Do you like the Lionel American Flyer Spine sets from the past?

Well, they sat high, and had clumsy detailing. I don't recall them being chronic derailers. Hopefully, Better AF intermodel cars are in the works. I don't know if the spine cars will accept any other loads.

I have a set of Lionel spine cars and multiple sets of the American Model's spine cars. The American Model's cars are great compared to the Lionel cars.  The Lionel cars are definitely over scale.

Good Day Major,

 

I'm curious. Can the current day 53' Die Cast 1:64 Scale trailers fit on the American Models Spine cars?

 

Regards,

Frank

I think the Lionel AF spine cars are really O27 with s gauge trucks put on them. Ben

The 53" die cast trailers should fit but may be top heavy.  The American Models trailers are light weight and weigh even less than the S-Helper service trailers used on their TOFC flat cars.

No.

 

Rusty

I think they look lousy and non prototypical on o gauge track too.

Good Day Gentlemen,

 

Thanks for responding.

 

On a side note: Do the American Models Spine car sets track well through switches? I know these are very light in weight.

 

Regards,

Frank

I have not had a problem and I have used American Models track, S-Helper Track and traditional Flyer track. A dozen of the AM spine cars look good behind a modern diesel locomotive.

I can't really think of any positive thing Jim Bunte ever did during his tenure in Lionel product development.  I recall that, on his own whim, he canceled a series of annual cars then being offered thru the LRRC.  At York, I asked him why the series was stopped when people had already begun investing in it in good faith & he could only offer some lame excuse which I do not recall.  If anyone knows of some good he did, refresh our memories please.

He left Lionel.

 

Rusty

The only one I ever bought was the one with the horses bobbing because my daughter liked it.

FlyerRich,

 

I still have the horse bobbing car but the O-27 body is too wide to go through certain Flyer accessories. I kept it just because it was fun.

 

Scale proportion is where it is at in S and some people still don't get that.

 

Ed Boyle

While they were an interesting attempt, these don't need to see new production. S is beyond that.

And weren't these also 027 cars with S trucks anyway?

Yes, they are. Unfortunately, these models were just one example of numerous shortcuts in the Lionel line which were produced under the management being discussed.

 

Bob  

The O27/Flyer production is a time that if anything should be remembered as how NOT to manufacture S Gauge.  Reheated O27 with Flyer trucks was/is a bad idea.  I always seem to be reminding some of our O Gauge friends that undersized O isn't automatically S. 

 

The recyled Marx O27 from K-Line was slightly better, but not by much. 

 

Now, I don't mind the lower resolution of Traditional Flyer, because it is/was properly prortioned(with a few exceptions towards the end of ACG Co.) and even unmodified, could look made to look pretty realistic with even the most basic of scenery.  Start thowing in some Godzilla O27 cars and the illusion is shattered.

 

Rusty