Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
mikesmowers wrote:I have a few Tyco rolling stock and was wondering if there is any hope for them? I know they will need body mount couplers and probley new trucks and wheel sets. Art they worth fooling with to run or just for a display? Have a GREAT weekend, Mike
You could rebuild them and then repaint and decal them..However..You can buy Athearn Blue Box kits on line starting at $5.25..The choice is your but,I would go with the better cars.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
One of the problems answering this question is that the Tyco brand name went through several changes over the years, as well as a change in ownership. Originally manufactured in Woodbury Heights, NJ, the earliest was plastic body cars with a cast metal frame and metal trucks. These frames were sparsely detailed, but were good as the cast frame kept the center of gravity low and helped them track nicely. The metal trucks, however, added drag, much the way the old friction bearings did to the prototype.
Later, Tyco went to plastic frame trucks with metal axles, under the same car. The frames were made of Delrin or Selcon plastic, a slippery plastic that allowed the cars to roll much easier and the same loco to pull more cars, much like the prototype conversion to roller bearings on the car axles. There was a minor reduction in weight of the car at this change. The trucks were also available as an aftermarket part to upgrade older cars.
In the seventies, the Tyco name was sold to Consolidated Foods and the manufacturing was moved to Hong Kong. This is where the quality took a nose dive and unfortunately, is the Tyco that most modellers know. They went to a plastic frame, better detailed but lower weight, the trucks were made with a single piece plastic wheel and axle (not adjustable, and almost always a bit narrow in gauge), and the bodies looked like they were painted with a thick paint the covered many of the details. The trucks usually snapped in or had a separate pin to hold the truck on the car.
I have many of the older Tyco cars (first and second paragraph above) and these still perform well. The lower level of detail on the frame isn't a problem since they stay on the track and don't roll over to show the frame. If you have or can get these, I'd recommend them. The ones described in the third paragraph, I'd recommend you steer clear of them.