Bertil Ingvar Johansson (1930 – 2015) collected model trains. In July 2012, he donated larger parts of his collection to Minivärlden. This consist of around 500 locomotives, wagons, model cars and military models, all in original packaging and completely unused.

Here is a fractional part of the collection. In the future we will show the collection in its entirety.

Why did Bertil love trains?

Bertil’s interest in railways and trains was lifelong. His foster-father, John E. Nelson (Nilsson in Swedish), worked between the years 1898 and 1915 as a coaler and repairer of the railway C&NW (Chicago and North Western Transportation Company). John was at home and visited relatives in Sweden, and would return to the US with the Titanic. Unfortunately (fortunately) he missed his departure and moved later to Hässlehult 106 in Hyltebruk 1918.

There Bertil grew up just 100 meters from the railway, and became an active collector. But no builder. The farm demanded too much time.
The first locomotive Bertil bought was a TT120 Top Taylor in the 1960s. The last locomotive he bought in 1999 and it was a Rivarossi Big Boy, a jointed Mallet locomotive.

Thanks, Bertil!