Train Set

The Big Logger

No. 7316 -1980 Release

TYCO's Big Logger set featured a Santa Fe GP20 (#228-21), Log Loader with Pine Hill Logging Company log car (#914), Frisco Autoloader with six autos (#349), Texaco tank car (#367D), and Santa Fe caboose (#327-22).

This set also included 14-sections of track to make a 36 by 45 inch oval and power pack. 

Train Set

The Broadway Limited

No. 7326 -1977 Release

The only passenger train among a collection of freight train sets in the 1981 TYCO catalog is this Amtrak offering.  The Broadway Limited set in 1981 is also the final TYCO passenger train set.  Powered by TYCO's shorty GG1 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 by 45 inch oval layout.

Train Set

The Burlington Northern

No. 7312 -1979 Release

This TYCO train set featured a green Burlington Northern GP20 (#228-17), red Great Northern 40-foot flat car with culvert pipes, yellow Union Pacific hopper car, silver Swift 40-foot reefer, and green Burlington Northern streamlined caboose. 

An Operating Crossing Gate (#908) was also featured in this set, plus a 17-piece Bridge and Trestle Set (#907).  In addition to a standard TYCO Power Pack (#899), the set had 14-sections of track, including a curved terminal/rerailer section, that made a 36 by 45 inch oval train layout.

The Chattanooga Choo-Choo

(No. 7318)

One of two train sets in the 1981 catalog to be powered by a steam engine, this set featured the 0-8-0 Lighted Steam Loco with Smoke numbered "638" and lettered for TYCO's ficitious "CHATTANOOGA" (#256-15); a 50' Old Dutch Cleanser Billboard Box Car (#365G); a red-and-black Southern Railway 50' Pulp Wood Car; a green Burlington Northern 40' Hopper Car; and the streamlined Caboose in red with white stripe bearing the Chattanooga name (#327-15).  A 17-piece Bridge and Trestle Set (#907) with 14-sections of track, including terminal/rerailer curved section making a 36"x45" oval and standard TYCO Power Pack (#899) round out the contents of this train set in 1981.

Train Set

The Conrail Freight 

No. 7303 -1980 Release

TYCO lists this set first in its 1981 product catalog.  Train sets begin on page 12 of the 1981 catalog and continue through page 22.  The Conrail Freight featured an F9 diesel, a 50-foot green Burlington Northern box car, yellow Union Pacific hopper car, and TYCO's generic red streamlined caboose decorated with a pair of white horizontal stripes carrying and number 638.  This caboose is TYCO's #327-98 General Purpose caboose.   

The set also contained 12-sections of track with rerailer section to construct and 35 inch circle and a power pack.

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. 

The Piggyback Freight

(No. 7310)

This train set is listed as NEW in the 1981 TYCO product catalog.  A red-and-silver Santa Fe GP-20 (#228-21) powers the set.  The rolling stock is made up of three freight cars and a caboose.  A green Santa Fe Piggbyback Flat Car with 2 Union Pacific yellow trailers; a blue Conrail 40' Hopper Car; a green Burlington Northern 40' Gondola with 3-pipe sections; and a red streamlined Santa Fe Caboose were included in this set.  Additionally, the Operating Piggyback Loader/Unloader (#903) is included in the set along with a Power Pack and 14-sections of track, including a curved terminal/rerailer that makes a 36"x45" oval.

Rock Island Express

(No. 7309)

A lighted red-and-yellow with white lettering Rock Island Shark Nose diesel served as the motive power for this TYCO train set.  The Rock Island Shark pulled a 50' green Burlington Northern Box Car; a yellow Union Pacific 40' Gondola holding 3-pipe sections; and a red with yellow roof Rock Island streamlined Caboose.  In addition to a standard TYCO Power Pack, the set came with 14-sections of track, including a cruved terminal/rerailer section that would make a 36"x45" oval layout.

Train Set

The Santa Fe Action Freight

No. 7335

TYCO's Santa Fe Action Freight featured a Santa Fe Alco Super 630 diesel locomotive, Burlington Northern hopper car, Great Northern skid flat car with culvert pipes, Texaco tank car, Jell-O 50-foot billboard box car, Union Pacific gondola with pipe sections, Oscar Mayer old time reefer, Log Dump Car, and Santa Fe caboose.

This set also included TYCO's Operating Log Dump with Track, 24 signs and poles, 20-sections of track to make a 45 by 45 inch oval, plus a pair of manual switches and power pack. 

US-1 Road & Rail

(No. 3235)

TYCO's HO-scale train sets were numbered in the 7300-series in 1981, with the exception of this set.  The group of US-1 Electric Trucking sets were all numbered in the 3200-series, so by numbers this could more properly be labeled among the US-1 Trucking line instead of the HO-scale Electric Trains.  However, TYCO did list this set on page 22 in the middle of the train products, so it'll be considered among such in this review.

 

The US-1 Road & Rail set was NEW for 1981.  This year was the first year TYCO offered its US-1 Electric Trucking line.  Similar in style to the slot cars mixed with trains sets of the past, this set mixed a US-1 Trucking set with a train set.

 

The train set contents were a Lighted Alco Century 430 in yellow-and-red Rock Island dress (#235-10); a yellow 40' Union Pacific Hopper Car (#344E); a green 50' Burlington Northern Box Car; a silver Texaco Tank Car (#315A); and a red with yellow roof Rock Island streamline Caboose (#327-10).  A Power Pack (#899) and enough track to create a 39"x48" layout.  TYCO included two road-and-rail straight crossing sections.

 

The trucking portion of the set included a Dump Truck (#3901); Truck Cab (#3904) and Gravel Trailer (#3925); Dump Yard; Gravel Bin; Operating Gravel Hopper; Logs; Highway Signs; 16-sections of US-1 track; a pair of red US-1 controllers; and TYCO's racing line wall Power Pack.