(No.228-13)

The first paint scheme offered back in the early 1960s when the GP-20 model is introduced by TYCO is this Burlington example.  This red and gray Burlington GP-20 was available during the early 1970s in TYCO's Brown Box Era packaging.  The TYCO stock number was 228A carried over from the Red Box Era '60s, but switched to 228-13 in 1975 with TYCO's switch from using a letter to designate a roadname to the two-digit number system for roadnames.  The TYCO Burlington GP-20 is last found in a catalog in the 1975-76 edition.

TYCO produced at least three different examples of a Burlington Northern GP-20 over the years.  The first is late Red Box Era example that is similar to the second variation shown on this page.  The BN example found directly above with the large BN herald is TYCO's most common of the three attempts.  This Burlington Northern GP-20 first appears in the 1979 catalog and continues to appear through the 1992 catalog.

In bright orange and yellow colors, TYCO's Chattanooga GP-20 is a colorful contrast to the black steam engine offerings that also carried the Chattanooga name.  TYCO includes this model in a pair of catalogs, 1977 and 1978, while the Chattanooga steamers make in the line to the early '90s.  For further information regarding TYCO's Chattanooga Choo-Choo trains, see the page on this site devoted to this popular series.

TYCO's catalog Durango model features AAR-type trucks also found on the Century 430 and Shark Nose Diesels.  Production examples of the Durango GP-20 featured the standard EMD Blumberg-type trucks found on other TYCO GP-20 models.  The TYCO trucks of the PowerTorque design are generally interchangeable regardless of whether they are B- or C-trucks.  The Durango GP-20 seen here features the EMD Blumberg-type trucks and therefore represents a typical production run example.  TYCO catalogs the Durango GP-20 for two years in a row, 1976 and 1977.

Boxed example from author's collection

An Illinois Central example is the found in TYCO's first catalog to include the GP-20.  That original IC geep is in the road's black scheme with the Green Diamond herald and was apparently never produced beyond the catalog's pre-production model.  TYCO did issue an Illinois Central example of the GP-20 in the late '60s.  That example features a scheme similar to what's seen above, but with red and silver replacing the prototypical IC orange and white.  During the early 1970s, TYCO offers this Illinois Central GP-20.  This model avoids getting its picture in a TYCO catalog.

The image directly above of the Illinois Central Gulf GP-20 is the typical TYCO production run example carrying the 5628 roadnumber.  Regular run examples reviewed do not match the lettering size and style, nor the cab number 9061 seen in TYCO's 1974-75 catalog.  This ICG model receives only one appearance in a TYCO catalog in the 1974-75 edition.  The black circle ICG herald on the unit's nose is a sticker.

There are at least two variations to this Penn Central GP-20 offering.  One GP-20 features a red-and-white PC herald on a light green colored model; the other has all white lettering and the unit's base color is a deeper green.  Both models carry the typical GP-20 roadnumber of 5628.  Neither example made into a TYCO catalog during the Brown Box Era, however availability is guessed to be from late Red Box Era of the 1960s through the early/mid 1970s. 

Certainly a classic and common example among TYCO's GP-20's is the Santa Fe wearing the road's blue and yellow freight scheme.  First offered during the Red Box Era, this example survives in TYCO catalogs through the 1975-76 edition.  The 1975-76 catalog marks the switch from letters to two-digit numbers to designate a model's roadname.  This Santa Fe GP-20 is replaced in the 1976 catalog by the blue and yellow freight warbonnet model, that is thought not to exist.  And beginning with the 1978 catalog, TYCO offers the red and silver warbonnet Santa Fe geep through the conclusion of HO-scale train offerings in 1993.

Found in the 1976 TYCO catalog only is this blue-and-yellow freight warbonnet Santa Fe GP-20.  To date, no samples have been found beyond the images seen in the catalog.  It is currently thought to perhaps be a protoype and may never have been produced by TYCO in regular runs. 

Introduced in TYCO's 1978 catalog is the passenger warbonnet decorated Santa Fe GP-20.  This version of a TYCO Santa Fe GP-20 would be the last and survives in the line with catalog appearance through the 1993 catalog.  The boxed image above is a late '80s example that included a bonus free switch offer from TYCO. 

Going by TYCO's catalog pictures, there could exist three different examples for the Union Pacific GP-20 model.  Near the top of this page, you'll find the Union Pacific example as found in the 1974-75 catalog sitting with classmates CB&Q and ICG.  Notice that that example features a large 5628 cab number and repeats the 5628 number again beneath the Union Pacific name on the unit's long hood.  Above examples include a UP GP-20 carrying the company's "Dependable Transportation" slogan on its cab and the 5628 in a low position also on the cab.  This example lacks the roadnumber on its long hood.  The "Dependable Transportation" UP GP-20 is found in the 1970-71 TYCO catalog.  Finally, below the "Dependable Transportation" example is what is found in the 1975-76 product catalog.  This UP GP-20 features only the 5628 number on its cab and the Union Pacific name down its long hood.  The Union Pacific GP-20 first appears during TYCO's Red Box Era '60s offerings carrying the stock number 228C, switching to 228-23 in 1975 as TYCO alters is numbering system.  The 1975-76 TYCO catalog is the last one to feature this example of the GP-20.

Enjoying a single year, 1979, in TYCO's catalog is this well done Western Pacific GP-20.  A Western Pacific Caboose to match this GP-20 made it to at least the pre-production level and a picture of it may be seen on the Caboose page in the Freight Cars section of this site.