Large Scale Central

Help in recreating my childhood HO set in G

General Discussion
#1

My 1st train set was a TYCO HO set I got for christmas. Years ago I gave all my HO stuff away to a young family that could use it. I’ve been kicking myself for not keeping the 1st set. Though I do not care to run HO anymore it would have helped me duplicate what I had. Specifically I am looking for anyone who may have knowledge of these sets. There is a HUGE amount of info out there but I cannot find out what loco I had. The set looked almost exactly like this…(but I think the box was brown)…

Really close but not quite right. My engine was a burlington with 6 wheel trucks and a low hood. Included cars where: Monon 2-bay covered hopper (grey) Texaco Tanker (silver) Santa Fe Chief wooden reefer (orange) Western Maryland short flat with three cement culvert sections (green) Unknown long flat with cable reels (green with tan surface) Silver caboose I have recreated the set with a USA SD-40-2, Texaco tanker, Santa Fe Chief reefer, US Army flat, and caboose. I added an Aristo Westerm/Maryland flat and an LGB NYC covered hopper. Working on the custom loads for the flats and will eventually re-paint the none matching road-names to match the set. A long shot I know…Any TYCO experts out there that can help Identify what engine I might have had?

#2

I found a pic of the “long” flat…It was GN.

(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj222/Noble_Dreg/Cable_reel_flat.jpg)

The “short” flat…

(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj222/Noble_Dreg/Pipe_Load_Flat.jpg)

I have an open house coming up the 1st week in august and I want to complete this set by then! :slight_smile:

#3

I think I had that same set, how many weeks did your work till the motor stuffed it? I would love to build my favorite train set from childhood in G but I’m afraid it would be a total scratch job:

(http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/diecast/images/hotwheels/hotline2.jpg)

(http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/diecast/images/hotwheels/hotline1.jpg)

But its sure be a sight tearing around something like the Fairplex layout!

#4

Mark check out these sites, seams to be the “go to” site for Tyco

http://ho-scaletrains.net/id16.html

http://www.ho-scaletrains.net/trainsets/

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

I think the toughest thing to replicate is the streamline caboose, nothing in LS is close

#5

Thats a great idea what your doing. I remember my first train set was a Bachmann (I think) n scale train set. I got it at Jamesway when they were still around. It ran for hours and lasted a long time.

#6

Victor: Yep, that’s where I went 1st. Everything I can find tells me my engine did not exist but I know it did. I spent HOURS with that thing! :slight_smile:

You are right on the caboose. I’m using the USA center cupola silver Burlington for now…But a streamlined one is on my “to scratch” list.

Shawn: Mine ran like the battery bunny too! It was still running great when I gave it away.

I am in the process of re-acquiring the set (engine and rolling stock anyway). Thankfully they are cheap and common…It’s the engine giving me trouble. I will find it!

#7

My first trainset was also a TYCO. A “Silver Streak”. It would have the same stuff as yours Mark, just different paint jobs. I would look at a Pennsy caboose for the caboose. It had that sloped sided cupola, which I think Pennsy had (my knowledge of eastern RR is limited).

THe locomotive was like an SD45 but the TYCO model didnt have the sloped radiator grills like the SD45. I suppose you could cut the grills on the USA model and make them vertical.

#8

Jake, I swear it was a TYCO SD but I can find no pictures of a TYCO example! Athearns yes, no TYCO.

The “expert” sites don’t seem to show TYCO producing one during the time either…odd.

Doesn’t really matter I guess, I’m happy just bringing it back bigger and better! :slight_smile:

#9

My thoughts-
Either the locomotive was a really bad SD40-2, or SD39?, SD24? For you I think the you made the best choice with the SD40-2, as it captures the look.

#10

According to the 1971-72 catalog the Over & Under set came with a Burlington GP-20 which is what mine came with. Quite honestly given Tyco not so great adherence to prototype, I think you could use either the GP-9 or an SD for the LS set, as long as it has that unique Burlington paint scheme.

http://www.ho-scaletrains.net/trainsets/id2.html

Over & Under set is about 1/2 way down page

#11

Agreed Craig…I am happy with the SD-40. It does have “the look”.

Victor, I looked at that link too…Mine was definitely a 6-wheel truck. Knowing my mother it was likely a set from Sears…I did get a Burlington GP-20 as a stand-alone add on for my birthday.

Amazing what a guy can remember!

#12

Knowing Tyco they probably ran out of the GP20s near the end of one day they were packaging that set, went over and grabbed whatever looked like the Burlington Geep (your SD or Alco) and used those for the remainder of the sets. As long as it looked like the box art and fit the hole oi tne packaging.

#13

Mark; For me it was dumb luck. Could not replicate my first train in large scale, but my LHS bought out a collection that had a close cousin to that set.

(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/davemeashey/1688No2.jpg)

The present set does not have a whistling tender; my original set did. Now the current set runs happily around the Christmas tree each holiday season.

(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/davemeashey/Cmas2011.JPG)

Best wishes in your quest, David Meashey