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 Posted - July 27 2006 : 5:18:33 PM
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Greetings Tyco-llectors:
In the course of rummaging thru what is, admittedly, a rather large and poorly referenced paper archive in search of references to Tyco's T-9 Talgo Train and its various incarnations--and the real-life train that inspired same--I noted repeated references by the advertising pitchmen working at the behest of American Car and Foundry, Electro-Motive Diesel GM, Budd and Fairbanks Morse in the mid-to-late-fifties to the "new advances" in "Low Center of Gravity" cars "Scientifically weighted for roadability." Sound familiar to anyone?
These advances were part of the new lexicon attempting to rekindle public interest in passenger trains as commuter carriers and were used somewhat interchangeably with the much-vaunted "future trains" of the B&M, New Haven, NYC and Rock Island Railroad.
What is most interesting, however, is the way art (model railroading) imitated life: a quick glance at most any Tyco Catalog or train set master box from the sixties will reveal the claim that Tyco cars are "scientifically weighted for best roadability." One of Tyco's primary competitors from the same era, Revell, Inc., was even more blatant, perhaps. Boxes for their rolling stock boldly proclaim Revell has "the only freight cars with 'LCG' (low center of gravity)."
All this "science" was evidently rather passe' by July, 1964, when Trains magazine displayed two pix (respectively of the GM Aero-Train and NYCentral X-Plorer) with a caption reading, "Remember when low center of gravity was the biggest thing in the 'Official Guide'?"
Interesting, huh? Any other examples come to mind?
Magnolia Academy
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Posted - July 27 2006 : 6:12:30 PM
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I think the old red,black Varney boxes also claim to be Scientifically weighted.
Carl T.
President of the Cape James Terminal RR.
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Posted - July 28 2006 : 10:12:56 AM
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Carl T.:
Excellent Varney memory, Carl. Examination of the old red box Varney confirms they were, indeed, pitched in bold letters as "Scientifically Weighted" as their principle feature. Interestingly, as the pitchmen's sensed that "LCG" loomed less important in the eyes of the buying public, when it came time to update the old red box with the new blue striped box, Varneys were no longer "scientifically weighted," they were "scientifically engineered."
This compels me to bring up two final points: the national political and economic context in which these old American model trains were manufactured and sold must always be a factor in present-day discussions of their merits and flaws and... do you think Varney canned the brick red box because it too closely resembled the new packaging of their competitors in Woodbury Heights, NJ?
for what its worth,
Magnolia Academy
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