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.
1970 LEGO Sets
1970 marked a period of transition and consolidation for LEGO. The company began reclaiming U.S. market rights from Samsonite following founder Jesse Shwayder’s death, leading to full control by 1973. In Italy, LEGO responded to import restrictions by launching Minitalia, a localized line produced from 1970 to 1975. The long-running Town Plan theme was discontinued as LEGO moved toward standardized scale and unified play systems. While largely a structural year, these shifts laid the groundwork for the innovations of the mid-1970s.