In 1982 Tyco released the 3206 Interstate Delivery. It’s a decent low range set, having a 3440 and a 3450/3460 combo. Boot shaped layout with a 4’3” x 4’3” footprint. It used six curves, two 15” straights, either a 3010 terminal or a 3025, and three turn-outs. Trucks were the 3901 and 3904. Also released by catalog as the S3311 by Sears, which included a bonus 3436. The S3311 dropped a 15” straight to put in the turn-out and a 6” straight.
In 1984 Tyco rehashed the 3206 as the 3208. Kept the name but changed the entire look of the set. It uses a 3430, a 3436, and, well this is where the set gets really weird, more on that in a minute. It went to a loop layout similar to the 3204, 3211, and 3213. The 3927 was brought out of retirement for this set, and it used a 3912, and a 3903. Track is four curves, a 9” straight, two 6” straights, a 3025, a 3032, and a 3016 turn-out. Tyco didn’t even bother to put the layout size on the Content Sheet. But it would be slightly smaller than the 47” X 36” size of the 3213.
So, where the set got really weird is between 1984 and 1985 it went through three revisions. An initial 1984 set would have a 3032 Double Turn-out with Bin, set number 3208. At some point in late ‘84 to early ‘85 it changed to a 3031 Double Turn-out, adding a 3440 as set 3208-1, and eventually was revised to using three turn-outs, dropping the 9” straight and keeping the 3440.
The 3440 was dropped after 1983 when the 3032 debuted. Except it was still in the 3235 up till 1985, AFAIK.
The 3208-2 and 3208-3 Content Sheets show the turn-outs as having switches like the 3217 used, they are number 3030 and have a label “C” as per the 3217 Content Sheet. The 3208-2 and 3208-3 labels them as “X” consistent with a 3016 in every other set.
This is a good example of how bad Tyco was in marketing and selling US-1. That 3208-3 seemed like a real IDEGAF play by Tyco. Given the blatant misrepresentation of everything sold in 1981 (what you see is not even close to what you get), to the year by year decline in quality (early ‘81 sets with painted trucks, windshields and painted track parts, among other things), this 3208 set is a perfect example of why Tyco couldn’t give away US-1 after 1983 (if you have bought enough carded/sealed items you know almost everything was marked down).
In 1984 Tyco rehashed the 3206 as the 3208. Kept the name but changed the entire look of the set. It uses a 3430, a 3436, and, well this is where the set gets really weird, more on that in a minute. It went to a loop layout similar to the 3204, 3211, and 3213. The 3927 was brought out of retirement for this set, and it used a 3912, and a 3903. Track is four curves, a 9” straight, two 6” straights, a 3025, a 3032, and a 3016 turn-out. Tyco didn’t even bother to put the layout size on the Content Sheet. But it would be slightly smaller than the 47” X 36” size of the 3213.
So, where the set got really weird is between 1984 and 1985 it went through three revisions. An initial 1984 set would have a 3032 Double Turn-out with Bin, set number 3208. At some point in late ‘84 to early ‘85 it changed to a 3031 Double Turn-out, adding a 3440 as set 3208-1, and eventually was revised to using three turn-outs, dropping the 9” straight and keeping the 3440.
The 3440 was dropped after 1983 when the 3032 debuted. Except it was still in the 3235 up till 1985, AFAIK.
The 3208-2 and 3208-3 Content Sheets show the turn-outs as having switches like the 3217 used, they are number 3030 and have a label “C” as per the 3217 Content Sheet. The 3208-2 and 3208-3 labels them as “X” consistent with a 3016 in every other set.
This is a good example of how bad Tyco was in marketing and selling US-1. That 3208-3 seemed like a real IDEGAF play by Tyco. Given the blatant misrepresentation of everything sold in 1981 (what you see is not even close to what you get), to the year by year decline in quality (early ‘81 sets with painted trucks, windshields and painted track parts, among other things), this 3208 set is a perfect example of why Tyco couldn’t give away US-1 after 1983 (if you have bought enough carded/sealed items you know almost everything was marked down).
