Flyer Coal Loader

Give Portlines a call. They may have it, or may be able to source it for you.

Here is the service manual for the American Flyer 752 coal loader.

Larry

Thanks for the diagram.  I'll call portlines and see if they can help.

I’ve had three of these and I don’t remember any springs? Just gravity and the way it was designed? None in my collection at the moment. There were two bucket styles. The early ones without the ‘ A’ suffix had four wire rods supporting the clamshells.

Here’s a video of the last one that I had.

There are no springs as I have all the versions.  If the clamshell is properly cleaned and lubricated it works well.  The weights inside the clamshell provide the weight to cause the clamshell to open when power is not applied to the electromagnet.  

I have the Lionel version. How big of a bite does it take out of the coal pile? I let the clam down until it’s touching the pile; the I press the red button. The clam snaps shut and is lifted into the tower. When I let go I don’t see much of a payload.

 Thanks 

@pennsyfan posted:

I have the Lionel version. How big of a bite does it take out of the coal pile? I let the clam down until it’s touching the pile; the I press the red button. The clam snaps shut and is lifted into the tower. When I let go I don’t see much of a payload.

 Thanks 

Hey Bob. I don't have the same loader as you have but I have the MTH flyer coal loader and it depends on the coal. With Lionel coal it will not pick up much. It's too big for the bucket. I started using HO coal and it picks up a lot more but the smaller coal will jam the trap door if the coal is drop in, left to sit and then dumped into the car. My work around is just to open the trap door at the same time I open the bucket. The other thing is, the coal will get formed in a way that the bucket will not pick the coal up. So I have to move it around so the coal is flat. That's the tricks I've figured out. Hope its some help. 

How much it picks up definitely depends on the coal used and the depth of the coal pile. The original Gilbert coal was a lightweight, slippery plastic. The heavier and larger coal will not work as well, but even at its best the amount of coal per scoop is not great. That is one reason the 752A with the chute door was made. The bin could be filled while the trains were running doing other things.

I think the spring mentioned is the one on the hopper assembly.

Tsx

Try Todd Metcalf at http://www.trainsmore.com/.

He's an original parts dealer, and he's helped me with several AF accessories of that vintage.

Thanks for the help guys. I was dismayed with the coal supplied. It was black plastic sprue scraps.

I was so "t" off that I threw it out a few years ago, I have about 4 bags of Lionel #206 coal so I thought, I don't need that garbage. 

Lionel coal is too big.  I use real fine stuff made for ballast.  

Doug at Portlines explained to me about the clamshell.  I looked it over, straightened a few things and now it's working properly.

I just got off the phone with a very helpful young lady at Marios Trains. They have a Rotary Dump Coal pack 6-16889.

Her information states that it's for the Rotary Dump and not the Tipple. Has anyone used this coal with the Seaboard Loader?

@AmFlyer posted:

How much it picks up definitely depends on the coal used and the depth of the coal pile. The original Gilbert coal was a lightweight, slippery plastic. The heavier and larger coal will not work as well, but even at its best the amount of coal per scoop is not great. That is one reason the 752A with the chute door was made. The bin could be filled while the trains were running doing other things.

I contacted Lionel about some of the coal packs that were mentioned by some dealers. Their response was that those packs were all for O Gauge accessories and I should have been looking at American Flyer parts. They gave me a part number 6409024086 COAL / BAGGED. Under my breath I asked, why wasn't that part number on the parts list!

I ordered some. I hope that its not the same cut up sprue scrap that came with the loader.