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What happened to Tyco RC and trains?

Dave Farquhar model railroading September 7, 2017December 14, 20201980s, 1990s, Fraud, HO, ho scale, Hot Wheels, lionel, matchbox, postwar lionel

Tyco is a name I certainly remember from my childhood. While I never had either of them, many people my age had Tyco slot cars and/or a Tyco train set growing up. If you’re wondering what happened to Tyco, or what happened to Tyco RC, Tyco trains, or Tyco slot cars, read on.

When I think of Tyco, I think of slot cars and trains. Tyco went out with a bang with one last monster Christmas in 1996, and it had nothing at all to do with trains or slot cars. Rather, it involved a brightly colored furry monster that giggled a lot.

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He has written professionally about computers since 1991, so he was writing about retro computers when they were still new. He has been working in IT professionally since 1994 and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He holds Security+ and CISSP certifications. Today he blogs five times a week, mostly about retro computers and retro gaming covering the time period from 1975 to 2000.

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Scale vs gauge: Not quite interchangeable

Dave Farquhar model railroading, Toy trains August 18, 2017March 3, 20221:64 scale, 1950s, 1960s, 1980s, 1990s, american flyer, HO, ho scale, lionel, Lionel 675, n scale, o gauge, o scale, s scale, Standard Gauge

Wondering about scale vs gauge? You’re not alone. It’s a common question, and I’ll try to provide a simple answer. The two terms may appear interchangeable, but they aren’t quite.

Dave Farquhar

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Bachmann vs Lionel

Dave Farquhar model railroading, Toy trains December 2, 2016October 11, 20171940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1980s, american flyer, bachmann, Bachmann Plasticville, boxcar, electric trains, HO, ho scale, lionel, lionel train, n scale, o scale, train show

Comparing Bachmann vs Lionel is a contrast between two very old, established names in electric trains. Lionel, in one form or another, has been selling trains since 1900. Bachmann, the largest seller of trains in the world, was founded in 1833, though they started selling trains in 1966.

Ironically, it was Lionel that got Bachmann into the train business. In the 1940s and 1950s, when every kid wanted a Lionel or American Flyer train, Bachmann sold buildings under its Plasticville brand so kids and dads could build towns for those trains to run in. As the focus shifted to smaller scales in the 1960s, Bachmann moved with it, with greater success than the companies it once shared a symbiotic relationship with.

Dave Farquhar

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An HO scale Christmas village

Dave Farquhar model railroading October 27, 2016November 22, 2018christmas, Cobblestone Corners, Dollar Tree, HO, ho scale, holiday village

Occasionally someone asks me to recommend an HO scale holiday village or HO scale Christmas village. The big-name villages are too big for HO scale trains, generally speaking, so I understand. There’s no big-name HO scale holiday village but there is a very affordable one.

I recommend Cobblestone Corners, available at Dollar Tree. Old stock is easy to find on Ebay as well.

Dave Farquhar

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What scale are Hot Wheels cars?

Dave Farquhar Model Building October 11, 2016September 17, 2023HO, ho scale, holiday village, Hot Wheels, Lemax, matchbox, old school, train layout

What scale are Hot Wheels cars, you ask? Unfortunately it varies a bit. They tend to be a bit less than 1:64. But scale isn’t Hot Wheels’ objective. Fitting in the package is. That means the size of Hot Wheels cars is between 2.5 and 3 inches, depending on what looks right for the prototype model. That’s when a prototype even exists. So it can take some homework to figure out the actual scale of any given model. Read more

Dave Farquhar

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What scale are Matchbox cars?

Dave Farquhar Model Building October 10, 2016October 29, 20181:64 scale, 1950s, american flyer, Cobblestone Corners, Dollar Tree, HO, ho scale, Hot Wheels, Lemax, lionel, matchbox, old school, s scale

What scale are Matchbox cars, you ask? Unfortunately it varies a bit. Nominally they’re around 1:64 scale. But scale isn’t Matchbox’s objective. Fitting in the package is. That means the size of Matchbox cars is between 2.5 and 3 inches, depending on what looks right for the prototype model. So it can take some homework to figure out the actual scale of any given model.

Dave Farquhar

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How to sell Lionel trains

Dave Farquhar Toy trains September 13, 2016April 22, 20171950s, american flyer, HO, ho scale, lionel, lionel train, marx, o gauge, o27, old trains, OO, receipt, Standard Gauge, TCA, video game

Since I’ve covered other makes of trains, someone asked me how to sell Lionel trains. So I thought I would give similar advice on selling Lionel trains. Lionel is an iconic, legendary part of Americana, so there will always be some market for its products.

That said, don’t expect to get rich selling off your Lionel trains. But if you keep your expectations realistic, you’ll find an eager buyer, or ideally, at least two interested buyers so you’ll realize a good price at auction.

Dave Farquhar

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Cleaning Lionel wheels quickly and easily

Dave Farquhar Toy trains June 9, 2016April 7, 2022Cleaning Lionel, HO, ho scale, lionel

If you have a Lionel locomotive with dirty wheels, cleaning them can be a challenge. Here are some tips for making the job of cleaning Lionel wheels easier.

Dave Farquhar

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Department 56 vs Liberty Falls

Dave Farquhar Toy trains June 2, 2016May 21, 20161:64 scale, 1990s, HO, ho scale, Liberty Falls

I had an interesting question come in the other day: What are the differences between Department 56 and Liberty Falls?

There are some significant differences between them but it turns out it’s entirely possible to use them together. Here’s how.

Dave Farquhar

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Selling Tyco trains

Dave Farquhar model railroading April 18, 2016October 10, 20171950s, 1960s, 1980s, american flyer, christmas, collectibles, HO, ho scale, lionel, marx, o gauge, old trains, recycling, Spare Parts, Star Wars

I got an inquiry last week about selling Tyco trains. As a child of the 70s and 80s, I certainly remember Tyco, and in recent years Tyco has gained a bit of a following.

If you’re looking to sell some Tyco gear, you certainly can do it, but you have to keep your expectations realistic. You’ll probably be able to sell it, but don’t expect to get rich off it.

Dave Farquhar

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