American Flyer O Scale

I've been collecting Gilbert AF O from the late 30s/early 40s for a few years now. I also have a small amount of Chicago AF O gauge.  I agree it is nice stuff.

Of the three wheel arrangements you mentioned, I would consider the Pacific very common, the Hudson a bit harder to find, and the Northern the most rare. The 0-8-0 switcher (#574) is even harder to find in good condition as most of them suffered zinc pest. I've been told by some of the more experienced AF Prewar collectors that there are no original examples that run.

I also really enjoy the rolling stock Gilbert made to be pulled by these locos. The tin cars, operating cars, and diecast cars come in a variety of interesting colors and variations.

I am fortunate to have acquired a fairly extensive collection of these trains -- I enjoy running and displaying them. Let me know if you would like to chat more about these trains, as they are my favorite prewar trains for collecting/operating.

Just a quick glimpse of a Flyer  passenger set here, but you can see how perfectly the blend in with Marx 3/16 scale cars. Neat stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9kyM6PRzMA

Steve

Guys, first I want to mention there is a difference in meaning between the words "scale" and "Gauge".    Scale implies a model whose dimensions are reasonably accurately based on prototype and all dimensions are miniturized the same proportion.    In that sense, the defined proportion for "O Scale" is 1/4 inch to the foot.    As far as I know, no AF was ever built to 1/4 inch scale proportions.

Gauge refers to the track gauge and again a generally accepted definition exists for "O Gauge" of 1 1/4 inches between the rails.    AF did build stuff to run on O Gauge track.   It is not scale equipment.    Lionel builds all kinds of stuff to run on O gauge, very little of it is scale.   

So I think you are really looking for AF O gauge equipment.

Rob S pretty much sums it up. These days I rarely see the later Gilbert O items and when they do show up they are usually in rough shape. I find the Atlantic most often followed by the K5 then the Northern. Zinc pest has destroyed many of these models. All of them were made in S gauge after the war using the same boilers with S chassis installed. The tin cars were not carried over, Gilbert tried to go with plastic at first and that didn't work out, so die cast ruled for a time until they ironed out the bugs with plastics.

Gandy

I think the original poster was just commenting on how he discovered AF had O gauge trains and how nice they are. I think most of us know the difference between scale and gauge. In the tinplate world we're not so "formal" on what we call it!  They are "Toys" plain and simple!  

It's pretty easy to divide pre-war American Flyer "0" gauge into two distinct categories.  From the beginning until about 1937 or 38, AF was built in Chicago and, today, is commonly referred to as "Chicago Flyer".  These trains were generally well made toys and originally from about 1915 were in "0" gauge and probably the majority were mechanical or clockwork trains.  American Flyer also introduced what they called "Wide Gauge" which was the same size as Lionel's trademarked "Standard Gauge".  Both sizes exhibited similar construction techniques like the use of rivets to hold major parts together or broad use of lithography for small details.

As the use of electricity became more universal, the switch to electric trains became more prevalent, although clockwork or wind-up trains continued in their catalog right through the end of the Chicago Flyer era.  As the 1930's continued, just as Lionel was changing, Flyer also developed more realistic, larger and better trains.

In about 1937, the founder, a Mr. Coleman, learned that he had cancer and sought a buyer for his company.  He found one in A. F. Gilbert who bought the company in 1938 and transferred production to his factory in New Haven, CT.  The earliest Gilbert produced Flyer trains used up the old production of the Chicago company to get rid of inventory, but then he announced a new break through, 3/16" "0" gauge.  For a few years, both types of trains were offered making some different looking sets with 1 /4" locomotives and 3/16" cars or even vice-versa.  Apparently Gilbert was already planning to introduce "S" gauge, which, of course, he converted all production to right after WWII.

Paul Fischer

Art

Good to hear you sharing you knowledge again. I had worried that you kinda disappeared.

Steve

Hi Steve,

Thank you for your very flattering post.  I was in a very neurotically induced state of ‘ferro-equinoligical’

state of hibernation.  I don’t recall which one of my train buddies coined this brilliant term. Perhaps it was MN or BV.  Will the author stand up & claim credit?  The layout was only being used to spread out 78s, tapes, wires, repair manuals et. al. on which I was working & or enjoying.  I’ve really got to get the website back up.  BTW I’ve got a Gennet 78 that contains actual recordings of the M10000!

I'm working on a 3/16s follow-up.

Best,

“Shiffy”

Great video. Please tell me about the Hiawathat. Who made it? Was it custom built, or custom modified?

It was next to impossible for my parents to buy me any electric train during the years 1941 through 1945 due to government controls (like on gasoline, sugar and cigarettes, etc.)  During World War ll, I recall some price gougers wanted $50 for rusty pre-owned pre war trains that would sell for that much at any train show or York in recent years.

I spotted a brand new electric train set while window shopping with my parents on a Sunday afternoon in April 1946.  My Mother went back to the store early Monday morning and paid $18 cash for the brand new in the box set for $18 (without transformer). After a local Hobby Shop wanted $25 just for a transformer,  my Father got my train to run utilizing an industrial bell transformer . 

I was disappointed when neighbor friends told me that it wasn't made by LIONEL NY.

My AMERICAN FLYER set was made by GILBERT and consisted of four metal freight cars that ran on a 40" diameter circle of "0" gauge 3 rail track pulled by a die cast 3/16" to the foot scale replica of a 4-6-2 Pacific Locomotive with the PENNSYLVANIA tender that was prototypical of the trains that ran on the Pennsylvania Railroad a block away from my home.  For that price, it was more scale looking than anything else ever made in the USA by LIONEL or MARX that also ran on 027 track.  

Since AMERICAN FLYER made two rail "S" Gauge 3/16" scale trains starting 1946, AC GILBERT COMPANY probably used left over pre-war parts to make my 3 rail set.  I never saw another one like it for the next 40 years.  I spotted and bought a lot of 3 rail "0" Gauge 3/16" scale AMERICAN FLYER during the 1970's, 1980's, 1990's when they were passed over at train shows by collectors who bought only LIONEL or unaware ATLAS, K LINE, MIKE's TRAIN HOUSE, WEAVER WILLIAMS also made "0" gauge trains (outside the USA).     

www.njhirailers.com

I had Gilbert S when I was a kid. My parents gave me a set in ’54.  31 years later, our son Peter (8 in 1985) was ready for a train set.  I’d not had one for I guess, for 23 years.  I very reluctnatly decided that we give him a 3 rail O set comprised of Lionel post war stuff. (I’d repeatedly heard that the new stuff was ‘junk’….a partial truth.  I made that decision because I erroneously thought that original AF rolling stock & parts for them were not readily available.  I still pine for S, but am somewhat mollified by having AF 3/6s O in their original and customized versions.

Gilbert introduced their 3/16s SEMI-SCALE O in the ’39 catalog, which still also offered some of their semi-scale and toy-proportioned products morphed from original Chicago designs.  The new pivotal link & pin coupler debuted on all of the 3/16s locos & cars and some “O” Engines & cars.  Unlike the postwar plastic versions, they’re sintered and meaningfully larger than their post-war counterparts. The two debut engines were one each SPUR drive Northern (AF never called them “Challengers&rdquo and Hudson.  The drive wheels were sintered with nickel rims / tires.  The decals approached being prototypical. “American Flyer” was NOT stated in any of the decals.  There were 1 each NYC & UP tenders. The coils of the 3 step e-units were wired in series with a DC coil.  An RDC (Remote Directional Controller) was provided.  As such, an engine could ‘wake up) in the same mode as it was in when last stopped.  Caveat:  IF A SPIKE HADN’T CAUSED THE DC RELAY to advance the e-eunit. Both engines and all of the cars were offered fully manufactured, and as kits.  The kit chassis were pre-assembled: no quartering required by kids & old hobbyists. Otherwise, it’d have been an on-going tech-support disaster, which they might’ve ameliorated had they also by then invented the internet.  The first single-faced whistling billboard debuted: more nicely made than for most of the subsequent years in which variations were offered.  The front frame is diecast and assembled via 2 recessed screws (1 each) at the top of the frame’s posts.  A Royal Typewriter poster’s printed on cardboard. .

The ‘40 catalog introduced the 559 Pacific, also RDC, but worm only.  It was first illustrated in the catalog with a very ornamental filigree frame on both sides.  I’ve never seen one decaled that way.  The ’40 edition also contained an Atlantic with a nicely detailed diecast engine shell, but latched to a tinplate non-scale morphed Chicago tender & tinplate freight and passenger coaches.

The iconic B & O bullet was introduced in freight and passenger versions but in a gray livery / Atlantic configuration.  Also debuted in this edition: 3 tinplate action cars: armored vehicle, tippler and whistling baggage car, tripped via DC as was Lionel’s. I’m not an attorney, but my ‘horse sense’ tells me that it didn’t comprise a patent violation as apparently did the later S 314W, (Pacific) whose mechanism is in the tender.  The wiring of the 490 whistler is that a DC relay drives an e-unit (same as used in the engines) whose contacts are wired so that the motor is alternately on / off.  The operational advantage (for kids I suppose) to this design is that the whistle will remain running with a tyke’s finger NOT having to remain on the button.  For others in the home, it might’ve not been welcomed.

The ’40 whistling billboards were manufactured in the same way as in the previous year, but the advertiser was changed to the RBB&B Circus.  It remained that way through the last 3/16s O catalog: 1942 (NOT 1941).

The iconic B & O bullet was introduced, but in grey livery / Atlantic configuration.  Also debuted in this edition: 3 tinplate action cars: armored vehicle flat, tippler and whistling baggage car, tripped via DC as was Lionel’s. I’m not an attorney, but my ‘horse sense’ tells me that it doesn’t comprise a patent violation as apparently did the later S 314W, whose mechanism is in the tender.  The wiring of the 490 whistler is that a DC relay drives an e-unit (same as used in the engines) whose contacts are wired so that the motor is alternately on / off.  The operational advantage (for kids I suppose) to this design is that the whistle will remain running with a tyke’s finger having to remain on the button.  For others in the home, it might’ve not been welcomed.

A kind of ‘secret’ is that the 50s Pul-Mor tires were not the first used by Gilbert.  They used them on SOME spur Hudsons, but not Northerns.  I surmise that they thought that the heavier weight of the latter trumped there need. When I first saw such engines, I thought that the wheels had been modified.  That opinion was shared by others whom I quiered.  BUT, in a precious Gilbert O gauge then-still-available parts list (published in ’47), the tires are listed.

The ’41 catalog blazed 3/16s. Ho was relegated to the rear pages. Only Gilbert-designed products were offered.  It proclaimed the superiority of worm drives, which don’t decelerate as realistically as the spurs.  Perhaps their decision to make that decision / pronouncement was induced by the much lower cost of the former, since multiple gears & side mount brushes are omitted, along with non-redundant geared drivers.   The Atlantic (cab # 565) had a correctly proportioned tinplate tender. NON-RDC (directions changed the ‘normal way) versions of the Northern (572), Hudson (570)  Pacific (561) were introduced, as was the 531 RDC Hudson which I’ve seen with rubber tires.   RDC worm Northerns  had 571 & 534 cab #s.  I’ve also seen 571 RDC versions with empty E-unit slots at the top. RDC controllers often do not accompany their engines & are hard to find.  An ebay seller is offering a new controller for the 314W.  I ASSUME that it’ll operate RDC engines and the 490 whistling baggage car.

Each of the tenders that they offered were offered as CHUGGING (not whistling) versions. The motors were only regulated by track voltage & could not (as were the S successors) be synchronized to the engines’ drive wheels. The Atlantic and bullet (by then royal blue) /Pacific chuggers were more difficult to service because the shells were attached by tabs.  All of the tenders added substantial drag. 

As pre-war (referring to lend-lease and defense) priorities intensified, whatever metal that was still available for casting became increasingly corrupted.  Thus the last 3/16s engines introduced were the 574 & 575 0-8-0 ‘goat’s. The latter was supposed to have a bell-rining tender) & apparently was never made.  But even the 574 (no bell but a rear light in the tender) is extremely rare because production was terminated by gov’t decree in July ’42 (NOT ’41…documented by a letter sent by Gilbert to its dealers).  I suppose, that ALL of them were plagued with zinc pest (‘pest’ seems too innocuous, aka metal rot aka Dorfan’s disease & et. al).  BUT I know of at least ONE surviving all-original one.  It’s original, if it’s excused for being cobbled together from I think, a DOZEN afflicted specimens.  And no, I don’t own it. I don’t know if I am permitted to ID the owner. I came very close to achieving this accomplishment.  From 4 or 5 of them I procured enough parts (not including the chassis): proudly mounted on an SIB (smoke-in-boiler) S gauge 342. I saved the 574 shell & refinished an S one, #’d 458 (the average of 574 & 342).  There’s very high sacrifice of pulling off the drivers (with an appropriate tool): they readily disintegrate. Out of at least 24 wheels, 1 or 2 had to be epoxyed together so that the ‘pup’  could have 8 operable drivbers.  I think that seeing any of the AF switchers run is the most entertaining of all of their steamers because of the small diameter wheels. It’s analogous to the cuteness of a small dog walking at a good pace.  Nevertheless I prefer Golden Retreivers.  One of ours was named Hudson for you know what.  

An intended or inadvertent trap accompanies the 3/16s diecast Virginian hopper #508.  Just as were their #632 S counterparts, the trucks were attached by small sheet metal screws.  I’ve seen cars offered on the correct chassis, but with S bodies as 508s.  Unless they’ve been refinished to the correct gray AND with the correct lettering, they’re easy to distinguish from one another. Both upper left faces have “VGN 508” decals. The S versions only have “VIRGINIAN” or “LEHIGH” lettering (the latter scarce).  All of the diecast 632s were made from left-over pre-war parts.   And yes, I’ve created some O gauge variations by using S gauge shells.

Another common confusion is distinguishing ’41 from ’42 catalogs.  I have seen 3 different versions. Perhaps there are more.  What I assume is a first ’41 has no prices printed in the pages, which, as with the other 2, are accompanied by a price sheet. Other than an outsized Northern passing from right to left in front of the Gilbert Hall of Science all over a red, white & blue background, there’s no reference to national defense, war, et. al.  Near the LR corner of the inside front cover is “1941” & “D1390”

The second is presumably a ’41 revision of the above, with the same inside cover notations. But   under the cloud to the right of the Hall Of Science, directly under “HEAR EM!” is this notice in a small red font:

“Owing to emergency conditions we reserve

the right to change compositions, materials,

or finishes without notice”

The third, (to me, self-evidently) is a 1942 version.  I can’t find it at the moment, so this is from a hopefully correct memory. The same or similar caveat, also printed in red is in the same location. The inside rear cover promotes a contest (possibly pertaining to chemistry).  The top prize is a console radio or a combination radio / TV / phono (yes, they existed then & there was very limited ‘televising’ in some major markets).  The dating evidence is that the awards will be announced in early (March?) ’43.

As soon as the manufacturing and servicing restraints (they weren’t even allowed to sell parts from existing inventory) were lifted, Gilbert (& I suppose Lionel & Marx) started to cobble together whatever sets they could from existing inventory.  Most of the post-war engines seem to have been 565 Atlantics, whose tenders have center rail wire clips, not jacks.  If anyone has any memos from Gilbert and or its distributors, then I’d like to know how they might have used them to promote sales prior to introducing S, which was done in ’46.

Best,

Shiffy

Thank you very much to all of you for your input, especially the comprehensive input by "Shiffy" aka Art.

I first "saw" an American Flyer piece at my best friend's upstairs layout.  Under the layout in a box was a hefty sized and nicely proportioned wagon-top boiler/cab/pilot. I think I recall there was copper looking piping on the boiler for the water lines and such. I recall the pilot and pony truck wheels were deteriorated and crumbling. (I can't remember if the mechanical mechanism was in place.)  The boiler I saw was definitely bigger than S scale, even noticably larger than the Lionel "Scout" line. 

I asked about the model.  David said it was pre-war 3 rail American Flyer O gauge 4-6-2.  Ever since, I've had a latent interest in learning more.

The other night while doing some surfing, I came upon these AF catalog pages and THOUGHT I had found an answer for the above mystery boiler.  However, reading the above info, now I'm not so sure.

Anyway, here's the pages that I found the most interesting:

http://myflyertrains.org/AF_Ca...F_catalog_page22.htm

Though the above IS a 4-6-2, the artful rendition really isn't dead on for the boiler I saw. However, still a nice looking model.

Here are two more that I feel are really nice efforts:

http://myflyertrains.org/AF_Ca...F_catalog_page24.htm

http://myflyertrains.org/AF_Ca...F_catalog_page26.htm

Andre

AGGREGATE RESPONSES & AN ADDITION FROM SHIFFY

A)       The set described by NJHIRAILERS is definitely one of those ‘cobbled’  post war sets. The Pacific most likely had 561 on the cab and didn’t come with a RDC controller. Other characteristics of the postwar sets also often included cars without journals on the trucks and blackened rails. 

B)       Thank you! OverlandFlyer for informing me about the ’41 catalog that has the prices printed on the pages.  That probably means that what I cited as the first version is a second and that what I thought was the second is a third.  This is an example of what’s great about volunteering information. 

          Also, the 435 E & T whose pictures you posted are Gilbert products, not from

          Coleman's reign.  Its tender is the terrific USRA type that in '39 replaced the     Chicago aluminum version of the debut version of '38.

C1)     I’m guessing that the ‘Pacific’ described by Laming (Andre) is the pseudo-Hudson.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/551597...01937%20Hudson_B.jpg

          is my annotated version from the 1937 catalog.  It had these improvements over the debut version of 36.  Its last version (cab # 447) had seemingly more realistic, closer to scale diameter blackened piping.

C2)     4 wheels on the trailer truck…the front wheels of the

36 version were implied by the presence of a pair of dummy journals (no axle holes behind them)

C3)     the tinplate 8 wheel oil type tender (same style roof but shorter than those of the streamlined coaches) replaced by the minimally (not even equipped with a rear    ladder) detailed diecast aluminum tender with substantial 6 wheel trucks whose frames were sintered

C4)     much deeper flanges on the drivers than on the debut version

C5) tender's drawbar connects to the engine's shell, not to the trailer truck as it

was the '36 version

C6)     elimination of the on-board whistle that could only be activated by running the trains on their horrid-appearing (unadorned 'masonite' roadbed…4 rail track, also discontinued)

C7)     consequential replacement of the fourth rail (the pickup shoe was a two pronged spring-loaded hinged fork that engaged the rail…located between the center & an outside one so that it’d be functional in both directions) whistle was the whistling billboard, whose first version had two lithographed faces of the NYC Hudson.

C8)     in '36 only, the same 4^th rail arrangement was used in The City Of San Francisco      (whistle in coach),  in at least one version (earlier narrower loco) of the (mostly diecast aluminum) Burlington Zephyr (also whistle in coach), and the Hiawatha (whistle in tender…suspended from the ribbed roof).

D)       Chris Lonero is utterly correct about some of Chicago's "Wide Gauge" (Lionel copyrighted "Standard Gauge" so they couldn't use that expression.) The brass piping on their top steamers is attention grabbing.  Am I correct in recalling that opposing couplers were used at each car's ends so that they had to be used in a certain order?  If not, then where have I seen that????

E)       I just realized that in my 3/16s posting I forgot to mention the delightful miniature acoustical (amplification by horn) phonographs introduced in the 1939 catalog. They were called "a-KOOSTIKIN".  I presume that the term was contrived as a copyrightable version of acoustical.  They operate on the same principle as the talking machine to which Nipper has been listening for about 111 years.  There were two versions:  a station and a shed.  Had users been advised to change the gouging needles 'early and often', then the rigid and breakable 78 rpm shellac disks would have been capable of many more playings.  This is what I extracted from a seemingly unworn one.  It is not the recording used in the postwar versions. 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/551597...tikin%20MP3%20v2.mp3

F)  I composed this in WORD.  The indenting was corrupted when I pasted it here.

Hi Gary,

I wonder if AC personally thought that the larger radii were unsuitable for AF's 3/16s. I wonder if any operator back then thought creatively and used the Lionel track, especially the T-rail.  The impetus to make my outer-most line O-72 was to accommodate my pre-war M10000.  But when I first ran the AF on it, wow!

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/551597...lley%20annotated.jpg

Shiffy

Not much time to pontificate, gotta' run off to work and play trains...

Overlandflyer:

THAT'S the engine!  I don't recall seeing a tender, but THAT'S the engine!  IMHO, that is one super-nice looking "toy" train!  Very appealing.  Thanks for helping me to know more about what I saw.  (I'll bet David still has it... can replacement wheels/etc be found?)

All for now... later guys!

Andre

Hi Andre,

What rules pertain to selling on this forum?  I have some Hudson parts that you require.  But if that's the case, then how can members directly contact one another?  

Port Lines Hobbies (owner is Doug Peck) (http://www.portlines.com/)

is an excellent supplier of AF and new S products. If you and I cannot transact because we've met on this forum, then I encourage you to contact Doug directly.

I'd like to sell some of my spares, do not know what I might have paid for them, and would ask him to let me know fair prices.

Ask him to provide you with my servicing tips & schematics.  I don't recall which I provided, other than a method to breathe aural life into chugging tenders that have gotten wheezy.

Best,

Shiffy

Hi Shiffy:

I haven't a clue what sort of protocol is in place regarding sales and this forum.

As for the Chicago models Pacific: 

I have sort of thought about investigating if the parts are available to fix it... and if so... see if I can acquire it from David.  I would then refurbish it and get it running... and give it back to him.  David is one of my best friend model railroad friends, having known him since 1969.  He's in his early 80's now.  It would be so great if he could see one of his childhood desires (he loved AF) running again.  Anyway, that's the idea I am mulling over at this point.

Andre

Art

This link should take you to the Sell/Trade section of this forum.

https://ogrforum.com/d...rum/2415514336485335

Steve

I always see many American Flyer "0" Gauge items listed on ebay (except about 1/2 of them are really "S" Gauge).   I used to ask a question before bidding (if I assumed the seller didn't know the difference between "S" and "0" Gauge  American Flyer trains).  I refuse to bid after seller couldn't tell you whether their American Flyer 3/16" scale trains actually run on two rail rail or three rail track, (or stated that they have no way of testing whether it runs) I then conclude he/she knows absolutely nothing about model trains.

The best reference book on 3/16 scale "0" Gauge AMERICAN FLYER is Chapter 14 of GREEENBERG's AMERICAN FLYER soft cover book by Alan R. Schuweiler 1997 second edition which lists each one of the 3/16 scale AF "0" Gauge locomotives, and associated sheet metal or die cast tenders, freight and passenger cars by the number, description of variations and optional colors.

Over the past 40 years, I did buy or sometimes sell at least one of each type of 3/16" scale "0" Gauge trains made by Gilbert (except that rare 574 Nickle Plate 0-8-0 switcher on e bay when the asking price is too much $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for me).  

www.njhirailers.com

Hi Norb,

An example of a simulated 574 that to me is extremely overpriced is ebay item #

#390265687861.  I think that it has been relisted several times, the first price being a whopper.  The line about the OTHERWISE 100% original tender is good for a laugh.

If it were made of all original parts and assemblies (assembled at the factory or

by a diligent and very lucky scrounger, then I think, even given the economy it'd be a price worth considering.  Given my cash flow, I'm very happy that it isn't.

I would not preclude obtaining something from an ignorant seller if they could

accurately answer some simply formulated questions.  For example if ALL of the wheels on a car are metal, then it is O or Wide Gauge.  Asking for the distance

between the flanges of two opposite wheels could yield an I.D.  With the exceptions of some tenders, the aluminum 660 series streamlined cars, diecast flats and diecast  632 hopper, asking if the body of a car is plastic can also ID the 

gauge.

Hi Again everybody.

Thanks again for all the great and ongoing input. Very much enjoying it.

Shiffy:

My main concern at this point is if replacement/repro wheels are available. Without wheels to replace the crumbling originals... any other needed parts would be moot.

It's funny you jogged my memory.  During the 1950's, I recall seeing 3/16" to the foot scale MARX box cars at the WT Grant 5 & 10 cent store selling for about $1.29 and the Mc Crory 5& 10 store was selling a MARX New York Central die cast engine and tender with three sheet metal passenger cars set for about $18 (and there was no sales tax).

I didn't buy them since I saw the MARX couplers were different from the AMERICAN FLYER  link couplers and I didn't know back then whether those couplers could be purchased separately and swapped. 

Chicago Flyer pseudo-Hudson e-unit lock-out detail (2 direction type mechanically integrated with motor windings) posted at

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/551597...etails%20PUBLISH.jpg

I don't recall if there are comparable ones

on the semi-scale Hiawawtha and City of San Francisco

The first version of the diecast aluminum Burlington

Zephyr has a manual directional lever underneath

ALSO

FLAGRANT EXAMPLE OF FLARXISM

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/551597...20boxcar_PUBLISH.jpg

3 RAIL O GAUGE SABOTAGE

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/551597...vised%2003-15-13.jpg

Hi

I run tinplate Marx, Ives, AF-O and Lionel, but so far only on a very small layout.

My AF-O engines are all steeple or box cabs, as are my Ives.

The main steamers I run are mostly Marx {all kinds} as they are usually still in great running condition, with easily replaceable motors if needed.

Besides the Marx steamers I also use a Lionel #2026 steamer to pull my AF-O and Marx rolling stock, and also a Lionel 1950's era red 520 boxcab. 

My favorite 3/16" consists are mixed AF-O 6+1/2" and Marx 6" stock behind either AF-O steeple or box cabs, or behind Marx #666 or #999 or Commodore Vanderbilt steamers.

And I also have a fairly extensive collection of AF-O and Marx 3/16" tin passenger cars to run behind these varied locos...

It's not difficult running this 3/16"s stuff in mixed consists. I prefer the older metal tab/slot couplers as they can be easily changed, converted, or even bent up or down slightly to adapt to each other. There are also special adapters for Marx tab/slot couplers to connect with Lionel style knucklers.

Currently I've also been messing a bit with some older Lionel, but their box couplers and (especially) their awful older latch couplers keep them in a (miserable, IMO?) class by themselves!

AFAIC collecting and running 3/16" Marx and prewar AF-O gauge tinplate trains is the greatest, most enjoyable aspect of my MRR hobby, and is by far better than the ultra realistic DCC HO I also sometimes run and enjoy.

Both the AF-O and the Marx 3/16"s stuff can be readily (and not terribly expensive, compared to Lionel?) acquired from ebay sellers, but also there's a site called Vienna Station where older tinplate trains can be gotten for reasonable prices. (I've no connection with this seller, it's only a good tip, okay? ;>})

Great hobby, enjoy,

Skip

You guy's that collect AF O scale want to look at the 102 station I have on the bay. Ends Sunday.