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Brown Box Era HO-Scale Trains
1979 Train Sets

TYCO 1979 Catalog

The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
(No. 7320)
This set was new in the 1979 catalog and included TYCO's 0-6-0 Steam Loco and Tender lettered for Atchinson, Topeka & Santa Fe on its tender and carrying the number 66 on the cab.  Rolling stock included the 50' Pulpwood Car, Hopper Car, Caboose and with the set's Cattle Car & Depot Set one also had a Stock Car.  The Cattle Car & Depot Set included the loading pin with 8 cows, plus the Cattle Truck.  The set's track plan was a 36" x 45" oval and a TYCOPak finished the set contents.

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(#899) and 14-sections of track, including curved terminal/rerailer section, that made a 36"x45" oval layout.

The Burlington Northern
(No. 7311)
TYCO's Burlington Northern set of 1979 is similar to what would return again in the 1980 catalog.  The 7311-numbered set included TYCO's late '70s example Burlington Northern GP-20 with the large BN logo on the unit's long hood.  Rolling stock included a Hopper Car, 40' Refrigerator Car, Skid Flat with Culvert Pipes, and Caboose.  The set's track plan built an elevated 36" x 45" oval with the included 17-piece Bridge & Trestle Set and was powered by TYCO's base 1-amp power pack.  The 1980 example is similar, but includes the Operating Crossing Gate.

Chattanooga Choo-Choo
(No. 7332)
"America's favorite train" is back in '79 and matches the same set offered the previous year.  This 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.

TYCO Clementine train set #7333

Clementine Gold Mining Company
(No. 7333)
Seemingly well remembered, TYCO's Clementine train set only finds itself featured in the 1979 catalog.  The set was powered by a Lighted 0-8-0 Steam Loco and Tender with Smoke.  The loco was generously decorated with a brown cab roof, silver boiler end, and yellow-gold stripe with the number 5 on its cab.  Across the tender was the Clementine name.  The set's freight cars included a Pulpwood Car, 50' Box Car, Cable Reel Car, 40' Tank Car, and Caboose.  The Caboose also featured the Clementine name and was a red Streamline Cupola body.  The 50' Box Car included in the set was the Mail Pouch Tobacco 50' Old-Time Box Car (No.374A).  The car is the standard TYCO 50' Plug Door Box Car shell, but decorated for Mail Pouch, Jack Frost, Coca-Cola, or Maxwell House Coffee the car became an Old-Time Box Car in the 1979 product line.  The Clementine train set also included an Operating Gold Mine and Dump Car Set, all lettered Clementine.  Available as a separate Action Accessory, the Gold Mine was TYCO's number 936 that year and was also new.  The Gold Mine is derived from TYCO's similar Gravel Conveyor and Grain Elevator Action Accessories.

Comin' Round The Mountain
(No. 7314)
The 1979 example of TYCO's Comin' Round The Mountain train set differs from previous years.  TYCO's Rocky Mountain Lines SD-24 was introduced in 1977 in the first Comin' Round The Mountain set, which returned in '78 unchanged.  This 1979 edition was the final year that TYCO featured a Comin' Round The Mountain train set in its catalog.  The set had the RML SD-24 pulling a Hopper Car, AutoLoader with Six Autos, Tank Car, and Caboose.  The set included TYCO's Operating Crossing Gate, a 36" x 45" oval of track, and a power pack.

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. 7336)
"The Mammoth of the Rails" (Set No. 7336) featured a Chattanooga 0-8-0 Steam Loco; Purina Reefer Car; Burlington Northern Hopper Car; Great Northern Skid Flat Car with Culvert Pipe Sections; Union Pacific Gondola with Pipe Sections; 50' RailBox Billboard Box Car; Shell Tank Car; Chattanooga Caboose; 24 Signs and Poles; 28-sections of track to make a 45"x63" double oval with 2 Remote Control Switches Steam Whistle in Billboard; and Power Pack. 

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 Road & Rail
(No. 9011)
This two-in-one combination set provided both a train set and an HO-scale electric slot car set and was unchanged in 1979 from its 1978 TYCO catalog appearance.
 
The train set portion of The Road & Rail 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. 7335)
"The Santa Fe Action Freight" (Set No. 7335) featured a Santa Fe Alco Super630 Diesel Loco; Burlington Northern Hopper Car; Great Northern Skid Flat with Culvert Pipes; Texaco Tank Car; 50' Jell-O Billboard Reefer; Union Pacific Gondola with Pipe Sections; Oscar Mayer Old Time Reefer; Log Dump Car; Santa Fe Caboose; Operating Log Dump with Track; 24 Signs and Poles; 20-sections of track to make a 45"x45" oval; 2 Manual Switches and Power Pack. 

TYCO Silver Streak train set #7322

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. 

TYCO System 200 train set #7340

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.

10-unit Royal Blue Deluxe Action Freight Set
(Sears No. 49 C 99013 $59.99)
Sears includes a trio of TYCO train sets in the 1979 Christmas Wish Book.  Bachmann is included with two train sets in 1979.  This 2-8-0 steam engine powered Royal Blue set was the top of Sears' line of HO-scale offerings in '79.  Freight cars in the set included a Virginian 40' hopper; a 50' Railbox plug door box car; 40' Union Pacific gondola with pipes; 40' chrome Shell single dome tank car; 40' flat car with 3 culvert pipe sections; an Oscar Mayer 40' reefer; and a streamline cupola Royal Blue caboose.  Extras in this "deluxe" Sears set included the Baby Ruth Chug-Chug Sound Box Car; TYCOKIT Freight Station; Trackside Maintenance accessories; Operating Crossing Gate; a 45" x 54" double oval track plan; and a power pack.  As was their practice, Sears also lists the Royal Blue 2-8-0 as a separately sold item (#49 C 96193) for $24.97 in 1979.

9-unit Long Hauler Freight Set
(Sears No. 49 C 99012 $49.99)
Two Rock Island ALCO 430 diesels, one powered and one non-powered, are at the head of this 1979 Sears set.  Rolling stock included a 40' Durango cattle car; UP 40' hopper; log car; 40' Heinz reefer; 40' Shell single dome tank car; 40' Swift reefer; and a Rock Island streamline cupola caboose.  Extra accessories in the set included the Cattle Depot Set and the Log Dump Set.  The track plan 96" x 40" figure-8, which had a 33-piece bridge and trestle set.  In addition, the set had a 24-piece sign set and 1-amp power pack.  Sears includes the Rock Island powered ALCO 430 as a separate item (#49 C 99015) selling for $14.97. 
8-unit Clementine Freight Set
(Sears No. 49 C 99011 $39.99)
This 1979 Sears set included TYCO's Clementine steam locomotive with smoke and tender pulling a Great Northern pulpwood car; a Mail Pouch Tobacco 50' plug door box car; 40' Texaco single dome tank car; a Western Union cable reel 50' flat car; and streamline cupola Clementine caboose.  The set Clementine Gold Mine and Clementine Dump Car Set.  The track plan build a 36" x 45" oval and the set included a power pack.  The lighted Clementine 0-8-0 steamer was also found in the 1979 Sears Christmas Wish Book as a separate item (#49 C 99014) with a $19.97 asking price.