S SCALE MODEL RAILROADING
American Flyer® Trains
By Craig S. O'Connell / Horizontal Rules used on this page courtesy of Charles Wilber
Many thanks to Randy Knox for his help in updating this page.
Changes last made on: September 1, 2012
American Flyer® S Gauge trains were made from 1946 to 1966 by the A.C. Gilbert Company in New Haven, Connecticut. These electric toy trains were known as tinplate from the days before plastics when toys were tinplated in factories. The American Flyer® line of toy trains reached their market peak in the mid to late 1950s. Collector Robert Graves is building a photo gallery of everything made in S gauge by the A.C. Gilbert Company. CLICK HERE to see his site!
<----RETURN TO THE S SCALE MODEL RAILROADING HOMEPAGE
Remember
When... |
And
still today... |
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A photo from Bob Davis's AF layout featured on page 21 of the November, 2004 issue of "Classic Toy Trains" (this is not the exact photo in the mag.)
Having finished building this circus Bob Davis writes that
a hospital complex is next on his layout agenda.
John Magnus's AF layout
John Mangus operates his dad's
1953 American Flyer trains at his home in Louisiana. John, a
member of the NASG and The Crescent City S-Gaugers, says
that he has begun modeling Louisiana railroading during the
early 50s transition on a 4' X 8' layout. Thus far John has
two engines the 355 CNW Baldwin and the 293 Pacific. All of
the structures are Plasticville.
More photos of John's layout. Click on the thumbnail to view the larger image.
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American Flyer Informational Sites
The
Gilbert Gallery by Robert Graves.The objective is to show every
car that Gilbert made from 1946 on. The hoppers, gondolas, reefers, tank
cars, stock cars, and Christmas Cars pages are complete.(as of January,
2006). Boxcars, cabooses, flatcars, and work cars are partially
there - still under construction.
S Gaugian Magazine--by
Heimburger House Publishing Co., serving "S" gauge for the past 35 years. Subscriptions
are $32.00 a year in the U.S. and $39.00 outside the U.S.
Heimburger House Publishing Co. also offers a new book by Paul C. Nelson called "A.C. Gilbert's Famous American Flyer Trains." 200 pages, 8 1/2 X 11" hardbound; enameled text paper; black and white photos and 24 pages of color photos. $41.95 and $4.00 shipping. Illinois residents please add 7.75% sales tax.
S-Trains
Digest Mailing List On the Internet -- An electronic mailing list
for people who are interested in American Flyer® and S Scale
trains. You email your questions and comments to S-Trains at:
S-Trains-owner@yahoogroups.com,
and it will send to all the list members. There is a DIGEST option.
With this option you will only get one note per day. This tends to work
well for folks who don't want to get inundated with lots of mail.
If you want to be on the list just send a note to S-Trains at S-Trains-owner@yahoogroups.com or to Paul Yorke at S-Trains.com
For S-Trains info visit S-Trains link to http://www.trainweb.org/s-trains/list/smail.htm
or contact Paul Yorke at S-Trains.com
Paul Yorke's list
of American Flyer Books -- excellent selection of books
and repair manuals relating to American Flyer® S Gauge products.
Tinplate
Trains FAQ. - Frequently Asked Questions:
MyFlyerTrains.org - A.C. Gilbert
Catalogs - All Aboard Sets Club - Kris Model Trains
American Flyer® Collectors Club; P.O. Box 13269,
Pittsburgh, PA 15243. Membership in this organization will get you
four issues of the club magazine, The Collector, for the year
in which you join, plus a membership directory. You may advertise
free of charge in "The Whistling Billboard," a department of The
Collector.
Classic
Toy Trains Magazine from Kalmbach.
| Many American Flyer enthusiasts who return to the hobby have encountered a white film on their American Flyer plastic cars when they've uncovered them from storage boxes in their basements or attics. It is commonly thought that the white film is mold. However, it is actually a mold release agent that was used in the early days of plastic manufacturing. To remove it simply hold a hair dryer, set on hot, to the car and you'll see the mold release agent disappear before your eyes. You can buff gently with a soft cloth. See the before and after photos below.
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American Flyer Related Product Manufacturers / Retailers
American Flyer from Lionel 2-8-8-2 .... coming in 2012.
6-48180 Norfolk and Western
6-48179 Pennsylvania
6-48178 Santa Fe
6-48181 Union Pacific
6-48182 Virginian
S-n-S Trains - can motor conversions for AF trains. Single and dual
motor units for diesels now available.
Port Lines Hobby Supplies
- Doug Peck--Specialists in American Flyer®
trains, replacement parts.
AF® Parts Catalog is available......56 pages long, and containing almost 2000 different items for AF repair and restoration! PORT LINES 80-page American Flyer® Parts Catalog is $6.00 postpaid. Listings of all other available S products can be found on their website.
American Flyer® "S", "O", "HO" parts and reproductions. RFG manufactures FLYERVILLE Building reproductions, Control Buttons and more than 1500 parts. Plus Tools, Electronics, Hardware & Supplies for all trains. Fully illustrated catalog $3.00. VISA/MASTERCARD accepted. Or you can use the Catalog Order Form at The RFGiardina, Co.
See their photo gallery and history pages.
Catalog price $6.00 as of 2/4/09..
S&H 10% minimum $7.00 / Phone orders M to F 9:00AM to 11:00AM and 5:00PM to 7:00PM
From Lionel: 773 Oil Derricks, 774
Floodlight Towers, Moe & Joe Lumber Unloading cars, Brownhoist cranes, Xmas
cars, both Disney cars, Mystic Talking Stations, Chessie reelcars, Baggage Smashers,
Baldwin switchers and 787 Log Loaders.
| Chet Janutolo's AF Layout from Newtown, CT. - click on the thumbnails to see the larger images. | |
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| Chet writes: "Hi, found your excellent site while AF surfing and thought I'd send some pics of my setup. It's a 6x8 portable layout (5 sections that un-bolt to fit in Dakota pickup). I set it up only once yearly at layout exhibit fundraiser for local historical society (no room at home until last child flies the nest!). It's 98% 3-digit, much of it from my youth, the rest is tag-sale attic clutter treated to some TLC and Armor-All. The motive power has been mechanically refurbushed using parts from Doug Peck (excellent quality, he's great), but everything is essentially in unrestored original operating condition; no museum pieces but nice nonetheless. Layout powered by 19B using 14ga house wire, not a computer chip anywhere! Take a close look at Casey Jones in 2nd picture ( by beacon tower), it's modified with shortened smokebox and windows opened-up to run cooler, has front coupler for switching use, smoke unit is superb when it's working hard at slow speeds. Hope you like it all and can include in the layout pic section. Thanks and best regards, Chet Janutolo, Newtown CT" ... August 11, 2006. | |
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PLASTICVILLE
S-'n-S Trains - America Flyer Baldwin can motor kits.The AC version that
includes the Dallee electronic reverse unit = $79.95 before July 31st,
2003; regularly priced at $89.95. The DC version will remain at $49.95.
Email: boss31@aol.com
TrainRepairParts.com
( A Division Of Hobby Surplus Sales )
American Flyer Trains.com!-- Mark Preman.sold this business in July.
2007.
J & B Toy Trains - American Flyer - Jack and Barbara buy,
sell and trade AF toy trains and accessories on ebay using the seller name "pajack".
Model Train Rubber
Roadbed from Johnson's Roadbed--MOLDED RUBBER ROADBED for
ORIGINAL FLYER AND K-LINE TRACK
"S" Gauge Features: Designed using the original Flyer Roadbed as a Template. Improvements were made to the support system to eliminate sagging between the track ties. Track ties completely recess into the rubber roadbed, hiding the tinplate ties and providing insulation to dampen unwanted vibration. Molded track ties and ballast enhance the appearance.
Construction: Each track size has a corresponding rubber mold to produce perfect fitting roadbed. All roadbed is molded Black with color stabilizers and deodorizers.
Send $2.00 for Sample (specify gauge)
GarGraves Trackage Corporation
makes track that is compatible with AF® trains. Many AF enthusiasts
have switched to GarGraves track because they find it to be more reliable and
easy to find.
Trains &
More -- American Flyer trains and
accessories for sale by NASG member Todd Metcalf.
AF® Conversion Kits From Ace
The ACE system has been developed to permit rolling stock conversions from tinplate
to either Scale or Hi-rail operation. The system consists of carefully designed
kits which permit the easy conversion of particular freight car bodies or groups.
Does anyone know where these can be found?
Steam Depot - Out of Business.
Molded Rubber Roadbed has ceased production; has no S roadbed left;
and the business is for sale.Joe's
Train Repair
Specializing in S Gauge American Flyer For a list send a large,
S.A.S.E with $.60 postage.
E-mail: joestrainrepair@yahoo.com
Lionel Trains, Inc.®--Now
the manufacturers of the American Flyer® Lines. To send e-mail to Lionel
write to Click here.
Bill Parr's Hobby Supplies--reproduction and original parts;
complete list of available items for $1.50.
American Hi-Rail--Makers of American Flyer® conversion kits. Contact
Tom Hodgson c/o Instrument Design, Inc., 37695 Jeanette Court, Spring Grove,
IL 60081; Tel. (847) 587-1116 THIS IS THE CORRECT PHONE NUMBER!
Hobby Surplus Sales carries over 2,100 AF parts. They also
have exploded drawings for the entire AF® production available
for $19.95. Part #AF1. Their AF parts listing is free. Their 24 hour
toll free phone number is 1-800-233-0872.
AFSTrains.com - by John
& Robin Vanacore.
Ballston Locomotive Works
SASE for catalog/flyer sheets.
They make reasonably priced S gauge locos (camelback, Blue Comet, Hiawatha) using various AF® chassises. You can get them totally build and finished, finished or unfinished body kits.
The Camelback is also available as a conversion kit from:
There are Jersey Central, Reading, DL&W, and Lehigh Valley versions offered.ch
Allied Model
Trains, Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City, CA 90230;
1-310-313-9353
Allied Model Trains (Allen Drucker) carries Excellent or better
examples of Gilbert AF and the AF by Lionel line as well.
Dan Olson, Seattle, WA sells old AF catalogs and paper. E-mail
olsonhobbies@comcast.net or
phone: 206-365-1240.
Collectibles Today New site for online shopping for the
collector, including items from ERTL.
Automobilia--many 1:64 vehicles
1:64 Pepsi Truck from Automobilia.
Eastwood Automobiles-- die-cast collectables of your
favorite models in scales ranging from 1:64 to 1:18.
Click on the Automobilia graphic above.
All Aboard. Through Trains to New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and all points west...'Board!"
LINKS FLYER AND HIRAIL LAYOUTS
IF you would like your AF website listed here just e-mail me at crocon@mindspring.com
Chris
Burger's "Collecting And Running S Gauge Trains"
David Dewey's
American Flyer® Trains
Bill Johnson's American
Flyer, S Gauge and S Scale Trains
Photo by Scott Sosna, Minneapolis, MN
South
Jersey S Gaugers Members Pages
Carl Tuveson's S Gauge Empire American
Flyer HiRail Layout
Horizontal
Rules for AF webmasters courtesy of Charles Wilber.
Dennis Conway's NH Pacific coming out of a wooden portal next to the river,
by a waterfall. There's an ice house to right of the falls. And a wooden bridge
built over the river.
FLYER
AT 50
From November, 1996 through January, 1997 the Eli Whitney Museum in Hamden, CT sponsored a "Flyer At 50" exhibit of original American Flyer® Trains by the A.C. Gilbert Co. Located just one mile from the site of where American Flyer® S gauge trains had been manufactured since 1946, the exhibit featured a 3/16" model replica of the original factory much of which still exists today.
This model of the Erector Square Factory was created by a New Haven architectural firm for the Eli Whitney Museum.
The Flyer At 50 exhibit ran from November, 1996 through the end of January, 1997 and included the sale of customized AF reefers, gondolas and cabooses to raise funds for the project.
This AF® reefer was custom made and named after my daughter and the factory of the same name on my layout.
The exhibit used Gargraves track and included a variety of American Flyer® motive power, rolling stock and operating accessories.
Homepage / News / Track Products / Other Resources / Traction / Craig's page / NASG / S narrow gauge / "S" History/Glossary / "S" Tips / CT "S" Gaugers / S Rolling Stock
NASG Bernie Thomas Award, 2003 NASG Perles Publications Award, 1997
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