GP-20 Diesel

Red Box Era HO-Scale Trains

GP-20 Diesel Locomotive

Pre-production IC GP-20 from 1961

Found first in TYCO's 1961 Catalog, the EMD GP-20 Diesel Locomotive was only shown in a train set that first year. TYCO's Black Diamond (Set No. 6110) was powered by a black Illinois Central GP-20. The model shown in '61 appears to be a pre-production example, as it does not favor the appearance of later production models. The GP-20 is not listed as available separately and no other roadname, beyond IC, is provided in the 1961 catalog. According to a review of the then-new GP-20 in a January '62 edition of Railroad Model Craftsman magazine, the Burlington example is the first and only roadname initially offered by TYCO.

Beginning with the 1968-69 catalog, TYCO no longer listed individual roadnames for its diesels. This remains true for the 1969-70 and 1970-71 catalogs.

Retail Price for the Powered GP-20 in 1962-63, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1966-67, 1967-68, and 1968-69 was $12.95. The price is $13.00 in 1969-70 and $14.00 in 1970-71.

A Non-Powered GP-20 was available, carrying stock number 231, for $5.98 in 1962-63, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66, and 1966-67. The Non-Powered GP-20 is not listed again beginning with the 1967-68 catalog.

Kit versions of the GP-20 became available in the 1963-64 catalog. The Powered Kit, carrying the stock number K228, sold for $9.98 in the 1963-64, 1964-65, and 1965-66 catalogs. The Powered Kit is $10.98 in the 1967-68 catalog. The Non-Powered Kit, carrying the stock number K231, sold for $3.98 in the 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66, and 1966-67. The Non-Powered Kit is not found in the 1967-68 catalog. TYCO stops listing diesel kits as of the 1968-69 catalog.

The image below is part of a full-page TYCO ad from the November 1962 edition of Railroad Model Craftsman magazine. The ad announces that TYCO is now offering in kit form the F-9 and GP-20 models. The GP-20 is announced as being offered in "the 5 most wanted road names" in the new kits for $9.98 each.

An EMD GP-20 without the dynamic brake feature was a rare prototype. The New York Central is the only buyer of the GP-20 minus dynamics. For most of its life in the TYCO line, the GP-20 was offered as a non-dynamic brake equipped model. During the Red Box Era however one could upgrade a GP-20 with the dynamic brake molding. TYCO part number 6500 selling for forty-nine cents was a black plastic dynamic brake that fit onto the GP-20 shell. Examples have also been seen of a Santa Fe GP-20 in a TYCO Red Box with a burst-sticker on the box noting the addition of a dynamic brake on the model.

Burlington GP-20

Burlington CB&Q

(No.T228A)
(NEW-1962-63;1963-64;1964-65;1965-66;1966-67;1967-68)

This Burlington example is likely the first roadname to have been offered on the TYCO GP-20 model. According to the Test Track evaluation in the January 1962 edition of Railroad Model Craftsman magazine, TYCO first shipped its GP-20 packed in the Black Diamond (No.6110) train sets in late 1961. The GP-20 review states that TYCO would begin shipping GP-20 diesels as separate items by December 1961. Again the CB&Q example is stated as the only roadname made, but that others would be in the works in the near future. Should this review's info be correct, and one would have consider it very likely, it adds further evidence to the case that the black Illinois Central GP-20 only exists as a pre-production catalog model and was never produced for sale.

Burlington Northern

(No.T228N)

(no catalog appearances; likely early '70s availability)

Over the years, TYCO offered at least three Cascade Green BN GP-20 models. The first one has been confirmed to have existed in the later part of the Red Box Era and would likely have been issued about the same time the Burlington Northern came into being itself in March 1970. This first Red Box example BN GP-20 features the BN logo and railroad name placed below the cab windows. A later TYCO GP-20 in BN from possibly the mid-'70s features the same lettering, but the BN logo and railroad name has moved down along the lower section of the unit's long hood. Finally, TYCO produced in large quantity a bright green BN GP-20 first cataloged in 1979. This model had a very large BN logo on its long hood and remained in the TYCO line until the early 1990s. Model and photo courtesy Tony Lucio Collection.

Canadian National

(No.T228K)
(NEW-1966-67;1967-68)

There are variations to the numbering used by TYCO for its GP-20 offerings. The CN model likely survives also into the 1970s and the Brown Box Era and may also have been a Canadian-only offering at some point in its career. Model from the collection of Ken Furnevel.

Chicago North Western

(No.T228-J)
(NEW-1966-67;1967-68)

Denver & Rio Grande

(No.T228F)
(NEW-1963-64;1964-65;1965-66;1966-67;1967-68)

Illinois Central

(No.T228)

Though it does not resemble the pre-production prototype GP-20 pictured at the top of this page dressed in IC's Green Diamond black scheme, TYCO did offer an IC GP-20 during the Red Box Era. The model featured the layout of Illinois Central's late '60s orange-and-white paint scheme, however TYCO used silver and red for the colors. The white is silver and orange is red on the TYCO GP-20 of the Red Box Era. The suffix letter designation is not confirmed for this model, however it is likely "J" or "M," which were the letters used for IC example C430 and GP-20s of the early Brown Box Era.