These are the first LEGO trains, sold from 1966 to 1971 and run on 4.5 volts. The power came from a battery box holding three 1.5 volt batteries, carried in a tender or wagon behind the engine, and the motor of 1966 was the first LEGO motor of any kind. The track was blue rails clipped onto sleepers, which is where the name Blue Era comes from.
1968 LEGO Sets
1968 was a landmark year with the opening of the first LEGOLAND park in Billund, Denmark, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors. LEGO also introduced the first 12V train motor, spoked wheels, and magnetic couplers, greatly improving the realism of its Train line. The company refined packaging with photo-based idea layouts and transitioned away from the small-scale Town Plan system. This year also marked the arrival of Jens Nygaard Knudsen, who would go on to design the LEGO minifigure and shape future core themes.