The LEGO 4.5V train theme ran from 1966 until 1971 and contained 39 sets in all. The 4.5V trains used to be the voltage standard for the first electric LEGO components where the power came from a battery box with 3x 1.5V batteries.
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.