A Great Gift

Sure can't beat the price.  The cars look to be in pretty good shape.

Rusty

Hi Peter,

       I think you have a wonderful start in S Gauge there. Learn form the bottom up. I like to do the same way and I have received great self gratification form the ones I have returned to the running condition especially for this price. Have fun and take your time.

Happy Railroading is "S"

Don

Nothing wrong with that Peter.

They all have link couplers.......does that mean before 1952?

Peter

That's a safe assumption.

Great find/gift!!!

That looks like a ton of fun to dig into and restore/fix/enjoy!  I can see a Christmas Tree train in that!

That was a nice gift to be sure.

One of the pics shows an American Flyer 715 red/yellow Unloading car with the Blue/Silver Manoil coupe. That is a very nice car and is a collector item among many Gilbert enthusiasts. 

The other cars also appear to be in very good condition. Hopefully the engines will just need a little TLC to run again.

Hook up a loop of old Gilbert track and run the trains one more time for your friend.

I'm sure she will appreciate you're restoring her Dad's trains.

Good luck!

Mark

Do Flyer sets follow the catalog sets.....or, did they make special uncataloged sets for special retailers. Based on when the cars/engines were made, I want to try to organize them into 2 possible sets........realizing that some of the items were added separately.

Peter

Wow what a nice gift. Now we can run AF together too. Need to get Adrian to put you in touch

with Tom L. with Va Train Collectors. He used to do all the S repairs for Chesterfield Hobbies.

Gilly

Tell us the numbers on the cars and we'll be able to give you an idea of possible sets.

If the hopper is a 640 and the caboose a 638 they would go with the yellow box car and the 290 locomotive to make set 4904T.

The 312AC paired with a couple of 650s and a 718 could make set 5114. If you have a 651 in place of the 718 you could have set 4609A.

These are just guesses. Tell us what car numbers you have. Or, just have fun!

Thank you.....I'll do that later today....

Peter

Hi Peter,

     American Flyer had both special sets and catalog sets. In the years between 1949-1951 American Flyer had only a few uncataloged sets and none of them contained the engines you have here. I feel that you have two 1951 sets with extra cars. The 312 AC is #5114B 312AC Engine & tender with boiler smoke and Cho0-Choo, 718Green Mail / Baggage car and two 650Green coaches. The 290 is set #4904T 290 Engine and Tender with boiler smoke, 639 Box car, 640 Hopper car and 638 Caboose. Now the extra cars are the 629 Cattle Car came with the Cattle Yard accessory, the three other cars swere separate sale included the 715 manoil coupe operating flat car and the #625 or 625G Gulf Tank Car. The Operating Stock Yard seams to be all there but I can't see all the Cows. There should be four Black Cows and four Brown Cows. You also have a marx Water tank with one foot pad broken off but it is in the Cattle Yard Black Cow Penn. I also see an Automatic uncoupler. I hope you can reassemble the 312 AC engine without to much trouble but it does look it is completely disassembeled and not with care. If you need help just ask and I will do what I can to direct you in the riight direction.

Goog Luck and Happy Easter

Don

Sorry it's taking me so long to get back to the car #'s......I'm on day 9 of 9days in a row at work.....I finish this afternoon.

Hope to get to it by tomorrow, the latest......

Then, York Fever takes over!!!!!

Peter

Take your time with the numbers, just enjoy the trains. The 312 engine you have is a great steamer, die-cast engine and die-cast tender. It will also be an excellent runner with the TLC. I picked one up in that condition myself and it is a very nice engine. Have fun.

Ray

Peter....you received some really nice trains there my friend!!  Enjoy!!

Alan

   I can remember those times when I worked for GM and I didn't like at all but the money was great. 58 to 60 hours a week for almost 20 years. Finally retirement has kicked in and maybe now I will be able to catch up on my S Gauge trains and a layout.

   Take you time and look it over everything well and determine what you will require to reassemble everything and have it running again like new.

   If you require help I will give you all I can.

Don

Pete,

   That's looks like good stuff you have and in nice shape, that engine the 312 with 

a little work should run great.

Tin/Bob  

Have fun

You guys are spot on!

Thank you everyone!

Hopper is 640.

Caboose is 638

Boxcar is 639.

Therefore with the 290 is Set 4904.

The Passenger cars are both 650 and the Mai-Baggage is 718.

Therefore with the 312AC is Set 5114.

I have the Doyle AF book and access to online American Flyer catalog pics.

Is the Doyle book accurate.

I need an American Flyer repair manual. I will look for one at York. Suggestions?

Thanks again in advance.

Peter

Congratulations on your good fortune. I suggest that you find a copy of Thomas B. Barker's guide to repairing Gilbert American Flyer Trains. His is an excellent source of what you need to get your Gilbert trains running. The current edition is updated and it will be a big help to you. Enjoy your trains; they're the start of a great hobby!

"SEEDS OF S GAUGE PLANTED THEY ARE...A NEW CONVERT HAS ENTERED THE FORCE."

Mark

Yep Tom Barker's book. Here it is on Amazon. I suspect it will be available at York. Also check out Port Lines Hobby website, here. He has on line repair clinics and has repair parts.

If you can repair Lionel trains you can repair American Flyer, the only thing is 

the reverse unit is a bit tricky but when you get it working there great.

Tin 

Thank you, everyone......it was fun going to York and paying attention to Flyer, too!

Peter