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 Posted - June 22 2015 : 8:57:25 PM
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I got it!
Minus the seachlight caboose 
YAY!!!
Need some handrails for the loco
Edited by - microbusss on June 22 2015 8:58:36 PM
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 Posted - June 22 2015 : 10:41:08 PM
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The bottom car doesn't go with the set!
Glenn
I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"
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Posted - June 22 2015 : 11:02:40 PM
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| Good stuff, man. I've got one of the cattle cars, but I think that's it. Honestly I don't remember. Maybe when I unpack things this fall I'll find more. In fact, if I ever find that cattle car I might be willing to part with it.
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Posted - June 22 2015 : 11:40:20 PM
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quote:The bottom car doesn't go with the set!
Originally posted by gmoney - June 22 2015 : 10:41:08 PM
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I knows that 
sides I likes the car & railroad is abandoned as of 2007
Is now a trail
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Posted - June 23 2015 : 7:50:58 PM
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Nice Durango set, never seen that before. The
Laramie piece is a nice touch.
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Posted - June 24 2015 : 6:04:19 PM
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[URL=http://s1228.photobucket.com/user/jdboomer904/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150624_171524_zpskkikj1rj.jpg.html]  [/URL]
" Heck with counting 'em rivets, TRAINS ARE FOR FUN! Not called the Mad Scientist for nothing either!"
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Posted - June 24 2015 : 9:32:58 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Redneck Justin - June 24 2015 : 6:04:19 PM
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ARRGGHH!!! *uberly jealous!!!!!*
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Posted - June 24 2015 : 11:42:55 PM
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I got this train set for the local model railroad museum. We plan to set it up and run it, as the owner wants to have many of the local shops in the area have a train set running in the window during the holidays. It's one of TYCO's last electric train sets...
Yep, the Railroad Empire II! It was originally made in 1990, and continued to be sold until 1993. By this time, quite a few of TYCO's "operating" accessories could only be obtained in this set, like the pipe loader and dump cars, and the auto-carrier car.
Note the train artwork on top; it shows a Santa Fe GP20 hauling different cars than the ones found in the actual set. It's actually recycled from their 1981 "Piggyback Freight" train set box. By this time, TYCO was pretty lazy with most of their train set packaging, recycling from older ones and not caring if they match the actual contents of the set. It especially contrasts with rivals Bachmann and Life-Like's train set packaging from this time (beginning in 1991, Life-Like's train sets would come with excellent, large-sized and highly-detailed artwork on their packaging that would take up around 3/4 of the box!)
Get a load of the side here. It shows the Hong-Kong -made TYCO locomotive and cars that came in the 80s "Railroad Empire" set...
But you actually get the Yugoslavian-made equivalents! The locomotive, the cars, the track, the controls, and some of the accessories are all made in Yugoslavia or Slovenia, though from what I saw there are a few Hong Kong pieces. The straight and terminal rerailer track sections, made in Yugoslavia, have weird-looking ties that aren't very detailed and look rather cartoonish, very much like the old A.H.M. track did. It also comes with Mehano's track-connecting clips, branded by TYCO as "Quik-Clik" connectors. They were also included in some of I.H.C.'s train sets of the 90s, and Life-Like also came out with the similar "Trac-Loc" clips shortly after for their conventional-track train sets. I believe Mehano still makes these "Quik-Clik" track clips, I saw them a few times from a European model train seller on eBay.
The locomotive is Mehano's old Alco C628 8-wheel-drive diesel, painted in the red-and-silver Warbonnet colors. It's identical to what A.H.M. sold in the 80s, and I think I.H.C. offered it too. Ironically, this type of locomotive is a much better runner than TYCO's old Alco 630!
Look at this log dump car. Since when are logs yellow?
Overall, a pretty good train set for late in TYCO's life, though I probably would've also included some figures and the Arlee Station building kit to help make a "real" railroad empire for starting out with (almost like Life-Like's current "Railroad Empire"/"Diesel Driver" train set.)
Edited by - wiley209 on June 24 2015 11:58:26 PM
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Posted - June 24 2015 : 11:59:25 PM
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| Hey Justin, are those Sampson cars? Nice set there.
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Posted - June 25 2015 : 12:17:28 AM
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Oldtimer52, they're are by Tyco. Introduced in the 60's. The set was oddly sold with a UP GP20.
" Heck with counting 'em rivets, TRAINS ARE FOR FUN! Not called the Mad Scientist for nothing either!"
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Posted - June 25 2015 : 01:21:23 AM
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 Tyco in the early to mid 1990s was struggling with their train lineup so they went to companies like Mehano to make stuff for them much like other companies at the time.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - June 25 2015 : 11:46:23 AM
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quote: Tyco in the early to mid 1990s was struggling with their train lineup so they went to companies like Mehano to make stuff for them much like other companies at the time.
Originally posted by kovacste000Â -Â June 25 2015Â :Â 01:21:23 AM
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It wasn't just their trains. The whole TYCO company was going through hard times in the early-to-mid 90s. They did see some success again with the Tickle-Me-Elmo doll in 1996, but then a year later they were folded into Mattel.
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Posted - June 25 2015 : 9:54:11 PM
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Ok, was wondering. The observation car looks like the one that Sampson made with the
rear roof being separate with the rear lamp.
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Posted - June 25 2015 : 11:04:38 PM
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Here is that Railroad Empire train set, at the hobby shop museum, set up on a TYCOSCENE layout board...
I didn't hook up the power pack there. I instead run it on the layout we have been building using the nickel-silver E-Z Track, hooked up to a conventional Bachmann power pack (new style), and it runs pretty well, though another volunteer could hear the gears grinding a bit. I think the locomotive may need a bit of lubing. It would make sense, as it looks like this train set hadn't even been run before!
I will add the pipe loader was a pain to put together. I broke a couple of pieces in the process and had to glue them back together with plastic model cement, and installing the crossing gate on its base was a little tricky; nothing like my older TYCO or the Life-Like crossing gates (I'm betting the TYCO crossing gate by this time was also made in Europe instead of Hong Kong/China.)
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Posted - June 26 2015 : 01:35:01 AM
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Found this trio of Hornby Coronation coaches in a vintage toy shop, fairly new in town.
How they ended up in El Paso have not a clue.
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Posted - June 26 2015 : 01:36:10 AM
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Sweet Empire Set. Don't see that every day. Nice catch.
It took some understanding of electricity, some imagination,
and perseverance to get that up and running. Not like video
games that require little insight. A real pleasure to see this.
Send more posts if you continue to build it up.
Edited by - Chops124 on June 26 2015 02:16:24 AM
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Posted - June 29 2015 : 11:09:03 PM
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There are some cool sets here. I don't know if I've ever seen pictures of the TycoScene layout board set up before.
quote:Ok, was wondering. The observation car looks like the one that Sampson made with the
rear roof being separate with the rear lamp.
Originally posted by oldtimer52Â -Â June 25 2015Â :Â 9:54:11 PM
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The Tyco streamliner bodies are all one piece, and are based off of the American Flyer streamliners. The UP cars just happen to have the roof painted a different colour. 
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Posted - June 29 2015 : 11:36:25 PM
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Tyco had a few successes in the nineties
The Dino Riders ,Little Mermaid ,Quints ,The Incredible Crash dummies plus some acclaim with their Kenya doll and other doll lines
(been to and still go to the toy fair in NYC0
The success of The Little Mermaid Prompted Mattel to secure EVERY Disney movie starting in 1991 since that is until 2015 Hasbro now has the license
Then in 1994 1995 sales fell Plus legal problems with Super Dough (Play Dough)and their Super blocks looking to much like Lego
The Caspar movie did not help
Tickle Me Elmo was their last gasp
Then Mattel bought them and pretty much fiinished the company off.
If the trains were still made Mattel would have probably dropped them
The slot car line was briefly Hot Wheels
Sadly the Model Railroading community at Toy Fair is all but gone unless you count Thomas the Tank Engine
Model Power had a great display of shelves of trains moving back and forth
K-line ALWAYS friendly people
One year some one was selling ATT Budd cars from his collection
And the TCA had a plaque in the Fifth ave building
Now the building is a condo the plaque was removed supposedly
Gilbert is /was showroom sells collectable figurines
Lionel's showroom sells or sold linen
Have pics from Lionel's last showroom in the fifth Ave building some where
should post them
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Posted - June 30 2015 : 08:30:33 AM
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my only mint boxed set,mantua f7 set,love it
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Posted - June 30 2015 : 11:26:04 AM
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| Very fine Ken.
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Posted - June 30 2015 : 11:33:23 AM
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I wondered where the TimberLine Sawmill car came from
Its not even marked Tyco anywhere! 
the Tyco Trains were taken over by IHC & the prices went super up after they took over
what was $5 went to $15+
but their ads in MR were super discounting the leftover Tyco stock
Life-Like even used the race tracks that Tyco used too
No idea who makes the race tracks now 
Now you know why I want to buy the Tyco name from Mattel
Edited by - microbusss on June 30 2015 11:34:34 AM
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Posted - June 30 2015 : 12:18:45 PM
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Beautiful NYC set Ken! 
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - June 30 2015 : 1:02:29 PM
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thanks guys,very rare to find a minty set in uk
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