4512V covers the LEGO trains of the 4.5 V and 12 V systems from the 1970s and 1980s. The 4.5 V trains ran on batteries carried in a wagon or tender, while the 12 V trains drew power from conductor rails laid between the running rails, fed by a transformer with a speed control. Until 1980 the track was blue, which gave these years the name of the Blue Era.
1986 LEGO Sets
In 1986, Castle advanced with the Black Falcon’s Fortress and new armor elements, while Town and Space received steady expansions. Technic deepened its engineering focus with more gears, linkages, and pneumatics, and began limited experiments with computer-assisted control in educational contexts—precursors to later robotics lines.