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 Posted - February 28 2007 : 01:19:55 AM
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I am trying to understand the evolution of Mantua-Tyco rolling stock. The oldest I've come across are those mostly metal (chassis, trucks, and perhaps bodies) jobs with the peculiar retangular couplers. I suppose these gave way, maybe in the '60s to the plastic horn-hook couplers mounted in the metal trucks that were attached to the chassis with screws. These seem to be stamped "Mantua" on the underside, though not always. By the '70s the metal trucks gave way to the all-plastic ones that snapped into metal or plastic chassis. I suppose the final stage was the all-plastic body, chassis and trucks, with "Tyco" stamped on the bottom. An I right so far?
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Posted - February 28 2007 : 12:09:08 PM
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In general, I believe you're pretty right on the money with the timeline. The odd couplers are I think commonly called "loop'n'hook" couplers as one of our TYCO Forum members uses as his own handle here.
From a TYCO 1952 catalog, here's what was pictured for the famous Loop'n'Hooks...
If I recall right, the NMRA wanted a standardized easy to make and use coupler and the X2F or "Horn Hook" was born in the late '50s. Perhaps somebody with better knowledge knows the actual year of the introduction of the X2F coupler.
Interesting topic, hope others join in with input...
Tony
Tony Cook
HO-Scale Trains Resource
http://ho-scaletrains.net
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Posted - February 28 2007 : 3:06:15 PM
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I guess the overall trend was away from metal toward plastic, presumably to reduce production costs. It would be easy to blame the Consolidated buyout of Tyco and the shift of production overseas, but the trend was underway before that.
I am not clear as to what occurred after the Tylers bought back the train line. Did they continue selling it as "Tyco" or did that brand remain with CF?
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Posted - February 28 2007 : 4:01:11 PM
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Before the plastic snap in trucks there were plastic screw on trucks that fit the metal under frames. They had the wheel sets with the metal axle at first then the one piece plastic wheel sets.
I can think of at least 3 types of the metal trucks. The differences were mainly in the coupler pockets but there were some changes in the wheel sets.
Ray
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Posted - February 28 2007 : 6:33:53 PM
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| Yes, I believe I saw a picture of a plastic truck (distinguishable by its coupler) screwed into a metal bottom. Thought it might have been a modification. I'm curious as to how quickly these changes followed each other. From screwed-in metal trucks to snap-in plastic ones.
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Posted - February 28 2007 : 6:34:50 PM
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quote:I am not clear as to what occurred after the Tylers bought back the train line. Did they continue selling it as "Tyco" or did that brand remain with CF?
Originally posted by Anthypatos - February 28 2007 : 2:06:15 PM
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Believe the return of the Mantua name happens in 1978. The Tyler family has mostly steam engines (both kit form and RTR) and some rolling stock, plus a version of the GP20 and F-unit. This new group is sold under the Mantua name and stays around until 2001. The tooling is similar to things in the TYCO line or former TYCO offerings with some differences. For example, TYCO's GP20 has the PowerTorque drive by the late '70s...the Mantua GP20 of 1978-2001 has a more serious drive and even ends life with a flywheel-equipped drive by 2001.
The TYCO brand survives until 1993 in HO-scale trains. The offerings of the second coming of Mantua in '78 and what was happening with TYCO from that point on to 1993 don't really relate to each other much.
There was a posting here recently that provided a link to a nice history of the TYCO name. Believe in 1981 or '82 Consolidated Foods is out and TYCO is on its own. Look for that link and you'll get more info on TYCO's history in the '80s and early '90s.
Tony Cook
HO-Scale Trains Resource
http://ho-scaletrains.net
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Posted - February 28 2007 : 7:03:08 PM
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| I saw the Tyco history article. So the Tyler family bought the steam engine lines from Tyco, along with a couple of diesels? If I understand correctly, Tyco and Mantua offered competing GP-20s and F-9s until the demise of Tyco trains in '93.
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