I was born too late to have grown up around Tyco, but I find them charming. It is my understanding that Tyco trains are starting to become collectable. I’m not an expert on any of it, but I know Tyco made lots of limited edition items, that have a similar appeal to the way Lionel collectors enjoy ‘uncatalogued’ items. Some of them are very rare and sought after. There seems to be quite a market for Tyco billboard cars with graphics in good condition. Of course, just like with Lionel, just because SOME of them are rare, doesn’t mean they’re all worth the big bucks…
There are indeed Tyco collectors,and afficianatos.It is a niche in the hobby.Just as addictive as so many other makes, and it’s all personal taste. I feel myself getting pulled in that direction from time to time…
Paul
I fondly remember their buildings and accessories and would definitely start collecting them if I could. I especially loved the brick factory with the clear windows so you could see the machinery inside and the Howard Johnson’s of course. I still have the little sign and I use it with my homemade O/S Plasticville school turned HoJo.
Other notable HO sets and stuff I had that I remember are the Tyco Turbo Train, an Amtrak F40PH and a GG-1 but I don’t remember the makers, an Amtrak bullet train possibly Bachmann and the one that started me into HO: a Lipton soup starter set with a Soo Line center cab shunter.
Anyhow, I had an A-B set of MPC Santa Fe FA’s but I sold them during my move. They were the super simplified version with the red bonnet only and no stripes. So I let them go figuring I’ll go after the better postwar models eventually.
Here’s one of my Lionel HO ALCos… the 0566. First introduced in 1959, and cataloged through 1962. Probably the single most common Lionel HO powered diesel. This one is the 1959 version, produced on a black plastic shell and 1959 type chassis.
It is set 5721 from 1959. The set came with either an 0864-175 Timken boxcar, or the 0864-325 DSS&A. The DSS&A is more common. The matching 0817-250 Texas Special caboose was unique to this set.
I also have a later version of the 0566 ALCo which is in its original box. I believe it was produced in 1960 or 1961. It has the revised mechanism from 1960, and was produced on a gray plastic shell instead of black. It also has a heat shield for the motor.
I really like those Alcos in Texas Special paint! This was the time frame ( late '50’s to early '60’s) that most of the manufacturers starting producing some H0 trains, as the popularity of H0 really took off. My second train set was a Marx H0 road/rail set , circa 1963 or '64.
Nice looking trains you have !
Paul
Despite being one of the most common ALCo liveries Lionel made in HO, it is one of my favorites. Very sharp and attractive. The O27 version is also on my ‘want’ list. It’s a very attractive look, even if not quite authentic to the real ‘Texas Special’ livery.
Gilbert was far ahead of Lionel and Marx in introducing HO… I suppose it figures, as they were all about the whole “scale realism” marketing. I think Marx introduced HO around the same time as Lionel, maybe plus or minus a year. Can’t remember. Gilbert produced a very neat 6-axle ALCo diesel in ALCo demonstrator colors, as well as Chesapeak & Ohio. I always keep my eye out for them, haven’t found one for the right price yet.
Here’s some more accessories. First, the manual drawbridge. Sorry for the clunky background: I had no better way to do the pics at the time. The black, L-side brackets are removable if the ends are permanently affixed. No motor, of course, but the crank works well with a decent gear ratio that means it doesn’t take forever to raise and lower.
You made me look at my spreadsheet, I have 20 ALCOs in the motive power fleet. My first was a UP 202 in a set I got at age 6. I am now 72.
Here are my wall flowers, An ABBA set of 218s, The WILLIAMS CROOKS 4-4-0 - STEAM LOCO SET, and my 1934 to 36 American Flyer Steam Engine set.
Been paging through my new copy of Authoritative Guide to Lionel’s Promotional Outfits, and was fascinated to learn more about the 226 B&M ALCo.
It turns out that the Sears outfit 9654 was not then only train set headed up by the 226 B&M ALCo. Outfit1649NE from 1961 also included it. The outfit is nearly identical to catalog set 1694, but altered by substituting the B&M 226 ALCo AB for the Santa Fe 218 ALCo AB. Who knew? Bet you didn’t! Loving my new reading material, so much to learn about.
KRM, Lionel did a set of Alaska RR ALCos in HO scale back in 1959. 0567 Powered A, 0587 Dummy B, and 0577 dummy A. There was an HO Alaska set, 5729, that included the 0567 powered A and 0587 dummy B. Had the matching 0817-225 Alaska caboose too. The dummy A was seperate sale only. They only made them one year. Tough to find, especially with undamaged nose decals on the A units. I’m still looking for some within my price range.
A complete 5729 outfit sold for just over $400 on eBay recently.
(images from ebay)
I have some 1959 diesels, and the motors are rather noisy but they run alright. They do need new drive belts and shaft couplings though, usually.
Really? Lionel knew way back then how good that paint scheme would have looked on their O-27 FA’s and they didn’t make them? The switcher is nice but I think a blue and yellow Alco FA would have sold better!
I agree!! the HO ALCos look far more impressive than the O gauge NW2! No hate on the switcher, but they shoulda made the ALCos in O gauge. In Volume III of Lionel: A Collector’s Guide and History, there is a section dedicated to showcasing models from the Lionel Archives. One of the prototypes shown is of an F3 sporting the same paint job that was applied to the HO scale ALCo FA.
Note that the stripes on the front don’t seem to line up quite right- as though the graphics used were designed for the contours of an ALCo FA, rather than an F3! If they’d gone ahead with it, I imagine the finished product would have properly aligned striping.
Lionel must have been considering adding a more premium Alaska offering to the lineup, but perhaps they decided there wasn’t enough demand to justify making it. The Alaska Railroad didn’t own any F3s or ALCo FAs, but they did have F7s and some oddball cab units rebuilt from ALCo RS units which look a little similar to FAs. So both the O gauge prototype and the HO models resemble something real.
Need to dig out my O gauge FAs, in the meantime here’s another HO one. The 0564 C&O from 1960-1962, posed on my 0110 Trestle Set. The HO model sports a far more impressive paint job than any of the O27 ALCos that were decorated for the C&O.
The C&O was the 4th road name available on Lionel’s HO ALCo, and the first of three for which Lionel made no companion dummy A or B unit in HO. The other two were UP and Pennsy.
KRM, those are fantastic!
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I seem to remember a photo from many years back, you had multiple units of Alco wired together with one e-unit. Do you still have a picture of that handy ? Sorry for the inconvenience ,but that might an idea I can use.
Paul
paying attention: This post shoulda been in the Marx thread *sigh
My first was a UP 202 in a set I got at age 6. I am now 72. 
