Tyco Trains of the 1970s - My Nostalgia

[@RidgeMeadowRailfanning-ol5of]

I was definitely a Tyco kid as well! Very fond memories! I am 48 years old and still have my original Tyco trains from my childhood. I have been working on slowly purchasing as many of the Tyco building kits as I can find. The prototype stuff is to be respected, but the Tyco stuff for me keeps the memories alive! Thanks for the video!

[@clearlycaribbeanreb2895]

My first set was the tyco silver streak for Christmas 1979. Been hooked ever since lol

[@SiliconBong]

yayyyy, the silver streak !!

[@BothFeetInPodcast]

I keep this catalog on the counter at my hobby shop. Everyone seems to enjoy leafing through it and remembering that era - or discovering it for the first time!

[@Aprilseahorse]

I also grew up with Tyco. You are right about the quality, but it is truly the memories of them that are quality. The steam whistle billboard was and still is way cool! I did not use it for a billboard, I put it by my controller at the front of my table.

[@93greenstrat]

I am a prototype modeling enthusiast....amd I regret not taking better care of my Tyco stuff. I guess as a kid, I took it for granted that they'd be around forever. The one thing I distinctly remember, though, was that "new trainset smell".

[@auralfury]

wow this brings back memories, thanks for sharing.

[@andrewmoens8614]

This is so wonderful to see again, this is what I grew up with, always dreamed of the expander layout... Thanks. I drooled over this same catalog.😊

[@michaeldickson9876]

Thank you for your wonderful video. I had set up the 4x8 layout in the guide in 1975 starting with the Sprit of 76 set. I expanded adding a coming around mountain SD24 although it did not work right out of the box. As you stated, the quality was very bad, but had hours of fun setting up and building layout. In fact, I was 7 and it introduced me to electronics. I because an electronics engineer due to my setting up of the trains and learning about AC and DC, transformers, track wiring etc. Again, a lot of people including those with very expensive DCC layouts started with the Tyco and to a lesser extend AHM and Life Like sets of the 70s.

[@elleryparsons5766]

Tyco was a Major Deal in The 70’s. Never forget Tyco God Bless Tyco. I Remember when they had a 3 way Switch I don’t Even think they Make em Anymore.

[@tracynation2820]

An excellent video. Hello from the Tracy Mountain Railway in Colorado. 💙 T.E.N.

[@1989booda]

Thank you for sharing. I remember having that booklet. I even have some of the model buildings showed. Thanks for the memories!!

[@GEORGE-jf2vz]

Too bad they don't have paper catalogs anymore. I loved looking at them also when I was a kid.

[@Anthony-tb5vg]

Hello I have the TYCO paper catalogs of the years 1976, 1977, 1978 and I believe 1980. I bought them all on eBay. Try looking there if you want to buy any of those TYCO catalogs. They just bring back wonderful memories of my childhood. All the best to you.

[@michaeldickson9876]

Thank you for posting this video. I built the layout using the expander, but made some of my own buildings and made telephone poles with thread. I also integrated my erector sets with the tyco layout. The year was 1976 and 77. I had the spirit of 76 set from Two guys (figure 8 with trestle). I next year got the coming around the mountain. I agree with you, the comin around the mountain never worked right out of the set. I remember hooking it up and it smoked and burned out the first time. I remember sending it to Tyco in NJ and it got lost. I was upset and my dad bouught me a AHM Riverossi U36C as a replacement. I still have this loco to this day.

[@ZakWolf]

TYCO's trains were before my time (being born in 1988, I started out with Life-Like, which had stolen much of TYCO's thunder by that time), but once I began to take model railroading more seriously in my late pre-teen/early teenage years I discovered TYCO's trains and found how fun they could be. My current 11x8 L-shaped HO-scale train layout, despite using DCC and nickel-silver Bachmann E-Z Track, has a lot of neat old TYCO buildings and accessories set up, and I also like having my freight trains pull TYCO rolling stock, upgraded with knuckle couplers, and metal wheels on some of them. I even recently took a Mantua Classics GP20 chassis with TCS DCC decoder installed and fit a TYCO red/silver Warbonnet Santa Fe 5628 shell onto it for layout operations! I find having action accessories on an HO-scale train layout to still be fun, having a bit more animated action besides the trains themselves. I also have that TYCO Model Railroad Manual, along with one of its' reprint successors "The HO Model Railroading Handbook," i.e. the 1998 third edition, which I found very useful in building said current layout. Also regarding that TYCO Layout Expander System plan, if built without the insulating gaps and additional terminal wiring, it'd make for a great track plan for starting out with DCC!

[@mikel5295]

I was like you & wanted darn near everything in that catalog . So many memories . I remember we had to send a locomotive back to Tyco , months later I got it back and that thing was in worse shape than before I sent it LOL . They had some kind of glue all over the rear of the plastic shell l , it was so crappy a job that the glue had dripped down the side to the wheel area . Needless to say it did not run long . Yes i do not miss the true steel track ..... It was not the best idea out there but oh well . . Tyco was part of the beginning in my world of model trains and love them or hate them it is what it is 😂

[@elleryparsons5766]

Brass was King in Model railroading in the Day before I knew the art Of model Railroading.

[@jeffreybaker100]

Had a Tyco Silver Streak train set from Christmas 1978

[@twistedaxles9126]

That Baby Ruth Box car in the Thumbnail, i remember seeing it in Trainz 2006 and 2009

[@jamesemerson3414]

I have a section of my basement layout dedicated to Tyco accessories.The motorized piggy back loader/unloader is my favorite. It works well. I also have two of the rolling bridges. I motorized them. I grew up with Tyco and know that catalog well.

[@rickmclaren2620]

Tyco (Mantua) rocks!!

[@JBofBrisbane]

Nobody could ever describe TYCO locos (particularly from the brown box era) as "top shelf" models, but their wagons could be improved with metal wheelsets and knuckle couplers, and some of their building kits were quite good. The complete Layout Expander System actually uses the same track plan as the System 200 set, with a couple more sidings.

[@m_a_d_c_a_t_s9020]

My dad always seemed to get into my hobbies. When I was interested in trains, he picked up four of these at the local Woolco: - Freight Unloading Depot - Lighted Service Station - Lighted Factory - Old Time Factory The old time factory one is really odd ... it had a track molded into the base and another that you can see on the ramp.

[@MrBnsftrain]

I have quite a bit of Tyco myself, and it was the first used model train I got. The engines aren't always the best, but I have a few that work well. I don't have any of the nine operating loaders/unloaders (which aren't as famous as Lionel's), but I used to have the whistling billboard. I also have the piggyback platform (but with ATSF trailers)and the crane car and tender on the same page. 6:00 I own one of the houses under construction and Sandart Electric building, 6:16 that could make a good Vicarstown bridge from Thomas and Freinds 6:54 I do own the 4-wheel ATSF diesel, the larger super Alco Santa Fe (which is now a parts source), and not shown in this catalog, a Spirit of 76 C430 which I turned into a dummy unit, and a Penn Central GP20 7:40 I own the Silver Streak and Golden Eagle cabooses, BN box car, UP hopper, ATSF caboose, Heinz reefer, Kellogg hopper, two Sara Lee box cars, Jell-o box car, and the "Mail Pouch Tobacco" box car from my dad's childhood. I always found that one unusual Tyco stuff is pretty much sold everywhere you can get your hands on a used model train, so it's pretty easy to build up a Tyco train collection.

[@DarkpawTheWolf]

This was great to watch. My first set was a Bachmann. It was from the era that Bachmann was still really good, before they switched to the pancake drive junk. I had no idea how good I had it, until I started getting back into it not that long ago. I took out my old engine and was astonished to see it was all wheel drive and still ran like it did right out of the box in the 80s, without me even putting a drop of oil on it. I have a Tyco Sanka car still in the box. I used it when I was younger, but for whatever reason, kept the box and everything with it in mint condition. I don't have many other boxes from the era, except my original Bachmann ones (but am missing the plastic from inside them, unfortunately).

[@TrevortheTrainFan]

Interesting catalog!

[@jamescalhoun8320]

I had the track layout expander kit and its tru steel track.

[@mollycaz1]

I found a add the set I had it sold for $39.99 it was the Santa Fe. It was a circle track with a cross track you could switch the train on to.

[@gregsurrell598]

I have two Tyco engines. One is a ‘69 Santa Fe & the other is a ‘75 Spirit of 76. Also in ‘75 got a Tyco Layout Expander System, which I never used. Everything is packed away now, but I’m thinking of setting up a 4x8 layout. It’s a matter of time & money.

[@martensiersma3304]

I ran into a box of Tyco track and rolling stock from the 1950's. The longest cars in the set were as long as the shortest cars on today's layouts

[@tot_Robbie]

Interesting, i never seen this before, not even in train shows!

[@Dawsonsrailfanadventures74]

I just bought the Boraxo car for 5$ brand new in the box Saturday at a flea market it runs really well on my railroad

[@Tyler-zi6tz]

Most of my rolling stock is tyco. For me getting started every bit helps. also it's like an hour till the turn table your selling is up and I'm highest bidder atm. Hope I win

[@Tyler-zi6tz]

Update- it got sniper while I was driving to work. Rip

[@elleryparsons2433]

This Is How you start to Model Railroading.

[@mollycaz1]

Very cool I had a tyco set as a kid . I would like to find it . Do you know where to look

[@rickdee67]

The catalog, me too!

[@Curtiz2008]

Tyco aimed for the kids who wanted Lionel but did not have room or money for the O and O-27.

[@Mayo_Jaabo_Hosko]

Please create a tyco train layout with all your tyco train accessories. That tyco track expansion set looks interesting to accomplish that. Did somebody say my name. I’d love to receive some snail mail from you and I’m sure new storyteller would feel the same

[@arielfilmsinc1926]

I built the 4 x 6 layout on page 2

[@caboosech]

We had HL child's in Northampton Massachusetts it was a toy & hobbie store

[@matthewbollinger9205]

Is it just me, or was the unrealistic neon green grass a norm on layouts in the 70s?

[@TrainTsarFun]

lol! It seemed to be be a common thing back then. I knew some neighbors that had it too. 1970s was a weird time

[@alwheeler8302]

I had that crane car

[@bernadettegarbers9552]

Style track is not completely worthless it can make a good rasty siding but you don't want to pot phor to it unless you like spirks....

[@braydenroberts290]

Make a big trackmaster layout with all of your trackmaster

[@episodiocinco]

Hola. Buen video. Soy aficionado a laos trenes TYCO, Soy de Mexico CDMX, El catalogo esta genial. ¿Sabras donde puedo conseguir uno o bajarlo en PDF?. Me seria de mucha ayuda, para conocer mas de estos trenes TYCO. Saludos cordiales. Hello. Good video. I am a fan of TYCO trains, I am from Mexico CDMX, The catalog is great. Do you know where I can get one or download it in PDF? It would be very helpful to me to learn more about these TYCO trains. Kind regards.

[@TrainTsarFun]

You might try this site tycotrain.tripod.com/tycocatalogs/

[@yetigaming79]

Hey, my engine is starting but my wheels aren’t moving. Do you know how to fix this.

[@billdougan4022]

If it’s a Tyco, take a pencil eraser and rub and clean the brass wheels on the locomotive for better contact. Use a eraser on the track too for better electrical pickup.

[@mrdragon411]

I have the babrosth car and I think I have that layout on my track

[@4everdc302]

Thank you for showing the Tyco book fantastic! I run some Tyco stuff on my layout and love it. Check me out if ya get a chance,see if ya can spot it.

[@fastoutnotforkids7192]

I like the tyco trains. But the buildings ain't much to me. I would rather have the train. Lol.

[@markryan1754]

Stay away from the Tru-Steel Track, It was junk, That was the worst thing that tyco did going to that junk!, In locomotives if you can find the Tyco/Mantua loco's they had the best drive system in them, The power-torque was another fail for Tyco! I had these when I was a kid and now the most prized item that Tyco made was the Union 76 Gas Station, It goes for a lot of money on ebay..

[@YourAverageChurro]

WOW ok

[@yourlocalidiot23432]

200th like

[@richardnelson-ux1zz]

Why did tyco go out of business

[@Mardigrasman23]

$2 refund. Wonder if they would still honor that for you. Are these pricy on ebay

[@jerryspann8713]

When you buy a model car kit and just put it together without detailing it, it looks just like a toy. Same with these TYCO train sets. A true modelist makes their model trains look real. Yeah, today you can spend $400 on a high quality locomotive, but it is completely made up. That takes all the fun out of modeling.

[@TrainTsarFun]

A true modelist does what they want and doesn’t care what other people think