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 Posted - April 15 2007 : 10:18:03 AM
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Hey guys:
I was thinking about Tyco motive power and what combinations I could run, and then it struck me; Tyco never modelled a full size Yard Switcher! No Baldwin S-12, no Alco S-1-4; no EMD SW-whatever. Seems odd. Part of it may be that to switch a yard in a prototypical fashion requires really great low speed running as in the 10 Scale-mph or less range. This is not something they do well. Perhaps the understanding at Tyco was that their target demographic was kids who wanted trains to go around loops primarily and power choices were made accordingly. The two little switchers the Mantua center-cab and the Tyco Plymouth are too small to mimic a real yard switcher. They are more in the order of an Industrial unit.
Curious to hear some theories on this.
Cheers,
Gareth
Tyco's idea of a Switcher:
Even lowly AHM had a bettter one, an SW-1:
Edited by - romcat on April 15 2007 7:20:09 PM
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Posted - April 15 2007 : 8:29:21 PM
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Really, Tyco's diesel offerings were so limited it's sad. And they had a knack for picking things that were not too common.
RF-16? Alco 430 and 630? Backbones of the freight industry, these were not. The SD24 and GP20 were the most common, prototypically speaking - and that proves a point...
...which is, I don't think Tyco really paid any attention to "modelers". So a proto-performing switcher was well off the radar.
And that said, the "plymouth" and centercab switchers did not seem to be too warmly received, so why bother?
Plus, speaking from a purely mechanical perspective - the switchers they did make were solid, rigid-frame. Perhaps the MU-2 and DEFINITELY the PT) drives would not have adapted well to a low-hood B-B truck switcher body, with room for wieght, etc. Not cheaply at any rate.
That's just my theory. Worth the price paid.
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Posted - April 15 2007 : 8:59:02 PM
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Well GIC:
I'd say that nails it pretty good. It's weird huh. Like, lets do only the obscure!
I mean Alco 630's OK they are my favorite 12 wheeler but a HIGH Hood 630 which only N&W ordered. Or the 430. What Alco made 16 or something. How many RF-16 Sharks? Maybe Tyco thought no one else make "these" we can corner the HO sale market!? Strange.
I'm suprised there was no, SW9/1200 or an Alco S-1-4. They were prolific switchers! You know I think you're right I don't think the power characteristics of either the MU-2 or the PT respond well to swiotcher kind of activity. Probably my best switchers a Hobbytown RS-3 thats all metal and has a modified "O" scale DC-91 motor and weighs like 2lbs, and a redone MDC Boxcab that will move at like 3 ties/hr. They are tuned for low speed and boy are they smooth starters.
Maybe Tyco thought Sleek and fast looking stuff would sell better but who knows. Your observations make sense though, anyone else!?
-Gareth
Edited by - romcat on April 15 2007 9:03:11 PM
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Posted - April 16 2007 : 3:16:21 PM
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When you think about it, AHM is kinda the odd one with so many switchers in its line. AHM had what maybe 3 different industrial models, a pair of Alco switchers and the EMD SW-1.
Bachmann had the Plymouth MDT similar to AHM's and TYCO's model in the '70s and then in the '80s added for a short time that crude GE industrial switcher...
Life-Like had the Yugoslovian C415 Alco switcher for a few years in the early '70s, but I think they ignored switchers...and remember Life-Like comes into HO trains via the end of the Varney line...which did have an EMD SW-7 maybe? But again, Life-Like didn't offer a switcher for its toy train line.
I would suggest that Bachmann and Life-Like were probably in the Big Dog club with TYCO as the major players in ready-to-run toy trains for the 1970s-1980s.
Tony Cook
HO-Scale Trains Resource
http://ho-scaletrains.net
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