Chattanooga Choo-Choo

(No. 7425)

The final train set to carry TYCO's well-used Chattanooga name featured a Lighted Steam Locomotive with Tender.  TYCO does not specify the type of steam engine, however the catalog illustration is an 0-8-0.  The set also included a Pulpwood Car; Chug-Chug Sound in Box Car; Tank Car; 50' Box Car; and Caboose.  Also included was the Remote Control Steam Whistle in Billboard; 15-piece Bridge and Trestle Set; 14-sections of track to create a 36" x 45" oval track layout; Quick-Clik Clips and Power Pack.

 

Of interest in this set is the odd 15-piece Bridge and Trestle Set.  TYCO offered at 17- and 33-piece Bridge and Trestle Set, but never is a 15-piece set cataloged beyond this set.  It might be a mistake.  Also notable is the Chug-Chug Sound in Box Car, which in this set is the Ralston Purina decorated car replacing the original Baby Ruth example.  This set also featured the uncataloged Chattanooga lettered Pulpwood Car.  The car is very similar to TYCO's Southern Pulpwood Car with red flat with white lettering and black log frame section.

Overnight Freight

(No. 7412)

One of five TYCO train sets found in the 1992 catalog, The Overnight Freight set's description states that it features a Lighted Shark Nose Diesel.  The package art for the set does appear to show a Shark Nose.  Closer inspection of the diesel residing within the Overnight Freight box shows an F-unit.  The image TYCO uses for the set also is an F-unit.  The red Rock Island F-9A diesel powering The Overnight Freight is a Yugoslovian-made diesel that appears in very late TYCO sets from the early 1990s.  To my knowledge, TYCO did not sell this diesel as a separate item and it was only found in train sets impersonating a Shark Nose.  This F-9's tool and die work may have its basis in the defunct American Train & Track offerings of the late '60s and early 1970s.  The Overnight Freight also included a 50' Box Car; a 40' Hopper Car; and Rock Island Caboose.  The set came with a 17-piece Bridge & Trestle Set; 14-sections of track capable of making a 36" x 45" oval layout; TYCO's Quik-Clik Clips; and a 1-amp Tyco-Pak.  In addition to the replacement F-9A seen here, The Overnight Freight has also been spotted with a red-and-yellow Rock Island Alco FA diesel, also produced for the set in Yugoslovia.

Rail Master 102

Giant 102 Piece Train Set

(No. 7422)

This set featured a Virginian Lighted Alco 430 Diesel; Tank Car; Gondola with Pipes; Hopper Car; 50' Box Car; Caboose; 33-piece Bridge and Trestle Set; 36 Signs, Poles and Townspeople; 26-sections of track to create a 40" x 87" figure-8; Quik-Clips; and Power Pack.

Railroad Empire II

Special Edition 117 Piece Train Set

(No. 7436)

This set lists its power as being a Lighted Alco 630 Diesel, however many sets by this late date actually featured a Yugoslovian-made low nose Alco Century 628.  This is the same model recently offered by IHC and in years past by AHM, Life-Like, and Model Power.  Just to add a further bit of confusion, the box artwork shows a GP-20 while the image of the displayed set shows a Super630.

 

The set also included the Autoloader with Six Autos; Tank Car; Log Dump Car Set; Pipe Dump Car Set; Stock Car; and Caboose.  Also in the Railroad Empire II was a 33-Piece Bridge and Trestle Set; Auto Unloading Station; Operating Pipe Loader; Operating Crossing Gate; 24-Signs and Poles; 26-sections of track to create a 40" x 90" figure-8 track plan; Quik-Clik Clips; and Power Pack.

Santa Fe 72

Giant 72 Piece Train Set

(No. 7415)

Similar to the other train sets to be featured in the last TYCO catalog to include HO-scale electric trains, The Santa Fe 72 set from 1992 suffers from some confusing packaging artwork versus actual contents.  The train set box TYCO uses for this set clearly shows a red-and-silver Santa Fe GP-20.   The 1992 catalog calls for an Alco 430, which is what appears to have been found in most of the very late examples of TYCO's Santa Fe 72 set.  The Santa Fe Alco 430 in this set however is not the familiar model that was introduced during TYCO's Red Box Era of the 1960s.  This Alco Century 430 is a Yugoslovian-made model and is very close in appearance to the currently available Model Power Alco Century 430. 

 

The Santa Fe 72 set of 1992 also included a 40' Tank Car; a 50' Box Car; Gondola with Pipe; and Caboose.  All of these freight cars are European-made models and some do, while others don't favor original TYCO models from earlier offerings.  This train set also included a 17-Piece Bridge & Trestle Set; 14-sections of track to build a 36" x 45" oval; 36-Piece Poles, Signs and Townspeople Set; TYCO's Quik-Clik Clips; and a 1-amp Tyco-Pak.

 

Of possible interest in The Santa Fe 72 train set is the 36-Piece Poles, Signs and Townspeople Set.  This particular accessory is not found in any TYCO catalog.