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With the success of Sizzlers in 1970, Mattel introduced several other battery powered items to the 1971 lineup. One of these being the HOT LINE Train series. They sold well enough in 1971 that Mattel kept them in the 1972 lineup and even introduced a couple of new track sets to the lineup. When the slump in sales hit across Mattel in 1972, many toy lines were dropped including the HOT LINE Train series. Apparently at some point (likely 1973) Mattel sold off its excess inventory which has shown up in some inexpensively produced sets made in Canada. While these set boxes are inexpensively done, the sets contain standard packaged items that are all within their original individual Mattel packaging.