Many thanks to the fine folks on the Model Railway Forum who put me onto this vintage Tyco piece. I had been fruitlessly searching for this for at least the last fiver years.
I scaled down my North American HO layout by half so as to be able to focus on my first love, British OO, but still like to collect the unique and odd Tyco piece. Tyco, briefly, was stared in the late 1920's by an English immigrant, a Mr. Tyler (hence TY-CO, Tyler Company, e.g.) and lasted until the early 1990's, and churned out an ungodly quantity of low-end model trains in HO. Many North American rivet counters got their start in Tyco as children, but it remains largely regarded as junk by serious modelers and collectors, but I love this old stuff for its childish, clunky lines and bright colors.
It remains a mystery how, when, why, and where Tyco entered the Australian market. They only did a few pieces, and judging from the Ringfield type motor, it probably dates to around the latter 1980's. Only a two locomotive types were done in VR and NSW, and only a wrecking crane and caboose were the only wagons available.
Thank you again to the kind people who helped me track down this little treasure.
