American Flyer Merchant

Those replacement wheels are either homemade or they were made by a local hobby store/machinist and are likely one-offs.  You should be able to get the proper replacement wheels from Hennings. 

Your engine also needs replacement headlight holders, as there should be a cast headlight holder on each end of the roof.  Hennings likely also has this piece.

I would replace the springs and brushes also, as the original brushes are not carbon and will cause wear to the armature and the original springs likely have little spring left.

The set was first cataloged in 1928 and was sold in 1929 also.  The set was sold in 2 configurations, the 1347, which you have, contains a 3115 engine, which has the track trip reverse unit.  My set below is set 1387, which features a 3185 engine, which has automatic reverse.

NWL

You might want to consider just leaving the wheels alone.  I agree with NWL - those are definitely custom and they appear to be very well made.  I would just let them be.

@Robert S. Butler posted:

You might want to consider just leaving the wheels alone.  I agree with NWL - those are definitely custom and they appear to be very well made.  I would just let them be.

I was going to leave them be as long as they work properly. I'll just clean them up and make sure they're lubed. Hennings is out of the AF O electric wheel sets right now, they said they're making more and should be back in stock by the end of the month.I already need a set for my 3013 Bluebird engine. Thanks for the info Nation Wides Lines!

    Regards,

         Jon

Those replacement wheels are very well crafted and pretty cool!

@Tinplate Art posted:

Those replacement wheels are very well crafted and pretty cool!

Thanks, here are some pics with the shell removed.

    Jon

the two without the screws look like Hoge 900 streamliner wheels....

I agree those look like well crafted wheels. The lump of solder on the non screw wheel may be of some concern though. My guess the two screws are for removing the wheel, take both screws out and install a two longer screws and tighten and they push wheel off axle. They also may be to facilitate in attaching a wheel puller of some kind to remove wheel. Very nice.

Frank

@franktrain posted:

I agree those look like well crafted wheels. The lump of solder on the non screw wheel may be of some concern though. My guess the two screws are for removing the wheel, take both screws out and install a two longer screws and tighten and they push wheel off axle. They also may be to facilitate in attaching a wheel puller of some kind to remove wheel. Very nice.

Frank

Your guess of the two screws are for removing the wheels appears to be wrong.  As the original wheels have odd shaped hubs to hold the gears on to the wheels, these two screws obviously are to hold the gears on the wheels, as they only appear on the geared side of the engine. 

Thanks! I have always been impressed by machinist work and ideas.

@Nation Wide Lines posted:

Those replacement wheels are either homemade or they were made by a local hobby store/machinist and are likely one-offs.  You should be able to get the proper replacement wheels from Hennings.

Your engine also needs replacement headlight holders, as there should be a cast headlight holder on each end of the roof.  Hennings likely also has this piece.

I would replace the springs and brushes also, as the original brushes are not carbon and will cause wear to the armature and the original springs likely have little spring left.

The set was first cataloged in 1928 and was sold in 1929 also.  The set was sold in 2 configurations, the 1347, which you have, contains a 3115 engine, which has the track trip reverse unit.  My set below is set 1387, which features a 3185 engine, which has automatic reverse.

NWL

Neither version of the Merchant set came with the tank car, right? I have seen sets advertised online with that car added.

      Jon

@Jon Edwards posted:

Neither version of the Merchant set came with the tank car, right? I have seen sets advertised online with that car added.

      Jon

The catalog depictions/descriptions of the Merchant set did not include a tank car.  I know one of the auction houses currently has a Merchant set with an apparent added tank car, but note the tank car in that listing has gray trucks, which signifies later production than the rest of the set.

NWL

@Jon Edwards posted:

Neither version of the Merchant set came with the tank car, right? I have seen sets advertised online with that car added.

      Jon

Nope

Northwoods Flyer

Thanks guys, I saw the set with the tank car add on that is up for auction and last month I got a nicer set box for mine that came with a couple of cars including a tank car and it got me wondering about that. It only came in the blue-green color scheme too, right? I know the older version of the 3115 had a medium blue sides with darker blue top but I'm not sure what sets used that version.

    Thanks,

         Jon

@Jon Edwards posted:

Thanks guys, I saw the set with the tank car add on that is up for auction and last month I got a nicer set box for mine that came with a couple of cars including a tank car and it got me wondering about that. It only came in the blue-green color scheme too, right? I know the older version of the 3115 had a medium blue sides with darker blue top but I'm not sure what sets used that version.

    Thanks,

         Jon

What came in the blue green color scheme?  The 3115/3185?  The tank cars came in multiple color schemes.

There is actually a rare version of the 3115 that came as a 2-tone green, but I believe it only came with Illini cars c. 1932.

NWL

Sorry I was talking about the 3115 engine. The note from the Greenberg guide says it went to a blue green which I thought was the version that I've seen. Below are two of the 3115's I have, I'm pretty sure the one on the right is a repaint with missing rails\bell\pantograph, and the wrong lights.

     Jon

@Jon Edwards posted:

Sorry I was talking about the 3115 engine. The note from the Greenberg guide says it went to a blue green which I thought was the version that I've seen. Below are two of the 3115's I have, I'm pretty sure the one on the right is a repaint with missing rails\bell\pantograph, and the wrong lights.

     Jon

The blue one on the right is repainted.  Flyer never painted a 3115 that color blue.  The 3115 and 3185 were primarily sold with the Golden State cars, which were painted to match the engine.

The later 3115 engines were more of a greenish blue, but they were still more similar in color to the original engine in your collection.  I believe the color change went along with the president's special sets in standard gauge, which also became more greenish blue.  I have one of these late engines in my collection, but will have to take a picture.

NWL

@Nation Wide Lines posted:

The blue one on the right is repainted.  Flyer never painted a 3115 that color blue.  The 3115 and 3185 were primarily sold with the Golden State cars, which were painted to match the engine.

The later 3115 engines were more of a greenish blue, but they were still more similar in color to the original engine in your collection.  I believe the color change went along with the president's special sets in standard gauge, which also became more greenish blue.  I have one of these late engines in my collection, but will have to take a picture.

NWL

That's what I thought, I got it mainly for the frame and motor which look to be all original. Thanks for the info!

      Jon