Flyer 1218 type handrails

Here is Type I from the side

Type I from the end

Type II from the side

Type II from the end

I cannot give any insight to why the handrails were changed.  Type I is the earliest of the styles and dates from 1920 to c. 1924?  Not exactly sure when they changed styles, but I know it was sometime after 1922 (when the wheel with the steel tire/rim became standard on these engines), as I have an engine with Type I hand rails with steel tire/rim on the wheels.

I know the engine I have with the Type II hand rails came to me with a boxed #96 station of the earliest litho and this station did not appear in the Flyer catalogs until 1923.  

NWL

A possible reason for the change of styles is noted in the Greenberg's description which indicates the Type II hand rails feature a heavier gauge of steel.  

I can say that I have this engine in my collection.  Note the hand rail on the right is missing.  It is actually broken, with the rivet still holding the end of the hand rail.  The engine is in fantastic condition and I cannot understand why it broke, with the engine retaining the superb condition.

NWL

better pictures say it all... THANKS!

This might help narrow down the date of transition.  It's a boxed #1202 set and the engine has the early handrails.  I don't have a 1924 catalog so the earliest catalog listing I can find for this set is 1925. It is worth noting that the box label only says "Catalog No. 1202".  There is no train set name printed on the label as there are with later box labels.

Robert S. Butler posted:

This might help narrow down the date of transition.  It's a boxed #1202 set and the engine has the early handrails.  I don't have a 1924 catalog so the earliest catalog listing I can find for this set is 1925. It is worth noting that the box label only says "Catalog No. 1202".  There is no train set name printed on the label as there are with later box labels.

Set 1202 is new for 1925 and seems to be an update of Set 1201, but with a 1218 engine (which featured a headlight, as opposed to no headlight in set 1201). 

To my knowledge the set labels that say "Catalog #" date to 1927 only, which would include a 1270 engine and not a 1218 engine.  I suspect that someone may have swapped the contents of your box at some point.  My experience is that all boxes prior to 1927 were simply rubber stamped with the set number.

It is worth noting that the 1925 catalog shows the Type II hand rails on Set 1202, and not the Type I hand rails as found on your engine.  

NWL