How to Get Tyco Tender Drives Working Again!! 

When I was in junior high I worked Saturdays in a hobby shop that was an authorized tyco repair center. The local department stores were selling the Chattanooga sets. We got so many for repair we couldn't keep up. Tyco eventually sent us two cases of locos. We sent the defective ones back to new jersey.

Thanks for the mention man! I’m still on the hunt for one, they’re out there just a rare bird. Fantastic video by the way, I’ve wanted to make a comprehensive video on tender drives for years now and this video serves as some good motivation. Keep it up my friend!

Absolutely incredible! I have fixed a number of these, but never seen someone go so in depth with this repair. Truly impressive workmanship

Wow, Ron, thanks. You gave me all the reasons I needed to stay with my 0-gague trains. I didn't know anyone could survive being admitted to a mental institution after attempting to repair just one of these and always assumed they must be disposable once they had any problems running. I thought I had tenacity and patience. Happy rails.

20:00 In 1982, I was in the eighth grade, Minnesota, bought an 0-8-0 Canadian Pacific version from Target. Go figure! Solid metal chassis beneath the boiler. The tender kept bucking the locomotive after a while. There was a melt down... both the locomotive and me. I got frustrated... with a hammer and because of anti-aircraft guns, this locomotive never roamed the rails... became a static display... static, because it attracted dust. Nice to see one of these getting worked. John p.s. Ironic how, I've been in Canada over 22 years now, little did I know 40 years after owning that locomotive I would be here.

Hi Ron. I was so stoked after watching your video I broke out the two Chattanooga steam locos I had in the fleet and test ran both. I have the 1261 and 638 which is what you worked on. I had good luck replacing the traction tires and basic lubbing on the 638. I used a small amount of graphite for the tender drive electrical pick up axles instead of grease. 638 was easily able to pull 9 cars on a slight grade after this procedure. Before the upgrade it could barely move itself. I saw one at my local hobby store 2 weeks ago for 15.00 but let the negative remarks by the store owner sway my desire to grab it. Sadly upon my next visit to the store it was gone. That will not happen again. I liked your presentation so much I watched it a second time! Thank you for the inspiration and keep up the good work!

Another great, informative video,this one helped me repower a 60s Tyco switcher with a later style Tyco power truck,but not with the "power torque"truck.Thank Ron

As a child of a farm working family in the central valley of California in the early sixties it just wasn't in the budget for these kind of toys , it is just so heart warming for me to watch these little trains on the track. Thank you so much for making your videos . They are priceless to me .

Man your brave taking that thing appart.Ive always heard it was a nightmare to take the boiler apart on a tyco chattanooga. Glad you took it apart first so we all can see how hard it is, I still think it's a nightmare. Kudos to you. Ron for this. Now I know I don't want to take it apart!

Another great helpful video. I just discovered you about two weeks ago. I am playing catch up now but plan on watching all of your train videos. I find them very entertaining and extremely helpful. Just to let you know I watch them to the end. I don't comment much because I usually watch them on a large screen tv. Any way thanks for all the entertainment and help. I love the horseshoe mode approach and the Suupper Luube.

Oh boy. 10 hours, huh. Not sure if I’m up for that. But thanks for filming the whole process. Lots of good tips/tricks for a neophyte wondering if he can resurrect a Chattanooga from his childhood.

Outstanding job Ron! I've never wanted a Chattanooga... until now that is! (Kind of, seems like a pain!!!) Makes it seem like one may actually be worth it as a base for a Kitbash project, maybe a repower too. Thanks for making my time doing schoolwork a little more bearable by sitting on the side of my screen and talkin 'bout trains!

Cool train and history, never knew tender drive was a thing. Thanks Ron

Great video. Those TYCO stean engines are the reason I model the diesel era. You could never get them running right without lots and lots of work. Thanks for sharing the work you did to get these running again. And welcome to the modern era, even if it is on AOL. LOL

Thank you for sharing. I didn't know there were so many different models, very much enjoyed the video. 👍

Definitely worth watching this video more than once. I had to rewatch it because I was laughing and missing some of your maintenance steps. “Jesus” clips is a good name for those pieces. Thank you for taking the time for us lucky guys that have these engines to fix on our own. lol

So complicated! Well done.

I have The Royal Blue and Chattanooga. They run good. I didn't know they made so many different versions of that model.

Ron, you said a couple of Frosty ones, well I ended having 5 or 7 Frosty ones or more,I think I got it,a Atherah deasel3 work great now, thanks.

If you ever end up with a bunch of one-off roadname passenger cars, these Chattanoogas look good pulling them as an excursion train. I got one that I went all in on the rebuild. Used a rectifier diode to install a headlight in the tender, only comes on in reverse, added weight to the tender (Better traction), Kadees on tender and loco pilot. Crew figures, cab window glazing, red firebox glow light, it looks good as a special excursion. Even made a small sign for a station "Chattanooga Choo Choo Rail Excursions". Cab number makes sense too. 638 was the 2-8-0 type Casey Jones usually ran. He took his last trip on engine 382, yes, but as a relief engineer.

What a great show!!!!!!

What an ordeal, Ron. I feel for ya, man. Had it been me, I might have had a new ornament attached to the wall or a new piece of garbage to sweep up! Ya make me wonder now- I’ve got some 0-8-0’s and 2-8-0’s but I don’t remember the builders. Mantuas most likely, but I truly don’t remember and don’t feel like researching them right now now. Anyway, you like the Tycos. Ya got a hell of a collection and quite the knowledge and history so you’re the better man for it!

That was almost painful to watch at times but you got there in the end! Well done.

Ron, I JUST purchased a Brown Box Era Tyco 0-8-0 loco/tender at a local train show in its original box/packaging with the smoke fluid/funnel in a non-running condition for $15. The Brown Box Era is my favorite era to collect, and yes, you’re right, Tyco is, and always will be, a collectible entity, as I LOVE mine! This video will enable me to get my new acquisition back onto the rails, running once again! I love your channel, your humor, and learning to repair my American Flyer, Marx, and Tyco HO motive power and rolling stock. I also really like the “Mystery Model” you display, as it’s fun to try to guess who she is before the end of the video! Many thanks, continued good luck, and keep the humor and videos coming! 🚂

Great video! I have one torn apart at moment, and still have to clean the power torque motor on it! These are a challenge for those of us who don’t solder! I fixed up my old one and got it running but also disconnected the smoke unit and will with the one I have apart too. I have a few Mehano Pacifics and their version of the Chattanooga and their smoke units tend to melt the smoke stack. I have had to do surgery on one and replace the stack completely. Thank again and really great video! I have watched Dan’s videos on these as well!

I recently restored one of these locos (The Royal Blue version). That sucker was a true pain with all the zinc pest (fractured parts). I was lucky enough to find the plastic chassis of a later version to finish it.

This is great! I'm getting one of these on christmas, so this'll be a great help! Thanks Ron! 😄

I found an unused one of those once and gave it to my son for Christmas when he was about 5. It sure was a pile of junk, I’m surprised how many years they made those. Anyway he had lots of fun though. When it quit he reduced it to parts without putting it back together. Sometime we’ll rust it up and find a place in the layout junkyard for it.

Your vids are ALL fantastic and cover ALL gauges, which great! I’m ALWAYS learning off of you, which is a great way to spend my limited leisure time. Continue rolling down the track, Ron! 🚂

Nicely done Ron! The only tender drives I have a Bachmann (Orient Express, John Bull, DeWitt Clinton and Lafayette). I may have to pull them out and show them off. Hmmm....might be good for an STS episode in January!!

youre very funny. and comical,, but its all great love your videos. btw. the way to get the valve gear rods in the steam chest the easyest way is to hold the frame with the valve rods facing doenward as ur bring the steam chest up into the rods

Jeez Ron. That was quite the effort.

What a great episode Ron. I haven't seen all your videos but this one for me has been your best so far and not for the usual reasons. I'm going off the reservation here and please bear with me. Your ability to express your frustrations and share your mistakes is a lesson for all of us. I wish that our youth today would watch this and understand that admitting a failure or lack of knowledge is how we grow, learn, and mature as we work our way through life. Once again, well done. 👍

A lovely "train set" loco. Who wouldn't want one! Tenacious as always with your repair.

I got my first train set in the early 80s, the Tyco Chattanooga Choo Choo with a tender drive 0-8-0. The old girl still runs well, though looking a bit worse for wear. A casualty of my shoddy trackwork being too close to the edge of the table.

I watched this on my other account. Good video!

Love the ClemenTine 😊

Great video perfect visit for a Sunday afternoon best sense of humor too!! Some locomotives could run you thru the ringer! Thank You

Funny you mentioned listening to Ozzy while working on this loco. One of my suggested videos on the right is a documentary on Black Sabbath.

Ten hours? Gee, you shall have love for her. Congratulations on your patience…

i have both the clementine and a chattanooga up on my tyco display shelf. I have so many memories as a kid running the chattanooga steam engine thinking how cool it was.

You’re a better man than me. I would have thrown mine against the wall after 30 minutes.

Nice job Ron. Inwould take the cam off that moves the smoker pump its just causing resistance seeing that the smoker is junk.

great just picked up the Clemetine for 20 bucks. Oh well it looks good.Thank You

This video came at a perfect time. I got one if these off ebay and need to work on it. I'll be studying this video for tips. Keep them coming. 33%

Ron I'm a fan of the Tyco tender drives I am slowly building up a collection. I have a mint Royal Blue that is the flagship of the collection. They are not bad runners if you get them cleaned and lubed but in the long run they make better shelf queens than runners. I just find them fun to collect.

Absolutely a victim of zinc pest, I’ve had experience with the problem before on old Graham Farish and Airfix OO models, the GraFar being a rare 5MT model, the Airfix being a GWR 2-6-2T, got my own Tyco 2-8-0 in need of repair so this will certainly come in handy for my own projects

Wow u did good. I got one in a box in pieces. Maby some day I can get it going

Can’t go wrong with some Ozzy while working on a crazy train.

I once had the Chatanooga 2-8-0 and Babe ruth steam sound car that was full of rocks

Thanks for another great video Ron... I did my Chattanooga reno a while back and had a bear of a time also...My loco had been overheated and someone else "fixed' it before I had at it...Needless to say I also had a heck of a time getting mine to run also...During the testing phase I noticed the drawbar was bent slightly (probably from a fall) and it was causing the tender to ride up a bit and loose contact with the rails...you may want to watch for a similar issue on yours... Seeing your other one with the added weight I may revisit mine in the near future and fatten it up a bit with a couple ounces as you did...Thanks again for the inspiration and ideas... Hope to see your GS4 vid soon also...maybe you can compare the 1st and 2nd gen chassis when you do as I have a first gen with zinc rot on the drivers and am hoping to find some replacement drivers for it and don't know if the newer ones will fit into the 1st gen... Keep up the great videos... Rich...

First thing I did, after checking my Bank Account returning from our cruise. Was to watch your latest Video and later any I missed while gone. You know I will have many comments. But the one that sticks out of my head (that's weird, isn't it?) Is if you totally rebuild a Vega and put lots of time and money in it. You still have a Vega. Same with Tyco's. But it still makes for a Great video.

You probably dont want to take it apart again, but you can get smoke units from Bachmann $6 or Sueth $more (Sooth or Seeth, German I think). Would be neat to see a working smoker. These drop in units are passive and just put out a stream of smoke (no puffing action). Nice job on another tired old loco- pulling the tyco chugger boxcar too!

I had the Clementine as a child with the whole gold mine set. When I revisited the hobby in my 20's all of the old TYCO stuff was retired for Bachmans which ran way better. As I got more serious those got switched out for Atherns and the Proto Life-Like engines. Eventually Clementine was painted white (I don't know why I chose that) and made into a 'park' engine on the layout. Dunno where it is now but I left it at home when I moved out. I'd wager it got sold off in a box of old TYCO and Bachman locomotives in a garage sale when my parents sold the house I grew up in.

My first train set was the clementine

Good show Ron. Lot of work on that darn tender drive, you got it going though. I bet it was a little frustrating, I probably would have wanted to throw it across the room if it was so darn troublesome lol. You have patience. Very nice 👍🏻

Use a pool noodle cut lengthwise to hold your trains while working on them.

I have a 1261 Chattanooga and a 638 both run well

I have one of the 256-76 Southerns, in its original box. It is a green 0-8-0, but the lettering on the tender is much smaller than the earlier version.

My favorite way to clean wheels is with a dremel using a steel wire brush

I think tender drive is an excellent idea. Powered steam locomotives can be problematic when the side rods get a small amount of wear. I’m presently converting a very nice Bachmann 2-8-0 with a broken axle gear to tender drive. I’m using the power chassis from a Bachmann 44 ton switcher.

Very helpful for my Chattanooga tear down, except I opened up the motor. It had a screeching noise. Promptly lost a brush spring...

I got rid of the smoke clicker and it runs more smoothly.

Ron, when you're doing close-ups of you working on the engines and stuff it is slightly out of focus.. your fingers are more in focus than the train parts, at 16:37 onwards section, for example. Is there any way you can adjust this, please, I watch your videos on a PC full screen. .......... I used to have one of the early models of this (possibly the Chattanooga but I don't recall it having a smoke unit) when I was a kid back in the 70s here in Melbourne Australia. I love watching your repair videos it helps me with mine haha....

I broke out my Tyco Chattanooga from Christmas '74 or so a few years ago to show my 8 year old boy the puffer, but could barely get it moving down the tracks and the puffer, sheeeez, I have do idea how to go about that. It's a dog but I'm gonna try what you did with the jewelry cleaner and see if we can get those bad boys chugging again.

Hello! Make a "jig" to hold HO Locomotives while their in the "shop!" Maybe outta foam? I made one for G scale! Works OK. Hold the Steamers tight enough to work on 'em.

That took a header off a table onto a concrete floor. Fer sure.

And clementines. Have 2 of them. Have like 6 of them but 2 are Clem's

Speaking of rare locomotives I have a model power "old time" 0-8-0 switcher in DRGW bumble bee livery and the only pictures I can find are the eBay list I bought it from.

That engine is lucky you serviced it. If it was in my possession I would've scrapped it for being plastic.

I remember Tyco as the heart of my 1st 8x4 Layout at age 12. Question: Why aren't model trains made in America anymore? Rapido is Canadian... but core parts still come from China

If only they had proper boiler-mounted can motors that drove the driving wheels like every other model steam engine. That would make it way easier and smoother to work on.

The boiler cover is actually the smokebox door

I was given one of those back in the 70s,as soon as I realized the locomotive was not motorized, I immediately gave it away........

Hi Ron, Question for you. I need a nutdriver to tighten the screws on steam locomotive driver rods. What size are those and where can one purchase that item? Thank you and keep up the great work!

I got a few of them if you get one that runs great your lucky

Canadian Pacific was a 2-8-0.

They are definitely a pain I have a royal blue Ron pinion gear problems mostly but I have it running an it smokes as well

i take it no wobbly pop while you work on one of these

The other Southern railway locomotive is black and a 2-8-0. I own this locomotive for under $20 at a train show in South Carolina about 3 to 4 years ago.

Hey, what are the chances of a used, untested Power Torque actually running? What are the chances of the gears being stripped out?

Hey got a question. Would the axle sets say from an Alco 430 or 630 power torque truck fit to get better electrical pickup? Or are the wheel diameters different?

I had one the 0-8-0 working head light and smoke never got it to smoke.I don't like tender drive cause I think it puts to much pressure on the motor.I mean think about it.The motor is pulling and pushing at the same time.But best of luck to you.

When in ohms mode ( horseshoe mode ) never touch your fingers to both probes ( stabby thinges ) youll get a false reading.

Hey Ron Happy New Year thanks for having a great channel. I have a Tyco Chattanooga 280 and was wondering if you know if there is a motor upgrade for these tenders as I am interested in converting it to DCC. The train is from childhood and has sentimental value that I want to pass on to my boy. I've researched and had no luck in finding a solution.

My friend had one in the 80s and it wasn't very good when new...

Been there done that with them. their Oldies but Goodies.you don't get that full charge like you did back in 78 for Christmas.it's a squeaker.

Is $70 a good deal for a lot with a Chattanooga set and a Rail Master 72 det, plus some extras, even if they are untested?

Great Job Ron! But you must be asking yourself: " Is TYCO worth it?

Im guilty of scraping out more then one of these for powertorque tenders for parts.Some must die for others to live😮

I had one when I was a kid. The smoke was a neat feature, but the tender drive was kind of a junky design. Those never were very powerful, smooth runners.

I hope you left APPROPRIATE FEEDBACK for the Ebay seller who said the Tyco loco was a "good runner". That loco has seen more than once floor bounce.

I like your sign-off.Buh-bye.

Looks like Cracker Jack Geeks engineered this Loco. Way too odd for 1978. Like flying by the seat of one's pants. Whew! I need a shower now.

Dude Ron! Why do the guys with the biggest hands always working with or on the smaller of objects??? 😂😅 Ya know......! There's a standard and 0 gauge for guys like us! Don't know how you do this with H.O.'s? Everything is so much easier when parts and pieces are actually tangible without a microscope and tweezers! N gauge F them! Lol! That's a girl hand size train and them things were built for the ultimate torture test for anyone willing to mess with em! ❤ the channel though Ron, keep it up and maybe the money will follow too? Lol. God Bess brother!

I cut one of mine up and I regret it

Imagine the poor children in the Chinese sweat shop assembling these critters together! Takes some talent. No?

These things were crap from the word go

I M Ron, I think you need an apprentice ? I am offering you my services! You're welcome! 😊

I detest tender drive. So un prototypical. Best place is on a display shelf and ACC'd to a section of track.👎