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Brown Box Era HO-Scale Trains
1978 Train Sets

TYCO Broadway Limited Train Set

The Broadway Limited 
(No. 7326)
The Broadway Limited train set was powered by TYCO's shorty GG-1 electric loco dressed in Amtrak's Phase II paint scheme, the set also included examples of each of the three lighted Amtrak Streamlined Passenger Car body styles in the TYCO line of this era.  The set included a Power Pack(No.899) and 14-sections of track, including curved terminal/rerailer section, that made a 36"x45" oval layout.

Chattanooga Choo-Choo
(No. 7332)
Occupying two-pages in TYCO's 1978 catalog, this train is promoted as "America's favorite train" and noted as being "advertised on TV."  This 1978 steam powered Chattanooga Choo-Choo train set included the 0-8-0 Steam Loco and Tender with Smoke (#256-15); a chrome 40' Shell Tank Car (#367C); a 50' yellow and red Old Dutch Cleanser Billboard Box Car (#365G); a red-and-black Southern Railway Pulpwood Car (#334A) and the streamline red Chattanooga Caboose (#327-15).  This Chattanooga set also featured a pair of Action Car & Accessories items.  The Baby Ruth decorated Chug-Chug Sound in Box Car (#902) and the Remote Control Steam Whistle in Billboard (#934).  The set's track plan made an elevated 36" x 45" oval layout from TYCO's 17-Piece Bridge and Trestle Set (#907) and 14-sections of track that were included.  Finally, a standard 1-amp TYCO Power Pack (#899) finished the contents of this train set offering for 1978.

TYCO Comin' Round The Mountain train set box

Comin' Round The Mountain
(No. 7327)
TYCO's 1978 catalog lists the contents for this train set as including a SD-24 Rocky Mountain Line (#239-27) diesel pulling a silver 40' Virginian Hopper Car (#344C); a 40' Wesson Tank Car (#315K); a 50' Southern Railyway Pulpwood Car (#334A); a red-and-white-checkerboard Ralston Purina 40' Reefer Car (#355E); a Frisco Autoloader with Six Autos (#349); a Cattle Car and Depot Set (#935) which included a 40' orange-and-yellow Durango Stock Car with accessories; also included in the set was the Remote Control Steam Whistle in Billboard (#934).  The set also featured TYCO's 17-Piece Bridge and Trestle Set (#907) with 14-sections of track that would together create and elevated 36" x 45" oval of track.  A standard 1-amp TYCO Power Pack (#899) was also included in this set in 1978.

The Diesel Freight
(No. 7302)
A very basic TYCO train set, The Diesel Freight consisted of a Lighted Santa Fe F-9 (#224-21) diesel pulling a 50' green Burlington Northern Box Car (#339E); a yellow Union Pacific 40' Hopper Car (#344E); and a red streamline Santa Fe Caboose (#327-22).  Completing the set was 12-sections of track to make a 36"-circle ran by TYCO's basic 1-amp Power Pack (#899).

The Golden West
(No. 7321)
TYCO's Golden West train set includes the 1890 4-6-0 Loco and Tender decorated for Santa Fe (#233); a white 1890 Santa Fe Combine Coach (#372B) and a pair of brown Santa Fe 1890 Coaches (#372A).  A standard TYCO Power Pack (#899) and 14-sections of track create a 36" x 45" oval track plan compete the contents of this train set offering.

The Mammoth of the Rails
(No. 7337)
This train set is one of two in TYCO's 1978 catalog to feature the 0-8-0 Steam Loco and Tender with Smoke in Chattanooga (#256-16) dress; the other being The Chattanooga Choo-Choo set (#7332).  The Mammoth of the Rails train set included a 45" x 63" double-oval track plan made of 27-sections of track with a pair of Remote Control Switches (#410 and #411).  The Mammoth set was very well furnished with a Santa Fe Flat Car Set (#901) with Truck Cab and Truck Terminal; the Crossing Gate (#908); a Santa Fe Crane Car with Boom Tender (#932); a Remote Control Steam Whistle in Billboard (#943) and the Unloading Box Car (#930).  The set also included a silver 40' Virginian Hopper Car (#344C); a 50' blue with yellow roof Morton Salt Center Flow Hopper (#358B); a 40' Ralston Purina Billboard Reefer Car (#355E); a streamline red Chattanooga Caboose (#327-15); and finally a standard TYCO Power Pack (#899).

TYCO Midnight Special Train Set from 1979

The Midnight Special
(No. 7305)
Similar to TYCO's Diesel Freight set, The Midnight Special is a very basic train set featuring a Lighted Midnight Special Shark Nose (#222-19) diesel; a green 50' Burlington Northern Box Car (#339E); a yellow 40' Union Pacific Hopper Car (#344E); and the General Purpose red streamline Caboose (#327-98).  The set's track sections totalled a dozen and made up a 36"-circle layout powered by TYCO's 1-amp Power Pack (#899).

The Over & Under
(No. 7315)
This set featured a 40" x 87" figure-eight track plan made up of TYCO's 33-Piece Bridge and Trestle Set (#909) and 26-sections of track.  Running up and over this train set was a green-and-black Burlington Northern Shark Nose (#222-17) diesel pulling a yellow 40' Union Pacific Hopper Car (#344E); a silver 40' Swift Reefer Car (#329A); a red Great Northern Skid Flat Car with 3-Culvert Pipes (#342D); and a green BN streamline Caboose (#327-17).  The standard 1-amp TYCO Power Pack (#899) was also included in The Over & Under train set of 1978.

The Road & Rail
(No. 9011)
Bridging the line between TYCO's Electric Trains and Racing Car sections of the 1978 catalog is The Road & Rail set found on page 26.  Notice the set's number is a 9000-series.  TYCO's train sets in '78 were numbered in the 7300-series and the slot car sets were numbered in the 6000's.  This two-in-one combination provided both a train set and an HO-scale electric slot car set.
 
The train set portion of The Road & Rail in '78 included a Rock Island Alco Century 430 (#235-10); a 40' Wesson Tank Car (#315K); a 40' orange-and-yellow Durango Stock Car (#312G); a green BN 50' Box Car (#339E); a silver Virginian Hopper Car (#344C); a red-and-yellow streamline Rock Island Caboose (#327-10).  The set included 16-sections of track; 24-Piece Decorated Trackside Signs & Telephone Poles (#904); and a standard 1-amp TYCO-PAK (#899).
 
The racing set included a pair of TYCO's Curvehugger HP2 Lighted Cars; 25-sections of slot car track; 15 pier struts; Nite-Glow guardrail with sticker sheet; 2 plug-in racing controllers (#8753); a 3" road & rail crossover section (#6727) and a wall Power Pack (#8709).

TYCO Rock Island Line train set

The Rock Island Line
(No. 7325)
This train set was billed by TYCO as a 101-piece Super Over & Under Set.  The Rock Island Line in 1978 featured a red with yellow nose and tail Rock Island Alco Century 430 (#235-10) diesel; a yellow 40' Union Pacific Gondola with 3-Culvert Pipes (#341B); a green 50' BN Box Car (#339E); a silver Virginian Hopper Car (#344C); a Frisco Autoloader with Six Autos (#349); a red with yellow roof Rock Island streamline Caboose (#327-10); a Cattle Truck; the 24-Piece Decorated Trackside Signs & Telephone Poles (#904); the 33-Piece Bridge and Trestle Set (#909); a 1-amp TYCO-PAK (#899); and 26 sections of track that made a 40" x 87" large figure-eight layout. 
 
Of possible note in The Rock Island Line set may be the Cattle Truck, as it is not apparently available as a separate accessory.  Though the Cattle Truck is part of the Cattle Car & Depot Set (#935), it is listed in the catalog as a separate item.  The Rock Island Line train set box does include the Cattle Truck as a typical TYCO brown box item in its picture.  It could therefore be stamped with a TYCO stock number and might possibly have been available individually.

The Santa Fe Action Freight
(No. 7334)
This deluxe train set included a Lighted Alco 630 Diesel; Remote Control Log Dump Set (No.926); Piggyback Flat Car Set (No.348); Billboard Reefer Car; Tank Car; Hopper Car; Pulpwood Car; 62' Express Reefer; and Caboose.  Additionally, The Santa Fe Action Freight set featured an Operating Crossing Gate (No.908); 24-Signs and Poles (No.904); 2-Manual Switches (No.912 and No.913); 19-sections of track to create a double-oval 45" x 45" layout; and Power Pack.

TYCO Silver Streak Set

Silver Streak
(No. 7322)
"The Silver Streak" (Set No. 7322) featured a chrome-and-red Silver Streak Union Pacific Alco Century 430 Diesel Loco; Burlington Northern Hopper Car; Purina Reefer Car; Santa Fe Flat Car with 2 Union Pacific Trailers; Great Northern Skid Flat with Culvert Pipe Sections; Silver Streak Caboose; Piggyback Loader/Unloader with Truck Depot; Nite-Glow Decoration Sheet; 14-sections of track to make a 36"x45" oval; and Power Pack. 

The Southern Express
(No. 7310)
Found in the 1978 TYCO catalog, The Southern Express train set featured an orange-and-yellow Chattanooga GP-20 (#228-15) pulling a 40' Wesson Tank Car (#315K); a 40' Baby Ruth Billboard Reefer Car (#355C); a 40' silver Virginian Hopper Car (#344C); and a streamline Chattanooga Caboose (#327-15B).  The Southern Express' track plan was a 36" x 45" oval enhanced with TYCO's 17-Piece Bridge and Trestle Set (#907), all operated by a standard TYCO Power Pack (#899).

TYCO System 200

The System 200
(No. 7340)
TYCO bills this monster set as a "railroad empire."  The System 200 featured an F-9 Diesel; Tank Car; Hopper Car; Piggyback Flat Car Set (No.348); Remote Control Freight Unloading Depot (No.931); Cattle Car and Depot Set (No.935); 2 Cabooses; a GP-20 Diesel; 50' Box Car; Autoloader with Six Autos (No.349); Operating Crossing Gate (No.908); 24-Signs and Poles (No.904); Remote Control Whistle in Billboard (No.934); 47-sections of track with 4-Remote Control Switches (No.910-7 and No.911-7) that created a 4' x 8' triple oval layout; and a pair of Power Packs.

The Twin Diesel Freight
(No. 7313)
This TYCO train set featured a pair of red-and-silver Santa Fe F-9 (#248-21) diesels; one powered and one non-powered.  These two engines powered a train consisting of a 50' green Burlington Northern Box Car (#339E); a yellow 40' Union Pacific Gondola with Pipe Load (#341B); a red-and-black Southern Railway Pulpwood Car (#334A); and a Santa Fe Caboose.  For the 1978 catalog, TYCO only displays the streamline-style Caboose as a separately available piece of rolling stock.  The Twin Diesel Freight train set, as well as The Diesel Freight (#7302) and The Santa Fe Action Freight (#7334) all appear to include TYCO's extended-vision cupola Caboose decorated in red for Santa Fe.  The Twin Diesel Freight set rather surprisingly only provided a simply 36"-circle track layout, odd considering it is a rare TYCO set to offer two diesels, and the standard Power Pack (#899).