American Flyer 565

Jack

Yes the pick up is in the tender and a tether to the loco.

Steve

Thanks, Steve.  Any experience servicing one of these?

Depends on what you want to do. It's been a while since I took one apart. Normal service would be oil axle bearing points between the driver and frame. The frame should have a removable plate on the bottom if I recall to allow greasing the worm and axle gear. Also you can put a drop of oil on the rear motor shaft through the cab.  Does it have the wire coming out of the back of the cab that goes to the tender?

Flyer 3/16 and S gauges share similar e-units and are usually most of the problem, also dirty brushes and commutator face can be issues. If you decide to pull the motor, you need to take off the side rod, then remove the pilot truck and steam chest to get to the front motor mount screws. Remove the two motor mount screws and then slide the motor either forward or backward to get the rear disengaged from the tabs on the inside of the shell.

Steve

On to the adventure!  As received, the motor was DOA.  Removed motor from the frame following Steve's excellent suggestions (Thanks Steve) and after a bit of checking with the multi meter and head scratching, disassembled it for cleaning and a look see.  A Marx it ain't!  Managed to it back together and located a couple of broken wires. Fixed those, and now have juice and a headlight!   Smoke test and she runs,....sorta.  It has a wicked sticky E-unit!  Not sure of the function of the lever on the e-unit as it's use, at this point, produces erratic results. 

Question:  Can the e-unit be cleaned using electronic spray cleaner, or what is  the drill for servicing the e-unit?  Will the e-unit out of an S gauge AF work in the pre war?

Thanks,  YJ

Steve,

It does have the wire coming out of the back of the cab, which connects up to the tender.  I had to resolver that wire to one of the tender pickups.  I did not take the tender apart, but it is surprisingly heavy.  What all is inside the tender on the prewar AF?  I hate to break it down if not necessary, as the tab don't look very robust.....

Jack

Nothing in the tender except the pick up wires and a lead weight hald on by the screw underneath.

Yes, give some plastic safe tuner or contact cleaner a good try. The lever locks it it in whatever position it was running in last.

Steve

Thanks, Steve.  I appreciate your help.  I'll give the contact cleaner a try.  I really think this old girl can dance again.  Seems to be a well made little locomotive.

YJ

The bulb should be 12-14v most likely. Clean the old grease out of the gear box the best you can, then grease the gears lightly. No need to fill the box area.

Steve

Thanks, Steve.  

12-14v is what I figured, but it will not light the 13v it tried.  Could be the bulb I guess, although it checks out as ok.... Odd.

I see folks like "Red and Tacky."  Great, that's what I use on my tractor!  LOL!

Red & Tacky is what I use also.

Steve

YJ,

    Try using a LED light and see what happens, you might be very surprised in the results.  Steve is really very knowledgable about Tin Plate so I just kind of read along as you gentlemen discussed the problems.  Now that you have the engine running, let her on the tracks and run her till she starts to get warm, Steve was absolutley correct, no need to fill the gear box, a little Red & Tacky goes a long way, I use it on all my Tin Plate. 

Sounds like you are going down the right track

Have fun

PCRR/Dave

Thanks, Dave.  I have been curious about the LED bulbs.  I will see if I can locate some and give them a try. 

Going camping for a few days, but when I return, the motor is ready to go back in the loco body and we are off!  I really like the Flyer, and the 3/16 scale.  When I have it back in one piece, I will put up some pics.

YJ

YJ,

   Roger that and I definitely want to see this baby run!  YJ I also appreciate your saying at the end of every one of your posts, retired CID Special Agent that I happen to be, God bless you for understanding the price of freedom, many civilians especially today don't.

PCRR/Dave

And Thank You, Dave for your service to this country as well.

Sorry for taking so long to get back to updating this thread.  Had to go fishing!

In any case here are the pics I promised.  This little locomotive is in nice condition, considering it is older than many of us!

Pre-War American Flyer #565 Atlantic.

Making the rounds on the test track.

Handsome engine to be sure! Excellent clean up job.

Just so folks know, I believe that this sample of the 565 Gilbert Atlantic is postwar rather than prewar. Gilbert still made and marketed a bit of 3/16" O gauge in 1945-46. The tell tale signs are: a postwar Atlantic boiler casting with the smoke stack having a smooth edge at its top rather than a lip; the stamped silver tender lettering ("Reading"?... it's out of focus) rather than a white "American Flyer" decal; and (if what I am suggesting is correct) the wire to the tender front should lead to a Fahnestock clip connector rather than a plug.

Have one, too. Neat piece. Enjoy.

Bob

I always wondered what that connector was called!  Good on ya, Bob.  You know your American Flyer!  Thanks!

Gah! As a child I hated Fahnstock clips, and my Flyer train set had a bunch of them. If ever a devilish device was created in order to avoid an existing patent, it was the Fahnstock clip.