Model Railway Forum

https://youtu.be/0KmHQzwei8w

Found this charming old commercial for the American stuff I collect.
And this one:

https://youtu.be/OBlO1uodosI

Well Chops, these advertisements are certainly 'different'!

They certainly promote play value, I love the shovel loader filling the coal car, now why can't Hornby do one of those?? Interesting too to see electric highway systems alongside the railroad.

The adverts look quite old (1960s at least), are Tyco trains still being sold? I am sure I have seen Tyco toys sold here in the UK but I cannot remember train sets.

Great nostalgia!

From Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyco_Toys

Defunct

When Tyco was purchased by Mattel on March 27, 1997, it was the third largest toy company in the United States. The brand survived into the early 2010s as the Mattel Tyco R/C division, while much of the Sesame Street line, Magna Doodle, and the View-Master were transferred to the Fisher-Price division. On February 23, 2019, Terry Flynn announced that Tyco was now a registered trademark of his Harden Creek Slot Cars, LLC. [8]

Legacy
The Tyco model railroad business was purchased back by the Tyler family in 1977, who revived them under the Mantua Industries brand. Tyco exited the model railroad business after the 1993 catalog. Many of the Tyco model train products were then produced by Mantua and by International Hobby Corporation (IHC). In 2001, Mantua ceased production of its model railroad lines and sold the model railroad business to the Model Power company, which continued to sell a few items such as steam engines and freight cars as its Mantua Classics brand. In early 2014, Model Power was acquired by Model Rectifier Corporation (MRC) and continues to make the Mantua Classics line. (The locomotives are also available with DCC and sound.)

Interesting model railway history, thank you.