Photos:

Very cool! Nice shape too. 

Michael, Never say never with Flyer, but I have never seen radiators that were any color other than black. It is not entirely evident, but the front piece may be repainted???

If you look closely at the front, there is some remains of "white stuff" in the grill. Could this be the remains of paint that did not hold up well?

i think i have to agree with Rob...

a bigger concern might be what was being covered up.

the indicated area looks like it may be concealing some rust damage.

November, 2012...MAURER'S

Set 1322RT...9962,(3)9954,9955...$550 plus 10%

AMERICAN FLYER O GAUGE!!!

Catalogued 1935 only...Not referred to as "GREEN DIAMOND" in Catalog...46" long!!!

that auction picture might explain why some see it as black and others, silver.  looks as though the black insert part was once highlighted in silver paint.  with the black grooves left, it might appear to be an open grill which it would be on a prototype.  obviously this highlight paint literally only on the highest casting points would be very susceptible to wear until the whole piece would appear black.

This a pretty interesting set. I did a bunch of research on it when my father in-law gave me his from his childhood. It sat in a San Diego garage unused since probably the 50's.

My original intent was to get it completely restored but the purists enlightened me and decided only to replace the completely missing or broken parts/lights. Besides this is litho and it would cost a fortune to do right. The exhaust accent and front nose section are diecast which much like some MTH couplers had a tendency to crumble. My nose did not and has the proper coloring. The exhaust did bubble but those are easy to find replacements. The wheels may expand or crumble too. I was lucky and for the tune up/rewiring came off and went back on nicely. Mine now runs.

This is an uncommon. Flyer 3 rail o gauge only produced one year in mid 1930's and a model of the real deal that ran starting in 1936-7. Check out wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Diamond.

I am keeping mine but if you do sell, these usually go for 350-750 and get snapped up at York. If you are looking for someone ot work on it, Joseph Mania worked on mine and I highly recommend him.

as much as i prefer the tinplate versions of the Zephyr and Hiawatha,  if i had to choose one premiere (cast) Flyer streamliner, it would be the Green Diamond.  very tough to find in C7 and higher conditions, unfortunately.

I am not touching it. I just took a closer look at it, and those marks which are pointed out have shine where the paint is rubbed away. Rust shouldn't have shine. I also flipped it over. The paint matches throughout, their is a lot of missing paint at the bottom cow catcher lip, and it still has cloth wiring. This, the fact that the silhouettes are warped, and the scars which the set does have (not too many, but there are a few), make me truly believe this set is original. I just do not know what happened to the grill...

I'm agreeing with you Michael.  I don't know what happened with your grill either, but it beggars belief that just the front nose casting was repainted, the paint match is too perfect.

Is it possible that the yellow side panels were removed or masked, and the entire train repainted?

We don't know the factory process or sequence with these units, which makes it hard to reconstruct what might have happened.

Michael, is the grill made of separate pieces that are installed in the nose piece, or are they just part of the nose casting?

If separate pieces, the factory sequence was probably to paint the train, then install the grill pieces.  An error could have been made by someone installing the grill pieces before it was sent to paint.

If the grill is cast as part of the nose, then the entire nose would have been painted, and then the grill overpainted after by hand, and this step could have been skipped by error. 

This may be crazy, but is there any chance that the grill was carefully masked before repainting, and that the masking was never removed, and is still there under the green paint waiting to be peeled off??

When I was considering restoring mine, I was told that litho was typically and probable with this set was that it was painted while the metal was flat. It would go thru 3 or 4 painting, one for each color and then it was bent into shape. The front diecast nose was likely have been painted separately.

I don't think that it was repainted in any form, as the paint is a match for the inside too. That would be too much work to do, and then just skip the other things I see. Also, it does have "play wear"

So maybe this set missed getting the nose painted?

All kinds of scenarios are theoretically possible and it will be impossible to prove or disprove any of them.  Without such proof, logic dictates that the simplest answer is most likely to be closest to the truth ("Occam's Razor").   Factory error of some kind would be a safe bet.  The process was not perfect and all kinds of things happened: some were caught by "quality control" but a lot were not.  Enjoy!

I suggest that the "rot" to the left of the arrow would have broken thru the original paint sometime in the last 78 years, and the nose has "easily-masked" division lines where it COULD have been repainted.  I would look for any sign of disassembly(bent tabs, missing screws, etc).  We are not picking your train apart...you asked a question in your initial post, and we are  giving our opinion.  You are in possession of the train, so we are shooting a bit in the dark.  The nose on the auction train may appear lighter due to brighter lighting in the showcase.  At any rate, congrats on the find!!!  Respectfully. Ron B.

I read this post with interest because I have the AF City of Denver streamliner with the same issue. The front grill should be painted brown, but is yellow like the surrounding cab area. Several of us in a local train club have examined the train carefully and find no evidence of a repaint. So, my conclusion is that it is a factory error. The picture here is not good enough to make a judgement on line.

I have dated my train to 1938. I think yours is a couple of years earlier. 

Thought you would want to know - you are not alone with train mysteries! I do like the Green Diamond and hope one day to have one.

All the best

David Argent

Not sure on the Grill Issue, But looks like a nice find.. Enjoy it..

Very nice find.

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

David A - I'm glad that I'm not the only one who is finding items like this.

I think that I should add that since this thread, I found another peculiarity with this set. It only couples from the roof. Normally, they have a hole in the car to insert a drawbar between the cars. Well, mine has no drawbar, no nub for the drawbar to go into, and not even a hole! It's a mystery.

 Hi Mike

 Here is the actual information on your train from the 1935 American Flyer catalog

1322RT Illinois Central  ( 5 units ) 46” long 

This model represents the very latest development in high- speed streamline trains.

Built in collaboration with the Illinois Central RR, it is a realistic model of the actual train, which is scheduled to operate between Chicago and St. Louis. Check its many features as follows. It is illuminated with fire lights. Glistening green enamel with tan center strip accentuates its streamline beauty. The 11 ½ “ locomotive has a reversible motor which allows it to travel in either direction. The three Coaches are each 9” long. Observation is 10” long. Double truck articulated cars have simplified roof couplings and windows have two-toned transparencies. New silent track bed eight curve and six straight standard size track included. Track forms an oval 27”x 55” a total length of nearly 12 feet.    

1322RT Train and transformer complete     $10.00   

Included at no extra charge a 50 watt transformer ( if purchased separately transformer is $ 3.25 )

The Finest Streamline Train $10.00 will buy nearly four feet long with five lights finished in enamel.  

Enjoy

your friend

Frank

No mystery... its the simplified roof couplings as mentioned in the catalog

Now stop finding fault with it, after all what do you expect for $10.00 

Very nice set Mike, you found a real nice one. How does it run?

Enjoy 

Frank  

P.S. The catalog description says Illuminated with "fire lights" I believe this is a typo and should have said five lights. The catalog has it italicized so I wonder how many boys wondered what the heck is a fire light and how does it work on my train.  Interestingly enough it does say five lights in another place on the catalog page. 

beautiful set. try this on the white stuff on your grill...take an old tooth brush, and see if the white stuff comes off. this is an old trick to get old wax off around trim on a car.

Thanks for the information from the catalog Frank. I don't know what "Fire Light" is either.

And I might have to try a toothbrush, very gently of course.

How about some photos?

There should be holes for a lower coupler here...

And nubs on the lower frame, like on the roof...

just make sure it's a used toothbrush, won't harm the paint.

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the video. That is a very nice running set. Looks great in action.

That is one fabulous Christmas tree, very beautiful.

Enjoy

Frank