Alco Century 430 Diesel

Brown Box Era HO-Scale Trains

Alco Century 430 Diesel Locomotive

Alco Century New for '66

Introduced in TYCO's 1966 catalog, this model was widely available throughout the history of TYCO trains. It originally was powered by Mantua's power-truck motor and early versions have 'Mantua-Tyco' on the weight at the bottom of the fuel tank. Later models employ the PowerTorque drive.

There is another version of the Century 430 model. Around 1990, production moves from Hong Kong to Yugoslovia. I have never seen this version of the C-430 sold in anything but train sets. There are versions of it that carry the 'Virginian' paint similar to what TYCO offered on the original C-430 model. This second version Century 430 model was produced by Mehano in Yugoslovia for TYCO. Reportedly TYCO shuts down production in Hong Kong of HO-scale trains around 1990. TYCO then went to Mehano and selected similar models to fill train set production runs for the early 1990s. Mehano's Century 430 is dressed in both Santa Fe red and silver and Virginian paint and sold as a TYCO model in train sets of this period. These late substitution C430 models do not carry TYCO markings on their fuel tanks.

Though TYCO produced a vast number of C430 models, the builder of the prototype, ALCO, was not so fortunate. The real ALCO Century 430 was produced between July 1966 and February of 1968. ALCO made a mere sixteen examples of this 3,000 horsepower road unit. The ALCO design for the C430 was an attempt to match the horsepower output of the then-new EMD model GP-40 which offered 3,000 horses on b-trucks. ALCO was nearing its end in producing locomotives for the American market by the mid-'60s and the C430 did not offer any salvation for the company.

Original Century 430s included ALCO's trio of Demonstrator painted models (430-1 thru 430-3); Green Bay & Western owned one; New York Central rostered ten; Reading had a pair; and Seaboard Coast Line purchased the ALCO Demonstrator models that made up SCL's fleet of three examples. TYCO includes the Green Bay & Western in its original 1966 announcement, but it is thought to never have been produced in HO-scale by the company. Outside of the almost made GBW C430, TYCO avoids any and all prototype offerings for this model.

Information regarding the prototype comes from RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN magazine's November 1985 issue featuring a 5-page article with HO-scale diagrams of the ALCO C430. Information regarding prototype owners of the ALCO C430 may be found in Diesel Era's ALCO's Century Series Volume One - Four-Axle Models.

Model Railroader magazine's September 1986 issue featured Andy Sperandeo's "The Alco Century 430: Few were built, but some still run" article. This article includes S-scale plans for the C430. Also found are prototype B&W pictures for the Alco Demonstrator, NYC, Reading, GBW, and Seaboard C430s; plus color shots of the Susquehanna and Morristown & Erie C430s.

Burlington Northern
(No.235-17)

This Burlington Northern Alco 430 never appears in any TYCO catalogs. Though not confirmed, the BN Alco 430 was likely produced and offered during the early to mid-'70s and thus could be an item that might be found in either a Red Box Era package or the later '70s Brown Box Era packaging.

Canadiana
(No.235-45)

Pictured above is the Canadiana Century 430 offered by TYCO in the mid-'70s. In addition to this loco, TYCO also dressed a 50' Box Car; a Streamline Off-Center Cupola Caboose and Shark Nose Diesel in Canadiana paint. Only the Candiana Box Car makes an appearance in a TYCO catalog. This C430, the Shark, and Caboose were produced for and sold in Canada.

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Canadian National
(No.235-)
TYCO's CN Alco 430 has been found in both red and brown box packaging. The Canadian National example is never found in TYCO's annual product catalogs. Examples examined show that the lettering style used for the cab roadnumber varies over the course of this item's availability, however I do believe it is always 4301.

Chessie System
(No.235-K)

(No.235-03)

One of many diesels to carry Chessie System paint in TYCO's line was the Alco 430. The first catalog appearance for this model is 1974-75 and that year it goes by stock number 235-K; for it next and last catalog entry in the 1975-76 edition it goes by 235-03.

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Grand Trunk
(No.235-65)

One of the later roadname offerings, the Grand Trunk Alco 430 gets two apperances in TYCO catalogs in 1981 and again in 1982.

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Great Northern
(No.235-)

This Great Northern Century 430 never appears in any TYCO catalogs. The sample seen here was not found with its packaging, so there is no available confirmed stock number and the release date can only be guessed. It is possible that it might be a Red Box Era release from the late '60s or among the Brown Box 1970s TYCO issues. Certainly an interesting TYCO piece. The example shown here has had its handrail kit applied and painted to match the GN colors.

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TYCO Illinois Central Century 430

Illinois Central

(No.235-J)

Very similar in appearance to the Illinois Central Gulf Century 430, TYCO did originally offer an orange and white lettered Illinois Central Alco 430 in the early 1970s. The Illinois Central Alco 430 carries the same lettering style and 4301 roadnumber as that of the ICG example. Thanks to Steve S. of Magnolia, North Carolina for the stock number information. This model does not receive any appearances in TYCO's catalogs.

TYCO's Illinois Central Gulf Century 430 Diesel

Illinois Central Gulf
(No.235J)

(1974-75)
(No.235-14)

(1975-77)

(No.250B) Alco 430 with Matching Caboose

Penn Central

(No.235-G)

(No.235-R)

An early '70s TYCO offering, the Penn Central Alco 430 and also available in Red Box Era packaging. The model is a light green color with white lettering and white and red Penn Central herald. The box flap shown above appears to show 235-G for this model's stock number; have also had reference to the model as being 235-R.

Rock Island Century 430

Rock Island
(No.235-10)

(1976-1986)

Santa Fe (Passenger red and silver)
(No.235)

(1971-1974)
(No.235-21)

(1975-76)

Originally among the "Red Box" Era TYCO C430 models of the 1960s, TYCO keeps a red and silver Century 430 in the line well into the 1970s. Another TYCO C430 of sorts returns around 1990. Carrying the roadnumber 8130 is a Yugoslovian made Century 430 supplied in late examples of TYCO train sets. The Santa Fe 72 train set (No.7415) from the 1991 catalog has an example of this substitute C430 model. The train set box shows the typical red and silver GP-20 for the set, but examples often contained this European C430 in place of the GP-20. These late C430 models are not known to have TYCO Hong Kong on their fuel tank, rather they usually have RSO and Yugoslovia markings.

Santa Fe (Freight Warbonnet)
(No.235-22)

Santa Fe examples in the TYCO line are generally quite common models, though not always and this Alco 430 is one of the exceptions. Similar to the Santa Fe Shark Nose Diesel of the early 1980s, this blue and yellow Century 430 wearing the Freight Warbonnet scheme is only cataloged for two years (1981-1982) and is among the more odd examples of a TYCO C430 offering.

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Silver Streak
(No.235-60)

(1978-1980)

Two paint variations for the Silver Streak Century 430 are known to exist. One features a chrome roof behind the cab area and appears to be the more common example. The other version features a solid red roof from cab to the tail end of the loco. The Silver Streak C430 does feature a Union Pacific logo on its nose, so it could be vaguely considered to be a UP loco; though its paint scheme suggests the Santa Fe warbonnet.

Soo Line Alco Century

Soo Line Century 430

Soo Line
(No.235L)

(1974-75)
(No.235-11)

(1975-76)

Spirit of '76 Early Version

Spirit of '76

(1st Version)
(No.244)

(1973-74)

TYCO's Spirit of '76 Century 430 arrives with the 1973-74 product catalog. There are at least two paint variations for the bicentennial dressed C430. The original model's most notable feature may be the absence of the blue roof band running from behind the cab to the rear of the unit.

Spirit of '76

Spirit of '76

(2nd Version)
(No.244)

(1974-1976)

The second and more common example of the Spirit of '76 Century 430 model has a blue roofline behind the engine's cab and is without the blue band running around the nose and cab sides. Both variations carried the same stock number of 244, which was odd in itself as the Century 430 models carried the 235 stock number.

Virginian

(Yellow w/Blue Stripes; No Cab Number; Small Lettering)
(No.235-36)

(1979 and 1980)

Virginian

(Blue w/Yellow Stripes; 1435 Cab Number; Large Lettering)

(No.235-79)

(1982-1992)

There are two different examples of this model that both carry the same Virginian paint scheme and 4301 cab number. From its introduction in the early '80s until about 1990, this model is the typical TYCO C430 shell and drive; late examples are a Yugoslovian produced C430 shell and drive and are commonly found in train sets only in the early 1990s.

Interestingly, TYCO assignes the roadname designating suffix "-36" to its 1979 and 1980 Virginian C430 and switches to "-79" for offerings beginning 1982. Having more than one two-digit suffix indicator for a roadname is not typical of TYCO, but as always there is an exception to every rule.

This second paint scheme for the Virginian receives numerous variations across the catalogs of the 1980s. The 1985 catalog finds a Virginian C430 carrying the cab number 4301, typical of TYCO's C430 models, but no nose chevrons and no VGN circle herald. This example may be seen powering TYCO's Super RailMaster (No.7426) train set in '85, though later in the catalog in the Diesel Locomotives section you'll find the model with the 1435 cab number. For 1986 the Virginian C430 is doing the honors on the Long Hauler (No.7407) train set. The Long Hauler's Virginian C430 has both the 4301 cab number, plus the yellow nose chevrons and VGN circle herald.

USA Express
(No.235-83)
The USA Express is thought to be the final roadname addition to TYCO's Century 430 model series. Thie red, white and blue Alco is sometimes mistaken for a bicentennial item, but it is not and did not get introduced until the very late '80s. The USA Express Alco 430 was the star attraction of its own train set in TYCO's line 1988 and 1989. The model has also been found in IHC packaging, apparently part of the leftovers sold off by IHC in the 1990s.