[Original Woody's Workshop]

I'm 60, but in my early teens I had a mid size layout I was building from a starter Tyco steam set with a Santa Fe 0-6-0 switcher with a sloped back tender.
Typical, with entering the work force, women and other interests ended with the dismantlement of the layout to free up space in my parents basement. Back then, it was brass track and always had electrical contact problems. About 20 years ago, right after I got married I was going through all of my stored stuff at my parents and I ended up selling it all for $100. I should have gotten a lot more, but over the years some damage occurred on most of the buildings and some of the rolling stock.
Anyway, what ever happened to Tyco? I have tried searching and it appears they jump out of the hobby some time ago?

 

[Shdwdrgn]

20 years ago you probably wouldn't have gotten much more for it anyway. That seems to be turning around now, there's a lot of collectors looking for Tyco stuff.

Yeah that brass track was always a pain. The latest nickel-silver track seems to work so much better. Of course if you're doing a permanent layout you would want to use flex track and solder the joints to even further improve continuity. And DCC -- wow what a leap from the banks of Atlas switch controllers!

I think you're right that Tyco stopped making trains a long time ago, however you might recognize Bachmann, and they have been producing some really nice equipment. Check their Spectrum line for high-detail locomotives.

 

[Original Woody's Workshop]

Bachmann is actually ranked 3rd (from what I've read so far) in desirable loco's. I'm eyeing a couple right now and just posted a question on one. (I think I dropped in N Scale by mistake). I was hoping to go with as much Atlas as I could, but they don't seam to have a whole lot in Steam. Nothing in N Scale from what I can tell.

 

[CTValleyRR]

Tyco got out of the train business a while ago.

Most new stuff today runs just fine; more dollars gets you more detailing, and more realistic details.

Walthers sells some nice steam locos, as does BLI (Broadway Limited Imports). A little pricier than the Bachmann stuff, but worth it.

 

[ggnlars]

Your sloped back tender 0-6-0 was likely a Mantua based model. Originally, Mantua created Tyco as a lower cost line of trains. Later Tyco was spun off as a separate company. For a period after that occurred Tyco continued to use the motors & dies from Mantua. After that period, Tyco developed there own motor and steam engines that were powered from the tender. The diesels were only changer to adapt to the new motor. Tyco fell out of favor and stopped making trains in the late 80’s or early 90’s. Mantua held on until the late 90’s. Model power bought the dues and produced a Mantua Classics line, which were updated for the DCC era. Model Power went under a few years back. I think someone took over their product line, but I haven’t heard much about it recently.
Both Tyco & Mantua suffered from the move to higher quality offerings from P2K, Atlas and Athearn Genesis. People want quality & detail and not toy like train sets.
Bachmann has transitioned from the toy like to a better detail and quality. They have had several try’s to get to where they are today. Prior to 2014, their quality and reliability was still classified as junk. Better now, but people still complain a lot about them.
They have staked out the low cost end with adequate quality & detail. They definitely produce a lot of different steam models.
The leaders in HO steam are Probably BLI, MTH & Athearn Genesis. Lots of models, highly detailed and the cost to go with it. Others make a model here or there, but do not seem committed to steam. Rapido has started a line of Canadian steam models that look pretty good. They have big plans and seem to be able to follow through. Han not indicated that they will build a US steam model.
Good luck in your search.
Larry
www.llxlocomotives.com

 

[Jscullans]

If you’re looking for tyco go to train shows or eBay. The great Midwest train show in Wheaton Illinois is every month and they always have a mess of tyco locos and rolling stock there. It’s all over eBay too.

 

[kilowatt62]

70's Tyco

Speaking of Tyco trains and being a kid. This is my first H0 train I received on my birthday in 1970-71. The only piece left. My beloved GP-20 Burlington. I swapped out the motor/truck assemblies due to excessive wear, about 8-9 months ago. (No more pizza cutters) I finally put #148 kadees on it today and took it for a run. Amazingly quiet actually but not much on super slow of course.

 

[MichaelE]

That was my first too around that same time. Came in a set, but other than an orange gondola and a BN caboose I don't remember the other wagens.

Does the chassis look like it might accomodate a later Athearn drivetrain and motor assembly?

 

[Eilif]

That was my first too around that same time. Came in a set, but other than an orange gondola and a BN caboose I don't remember the other wagens.

Does the chassis look like it might accomodate a later Athearn drivetrain and motor assembly?

One other option to consider is a more recent 8wd chassis from Model Power (MPC)

Right up until they sold the tooling to Lionel last year they still made GP20s with the same Mantua shell but with a full frame with 8wd. They even did some in DCC with sound and remote.
There might still be some for sale at Trainworld.

A pretty good history of and Mantua is here.
http://ho-scaletrains.com/mantua/
It leaves out that after the rebirth of Mantua, Tyco continued until 1993.
A similar history of TYCO is here:
http://ho-scaletrains.com/tyco/

 

[tjcruiser]

Here's a nice website with lots of Tyco info ...

(Couldn't get the link to post here ... trying it in quotes ...)

"http://tycotrain.tripod.com/tycotrains/"

 

[kilowatt62]

MichaelE,
mine was part of a set as well. Over/under figure 8 track set.
Good thought on the Athearn thing. Doubt I'll go that route though. Just happy the original loco is still kicking, even if not raising any dust now.

 

[shaygetz]

My favorite Tyco upgrade, modifying a GP20 she'll to fit an Athearn GP40 frame. The frame came with the hard to find original brass side frames offered by PFM/United back in the 80s. I swapped the motor for a later skew wound one and added Details West plows to it. I even opened up the rear number boards to light. The looks when it walks away with a thirty car string are priceless...

 

[Old_Hobo]

This link should answer most of the questions about Tyco.....

Tyco Trains History

 

[Trackjockey05]

I actually still use some Tyco stuff, I have a bunch of their building kits, with some updating and extra detail they actually build into nice looking models, I also snag the flat cars when I find them, and the short Hycube box cars, I got the Tyco Silver Streak set when I was about 8 or 9, I loved that set, they had a TV commercial for it and I wanted it so bad, Christmas morning I got it from my uncle Chuck, best Christmas ever!