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 Posted - November 24 2009 : 1:08:18 PM
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Just got my December issue of the National Model Railroad Association's magazine, Scale Rails. Which itself has generally been well worth joining for in the last few years.
Anyhow, there's a feature article about how a chapter in New Jersey has been running public clinics at a local vacation spot. They provide materials and guidance to assist children with building dioramas, and running trains (on a "Timesaver" layout!)
Featured prominently in these efforts, as shown in photos, is old Tyco equipment!
Imagine, Tyco stuff in the official NMRA magazine. In one picture a child proudly displays a brightly-colored diorama being crossed by a Penn Central F7. In another, a Tyco Santa Fe switcher is the motive power for Timesaver duties.
Love 'em or hate 'em, this is what we should thank Tyco for... god bless 'em for overproducing so much of that stuff back in the day. Lord knows that nobody's going to give a kid any of todays' new, detailed, and expensive stuff to start with... but if kids are going to have any affection for trains (no thanks to the real railroads themselves these days) and creative hobbies, it will be with the same "throwaway" stuff we grew up with. Too bad that niche was abandoned long ago, a victim of its own success. But perhaps Mr. Tyler is smiling somewhere, knowing that long after his company was squandered, his legacy of serving the HO hobbyist lives on with new generations...
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 Posted - November 24 2009 : 2:23:04 PM
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That's where these basic locos shine: in the hands of kids who are being increasingly distanced from tactile hobbies like model railroading by technology, and upscale, pricey niche markets. For me it was AHM and Athearn, but now the Blue Boxes have been discontinued. Hopefully Irv, like Tyco, cranked out enough kits and locos to keep them available on eBay and at train shows for years to come.
The Tyco Depot
Edited by - NickelPlate759 on November 24 2009 2:24:43 PM
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Posted - November 24 2009 : 3:47:26 PM
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| We can only hope, but I have a feeling those will be around for a while. In many ways the used/parts market has reached a saturation point, since the overall pool of Model Railroaders is much smaller than it once was. Stuff will be available for a long time to come.
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Posted - November 24 2009 : 4:41:14 PM
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i got a feeling Tyco is gonna be the next big whoopy-de-doo soon. Seen how some Tycos go for so much lately, especially the acess?
" Heck with counting 'em rivets, TRAINS ARE FOR FUN! Not called the Mad Scientist for nothing either!"
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Posted - November 26 2009 : 09:16:38 AM
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Wondered if anyone would mention the Scale Rails TYCO pics! Pretty Cool! 
Tony Cook
HO-Scale Trains Resource
http://ho-scaletrains.net
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Posted - December 12 2009 : 12:53:44 PM
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quote:i got a feeling Tyco is gonna be the next big whoopy-de-doo soon. Seen how some Tycos go for so much lately, especially the acess?
Originally posted by Redneck Justin-November 24 2009: 4:41:14 PM
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You never know and if that's true you have to wonder what these forums, both Tony's sites and all the people here have done to facilitate that. At the very least I'm sure we've all helped that along just a bit.
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Posted - December 12 2009 : 12:54:55 PM
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quote:Just got my December issue of the National Model Railroad Association's magazine, Scale Rails.
Originally posted by GoingInCirclez-November 24 2009: 1:08:18 PM
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I've heard there is a PDF version of that. If there aren't any legal implications I could post a copy of it here.
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Posted - January 10 2010 : 5:41:34 PM
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This is what I find funny.
If you mention Athearn or Walthers or Model Power or Atlas to a non-model railroader ... they'll shrug and wait for you to tell them what a "Model Power" is.
You mention Tyco ... and they immediately go "Oh! Model Trains!"
Sometimes you get someone who goes "isn't Tyco the company that had CEOs who threw wild Greek Toga parties and went to jail for embezzlement of company funds" ... then you have to explain that Tyco Industries and TYCO International Ltd. aren't related. (Although, Consolidated Foods execs may have thrown a toga party or two in their conglomerate's heyday ...)
Tyco is long gone. But the name still sticks to model trains. We look at them now as inexpensive ... but when I compare their original prices to what people made back in the 70s ... some of the items cost a good chunk of change.
I like caffeine and a chainsaw ...
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Posted - January 10 2010 : 9:12:09 PM
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| I don't think I know anyone who would even know the Tyco name. It's interesting, but Model Railroading seems to be a regional hobby.
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