|
|
 Posted - December 15 2005 : 05:52:33 AM
|
I have some of the Tyco F7s with the Mantua style drives, The Austrian and Hong Kong with plastic housing worm drive trucks and the Hong Kong version with the pancake motor and spur gears. I am a bit confused as to when these were produced.[?]
I have found that while the Austrian and Hong Kong plastic worm drive trucks look the same, they aren't.
Where the F7s the only locomotives with plastic housing worm drive trucks?
Also, I have found different versions of the Mantua style shell, ones with trucks and fuel tanks that screw on, ones with trucks and fuel tanks that are mounted with tabs and slots in the shell and one that has slots on the rear truck only and the tank and front truck are screwed on.[?]
Ray
|
Country:  USA ~
Posts: 1285 ~
Member Since: December 14 2005 ~
Last Visit: May 16 2019
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
 Posted - December 15 2005 : 1:59:02 PM
|
Hello
There is certainly some variety to the shell and drives utilized by TYCO for its F-unit models. This is something that needs further investigation and more documentation and then added to my TYCO site.
In brief and in general...prior to 1971 and the purchase by Consolidated Foods of the TYCO name and line from Mantua, the F-unit model had the older style Mantua drive with different cast truck frames than we see enter by the mid 1970s. This early design drive and trucks switches to the Power Torque truck, which has a larger sized truck frame than prior examples, and the snap in to the sides of the shell design around 1975. I've never gotten a solid answer on the F-units produced for TYCO in Austria. A number of HO-scale train manufacturers had items produced in Europe at the time, but TYCO was generally all Hong Kong with a few odd items coming from Mantua in New Jersey. The most common Austrian-made F-unit I see is the Spirit of '76 example. These Austrian F's have drives and trucks similar to the Power Torque Hong Kong models of the mid/late '70s. To my knowledge, by the 1980s, all TYCO F's are coming from Hong Kong. The final switch occurs in the very late 1980s to 1993, when the Yugoslovian F-9 begins appearing in Rock Island dress in train set offerings. This F-9 model is completely different from anything TYCO previous offered. I believe it carries "RSO" markings and "Yugoslovia" on its fuel tank. This is the same F-9 originally offered by American Train & Track in the late '60s and into the '70s; and also sold by Model Power from time to time.
With respect to the phase changes that occur to TYCO's typical "F-9" shell, again more investigation is needed, but off the top of my head I do know the radiator grills on the unit changes, but I don't think the dynamic brake fan does, nor does the lip over the rear end of the unit. Also the phase shift on EMD production included door windows going from square to rounded corners and I don't think TYCO's ever changes. I think there are maybe two basic F-9 examples that are run during the "Brown Box" Era 1971-1993.
Again, it's a ton of info and will all TYCO there are always some expections and oddities, but in a nutshell I think that's most of the F-9 story. Certainly other folks here can toss in their own findings and observations.
[:)]
Tony Cook
HO-Scale Trains Resource
http://ho-scaletrains.net
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 1658 ~
Member Since: December 03 2005 ~
Last Visit: February 07 2010
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - December 15 2005 : 9:36:57 PM
|
Hi Tony,
I have a Rock Island F-9 powered and dummy A unit marked RSO. They are blue and white. I was under the impression they were Model Power or IHC. Could they be Tyco?
I'll have to post some photos of some of the Tyco F units I have and maybe we can sort some of this out.
Ray
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 1285 ~
Member Since: December 14 2005 ~
Last Visit: May 16 2019
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - December 16 2005 : 4:06:44 PM
|
I think you are correct that the blue-and-white The Rock examples of the RSO made F-9As were Model Power or perhaps IHC offerings of the 1980s or early '90s. It is the same shell that was sold in very late TYCO train sets from around 1990 to 1993. To my knowledge only the red-and-yellow with white lettering Rock Island RSO made F-9s made into TYCO sets. I have also seen an FA-1 or possibly FA-2 in the red-and-yellow Rock Island dress as a substitue loco in late TYCO sets. It is also an RSO Yugoslovian produced diesel. All the RSO sub F-9s were stand-in's for the then missing in action TYCO RF-16 Shark Nose model. Though I may be incorrect on this, I have also never seen any of the sub diesels carry TYCO's name on their fuel tanks. All are marked "RSO" and have Yugoslovia origin markings. It is my understanding that IHC may have been involved in some way during the very late period of TYCO HO-scale trains. IHC does end up with many of the TYCO molds after 1993.
Tony Cook
HO-Scale Trains Resource
http://ho-scaletrains.net
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 1658 ~
Member Since: December 03 2005 ~
Last Visit: February 07 2010
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - February 19 2006 : 02:03:33 AM
|
Now that we figured out why I couldn't post the photos, here are some photos of some F units I have.
This would be a Mantua style sideframe.
It has a metal framed power truck.
This one has the tab mount to the shell on the trucks and fuel tank.
This one has the tab mount to the shell on the rear truck and fuel tank and screw mount on the front truck.[?]
Ray
Edited by - Ray Marinaccio on February 19 2006 02:34:47 AM
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 1285 ~
Member Since: December 14 2005 ~
Last Visit: May 16 2019
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - February 19 2006 : 02:21:26 AM
|
This is a Hong Kong version with plastic framed worm drive trucks. 
The fuel tank and weight are a solid casting held on by one screw. The origin of manufacturer is on the front truck.
Note the shell changes. Steps, grill, # boards, larger side windows and railings on the cab roof.
Ray
Edited by - Ray Marinaccio on February 19 2006 03:03:42 AM
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 1285 ~
Member Since: December 14 2005 ~
Last Visit: May 16 2019
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - February 19 2006 : 02:48:12 AM
|
From what I see the Austrian version has the same shell and fuel tank as the Hong Kong version however the trucks look similar but are different.
Compare the side frames, the journals are the easiest difference to spot. The side frame mounting tabs are spaced different and some variations in the motor also.
This model was custom painted and as a home made fuel tank.
Ray
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 1285 ~
Member Since: December 14 2005 ~
Last Visit: May 16 2019
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - February 19 2006 : 03:00:00 AM
|
This is the Hong Kong version with the Power Torque motor.
The fuel tank seems to be the only other major change.
Ray
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 1285 ~
Member Since: December 14 2005 ~
Last Visit: May 16 2019
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
Home
Forums
Events Calendar
Forum Admins & Mods
Register
