tyco alco century's junk?

[Anonymous]

recently I purchased a tyco alco century diesel locomotive on ebay. I just recieved it today. I put it on the track and nothing happened I pushed it a little and the light came on,the motor ran but it didn't move[:(!] I quickly determined the gears were out ,i also noticed a few wheels missing. This brings me to the point in --the 70s &80s my grandpa went through about 10 alco century's on his train set ,i don't think he abused them. they might be junk what do you think???

[trainfan1221]

Ooh, this is gonna be fun! Of course they are junk! Everybody knows that. Especially the ones with that "Power Torque" motor, the gears just grinded right off. It was certainly not you or your grandfather's fault. I started out as I'm sure many did with a Tyco set (come on, admit it people) and you could not keep them running. Tyco was around a long time, but by the 70's and especially the 80's they were pretty much nothing but toys, relying on tie-ins to TV shows and other stuff. The Centuries didn't even have basic details like handrails on them. I understand they are sort of collectible now, Tyco is out of the model train market. I hope this helps answer your question.

[Anonymous]

Tyco model railroad items are JUNK. Period. At least by today's standards. I found use out of a ballast hopper by Tyco, and that does it. I'm not even sure if it was Tyco!

[Anonymous]

I wondered if they weren't junk thanks -mine did have powertorque motor -an old 1976 tyco brochure says[ our powertorque drive couples unprecedented power and traction with the smoothest starts and stops ever. So it climbs easier,pulls more,keeps cars on the track better and still uses 20% less current than conventional motors][(-D] tyco lied bigtime here

[mustanggt]

By today's standards they are junk. I used to have two bicentennial C428's, and they looked ugly, gave off smoke, and of course, you couldn't get them both to pull a 10 car train. And I'm not sure if this is true, but apparently the single motor drive isn's supposed to last more than 40 hours of usage. Again, this is sort fo a myth that I read once (either here or on the atlas forum)...

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mustanggt

By today's standards they are junk. I used to have two bicentennial C428's, and they looked ugly, gave off smoke, and of course, you couldn't get them both to pull a 10 car train. And I'm not sure if this is true, but apparently the single motor drive isn's supposed to last more than 40 hours of usage. Again, this is sort fo a myth that I read once (either here or on the atlas forum)...

II don't use Tyco and Junk in the same sentence often, because I don' t want to offend the word junk.

[howmus]

Yep! Tyco is a four letter word..... [:D] Very few people around here would say that they are anything but junk. Now having said that, there are people who have and display them (maybe have even gotten them to run well). I have one that I keep for sentimental value. It was remotored over twenty years ago, and still more or less runs. No way will I convert it to DCC, but......... I'll hang on to it as it was my first HO loco.

[Anonymous]

thanks everyone that was pretty funny however i have about 15 tyco freight they are okay but i agree tyco=JUNK [soapbox]

[Anonymous]

America spells "junk" T-Y-C-O.

[areibel]

OK, First, how many of you actually owned one of them new? I was 11 when I got my first one. Still have it, still runs. Not as fine as a BLI, Genesis, etc.. but considering what the set cost (even in 1970's dollars) it was what a whole bunch of model railroaders got to start off with.
And if you were a young model RR'er back then and weren't as smart as all of you are now, what did you do? The nearest hobby shop was about 40 miles away, and it had Tyco and Athern trains- period! Athern didn't offer sets, but -Oh Yeah, most think old Athern was junk then too! Buy Brass? Ever run an Alco Models brass diesel? Looked fancier, ran like crap. Noisy, plastic gears that would break, cheap open frame hi draw motors- Sounds about like what you're complaining about on the Tyco?? Just at ten or twenty times the cost!
I think you all should be glad you're model RAILROADERS now, it doesn't sound like you'd have survived back then-

[Anonymous]

all the alco's i said were bought back in the 70s&80s were bought new and not one survived

[modelmaker51]

I sharpened my modeling skillson some of those tycos! The bodies weren't half bad for their time. I built 3 C-430s, (1 ALCo Demo and 2 Susquehannas), using the tyco shells and LL or Model Power dual drives, these were later converted to Atlas drives along with some other detail upgrades over the years and are still some of our favorite runners.

[DALCruiser]

My first HO train was a TYCO ALCO set from my kids for Christmas about 20 yrs ago. It has been a paper weight for about 19 1/2 yrs. It was better than just tossing it in the dumpster! [xx(]

Dave

[saldana17]

When Tyco was your first train I am sure NO ONE could call it junk. If it wasn't for the inexpensive TYCO set your parents bought, you wouldn't be RAILROADING.
Give TYCO their due, "They get people into a FANTASTIC hobby", and make them SPEND SPEND SPEND.
Saldana

[TomDiehl]

Depends on the vintage of the drive system. It sounds like you're describing one of the later ones, and yes, they were junk. The easiest way to tell them apart is to look at the underside of the power trucks. If the plate between the wheels is plastic: then it is or will shortly be, junk. If the plate is metal, this is the older style truck known as the MU-2 power truck. If it hasn't been run to death, this is still a good drive unit. Unfortunately, when Consolidated Foods took them over in the mid '70's, they were no longer manufactured in South Jersey, they were from Hong Kong and poorly made.

I have several of the Century 430's with the old drive units, and they're still running. The brass pickup wheels require cleaning a bit more than the chrome plated ones of the newer models, but they're still going with the original drive. I don't think any of the C630's ever were made with the old style power truck.

The old one is one of the first that had moderately priced diesel models with a gear driven mechanism. The Athearns at the time, for example were the rubberband/supersonic drives.

[RMax1]

They did have some cool accessories. Back when I got my Silver Streak I was clueless but still had fun. Every once in a while I will run the old cars from that set around the layout. At one time I ran the caboose every day. They are still special but not close to todays quality.

RMax1

[DALCruiser]

I just looked and the plate between the wheels and it is plastic as you suspected. I did have fun with it until it died. And yes, if it had not been for the TYCO gift, I may have never gotten the bug for this wonderful hobby!

Dave

[Darth Santa Fe]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TomDiehl

I don't think any of the C630's ever were made with the old style power truck.

You're right. The C-630s (or "Super 630s" as they called them) never had the Mantua designed power truck. When they first came out, they actually had a drive system that was equal in quality to the Rivarossi diesels of that time. The drive was actaully a copy of the Rivarossi U25C. It also had very realistic trucks and a better motor. About half a year or a year later, they "upgraded" it with a Power-Torque drive system with pure fantasy trucks sides. But the first Power-Torques were more reliable than the 80's Power-Torques. The older ones had more durable black plastic and metal gears, and the newer ones had soft nylon gears. I have one of the older Power-Torque C-630s and got it to run pretty well.

QUOTE: from a Tyco catalog (thanks, dingoix)

our powertorque drive couples unprecedented power and traction with the smoothest starts and stops ever. So it climbs easier,pulls more,keeps cars on the track better and still uses 20% less current than conventional motors

What they said here is, actually, true. My Tyco C-630 is powerful, starts and stops smoothly and draws about 75% less current than my Athearns from the same time. Of course, it took alot of adjusting for it to do that, but it does it.[:D]

[Robert Langford]

I have 5 steam and 2 diesel tyco models, they are of the "old" design. They still run well on the SANDY SOUTHERS RAILROAD, other than regular maintaince, lube & clean, and a few brushes replaced on some of the moters, and some rebilt side rods on the steamers, they have been great. They were bought in the 60's, when brass was $50 and up, and income was $19 a day. and raising 6 kids, they were great.

BOB
Superintendent and owner , SANDY SOUTHERN RAILROAD.

[John Busby]

Hi
Tyco was[censored] rubish when it was made and still is.
all the ones I came in contact with had been gutted and a decent motor put in so they worked.
I even saw a few that had been detailed as well as remotored.
the locomotives had a very bad reputasion over here.
however the freight rolling stock was very popular with those who had large layouts it was cheap the detail was not too bad and it ran fairly well
The coaching stock was only of interest to those with the time and patience too put a propper interior in it
All of it eventualy ended up with metal wheels and an extra detail job,
or went to the scrap yard I mean the one on the layout!!
regards John

[joeyegarner]

QUOTE: Originally posted by saldana17

When Tyco was your first train I am sure NO ONE could call it junk. If it wasn't for the inexpensive TYCO set your parents bought, you wouldn't be RAILROADING.
Give TYCO their due, "They get people into a FANTASTIC hobby", and make them SPEND SPEND SPEND.
Saldana

Sorry Saldana, my first model train was Tyco and I still think thier junk.Of course they made changes in my life that sent me in an entirely different direction!! If it had not been Tyco it would have been Bachman or Lifelike some other. The one thing for sure is I want nothing to do with Tyco for nostalgic reasons.
Now about this c630 my son had one and it too was junk!!

[BentnoseWillie]

Any Tyco with the "Power-Torque" motor in one truck is useful only as a paperweight. They were poor at best when new (25 years ago) and haven't improved one little bit with age. They are not a bargain at any price.

For the prices people want for these things on eBay, you can find an Athearn from the 1970s or later that you can still readily obtain most of the driveline parts for, and which can be upgraded with newer components such as the post-1985 motor and the plastic-sideframe trucks.

[Anonymous]

Yep. Junk. And yes, my first train was a Tyco set: the "Chattanooga Choo Choo" complete with 0-8-0 featuring tender-drive. Christmas gift when I was about 9.

Yes, It got me started in the hobby, but also very nearly drove me out. One Christmas later I'd quit playing with the set and it was moldering away in the basement.

The gift of a Bachmann Mike probably saved the day. Though we're still not talking about the paragon of quality, at least it freakin' ran and re-sparked the interest in model railroading.

[red p]

Yep they are junk,but it sure brings back memories. I was in the 4th grade when I got my bicentennial one. had a 4 x 8 train board in my bedroom. Although it was just an oval with 3 buildings. Its what got me my start in railroading.

[Anonymous]

I also acquired with some other train stuff a tyco steam engine with powertorque motor the gears are also out tyco=JUNK

[slotracer]

I had N gauge when I was about 12 and on into my mid teens so I can't say I personally had any tyco. When I converted over to HO im my late teens I alreay knew full well from other friends who ahd tyco that they were worthless crappp.

I recall a friend with a 4x8 layout had a Tyco F7 as one of his first engines, PC but painted green not black. It had a single power truck with brass wheels and traction tires. Withing months as he expanded his layout he got an Athearn F7 to replace the tyco JUNK. He converted it to a dummy, as a power unit it was totally worthless. I know other friends at the time tat had various tyco junk and all replaced them with other better engines and either dummied them out or parked them in the engine terminal as scenic items. Most ended up sold off, trashed or given away as the detail and proportions of the shells were terrible too.

[cwclark]

Speaking from what was said by tyco's engineering staff at a train convention, here is what they said about why the reason tyco is junk...they are a kids toy and engineered to run only 40 hours and then they will break down...the reason being is they are cheap on a person's pocket book so parents purchase them and a parent that just bought his kid a new tyco train set for christmas or a birthday present are not likely to take it back to the place of purchase after 40 hours of use when it breaks down ...instead of building a better product , I wonder how much money they spent on the study done that determined the time it takes for a tyco locomotive to break down and a parent won't take it back to the store for a refund....chuck

[RedLeader]

I still have somewhere in my junk drawer on of those infamous ATSF C-630 "AlcoSuper". She was molded in gray plastic (not painted) and had a red (dark) bonnet painted on the cab, simulating the red/silver warbonnet, but without any yellow! It had a four-wheel traction, so one axle on each truck was iddle. It had no transparent plastic on the windows, and you could see all the wires from the inside. The handrails were horrible; they were overzised and painted in a different tone of red! She ran ok the first week, after that she became louder, and louder, and LOUDER! Untill she wasn't able to pull any car at all!! I still have her, just because I don't trash MR stuff... I also have an ALCO C-430 with the yellow-blue Virginian scheme. This one was a bit better than the 630. She still runs today, making a terrible grinding noise.

[Anonymous]

I'd say to follow the example of previous posts and look at converting it to a dummy - from what I've seen of Tycos the basic bodywork isn't too bad, it's just the drive system, trucks, and lack of handrails on some locos that let them down.

[TomDiehl]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Railroading_Brit

I'd say to follow the example of previous posts and look at converting it to a dummy - from what I've seen of Tycos the basic bodywork isn't too bad, it's just the drive system, trucks, and lack of handrails on some locos that let them down.

The handrails were included with the locomotives but for the modeller to install, sort of like the Athearn Blue Boxes. The body of the C430 was pretty accurate, except for the sprue parting point being in the top center of the shell. This is where the dynamic brake belongs, and the Alco one could be modelled with a couple pieces of styrene sheet.