I Suppose I Owe It An Apology

 

Back in the 1980's when I began planning my first H0 scale empire, I decided I needed more practical looking heavy switchers. I already had a Rivarossi Indiana Harbor Belt heavy 0-8-0, but I felt it was ridiculously oversized for my line as a switcher, and was planned for conversion to a 2-8-0. 

A friend gave me a box of trains one day, and in it was a Tyco "Chattanooga Choo Choo" set. 

At the time, I was not impressed with the locomotive, and immediately set about trying to convert it back into the locomotive upon which it was based, the USRA 0-8-0. 

It became a disaster, and was scrapped. 

My biggest problem was how the model was powered. It was a cheat - instead of powering the drive wheels, Tyco powered the tender instead, using one of their Power Torque motor assemblies. This resulted in an oversized tender for such a bantam locomotive. 

I always felt that these motors were weak. My last diesel as a child, a Tyco Alco 630 in Chessie colors, my Christmas gift for 1974, had this drive, and I felt it struggled with more than a ten car consist. 

And you know what? I miss it.

I also missed the point for the Chattanooga erstwhile 2-8-0. 

These were not meant to be serious models. 

While Tyco did later use the parts to create a right proper USRA 0-8-0, in 1974 when this model was rolled out, it was never meant to be anything other than what it was - a cute gimmick. 

The design of the model would not allow for room for a proper gear system, so Tyco chose to motorize the tender. Instead, the boiler housed a smoke unit, which from what I have read so far seems to have had a high failure rate. 

My current model is parts built from three parts models. I am sure Tyco collectors would shudder to know that I had to make modifications to several different production runs to produce this one. It's still a work in progress.  

Yet it runs, even around my very tight 13" radius track. 

My days of trying for 101% accuracy are over. I feel that you really can't achieve anything near it, to be honest. So if a model has to do without some details to run, so be it. 

And if there's a motor driving the tender, well, it is what it is. 

Sorry, Tyco, I owe you, and this design, an apology.