American Flyer Train Set...
#1
I'm looking for offers on this American Flyer train set, which includes the following items...

...a 4-4-2 Atlantic locomotive with a Wooten-style firebox and an accompanying tender...

[Image: American%20Flyer%20loco%20%20tender_1.jpg]

[Image: American%20Flyer%20loco.jpg]

[Image: American%20Flyer%20tender.jpg]

[Image: American%20Flyer%20loco%20%20-%202.jpg]

...a gondola...

[Image: American%20Flyer%20gondola%20-%202.jpg]

[Image: American%20Flyer%20gondola%20-%201.jpg]

...tank car...

[Image: American%20Flyer%20tank%20car.jpg]

...refrigerator car...

[Image: American%20Flyer%20reefer.jpg]

...and a caboose...

[Image: American%20Flyer%20caboose%20-%201.jpg]

[Image: American%20Flyer%20caboose%20-%202.jpg]

Also include are 13 pieces of straight track and 16 pieces of curved track...

[Image: American%20Flyer%20track.jpg]


...two turnouts, one right and one left...

[Image: American%20Flyer%20turnout.jpg]

...along with a semaphore signal...

[Image: American%20Flyer%20semaphore.jpg]

...and a transformer...

[Image: American%20Flyer%20transformer.jpg]

The motor armature in the locomotive can be easily turned manually, but because the cord on the transformer is in very poor condition, I was unable to test if it will actually run.

There are no original boxes or accompanying literature, but the items appear to be in reasonable condition, although certainly not like-new.  I will replace the transformer
cord if you wish, or leave it in place if you want to do it as a restoration rather than a simple replacement
I have no idea of this set's age, but would guess that it dates from the '50s at the earliest, as the locomotive and tender, along with all of the rolling stock, has plastic bodies.


Unfortunately, shipping will likely be extra, unless you're within semi-reasonable driving distance, in which case I might be able to deliver it.

If you can offer any additional info on this set, I'd appreciate hearing it, so feel free to add it here.

For anyone interested in purchasing this set, please contact me via PM.

Thanks,

Wayne
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#2
Wayne:
The link couplings date it no later than very late 50s. I remember a friend replacing his with knuckles around 57/58.
David
Moderato ma non troppo
Perth & Exeter Railway Company
Esquesing & Chinguacousy Radial Railway
In model railroading, there are between six and two hundred ways of performing a given task.
Most modellers can get two of them to work.
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#3
Thanks for that information, David.  When I was setting things up for the photos, I hadn't realised that some of the trucks had rotated, placing the couplers beneath the cars. 35

I don't know if you recall a layout tour a few years ago, where I was helping a friend host visitors, and we met when you recognised one of my EG&E passenger cars.  Anyway, the American Flyer stuff is his, and he's just looking for a good home for it.  Since he's not at all familiar with computers (and doesn't have one) I thought that this might be a good place to offer this set, on his behalf.


The other ad, with the La Belle passenger cars, is his stuff, too.


Wayne
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#4
Wayne I have the Greenberg book at work and can look the stuff up and tell you the appox. value and when they were made. Right now we have had massive rains and my driveway will have to dry out so I can regrade it so I can get to town to get it so it may be Tues. before I can do it.
Mike

Sent from my pocket calculator using two tin cans and a string
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#5
Here is the original listing for this set (from 1953).     
The earlier version had a wire hand rail.


Attached Files Image(s)
   
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#6
Here are the details in an enlarged version.     
Charlie
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#7
(05-12-2019, 07:36 AM)Tyson Rayles Wrote: Wayne I have the Greenberg book at work and can look the stuff up and tell you the appox. value and when they were made. Right now we have had massive rains and my driveway will have to dry out so I can regrade it so I can get to town to get it so it may be Tues. before I can do it.

Thanks for that offer, Mike.  It looks like my good friend Charlie has covered the history of the set, but it would be interesting to know what it might be worth nowadays. 
As I mentioned, the owner isn't looking to get rich, he simply wants it to go to someone who will appreciate it, and perhaps leave him with a few bucks after covering the shipping expenses.


It sounds as if your weather is very similar to what we're experiencing here in southern Ontario.  I was out in my paint shop, in the garage about 100' behind the house, on Friday night, and when I went in the floor was wet in the annex where the paint shop is located.  The building was at house at one time, but it's now about 150 years old, and that area of the building is actually a bit below grade.  When I came out of the paint shop, there was over an inch of water on the concrete floor, and I could literally see it rising as I stood there.
The next day, it was still wet, but the majority of the water had disappeared through the multitude of cracks in the concrete.  
Areas of the backyard, both beside and well-behind the garage, are either under water or so sodden that you can't walk there without sinking into the morass.
In northern and eastern Ontario, it's even worse, with extensive flooding and many homes destroyed.


I hope that we can all see some better weather soon.

Wayne
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#8
Charlie, many thanks for showing those old ads.  Not only are the pictures great, but I love the copy which goes with them.  

Wayne
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#9
Best of luck with the weather Wayne, I'll get back to you when I can on the values. Charlie thanks for the ads! A trip down memory lane as AF was my first train set.
Mike

Sent from my pocket calculator using two tin cans and a string
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#10
Yes, Wayne, I remember meeting you there.

You might be able to test the loco with a 9v battery. Or with the AC from an HO power pack. Not much control, but you could see if they move.
David
Moderato ma non troppo
Perth & Exeter Railway Company
Esquesing & Chinguacousy Radial Railway
In model railroading, there are between six and two hundred ways of performing a given task.
Most modellers can get two of them to work.
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#11
Not being at all familiar with American Flyer, I did try to see if it would run off my shop transformer, an old Scintilla power pack, from the '50s...

[Image: SCINTILLA%20POWER%20PACK...%20002.jpg]

...but unfortunately, tried it with jumper wires from the DC terminals, with no response.
 
I'll let my friend know that it needs AC to run, and perhaps he can test it.  I'll post any results here.

Wayne
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#12
Wayne it does need AC, trying to run it on DC can fry it.
Mike

Sent from my pocket calculator using two tin cans and a string
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#13
That power pack sits on a shelf in my workshop, and it's connected to a 3' section of flextrack on the same shelf, using wires with alligator clips to connect to the rails.  The "L" and "R" written beside the directional switch  tells which way the loco on the track will move, and the rails on the shelf are marked "W" and "B", to ensure which one gets connected by the white wire and the black one.

I had, just before trying to power the Flyer loco by applying the alligator clips to various contact points on the motor and wheels, I attempted to show my friend an amazingly small (to me, at least) LED that I had installed in a headlight casting.  I clipped the power pack leads to the LED's wires, but the latter were so thin that they kept slipping from the clips' teeth, and I couldn't get the LED to light.
We then attempted to test the loco, with no response.

After my friend left, I was cleaning up in the shop, and as I was re-clipping the wires to the rails, I noticed that the wire was no longer attached to the clip.  Pulling off the cover revealed bare stranded wire soldered to the clip, but the main portion of the wire had broken off.  After stripping the end of the wire and cleaning-up the clip, I soldered things back together.

I'm pretty sure that's why the LED wouldn't light, and why there was probably no damage done to the loco's motor, either.


Normally, I'd be embarrassed by such sloppiness, but it looks like fate has smiled upon me in this instance. Goldth

Wayne
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#14
Wayne, that locomotive should run on DC. This thread may be of interest to you. http://cs.trains.com/ctt/f/95/t/184525.aspx
Charlie
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#15
Thanks, Charlie.
According to one of the posts within that link, in the late '40s, Gilbert did produce two locomotives, the Northern and the 0-8-0 switcher, in both AC and DC versions, but no other models with a DC option.  Since this set is apparently from the '50s, I'm guessing it probably is AC powered.

I've asked my friend to weigh the entire set, just to see what the shipping cost might be - certainly more that a few couplers or some LEDs, I'd guess.  Misngth   Maybe I can talk one of my neighbours into buying it.   Icon_lol


Wayne
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