Tyco engines

[Anonymous]

As AntonioFP45 said above, when the Tyco GP20 first came out it was a well done model for it's day. My first HO train was a Tyco set (in the early 60's) the had a Burlington GP20 for the locomotive. It was well constructed, looked like a Burlington GP20 right down to the GP20 Model Plates that Burlington had on theirs. For their day even the paint and lettering was well done. And they did only accurate road names. (I am refering only to the GP20 here). AND, compared to Athearn at the time, Tyco had the only scale width hood. At the time the GP20 first came out, believe it or not, it was one of the better HO locomotives avaliable at the time! About the only thing against it was it had only 4 wheel drive. It was far better than the GP20's of the 70's. After the release of the C430, which was the last "Quality" diesel they made, Tyco went down hill in quality. The decline seems to have begun with the C630, then older products were also down graded with cheaper motors and drives. So, if you want to see Tyco at it's best get a GP20 in the red box from the early to mid 60's...you will not believe it is a Tyco.

[Jetrock]

I'm not suggesting that he throw these models in the trash--if a poorly-running model has sentimental value, then set it on a display shelf, rather than in the trash can, OR on the repair shelf!

Why?

Because if you keep the old Tyco stuff pristine, in its poorly-functional but original condition, someday it MIGHT be a valuable collector's item!

[Robert Langford]

The trouble with todays Model railroders is the are from the "computer age" they don't know how to look at a problem and be able to fix or repair it. They are used to pushing a button and it should work. If it dosn't, they don't know what to do, so they consider it junk.
This hobby is to have fun. If you can afford $400 engines, so be it. If you can't don't knock the person who can't afford it, but enjoys working to make it better.
BOB
Sandy Southern Railway

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by hodan

I am assuming the harley davidson set is tyco because the power pack is a tyco power pack. I guess they are not worth the money .To upgrade thanks for the inf. I think I will go with the bachmann dcc I am really on a low budget.It has taken me almost two months to come up with the money for the plywood and foam boardsI think the Dcc manufactors should say in there ads that running a dc engine with there systems is really not practicle.Dan

Dan, if you are looking for a inexpensive DCCsystem, look for a older MRC command 2000 on eBay. I got one for a friend for less than $30. It is limited but you can upgrade when you hit the lottery. There is a walk-a-round throttle avalible too. You may be able to use the power pack you have if it puts out 14-18 volts AC or DC.
The operating manual is available on-line in .pdf format (Acrobat Reader), just click on the highlighted words. MRC COMMAND 2000 and find it on the list.

[AntonioFP45]

Dan, Guys................

We're supposed to be helping Dan ( and some of you are), not discouraging him!

Dan, since you do like the Harley Davidson schemes on the Tyco unit, there is another option, I don't know if it's been mentioned already. If one of those locomotives is a diesel, like an F7 you can simply buy an Athearn F7 and swap bodies. If you have a hood unit diesel, chances are you can swap it with a Proto 2000 hood unit. DCC conversion would be a much simpler matter. IMHO, it would definetly be worth it to save those special edition bodies.

As for steamers, I honestly don't know if you can modify them to quality standards.

Athearn and Proto diesel units have been selling at pretty low prices from a number of dealers on the internet and even Ebay. Check them out if you like this option.

Guys, don't forget though that years back Tyco received praise from modelers because they did a pretty good job on the GP20 body shell. Model Railroader even had an article on how to take one of these bodies and super detail it.

Let us know what you decide to do!

Peace and High Greens.[:D][8D]

[Anonymous]

Poor Dan. Someone gave him a gift they thought he'd enjoy and we trash'em.

[Anonymous]

I am assuming the harley davidson set is tyco because the power pack is a tyco power pack. I guess they are not worth the money .To upgrade thanks for the inf. I think I will go with the bachmann dcc I am really on a low budget.It has taken me almost two months to come up with the money for the plywood and foam boardsI think the Dcc manufactors should say in there ads that running a dc engine with there systems is really not practicle.Dan

[MidlandPacific]

I have two old Tyco engines, the Rodgers 4-6-0 and the tender-drive 2-8-0. Got them when I was a kid as gifts and they must have logged a hundred miles in loops around my first layout. They're both nearly thirty years old, and neither has ever required servicing of any kind. They're not up to the standards of their brass contemporaries or the new diecast stuff, but they aren't junk, either.

[RedLeader]

I started in MR thanks to those TYCOs, so they do have a piece of my heart. I no longer have tyco equipment. Hogan, the best thing you can do is take your engines to your LHS and ask them how to install DCC. They will help determine which decoder best fits the engines. Some of the replies in here presume those tycos are all you've got, or that you know nothin' 'bout MR. Perhaps the man have some sentimental value attached to those engines and just want to preserve them and run them on his layout. So for some of us they're just worthless pieces of junk, but for him they're not. Just like my Bachmann F9. Yes it's the worst of the worst, but she was my first one, and still runnin', no matter what I have to do, she'll be running always.

[Anonymous]

You know I think the Harley-Davidson sets were actually Walther's trainline engines that were decorated for H-D by Walthers. In that case they should be easy and quite acceptable for DCC conversion.

Rick

[Anonymous]

I have several Mantua 0-6-0T's and one of them has been repowered with a "helix humper" and has a DH-121 decoder in it. NO PROBLEM.

Bob

[Anonymous]

I started in HO in the very early 60s. I got a Varney docksider and a Tyco train set with their 0-4-0 Booster switcher. This engine was very good! It ran smoother then the Varney. My Tyco Booster was still going, when I gave it to my nephew in the early 70s. It was never on a layout and only ran on the floor, in the dust. I kept it lubbed and clean and it gave good service! This was the Mantua/Tyco unit. Even if Tyco's products were crap later, if the desire exists to keep an old loco running, something can alway be done to make it so!

I have no idea what loco Mr. Hodan is refurring too. Niether did anyone else, when they made their suggestions, nor do they still! My comments were only directed at giving constructive answers!

[Anonymous]

I see both sides of the arguemnet. Money is always tight and if a piece of MRR gear drops in my lap, I try to use it. That said, My experience with Tyco and AHM almost killed my interest in MRR. As a teenager I had Tyco and AHM HO. Mt friend had money and Lionel O. His ran like a champ. Mine sputtered and de-railed often. I'm now an "N" scale user. Going in I thought my God how will "N" stay on the track when HO never did ? Well I'm using Unitrack and Atlas and Kato Engines. Runs like a fine watch and never de-railed once. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. The frustration level is now "0" with much smaller equipment. Dave

[Anonymous]

Tyco is a low grade of train, but if the man wants to run them , help him! Dont say aww its garbage, say I dont recommend doing that to a tyco they are not worth it, and explain why!!!!!![V] By the way I have a shelf full of Tycos and AHM, some of my first trains.

[Anonymous]

I concede your point Fritschsr, but for me Tyco provided a great motivation to obtain a much better product in Athearn, Mantua and AHM/Riverossi of the day. Of all the trainsets I have gone thru my life like pittman F7 died back in the late 80's from sheer wear and my Athearn Cow and Calf which dates to the late 80's as well also run today.

I once had a plan to upgrade my Athearn Cow and Calf to DCC/Sound but BLI came out with a switcher already included these features. These switchers had a problem running backwards on DC and derailing front truck but nothing too serious.

I had a old Tyco 0-8-0 that was driven with a motor in the tender of all places. There was no weight to hold the steamer down on the rails and it constantly derailed. The engine was fated to be broken up and tossed onto the parts box under the workbench.

I was given a Chattanooga Desiel by the parents shortly after as a trainset from Tyco The front truck cannot adhere to the rails due to minimal weight on the engine and too much torque. That engine was also broken up and thrown away. That was 30 years ago.

Whenever I see a tyco engine on Ebay I still get angry at how crappy they were back in the day. It is the one thing that motivated me to seek QUALITY motive power and take care of it. I run a BLI M1a very hard hauling trains and with proper servicing and care in keeping everything safe it will be around 30 years from now. (Maybe I wont be but that is in God's hands)

I am sorry for some of the hard things I said about Tyco. When I had these as a child of 10, they really made an impression on really bad products. And I cannot help but say how glad I am not to see those anymore.

[FRITSCHSR]

Tyco train sets are probably responsible for alot of talanted modelers to enter
this fine hobby and to learn the ropes and upgrade as they went, myself
included. although I'm not into DCC I have a couple of Tyco locos that I still
continue to operate on the layout without any mechanical problems. If care
is taken and the locos properly maintained they will last along time also.
Most of my loco fleet is Athearn, Bachman Spectrum, BLI, Atlas, Kato, P2K,
P1K and Stewart, But still room for Tyco and AHM.

[Jetrock]

People put down Tyco and other toy-train stuff because it doesn't look good, it doesn't run well, and it breaks down readily. By spending just a bit more (on an Athearn blue-box or Bachmann Spectrum or other mid-level locomotive) you can have something that runs fairly well, looks good and will last for years.

Put it this way. My dad bought quite a few locomotives when I was a kid, in the mid-1970's. He bought two Athearn locos (an F7 and a GP-9), and a handful of inexpensive toy-train locomotives.

ALL f the toy-train locomotives are now dead, non-functional, broken. The Athearn engines needed a little reconditioning after being used pretty regularly for a decade, and then spending almost 20 years in a non-insulated garage, but still run fine today.

The difference in price? An Athearn may cost twice as much as a toy-train doorstop, but it will last more than twice as long and run twice as well--and I'd rather have one working locomotive than two broken ones.

[dragenrider]

I have had almost fifteen Tyco engines over my lifetime. Sadly, not a one lasted more than a few days. Now, when well-meaning neighbors give me one from a garage sale or junk shop, I politely accept it and then put in the junk box to be given away or thrown away.

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but a Tyco engine is to model railroading as my Ozark Mountain logging roads are to the Interstate. [tdn]

[cheese3]

Yes they can be. Why does everyone put down Tyco and other "toy" train stuff i do not understand it. It is all people like me can afford 90% of all my railroading stuff is used and "toy" like. so what. You may think i have crap but it is Gold to me...So go for the DCC conversion and have fun!

[Anonymous]

Excuse me, I was a repairman at a hobby shop and Tyco locomotives were just crap! For every two we sold I had to repair one. Their three pole motors were a joke, the tender drive steam engine was a joke, Model magazine reviews not withstanding.

If your talking Tyco-Mantua, then you are speaking of a different engine, some of those are worth tinkering with, but not the Tyco of post 1970.

Rick

[Anonymous]

Sigh... You can install DCC and or sound on anything you want to. As long as you can wire it in properly isolate it from the frame and find room for it on the unit.

My experience with Tyco was nothing but frustration with the locomotive's poor quality (Trainset stuff.. good for 3 loops around the track) I view Tyco as the least performing group of HO trains on the Hobby today.

Let's say you do want to convert this engine to DCC. What Tyco engine are we talking about here? What features are you looking for on the DCC? Are you wanting sound as well?

[Anonymous]

Boy, you didn't get much help from these guys, did you? The trouble with this forum, is you never know if anyone responding to what you have asked really knows what the heck they are talking about!

You didn't really describe what locos you are considering converting. Maybe they arn't worth converting, I don't know, nor do the folks above and only you will know if they are. However, I used to have couple Mantua and Tyco locos that if I owned now, I would be checking to see what needs to be done to convert to DCC. Increasing power pick-up frm the track is always a good idea if the loco has poor contact to start with, this is a vast improvement, even in DC. Then, if the original motors are still strong, you need to determine their stall current, to determine the size decoders you need. If the motors are week, too old, worn out, or simply draw to much current, re-motoring is the best route. Again, re-motoring will be a great improvement and you might think about a re-gearing kit to boot to slow the loco down. When finished you would have a loco that is something special the general public wouldn't have.

You guys who originally responded were no help! Why not think; Well I can't really help this guy, so I should simply move on. Hodan, never say never and expect that you may not get very good help on this forum, when it comes to significant questions!

[Don Gibson]

FIRST you have to buy DCC modules ($15 - $150), Install them, and .....buy a DCC system ($200 - $500)if you don't have one.

[Anonymous]

Ugh.... Tyco... *Reaches for the bromo...

Dont bother to upgrade them to DCC. They are not worth it.

[Anonymous]

They can be converted but it is not worth the effort as they are poor runners and their lack of all wheel pickup can cause problems in the long run.

Rick

[Anonymous]

I have two Tyco engines one from a Harley Davidson set I recieved as a gift the other a steam engine.How can I tell if these can be converted to DCC Thanks DAN?.[:p]