Shark Nose Diesel

Brown Box Era HO-Scale Trains

Shark Nose Diesel Locomotive

TYCO's Shark Nose Diesel Locomotive

Originally part of the Mantua line as a metal model available in both A- and B-units, the model of the Baldwin RF-16 "Shark Nose" diesel returned in plastic for TYCO's 50th Anniversary in 1976. Though a B-unit does exist in the old metal version, TYCO's '70s Shark Nose was offered as an A-unit only. The Shark Nose remained among TYCO offerings to the end of production in 1993.

The New York Central and Delaware & Hudson sharks missed being listed and/or pictured in TYCO's catalogs over the years and thus cause some confusion and speculation regarding when they were produced and available. The August 1976 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman includes a produce review for the then-new TYCO Shark Nose. In this review, the roadnames available are listed as being Southern Pacific, Burlington Northern, New York Central and Delaware & Hudson. The RMC review also notes that they found no known prototype for a Shark Nose with the framed numberboard sitting below the headlight, as found on the TYCO shell.

Among the more unique and odd Sharks is the black TYCO A-Team loco. In its new-in-the-train-set-box form, the Shark in The A-Team train set is only partly decorated. TYCO included a sticker sheet with this train set that you used to finish the appearance of an A-Team Shark Nose diesel. TYCO also produced a Johnson Wax Shark Nose for a promotional set in the '80s. Check the "Promotional Sets" page on this site for details and images of the Johnson Wax Shark. There is at least one Shark Nose made by TYCO for its non-U.S. product lines. A red-and-white Canadiana Shark was produced and sold in Canada in the 1970s.

Non-Powered or Dummy examples for the TYCO Shark Nose do exist. For a few years, TYCO sold its Sharks in a package that provided one powered model and one non-powered. It is not clear how many roadnames were available this way for the Shark, but the Southern Pacific example appears with the most frequency in this two-unit offering.

TYCO's RF-16 "Shark Nose" model is reviewed in the August 1976 issue of RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN magazine. Basic information is provided about the construction of the model and reference is made to prototypical dimensions. RMC notes that TYCO's placement of a numberboard just below the unit's headlight is not known to be correct for any actual owners of the Baldwin diesel. Numberboards for Sharks typical reside on the sides of the nose, similar to the style found on an EMD F-unit. RMC's review of blueprints found the TYCO model had a more generous wheel base by 2-1/2 scale-feet when compared with a real Shark Nose diesel. RMC provides four roadnames(SP, BN, NYC and D&H) as being available with a suggested retail price of $16 at the model's introduction. The review also quickly runs down the prototypes production numbers and actual owners. Just over a hundred RF16-Shark Nose units were produced and sold to B&O, NYC and Pennsy.

The molds for the TYCO Shark Nose model now reside with IHC Hobby.

A-Team Set Box

The A-Team

TYCO does not catalog this example of the Shark Nose Diesel as a separately available locomotive. Included in the 1984 A-Team train set, this Shark is black with a red stripe. The A-Team name is a sticker included in the set, but not applied by TYCO.

Brianstyco image

Burlington Northern
(No.222-17)

Cataloged from 1976, when the Shark Nose is re-introduced in TYCO's line, through 1979 is the Burlington Northern example. In addition to being sold as a separate offering, TYCO included the BN model in train sets too.

Canadiana

(No.222-45)

Manufacturered for the Canadian market and not thought to have been readily available in the U.S., TYCO's Canadiana Shark Nose Diesel is one of two locomotive offerings to wear this decoration. In addition to this shark, TYCO also offered a Canadiana Alco 430. There are no known catalog appearances for this model. Of TYCO's Canadiana pieces which include two locos, a caboose and box car, only the 50' plug door box car makes a catalog appearance.

Tony Lucio image

TYCO Delaware & Hudson Shark Nose Diesel

Delaware & Hudson
(No.222-04)
(no catalog appearances)

Johnson Wax Shark Nose

Johnson Wax

(No.222-??)

No catalog appearances for this model, it was the power for an early '80s promotional train set made by TYCO. The Johnson Wax Shark Nose Diesel shares the same paint scheme as the Santa Fe shark.

Midnight Special

(No.222-19)

TYCO's Midnight Special Shark Nose Diesel is cataloged from 1976 through 1981. The model's decoration is similar to the tri-color early diesel paint scheme found on Wabash engines. Image courtesy Tony Lucio.

New York Central
(No.222-06)
TYCO's New York Central Shark Nose Diesel avoids being pictured or listed in any product catalog. References to this example of the Shark Nose in mail order advertisements suggest its availability was late '70s to early 1980s.

Northern Pacific
(No.222-72)

TYCO's 1982 catalog features a number of one time only appearances for roadnames, among them is this Northern Pacific Shark Nose Diesel.

Tony Lucio image

TYCO Rock Island Shark Nose Diesel

Rock Island
(No.222-10)

TYCO's Rock Island Shark Nose Diesel enjoys the longest run of any of the sharks. The Rock Island is introduced in the 1980 catalog and continues to be found until near the end of TYCO's HO-scale train offerings in the early 1990s. The Rock Island example is found on many train set packages of the early '90s that themselves do not actually include a shark, but have a replacement F-9A or Alco FA that substituted in TYCO's last train set offerings.

TYCO Santa Fe Shark Nose Diesel

Santa Fe (Passenger red and silver)
(No.222-21)

Cataloged only in 1982, the Santa Fe Shark Nose shares its warbonnet scheme with TYCO's promotional Johnson Wax Shark Nose.

Southern Pacific

(No.222-18)

The Southern Pacific Shark Nose was produced in both Powered and Non-Powered or Dummy versions. The paint is the same for either Powered or Non-Powered loco. The SP Sharks were often found packaged together in a twin pack from TYCO that contained both examples. TYCO catalogs the Southern Pacific Shark Nose from 1976 through 1979. See the Twin Diesels page for specifics on the SP offering.

Tony Lucio image

Prototype Shark Nose...

Here's a very interesting what might have been Shark Nose model. TYCO's production Rock Island Sharks adopted the red with yellow scheme, not this earlier Rocket livery. This Rock Island Rocket Shark Nose is reportedly a prototype model that was done by TYCO.

Image and model courtesy Bob Beers Collection

The Original Shark Nose...

First offered in the TYCO line in the mid-1950s, the original Shark Nose models were of metal construction. The example displayed is lettered 'TYCO' and such were available, along with Union Pacific and a few other roadnames. From what I've seen, the design of the paint scheme remains similar to this example with only different roadnames applied and colors modified to fit specific roadnames.

Though it did not return in the '70s with the Shark Nose A-unit, TYCO did originally produce a B-unit. Like the A-unit, it too was metal. The '70s Shark was plastic, but appears to be a close relative to this original offering.

This Page Last Updated December 16, 2007