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 Posted - November 22 2009 : 6:13:14 PM
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Okay - my original Tyco Rock Island set (got it for Christmas in 1976) has MADE IN USA / TYCO on the bottom. The bottoms are not very detailed, as opposed to say another Chattanooga caboose I've got that says MADE BY TYCO / IN HONG KONG, or many other examples I've gotten.
In fact, out of all of the dozens (so I don't have to say hundreds) of cars I've obtained, no others say made in USA on them!
Anyone have information on exactly when the Made in USA appeared on brown box Tyco stuff?
And I remember opening the box - it was HUGE for an eight year old in 1976. One of the most exciting Christmas presents I ever got.
Rus
Starting my Tyco and other favorites collection over again after 37 years.
My still in progress list of inventory and wantlist: tyconut.com
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Posted - November 22 2009 : 6:29:40 PM
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I've been loosely researching this for a time... noting examples as I find them for timeline's sake. Don't have a final word I'm comfortable staking my reputation on yet, but as close as I can figure:
Certain cars were made in the USA right up through the late 70's, and possibly into the early 80's. These are mostly the ones that date back to Tyco/Mantua's early beginnings, including:
-40' Gondola
-40' skid flat
-40' boxcar
-40' reefer
-40' stock car
(notably, all the above share the same chassis/underframe)
-Tank car
-streamline caboose
-50' boxcar
The above were cloned for production in Hong Kong. The chassis will identify the source. Both plants operated concurrently so it seems to be luck of the draw as to where an example in a set would come from. HK production really ramped up in 1968 and many cars were exclusively HK-made (62' cars, piggybacks, covered hoppers, etc). I do know that later post-1968 "classic car" production that still used metal parts (trucks, door tracks, ladders, chassis, etc) seemed to be exclusively USA. HK production was all plastic.
Confusingly, you will find cars where the earlier "Made in USA" was blanked out and changed to "Hong Kong"... then blanked out *again* and changed back to "USA"! I'm betting this was done as tooling was converted from metal to plastic, then cloned, then shipped overseas, then possibly broken or worn out and cloned again/shipped back, etc.
Some of this tooling was cloned and sent to Austria (caboose) and/or Yugoslavia (50' flat car, gondola)
The early plastic sharks and PT 430's were also made in the USA for a time.
My understanding is that Sara Lee eventually wanted to sell the Woodbury Heights plant and use HK exclusively. The Tylers bought it back from Sara Lee and resurrected the Mantua name. For a while, it seems they still produced items for "Tyco". So the phase-out of "Made in USA" for "Tyco"-branded stuff was underway by 1977... but it did not happen overnight. This would also have been the end of the "Made in USA" Powertorque.
Edited by - GoingInCirclez on November 22 2009 6:33:46 PM
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Posted - November 22 2009 : 6:50:58 PM
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Curious and useful info!
-G.
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Posted - November 22 2009 : 7:33:03 PM
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Thanks for the info, Tony! I really appreciate the information on these forums.
I also note significant differences in the bottom of the chassis as well. The caboose, for instance is much more detailed with Hong Kong on the bottom.
The tops are also different - the Made in USA seem to have crisper detail on the walkways on the tops of the cars.
I do have some Made In with the country totally blanked out. I've seen some that have a sticker there but the ones I have don't seem to be worse for the wear without it, and I wonder if they even came with the stickers at all in some cases as they are new, mint in box, although not for long once I put them on the tracks, as I feel it best to use the pieces I acquire - LOL.
I do have some of the Made FOR Tyco examples as well - which would likely be those referred to above. Those are neat.
Rus
Starting my Tyco and other favorites collection over again after 37 years.
My still in progress list of inventory and wantlist: tyconut.com
Edited by - Tyco Nut on November 22 2009 7:33:55 PM
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