V train sets as part of the Blue Era which was named because of the rail color. These train sets used additional conductor rails mounted between the standard 4.5V rails and 12V motors contained in the same housings as the 4.5V motors, but with additional metal contacts attached to the bottom of the housings.

4.5V / 12V consists of 83 sets that ran from 1972 to 1986. As of today, 7750 Steam Engine with Tender is the most valuable 4.5V / 12V set with an estimated new/factory sealed value of $6,957.
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