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F9A Diesel Locomotive
Amtrak
No. 224-U -1974 Release
No. 224-07 1975 Release
You'll notice the top image of TYCO's Amtrak F9A has no step
coming down from the cab and solid numberless numberboards on its nose. This stepless F9A is one of the many variations
to be found in TYCO's F9A shells. Amtrak examples also exist with the later 1970s PowerTorque drives,
as seen second above featuring numberboards reading 4316 and a step over the front truck.
Regardless of the version of TYCO's F9A shell used, all shared
the same Amtrak paint scheme illustrated. According to a May 1972 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman magazine,
this TYCO model is the first Amtrak paint offered in the hobby market, though it does not represent a prototype
applied to any of Amtrak's F-units.
F9A Diesel Locomotive
Burlington
No. 224-L -Early 1970s Release
F9A Diesel Locomotive
Burlington Northern
No. 224-17 -Early 1970s Release
F9A Diesel Locomotive
CN Canadian National
No. 224-K -1971
Release
The CN F9A appears to carry the same paint scheme in its handful of variations. The model's
roadnumber is what makes for variations in examples. Among the CN numbers is 4316, 4751, and 6536. Interestingly,
TYCO even borrows its typical GP20 number of 5628 and applies it to a run of Canadian National F9A units. The CN
F9A carrying number 6536 seen above comes from TYCO's 1971-72 catalog. Some of the variations may be Canadian offerings,
as TYCO did have certain items that were not regularly found in the U.S., but were exclusive to the Canadian market.
F9A Diesel Locomotive
Canadian National
- VIA
-Late 1970s Release
F9A Diesel Locomotive
CP Rail
No. 224-82 -Late 1970s Release
Though not confirmed, this CP Rail F-9A is very likely a late 1970s or early 1980s TYCO offering
sold in the Canadian market. The CP Rail F9A does not appear in any TYCO catalogs.
F9A Diesel Locomotive
Chessie System
No.
224-03 -1977 Release
F9A Diesel Locomotive
Conrail
No. 224-20 -1977 Release
F9A Diesel Locomotive
Cotton Belt
No. 224-73 -1982 Release
F9A Diesel Locomotive
Penn Central
No. 224-R
The above image with the red-and-white "PC" logos and roadnumber
"9451" comes from an early 1970s TYCO catalog. Examples viewed include similar red-and-green "PC" logos, but carry roadnumber
"4751" and "9769." Additionally, TYCO produced Penn Central F-units with only white "PC" logos and they also carry the
"4751" roadnumber. Needless to say, variations abound for the Penn Central F-9A. Some examples could technically
be Red Box Era offerings as well or instead of being exclusively Brown Box items.
F9A Diesel Locomotive
Santa Fe (Freight)
No. 224
Though not found pictured and or listed with the Diesel Locomotives,
this common F9A example was available as a brown box TYCO offering during the early 1970s. This Santa Fe F9A was also
available from TYCO prior to the 1970s in "Red Box" Era packaging of the 1960s.
F9A Diesel Locomotive
Santa Fe (Passenger)
No. 225H -1974
Release
No. 224-21 -1976 Release
No. 248-21 Twin F-9 Diesels -1975
Release
F9A Diesel Locomotive
Santa Fe (Freight
Warbonnet)
No. 224-D -1974
Release
F9A Diesel Locomotive
Santa Fe (Freight
Warbonnet)
No. 224-22 -1975
Release
F9A Diesel Locomotive
Spirit of '76
No.
224-35 -1976 Release
Though one generally thinks of TYCO's product as being
imported from Hong Kong, examples of these Spirit of '76 F9As have shown Austria on the bottom of their fuel tanks.
Information found in researching TYCO's 1970s production suggests Roco of Austria tooled this new F9A shell around 1975 and
produced some models for TYCO.
F9A Diesel Locomotive
Union Pacific
No.
224-23 -1975 Release
The cornerstone of most all great model train lines is the
classic EMD F-unit carbody. Though labeled an F9A, throughout its life with TYCO, this model is really a late-phase
F7A.
This model does have some variations. The F9, as well as GP20 and Century 430, were initially sold with
Manuta's power truck motor in the early 1970s. By 1975, the F9A was switched to use TYCO's PowerTorque truck. Collectors
can spot this difference by looking at the EMD Blomberg trucks. The original Mantua truck side frame has more depth in its
casting and the newer PowerTorque truck is visibly larger, longer, and more shallow in appearance. While the majority of TYCO
F9 models come from Hong Kong, there are also Austrian-made examples. Collectors should also be aware of the very late
production F-units that arrived as TYCO exited the train market. These F-units carry two headlights on the nose and the model
is actually an F9A body. These late offerings were offered primarily in a Rock Island set around 1990. The
shell is very similar to one first offered in the U.S. by American Train & Track (AT&T) in the late 1960s.
Both the 1990s Rock Island TYCO F9A and AT&T example were products of Mehano in Yugoslavia.
Collectors should note that Mantua began offering the F-9A and B-unit,
as well as the GP-20 and other steam engines, in 1978 under the Mantua name. There are differences in the motors, roadnames,
and in some cases the shell itself to help collectors pick TYCO F-9s from their Mantua cousins. Though early examples
of the F-9A's underframe often read "TYCO MANTUA" on the bottom of the fuel tank, for most of the 'Brown Box Era' the fuel
tank reads "TYCO" and country of manufacture.
An additional note regarding the roadnames depicted, prior to the
1975-76 catalog TYCO did not always include ALL roadnames produced for a particular model. I do attempt to cover all
known examples of roadnames found in 'Brown Box' TYCO packaging. Not pictured below, but known to exist in 'Brown Box'
packages are the standard blue-and-yellow Santa Fe Freight scheme on the F-9A. TYCO also produced a green Penn Central
F-9A in the early 1970s.
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