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 Posted - December 20 2005 : 12:27:57 PM
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Greetings, fellow Tycoholics:
Am interested in the dusty chronicle of Tyco's uncataloged offerings through merchandising mogul Sears. Specifically, I have a loose example of what Sears billed in 1977 as "our biggest freight set," cataloged as number 79C95081C, shipped as nine pounds of Tyco muscle, sporting a 245-22 Santa Fe Consolidated, 6 freight cars, crummy, the remote controlled billboard whistle and Arlee station kit. I am curious as to how this set was packaged and assume it was shipped, like other Sears HO "exclusives" from Cox, Fundimensions (Lionel) and Bachmann in plain white corrugated cardboard boxes with applied paper "signage" stating the contents and--as in the case of Bachmann's offerings thru Sears--showing the track layout and displaying a simple rendering of train. The plain white blue-lettered boxes of some of the Tyco Industries promo sets seem likely candidates, but I don't know.
What I find fascinating is Tyco's HO imitation of earlier practice of its bigger O guage brethren in assembling uncataloged "put-together" sets to (I suspect) reduce old inventory, particluarly of Sante Fe Consolidations--remember, it is Christmas, 1977, with ordering from Sears into August of 1978, for an engine that was "out of inventory" at Tyco Industries after 1976.
The Sears set is a sort-of "poor man's" "Mammoth of the Rails," listed in the 1977 Tyco catalog: without piggyback set and crossing gate and encumbered with lowly manual switches for its double oval rather than the deluxe remote control switches sported by the Tyco-catalogued 7337 Mammoth. (Biggest difference seems to be inclusion of the old Santa Fe Consol instead of the 7337's Chatanooga.)
Let me know if you can shed any further light on these Sears offerings!
Magnolia Academy
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rrfan
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Posted - January 22 2006 : 11:55:36 AM
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Hello.Sorry my topic is off,but still adjusting to this site.I have late 50's
sharknose set.Engine plus 3 cars.All metal,except for car endcaps.The engine has been stripped of paint,but it has filled in steps and no coupler hole up front.Have read your posting on this.Would love a "B" unit in solid metal!The cars have all been repainted to orig. scheme,but am trying hard to find a color picture of engine.Colors were/are Darkred/ochre yellow.Can send pix of cars and engine.Actually pix already exist on the yahoo forum thanks to Steamengine4450.
This was my first and only set.My Dad traded in his Lionel from the 40's to get me this.Have kept it all these years and want to restore to orig. paint scheme.Dont know if you can help me,but I am impressed by your posts. Thanks Fred
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Posted - February 01 2006 : 3:15:35 PM
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Fred:
Glad you received the forwarded pix of your engine paint scheme from other members. You were a lucky kid back in '58. The T5-2 passenger set was listed as $46.95 in the '57 catalog and $44.95 when introduced the year before, truly a high-end HO offering. It was recommended for the Tyco-Pak "senior power unit" T803 be used to fully enjoy the new "constant-lighting" in the car rake, but Tyco further recommended the T-791 Master Tyco-Pak at an additional $22.95 list (which did you get?)
The annual Model Trains train set reviews display the MFLP for the two years, showing the Tyco catalog set pics. Both sets are listed with NMRA couplers but I have seen factory-boxed streamliners with older Mantua-loop couplers. How was your set equipped? Another variation with the set is the presence of the TYCO logo printed mid-way down the loco side, generally in the dark blue characters of the set predecessor RF-16 (the silver and blue first generation shark). These are not encountered as often as the unlettered silver, red and yellow engines. The principle variation in these sets is the car color: while essentially the same colors the darkness of the hue seems to vary widely and the odd cars, the dining cars spring to mind, are invariably different in hue from the standard coach, observation and combine.
All in all, you were a lucky young man to own and enjoy such a premium passenger set.
Magnolia Academy
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Posted - February 01 2006 : 3:16:44 PM
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Fred:
Glad you received the forwarded pix of your engine paint scheme from other members. You were a lucky kid back in '58. The T5-2 passenger set was listed as $46.95 in the '57 catalog and $44.95 when introduced the year before, truly a high-end HO offering. It was recommended for the Tyco-Pak "senior power unit" T803 be used to fully enjoy the new "constant-lighting" in the car rake, but Tyco further recommended the T-791 Master Tyco-Pak at an additional $22.95 list (which did you get?)
The annual Model Trains train set reviews display the MFLP for the two years, showing the Tyco catalog set pics. Both sets are listed with NMRA couplers but I have seen factory-boxed streamliners with older Mantua-loop couplers. How was your set equipped? Another variation with the set is the presence of the TYCO logo printed mid-way down the loco side, generally in the dark blue characters of the set predecessor RF-16 (the silver and blue first generation shark). These are not encountered as often as the unlettered silver, red and yellow engines. The principle variation in these sets is the car color: while essentially the same colors the darkness of the hue seems to vary widely and the odd cars, the dining cars spring to mind, are invariably different in hue from the standard coach, observation and combine.
All in all, you were a lucky young man to own and enjoy such a premium passenger set.
Magnolia Academy
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rrfan
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Posted - February 02 2006 : 9:55:58 PM
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thank you Magnolia for response.The label on this is on the end car with the rounded back end.No longer have original power pack.Pictures of this are on the Yahoo group tyco trains site.Thanks again as you have given me a wealth of info,and are obviously very dedicated to Tyco trains history.I am just getting interested in this, am just a neophyte,but
hungry for knowledge on my train. Fred
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rrfan
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Posted - February 02 2006 : 10:12:56 PM
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| Ah couplers! I am trying to find a kadee conversion for this set.The originals(intact and broken) are not what I am willing to keep.Want the train to stay together on track.Have been on kadee web and still not sure.Do you have any input on these old trains? Thanks, Fred
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Posted - February 03 2006 : 11:39:03 AM
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Fred:
Still begs a couple of questions with regards your T5-2: When you say "broken couplers" do you mean NMRA "horn-hook" nylon couplers or old style mantua loop couplers? Is you observation car marked, "STREAMLINER," or, perhaps, "SANTE FE?"
NMRA nylon couplers, which most of these sets had, are easily replaced on the Talgo-trucks and, in my opinion, remarkably reliable. Mantua loop-type couplers also fit pretty easily and, as I wrote previously, are ocassionally seen on the red, yellow and silver streamliners. I'm not certain what modern retrofits will work and, while conceding they look more "scale-model-like", I don't like to use them on old Tyco--probaby for nostalgia and "toy prototype" accuracy. In the end--again, just my opinion--the "toy train" aspect of the early Tyco "Little Trains" offerings adds to their charm; I liken them to "mini-Lionels, which was certainly how they were often marketed.
MagnoliaAcademy
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rrfan
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Posted - February 03 2006 : 4:18:58 PM
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Hi.The sticker on the end car is "tyco streamliner" in red lettering.Have very carefully peeled it off(some letters worn off) so I can try to duplicate it with decal paper or dry transfer.The couplers are appearing to me to be a hook/horn shape.Noloop can I see.If I could recouple
all cars w/original style I would be really happy.Want to stay as original
as can be.Thanks again. Fred
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