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 Posted - May 06 2012 : 9:26:43 PM
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While walking the floors at the Ottawa Train Expo yesterday, I came across a large Tyco box peeking out from behind a President's Choice set. I've never seen a fully boxed Tyco set in person before so I was mildly excited. I slid the PC set aside and...
As anyone ever seen anything like this before? It's quite the strange mash-up of pieces and information. Maybe some of you can shed some light on this 
Note the PT logo on the box. The set actually has a plastic MU-2 CN unit...little to no run-time with "224K" written on the end flap in sharpie.
The french end states set #7304. According to HOSeeker, 7304 was the midnight special set.
The english end has what appears to be a factory applied sticker, which changes the contents and set number to 7208. This matches what the parts list inside the box says.
The actual contents matches neither the picture, nor the set list on/in the box  Is it possible that Tyco substituted the dummy with a pipe gondola?
Let me know what you guys think! Thanks for looking 
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Posted - May 06 2012 : 9:33:48 PM
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that's a nice little score you got there. i think i've seen it before but where & when i can't remember. nice.
jerry
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Posted - May 06 2012 : 11:03:23 PM
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Eric; did you grab it? How much did he want. That is too funny. Wish it had a Via Tyco F!
-Gareth
"A is A"
-Aristotle
Law of Identification
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Posted - May 06 2012 : 11:25:42 PM
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Thanks smokie. I've never come across anything like this before...grab it when you see it, right?
Gareth: I bought it alright! He had a $50 price tag on it. It's worth that to me though. Apparently I wasn't the only one interested in it. I came back later to buy some other stuff...he told me someone else saw me walking away with it and got pretty mad  . And as luck would have it, I do have a mint, boxed Tyco Via engine kicking around
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Posted - May 06 2012 : 11:29:53 PM
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hehe great find DaCheez I myself would like to find that loco someday
I do wish it had the streamlined caboose like on the box
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Posted - May 07 2012 : 04:25:10 AM
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Is that in French or Spanish? Maybe Tony L. can shed you light on it. Nice find or buy!
" Heck with counting 'em rivets, TRAINS ARE FOR FUN! Not called the Mad Scientist for nothing either!"
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Posted - May 07 2012 : 09:49:26 AM
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That certainly IS confusing, but here's the best info as I have it:
- Tyco's set numbers become harder to decipher in the 70's. Previously, they had generic names, and stock numbers started with the year (6X) followed by set number (##), with a 5th digit (letter) to denote roadname. In the 70's the sets were usually keyed to specific contents. 7304 was only the midnight special in every year, and always had the same contents. 7305 would have been another repeated annual set, and so on. But they all started with "73xx".
- The "72" set prefix usually denoted the same "73" set *without* a power pack... catalogs thru 1975 or 76 clearly indicate this. Afterward, they quit listing sets without a pack.
- The label on your box indicates a date of 1978... I don't know what the 72 came to mean by that time.
- However, 7304 was still the Midnight Special at that time. So why was it clearly printed on a set box with a CN/Via photo?? I have no idea. An educated guess on my part is, maybe Tyco's Canadian subsidiary had its own system? Canada also got a very unique and rare version of the Silver Streak, using an F-unit which more closely resembled the ex-CP Rail unit used in the movie.
- Why do the contents not match the label? On this point I have to say I fear they have been exchanged. In the late 70's Tyco's QC generally was pretty good and they were very consistent about set contents matching the picture and listings. Note that this is not a "generic" set box, but one with a specific name: "The Via CN Freight". The CN/Via items remain scarce and popular even today, so I would presume they were removed at some point in the last 34 years and subbed with the pieces you found. The plastic-MU2 proves it: Tyco had abandoned that experiment for a couple years by that time, and most certainly would not have put the PT logo on the box. They were determined to make the PT stand out as it arguably hadn't yet ruined them.
I wonder if maybe this dealer actually had this proper set at one time, but somehow swapped box lids? It could happen.
- Odd color correction on that box photo! The blue colors look white; I doubt this is a variant as even the CP Rail boxcar looks wrong.
- All other mysteries aside, if nothing else, it explains why Tyco made a caboose for a passenger loco! That alone makes it a nice find IMO.
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Posted - May 07 2012 : 11:18:26 AM
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That's what I was thinking too about the switched box lids, but the fact that they put a sticker over one end to "re-number" the set makes me wonder if they just ran out of Via units XD But if you say they had stopped with the MU-2 at that point then I would assume that someone just plopped some generic pieces in here, or switched lids 
I was wondering about the white VIA unit as well. It could just be another one of those prototypes I guess XD
I don't know if this helps any, but all the original paperwork was in the box underneath the trains. It looks virtually untouched and matches the contents sticker on the side of the box. It seems strange that someone could simply switch the lid but still have the interior paperwork and box match...the contents still don't though XD.
Whatever the story is, it's a neat display piece :) Thanks for the info!
Justin: It is French. The box was made for sale in Canada
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Posted - May 07 2012 : 1:32:48 PM
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quote:hehe great find DaCheez I myself would like to find that loco someday
I do wish it had the streamlined caboose like on the box
Originally posted by microbusss - May 06 2012 : 11:29:53 PM
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Ben,
I have a BUNCH of those caboose, not that preticular one (I don't think, I'll have a look to be sure) and if you want them, there yours! I can't use, nor need them!
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - December 02 2020 : 11:38:35 PM
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quote:
Box in great shape Eric.
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Posted - December 03 2020 : 01:46:08 AM
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| Nice reboot.
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