Chattanooga Choo-Choo

WITH SMOKE & STEAM WHISTLE

(No. 7331)

Appearing for the first time in 1975 is TYCO's long running Chattanooga Choo-Choo train set.  A Lighted 2-8-0 Steam Engine and Tender with Smoke is at the point of the set's consist, followed by an Operating Crane Car and Boom Tender, 55' Center-Flow Hopper Car, 62' Triple-Dome Tank Car, and Caboose.  The set also included the Steam Whistle in Billboard accessory, a 17-piece Bridge & Trestle Set, a TYCOPak and enough brass track to create a 36" x 45" oval layout.  The set returns again with the same contents and stock number in 1976.

The Diesel Freight

(No. 7303)

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 Santa Fe Wide-Vision 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 Dixie Belle

(No. 7324)

This set featured a 4-6-0 Dixie Belle Steam Loco and Tender, Box Car, Water Car, and Horse Car from TYCO's Old-Time Freight Car series, and an 1860 Combine.  TYCO's Dixie Belle ran around a 36" x 45" oval track plan powered by a 1-amp TYCOPak.

The Inter-City

(No. 7310)

The 1975 Inter-City had an Amtrak F-9A and Combine, Coach, and Observation Streamliners.  The set included a 36" circle of track and a TYCOPak.  This set would return again in 1976 without change to the TYCO line.

The Long Hauler

(No. 7316)

This 1975 set was powered by a Chessie Sytem Super630 pulling an Operating Crane and Boom Tender, Bicentennial Box Car, Tank Car, Hopper Car, and Caboose.  The set's track built a 36" x 45" oval and a TYCOPak completed the contents of The Long Hauler.

The Mammoth of the Rails

(No. 7338)

The 1976 version of TYCO's The Mammoth Of The Rails train set featured a Chessie System 4-6-2 Pacific Steam Loco and Tender (#212-03); Santa Fe Operating Crane Car with Boom Tender (#932); a red Burlington 40' Box Car as part of the Unloading Box Car (#930) operating accessory; a silver Virginian 40' Hopper Car (#344C); a blue with yellow roof Morton Salt C.F. (Center Flow) Hopper Car (#358B); the Santa Fe Piggyback Flat Car Set (#926); 40' Schlitz Beer Billboard Reefer; a green Western Maryland Skid Flat with 3-Culvert Pipes; and an Wide-Vision Caboose in Chessie System.  Though likely available separately, TYCO did not include the Schlitz Beer Billboard Reefer; the Western Maryland Skid Flat; or the Wide-Vision Chessie System Caboose among the Freight Car offerings in the '76 catalog.  The Mammoth Of The Rails in 1976 also included the Operating Crossing Gate (#908) and Freight Unloading Depot (#931), which is where the Western Maryland Skid Flat comes into this train set.  Additionally, this set included 24-Signs and Poles (#904); 29-sections of track to created a 45" x 63" double-oval layout.  The switches provided were TYCO's electric remote control examples.  Finally, the standard 1-amp Power Pak (#899) came with this train set.

101-piece Spirit of '76 Over & Under

(No. 7330)

TYCO promoted this set with TV advertising according to the 1975-76 catalog.  The catalog states, "A TYCO commemorative train of collector quality."  A Lighted Powered Alco 430 Diesel in Spirit of '76 dress is in charge of the consist in this set that included a Piggyback Flat Car with 2 Trailers, AutoLoader with Six Autos, Hopper Car, 50' Box Car, Tank Car, and Caboose.  Additionally, this set included a Truck Terminal with Truck Cab, 24 Signs and Poles, 33-piece Bridge & Trestle Set, enough track to build a 40" x 87" figure-8 layout powered by a 1-amp TYCOPak.

The Over & Under

(No. 7311)

The 1975 example of The Over & Under train set was powered by a Santa Fe F-9 (#224-21) pulling a yellow Union Pacific 40' Gondola with Culvert Pipe (#341B); a green Western Maryland 40' Flat Car with 3-Tractors (#351A); a red Burlington 40' Hopper Car; a green Burlington Northern 50' Box Car (339E); and a red Santa Fe Wide-Vision Caboose (#327-22).  TYCO's 33-Piece Bridge and Trestle Set (#909) and 26-sections of track built The Over & Under's 40" x 87" figure-8 track plan.  A standard Power Pak (#899) was also in the contents of this train set.  This set returns unchanged in TYCO's 1976 catalog.

Santa Fe Action Freight

(No. 7334)

TYCO's 1975 Santa Fe Action Freight featured a red-and-silver Super630 pulling a Piggyback Flat Car with 2 Trailers, Billboard Refrigerator Car, Tank Car, Hopper Car, Pulpwood Car, 62' Refrigerator Car, and Caboose.  The set also featured selections from TYCO's Action Cars and Accessories line including a Remote Control Log Dump Set, Operating Crossing Gate, and a Truck Cab and Truck Terminal.  TYCO also supplied 24-Signs and Poles, a pair of Manual Switches, and track to create a 45" x 45" double oval powered by a 1-amp TYCOPak.

The Shifter Freight

(No. 7307)

TYCO's basic steam powered offering in train sets for 1975 was The Shifter Freight.  A Santa Fe 0-4-0 Shifter Steam Loco and Tender pulled a 40' Skid Flat Car with 3 Tractors, a 50' Plug Door Box Car, Hopper Car, and Caboose around a 36" circle of brass track with power supplied by a TYCOPak.

The Spirit of America

(No. 7320)

Among TYCO's Bicentennial offerings in the 1975-76 catalog is this steam powered train set.  The set featured what TYCO billed as a "commemorative" 4-6-0 Spirit of America Steam Engine and Tender; an 1890 Combine and a pair of 1890 Coaches also decked out in red-white-and-blue Spirit of America colors.  A 36" x 45" oval and TYCOPak complete this set's contents.  Except for the Spirit of America dress, this train set is essentially TYCO's Golden West set with respect to contents.  The Spirit of America would return again without change in TYCO's 1976 catalog.

Spirit of '76

(No. 7305)

This TYCO train set featured a Spirit of '76 Alco Century 430 (#244); a green Western Maryland 40' Skid Flat with Culvert Pipe; an orange New Haven 50' Box Car (#339B); a yellow Union Pacific Hopper Car (#344E); and a red, white and blue Spirit of '76 streamline Caboose (#327-35).  Also among the contents of The Spirit of '76 set in 1976 was a circle of track and TYCO's standard Power Pak (#899).  For 1976, TYCO has a very similar The Spirit of '76 train set.  The 1976 version carries the stock number 7306 and is powered by a Spirit of '76 F-9, rather than this set's Alco Century 430.

The Super Road & Rail

(No. 9000)

The 1975 example of the combination train set and slot car set featured a Lighted Santa Fe F-9A (#224-21) and a Non-powered Santa Fe F-9B (230-21).   The train set portion also included a green Western Maryland Flat with Tractors (#351A); an orange New Haven 50' Box Car (#339B); a silver Virginian 40' Hopper Car (#344C); the Santa Fe Piggyback Flat Car Set (#348) and the Wide-Vision red Santa Fe Caboose (#327-22).  TYCO's 24 Signs and Poles Set (#904) was included along with 16-sections of track and the 1-amp Power Pak (#899).

 

The Racing Set's contents included a pair of TYCOPRO car; 26-sections of slot car track; 13-pier supports; 16-sections of crash barrier fence with flags; a pair of racing controllers (#8752); a power pack (#8767); and the 3" road and rail crossover section (#8727).

Switcher Freight

(No. 7300)

A regular in the TYCO line for many years, the 1975 example of the Switcher Freight included a Santa Fe red-and-silver Diesel Switcher pulling a Hopper Car, Pulpwood Car and Caboose.  The set included enough brass track to build a 36" circle layout powered by TYCO's 1-amp power pack.

Twin Diesel Freight

(No. 7312)

This TYCO train set featured a pair of red-and-silver Santa Fe F-9 (#248-21) diesels; one powered and one non-powered.  These two engines powered a train consisting of a 50' green Burlington Northern Box Car (#339E); a green 40' Western Maryland Flat with Tractors (#351A); a red-and-black Southern Railway Pulpwood Car (#334A); a brown with silver roof and ends Hershey Chocolate Billboard Reefer (#355B); and a Wide-Vision red Santa Fe Caboose (#327-22).  The Twin Diesel Freight set rather surprisingly only provided a simply 36"-circle track layout, odd considering it is a rare TYCO set to offer two diesels, and the standard Power Pack (#899).

12-unit Twin Diesel Freight Set

(Sears No. 79 C 9554C $69.99)

This was Sears' top of the line TYCO train set offering in the 1975 Christmas Wish Book.  One powered and one dummy ALCO 430 dressed for Chessie System service headed up this set pulling a 50' Santa Fe plug door box car; Southern Railway pulpwood car; a Santa Fe crane and boom tender; 40' Union Pacific hopper; 50' flat car with 2 trailers all lettered for Santa Fe; a Texaco 40' single dome tank car; Western Maryland skid flat with 3 tractors; opearting log car; and a Chessie streamline cupola caboose.  Extras in the set included the TYCO Operating Log Dump Set and Truck Terminal with tractor cab.  The set's track build a 65" x 45" double oval with spur track.  The set came complete with a standard 1-amp TYCOPAK.  Sears notes that the powered and dummy ALCO 430 set in Chessie System was also available as a separate item (#49 C 9702) for $19.97. 

10-unit Twin Diesel Freight Set

(Sears No.49 C 9553 $49.99)

This 1975 Sears set included a powered Santa Fe F-9A and dummy F-9B pulling an AutoLoader with six autos; a Planter's Peanuts covered hopper; a Santa Fe crane with boom tender; 50' flat car with 2 trailers all lettered for Santa Fe; a Coca-Cola 62' triple dome tank car; operating log car; and Santa Fe streamline cupola caboose.  The set's extras included the Truck Terminal with tractor cab and Operating Log Dump Set.  The set had enough track and switches to create a 45" x 45" double oval and came with a power pack.  Sears lists the Santa Fe powered F-9A and dummy F-9B as separate items (#49 C 9606) selling for $14.97 in the 1975 Christmas Wish Book. 

Chattanooga Choo-Choo 7-unit Steam Freight

(Sears No.49 C 9548 $28.97)

One of four TYCO train sets included in the 1975 Sears Christmas Wish Book is this Chattanooga Choo-Choo set.  The engine was TYCO's 2-8-0 dressed in Chattanooga paint pulling a 62' triple dome tank car; a Santa Fe crane and boom tender; Old Dutch Cleanser centerflow hopper; and wide vision cupola Chattanooga caboose.  The set also included a 1-amp power pack; TYCO's Steam Whistle in Billboard, plus a 17-piece bridge and trestle set that allowed half the layout's 36" x 45" oval to be elevated.

Santa Fe 4-unit Diesel Freight Set

(Sears No.49 C 9549 $14.88)

The basic TYCO set included by Sears in its 1975 Christmas Wish Book is this one powered by the yellowbonnet Santa Fe F-9A.  Freight cars included the Virginian 40' hopper and New Haven 50' plug door box car with a streamline Santa Fe cupola caboose.  The set included the basic 36" circle layout with a standard TYCO 1-amp power pack.  Sears lists the Santa Fe powered F-9A as a separate item (#49 C 95238) selling for $9.77 in 1975.