It turns out I have an Eatons' Christmas catalogue from 1975, and on page 301 are pictures of Tyco train sets they had for sale that year.
I might have gotten my first train set in '73, '74, or '75. I can't quite remember which year it was, but it was a Bachmann, with CN rolling stock, that my parents bought at George's Trains. It looks like it was more or less the same as Tyco's offering.
Mine was of a similar era, by AHM, who thoughtfully put together a B&O switcher with a NYC caboose.
ReplyDeleteNice! I haven't seen an AHM train set, only building kits.
DeleteThey were no better than the Tycos and Bachmanns. The switcher I got was a Plymouth switcher which, in the B&O scheme, looked less gaudy than some other roads, which I thought looked more realistic. The other cars were equally toned down colors- a b/w tank car, a black gondola and a dark green caboose. Probably wouldn't fly by today's neon-chrome-BUY-ME! colors. I later got gifted a gaudier set by Tyco, including the pretty red war bonnet Sante Fe F unit, a bright yellow hopper, a bright green boxcar and a bright red (well, it least it matched the engine) Sante Fe caboose. It took some time before I realized you could buy trains without a "set". It was a revelation the day I found a pack of "coal". But the real improvements came when I read my first MR magazine.
Delete