The Tyco Transformers Electric Train and Battle Set is a themed model railway set, a collaboration between two of the largest toy companies of the 80s, Tyco Industries and Hasbro who owned the Transformers franchise. Manufactured by Tyco, it was released in the US, UK, and many other countries worldwide in 1985.
History and Context
Beginning in 1980 as a Takara Tomy toy line called "Microchange" and "Diaclone", these transforming vehicle toys would eventually gain the attention of Hasbro, one of the leading toy entertainment companies in the world, who purchased them from Tomy in 1984. Together the companies would work together to produce new "Transformers" action figures, while bringing on board Marvel Comics to create the backstory and animated TV series together with Sunbow Productions, an American animation studio.
Upon its television debut in 1984 the franchise quickly became a cultural phenomenon, a series enjoyed by both children and adults alike. It followed the adventures of sentient robots, principally the good guy Autobots and the bad guy Decepticons who were fighting an endless battle for control of the universe.
The Hasbro toy line was released in conjunction with the series in 1984, and they continue to be produced today, almost 40 years later, together with various other cartoons, Hollywood films, video games, and more.
At the time the Transformers train set was introduced, Tyco was already a household name when it came to slot cars and model train sets, and was beginning to branch out into other areas. To have two of the largest toy makers of the era team up to create such a mega-toy would have seemed like toy heaven for any enthusiast at the time - something that seems like it would never happen today, yet it did happen in the 1980s when Tyco was synonymous with high quality model railway sets.
Features
The Transformers train set consists of a 1.07 meter by 1.37 meter (3.51 feet by 4.50 feet) oval track layout, with a 4-piece transforming train and various decorations to set the scene for battle.
Train Transformations
- The Caboose undergoes a major transformation into the Hawkfighter / Battlestar Ship (see photo in gallery)
- The Gondola car transforms into Proton Laser Cannon
- The Box car transforms into Weapon Center
- The Train / Locomotive transforms into Search Mode
Hawkfighter / Battlestar Ship
Buildings and Play Mat
- Four buildings made of cardboard are included to form a large Power station, the centerpiece of the set
- A Tyco Play Scene Action mat is included to play the game on, which is a large photograph of a perfectly modeled scene shot from the top down, instantly providing a professional look and environment for adventures to take place!
Autobots and Decepticons
Dozens of "Autobots" and "Decepticons" models are included as the core army, however it's been observed that these are not in fact actual Transformers robots, but a mix of other models that Tyco or perhaps Takata sourced from other Japanese toys/series!
Why did they do this? Perhaps as a result of Tyco struggling financially at the time of the release, rather than pay to have new miniatures modeled, they just had the manufacturer use existing molds (which are the most expensive part of plastic toy making), saving a substantial amount of money. See the History of Tyco to understand why they may have been low on cash during the early-mid 80s, and what they would do to begin The Golden Age of Tyco.
Videos
Television Commercial
As with all great Tyco products, a well produced TV commercial was made to ensure its success.
Original pre-restoration source was: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp9I--mqbAI
Transformers Train Set Running
Resources for more information
The best information source for everything transformers is the Transformers Wiki (Tfwiki.net) which has a detailed article on this item: https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Electric_Train_and_Battle_Set
While researching I also found the Transformers Media Archive (https://www.tfraw.com) where I sourced the original TV commercial, before the AI restoration.
Availability and Collectability
If you're looking for a mint condition Tyco Transformers Electric Train and Battle then you will probably find one, however the price is likely to be eye watering. Additionally, mint complete sets don't come up too often - at the time of writing I can only see one new and complete set sold in the last 12 months. If you're having trouble, I'd recommend setting a Saved Search on eBay and joining relevant Facebook Groups / Communities.
Average condition and incomplete sets are much easier to pick up, and the various individual parts needed to complete your set or repair broken parts seem to be readily available, including some reproductions.
As for whether or not it's collectable - I can't think of a more collectable train set produced by Tyco myself, the combination of two giants in Tyco HO Scale and Hasbro's Transformers makes for a once-in-a-lifetime piece that's quintessential 80s toy and cartoon culture.
