Tyco US1 Electric Trucking is a popular line of slot car toys produced by Tyco Industries in the early 1980s.
This particular set is among the first produced beginning in 1981 with several red colored boxes, and in 1982 with a refreshed orange / blue theme. Many more were added later, all the way until the end of the decade, with vehicle and building / play set addons sold separately, and some store exclusive models.
Key Features
Unlike the bulk of Tyco's slot car sets, the US1 range wasn't purely about racing. These toys featured a unique model trucking theme where players could control model trucks on tracks instead of typical slot cars.
Each set contained:
- 1 x Dump Truck
- 1 x Truck cab
- 1 x Gravel trailer
- 13 x Sections of track
- 1 x 6" straight
- 1 x 15" straight
- 6 x 9" 1/4 radius
- 4 x 9" turnouts
- 1 x 9" terminal with controllers
- 1 x Power Pack (U.L. Listed)
- 1 x Dump Yard
- 1 x Gravel Bin
- 1 x Operating Pipe Loader
- 1 x Operating Gravel Hopper
- 4 x Highway Signs
- 1 x Operating and Layout Manual
Vehicles and Interaction
One of the key selling points of the Tyco US1 Electric Trucking sets was the level of interaction they offered, the vehicles that were included in each set, and the vehicles and buildings which could be bought later.
This set offered a semi-truck and gravel trailer plus a dump truck, both of which could be controlled by the user using two included steering wheel and speed controllers. Neat!
The tracks were designed with various features and accessories that mimicked real-world trucking scenarios, like working traffic lights, intersections, loading docks, and even a working crane to load and unload cargo.
Other Tyco US-1 Electric Trucking Sets
There were dozens of other add-on cars and add-on features that were sold separately, as well as other US-1 Trucking sets, each with a specific focus such as Highway, City Driving, etc.
Some of those documented at Tyco Collectors include:
Availability and Collectability
Tyco US1 is now considered a vintage collectable, with many enthusiasts seeking out the sets and individual components to add to their collections or to relive their childhood memories. Much like the model train community, some have detailed environments setup using custom modelling and multiple sets, blending US1, Slot Cars, and HO Scale Trains.
While it's been 40+ years since Tyco US1 has been out of production, they can still be found on online auction sites or in hobby shops that specialize in vintage toys.
