I’m sure many of us know that the LEGO® company has been producing train sets based on their plastic brick system for 50 years. And that’s an amazing length of time. But did you know LEGO trains go back farther than the bricks we all know and love?
The LEGO Group began in the workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from Billund, Denmark, who began making wooden toys in 1932. LEGO continued producing wooden toys until 1960. During the wooden toy era of the LEGO company there were several wooden train toys offered for sale. Bellow is are pages from a 1950 LEGO catalog showing several different wooden trains offered for sale.
LEGO produced train toys as early as 1935. The variety of wooden trains offered over the years is quite impressive. Most of the trains offered we’re based on the typical steam trains of the era, but a few trams were offered as well as what appears to be a modern ,for the time, streamlined diesel set.
So the LEGO company’s history with trains spans over 80 years. And like most of LEGO’s wooden toys, the wooden trains have become prized by collectors today.
To find out more about the LEGO Group’s early history, including wooden toys and trains, go to Miniland Online.
So the next time someone comes up to you at a show and says “I didn’t know LEGO made trains! When did they start doing that?” You can say “about 1935”