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American flyer?????

9K views 48 replies 9 participants last post by  Reckers 
#1 ·
Hi guys, I haven't been on here for awhile, but I just got something from a friend that I thought you might find interesting. It's a very old, very heavy AF Reading lines 4-4-2 steam engine with a metal tender. In the box is also a plastic chrome american flyer passenger car set, #'s 660, 661, 662. one says Pullman, the other two say Baggage with one of them having a vista dome on it. Also, there is two gondolas # 631, a chemical Gulf car # 625G, and a red caboose #630. These things are all in very good condition! There is also a ton of electronic stuff, one is an American Flyer air chime steam whistle (has a big ol' can on it), the other looks like the power pack, says Miles Per Hour on top and has a push button and two lights. The lever looks to be missing tho. Also, a dual lever gizmo of sorts with two green bulbs up top and two red below. A board of sort that has a row of 8 red push button contacts on top and a row of green push button contacts on bottom. Also, something badged a "manual uncoupler". It has a real nice 90 crossing section of track plus a whole bunch of two rail track, some heavily rusted. I will try and get pics up soon. Any info greatly appreciated!


Mike.
 
#8 ·
Dozer, handle those chrome cars with care---they are valuable! Wrap them in something soft to avoid scratching the chrome, then look on ebay at the prices before you decide what to do with them. If they have knuckle couplers, they've been altered: let me give you some info prior to sale, if you decide to go that route.

The 300AC is a lil beauty: I have one. It originally came with a link coupler instead of a knuckle, as did all of the #600 series cars. The double-lever thing is the switch for turnouts. The manual uncoupler is a piece that clips onto a track: hold the little lever down as cars pass over and it raises up between the tracks to disconnect the couplers. Terrific find, and congratulations! Welcome to S scale land, the pinnacle of model railroading!!!!
:appl::appl::appl:
 
#10 · (Edited)
If they have knuckle couplers, they've been altered: The 300AC is a lil beauty: I have one. It originally came with a link coupler instead of a knuckle, as did all of the #600 series cars. :appl::appl::appl:
Actually, according to the American Flyer web site, this engine did come with knuckle couplers, but only the metal tender version in 1950 like I have. Thought that was pretty cool.
 
#47 ·
Just bored and looking through some older posts. Could that loco be a 4-piece 302? The reason I say this is I don't see the reverse lock-out lever in front of the sand-dome. I think all the 300's have the reverse in the boiler, and the 4-piece cast boiler 302 have the reverse in the tender.
 
#12 ·
Dozer, not to make an issue over something that doesn't matter, but I'd like to chase that a little further. First, I'm not right---I'm simply looking at some sites that say something, and they can be wrong, just like I can.

That said, here's where I'm looking: http://www.trainweb.org/s-trains/FAQ/locospecs.html

Now, what also leads me to suggest yours was modified is this: your cars should also have the link couplers. AF used a system with 600-series for link coupler cars, and 900 for knuckles. It's been a common practice to convert them over. The way you can tell for sure is if there is what looks like a split rivet connecting the knuckle coupler to the truck's stem. If you plan to sell any of them, particularly the chromes, you might want to convert them back. This assumes I know what I'm talking about, and that's not always the case. It's a great acquisition, though---congratulations!
 
#19 ·
Please be careful on the chrome jobs---okay, I know I sound like a broken record, but should you decide to part with them, they're very sellable and will bring a good price. To me, the locomotive is the most endearing piece of the set, but there were lots of them made. The chromes, in contrast, are fairly scarce.
 
#20 ·
Oh, and a suggestion? If you can find the time to oil and lube the engine, I think it'd be worth it even for a shelf queen. Your grandchildren might appreciate inheriting something that wasn't frozen with rust, y'know?

Regards,
 
#28 ·
Looks like an S revolution!:D

Man Len, that must have been some kind of ad that you made up.
S modelers coming out of the woodwork. O scale people buying S, HO modelers buying S, N,Z,and even T scale people are buying S.


But I want to let all you new guys know that Reckers is the
King of S here.:eek:

Remember when there was only one S man here?:D

Maybe I will get some S too!:laugh:
 
#33 ·
Flyernut,

Very nice bio! Welcome to the forum. I'm a Lionel O guy, though I share that same sense of interest / joy in fixing up old clunkers and turning something from a trash pile into something that has a renewed lease on life. While I tease Reckers and the forum S gang endlessly about the superiority of O over S, I've very much enjoyed looking over the shoulders of our S guys as they've worked on their various projects. There's a lot of commonality between Lionel and AF, and as you said, these things were made to last if treated with a little t.l.c.

Thanks for your military service, by the way!

Cheers,

TJ
 
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