Brown Box Era HO-Scale Trains
TYCO's Fantasy Railroads
During the early days of TYCO trains, The Mantua or Red Box
Era pre-1970, most of the offerings were fairly close to some prototype found on the real railroads. After the purchase of
the TYCO train line by Consolidated Foods, the fantasy railroads began rolling into the TYCO line. These were both
engines and rolling stock with no prototypical example found in the real world of railroads.
In addition to the items
presented on this page, see also the Freight Car; the Turbo Trains; and the Spirit of '76 sections of this site for more examples.
As
for locomotives, TYCO dreamed up some interesting and unqiue items that were total fantasy. In fact, most serious modelers
would put the majority of TYCO's offerings in the "fantasy" section, as most combinations of roadnames and engines don't
exist in the real world that TYCO produced. For example, the Santa Fe never owned an Alco Super 630, let alone one dressed
in red-and-silver passenger service livery warbonnet. What's presented here are items of pure-fantasy, where no
actual railroad is involved.
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Chattanooga Choo-Choo
Introduced in the 1975-76 line, the 2-8-0 Consolidation was the
first loco dressed in CHATTANOOGA paint. The train set was No.7331 in 1975-76 and again in the 1976 catalog.
The Chattanooga steam engine in 1978 becomes an 0-8-0 with smoke
powered by the PowerTorque in the tender drive. The loco does however retain the cab number 638 as on the previous 2-8-0 Chattanooga
steamer.
For 1977, the Chattanooga line added diesel power in the form of
a yellow-and-orange GP-20 (No.228-15) labeled for the famous Glen Miller tune.
TYCO brings its Chattanooga train line back in the late '80s with
a new steam loco powered train set. This third Chattanooga steamer differs from pervious offerings in that this one
has a silver boiler end; brown roof; and carries the number 1261, rather than the 600-series number seen on cab's of older
Chattanooga steam engines.
The Chattanooga series enjoys a variety of caboose offerings. TYCO made both Steamline
Off-Center Cupola and Wide-Vision Cupola Caboose models decorated for Chattanooga. Among those two caboose body
styles, TYCO also had a few paint variations for the Chattanooga caboose models. See the Freight Car section of this
website and the Caboose page there for more information.
Midnight Special
The RF-16 Shark Nose presented in a scheme similar to the Wabash
Railroad's early diesel paint was dubbed The Midnight Special for TYCO's 50th Anniversary in 1976. The same set, No.7309 in
1976 featuring 3-cars and caboose, shrinks to a 2-car set in 1977 carrying stock #7304. The unique Midnight Special
offerings included the Shark Nose Diesel and a Streamline Off-Center Cupola Caboose.
The Durango
Heralded as "The greatest western train set of all time," the 1976
TYCO line introduced the GP-20 (No.228-30) in brown-and-orange Kansas-Durango-Colorado paint. The set also offered
the Operating Floodlight Car (No.347B) in the Durango paint, as well as the 40' Stock Car (No.312G). For 1977,
TYCO adds a Durango Steamline Off-Center Cupola Caboose (No.327-30).
Comin' Round The Mountain
Rocky Mountain Line
Yet another song-inspired fantasy road, TYCO's Comin' Round The
Mountain-Rocky Mountain Line set was first seen in the 1977 catalog. The then-new SD-24 is dressed in an attractive red-white-and-orange
scheme. TYCO also offered a Comin' Round The Mountain-Rocky Mountain Line Steamline Off-Center Cupola Caboose.
The Royal Blue
Though technically not complete fantasy, The Royal Blue was a train
operated on the B&O, the 1977 TYCO set of this name features a fancifully painted 2-8-0. There was a set in also named
The Royal Blue, #7331 in 1972-73 catalog, which featured a B&O steamer and B&O passenger cars. That early '70s Royal
Blue is bit closer to reality and as such isn't included in this fantasy section.
TYCO also offered a blue and silver Royal Blue Steamline Off-Center Cupola Caboose.
Silver Steak
Dipped liberally in chrome with red Santa Fe warbonnet-like trim
wearing a Union Pacific shield on its nose, the Silver Streak Centuy 430 Diesel Locomotive rolls into the TYCO line in
1978. The other unique Silver Streak item is a chrome and red Steamline Off-Center Cupola Caboose.
Clementine
Yet another fantasy set with a song as its possible inspiration,
Clementine chugs into the TYCO line in 1979. Besides the steam engine, TYCO also offered a red Steamline Off-Center Cupola
Caboose lettered Clementine. The Clementine train set had an Operating Gold Mine with Nite-Glow stripes that
was lettered Clementine.
Golden Eagle
1980's Golden Eagle Super 630 was the end of the fantasy roads line from TYCO. Though the '80s would see such imaginery creations
as 'The A-Team' and 'Rambo' sets, the fantasy road empire concludes with the gold-and-blue Golden Eagle. Collectors should
note that both the Golden Eagle and Silver Streak diesel seem to have been offered without handrails. From my experience
neither has been found new-in-the-box with a handrail set included. The Golden Eagle was pretty much an endangered species,
as it has only one appearance in TYCO catalog history in 1980.
USA Express
Perhaps the last TYCO-created railroad was The USA Express. This set with a red-white-and-blue Alco
430 lettered for USA Express came along late in the history of TYCO trains. Some many confuse it with the older Spirit
of '76 offerings, however TYCO's USA Express is not seen until nearly 1990 a good time after the 1976 bicentennial.
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