Missing car ????

I believe the steam engine is correct with only 3 cars.  There is a 4th car in the series, but not sure it came with the steam engine. 

I would find and buy the diner, then you can get some sleep.

If they are not the presidential cars, then it sounds like you have the yellow and green Pocahontas cars?  Then it would have been a 4 car set. 

You then have to make sure that you are buying the proper Diner, as the Pocahontas set came with green trucks and air tanks and the Warrior set came with grey trucks and trusses.

Thanks. 3 cars it is.  Jon, have you priced the diner, ? WOW.

The ORIGINALS would appear to be holding their own, pricewise!

Can you post pics of the set?

    Thanks,

            Jon E

Nation Wide,

     Did all versions of the Warrior set have grey trucks\trusses? The Greenberg guide shows one with the green trucks too.

         Jon

@Jon Edwards posted:

Nation Wide,

     Did all versions of the Warrior set have grey trucks\trusses? The Greenberg guide shows one with the green trucks too.

         Jon

My understanding is that the Warrior sets came with grey trucks and trusses.  The Pocahontas sets came with the green trucks and air tanks.  I believe the other difference in the sets is that the Warrior sets have American Flyer nameplates above the windows and the Pocahontas sets have Pocahontas nameplates above the windows.  In the past, I did own a Warrior set with the grey trucks/trusses/American Flyer nameplates.

I note that the set shown in the Greenberg's guide has Pocahontas nameplates, so I am not sure that is a correct set.  The set shown in the Greenberg's guide is an early set (as it is shown with the Ives casting locomotive and not the brass piper) which may have come with the Pocahontas cars.

Ask OGR member Greg J Turinetti as I know he has an early Warrior set.

NWL

Could be a First year Flying Colonel....  FC uses the 3 19" cars.  14" Warrior sets most are grey w/trusses but a few green w/ tanks were taken from Pocohantas sets and repurposed. Top plates were American Flyer Lines mostly, Some retained their Pocahontas plates. No guarantees that the "Pocowarrior" are accurate unless the have the AFL plates, grey set trucks, and truss rods.

@Nation Wide Lines posted:

My understanding is that the Warrior sets came with grey trucks and trusses.  The Pocahontas sets came with the green trucks and air tanks.  I believe the other difference in the sets is that the Warrior sets have American Flyer nameplates above the windows and the Pocahontas sets have Pocahontas nameplates above the windows.  In the past, I did own a Warrior set with the grey trucks/trusses/American Flyer nameplates.

I note that the set shown in the Greenberg's guide has Pocahontas nameplates, so I am not sure that is a correct set.  The set shown in the Greenberg's guide is an early set (as it is shown with the Ives casting locomotive and not the brass piper) which may have come with the Pocahontas cars.

Ask OGR member Greg J Turinetti as I know he has an early Warrior set.

NWL

Just so NWL.  I was typing at the same time LOL...

My Warrior set has the Ives casting engine, 4 cars with Pocahontas plates, brass tanks and green trucks.  It also has all of its original boxes and the set box. If I remember correctly the set box says "Warrior"  Its in storage at the moment so I can't check it.  These are photos from the wall display at the old house.

Good Memory NWL.

@Rob English posted:

Could be a First year Flying Colonel....  FC uses the 3 19" cars.  14" Warrior sets most are grey w/trusses but a few green w/ tanks were taken from Pocohantas sets and repurposed. Top plates were American Flyer Lines mostly, Some retained their Pocahontas plates. No guarantees that the "Pocowarrior" are accurate unless the have the AFL plates, grey set trucks, and truss rods.

I thought of it featuring the larger cars as the Minuteman set that came with the presidential cars, but OP stated they were not the Presidential cars, so I assumed Warrior set.  It certainly could be the early Flying Colonel set. 

It would certainly help if the OP would post photos of the set.

@Rob English posted:

Could be a First year Flying Colonel....  FC uses the 3 19" cars.  14" Warrior sets most are grey w/trusses but a few green w/ tanks were taken from Pocohantas sets and repurposed. Top plates were American Flyer Lines mostly, Some retained their Pocahontas plates. No guarantees that the "Pocowarrior" are accurate unless the have the AFL plates, grey set trucks, and truss rods.

I just checked my 14" Warrior set. My set has 4 cars, 3 with gray set trucks, trusses, and Pocohantas plates, and the passenger car, which has gray set trucks, trusses, and American Flyer plates. I'm sure that there was a lot of "mix and match" at that time and sometimes a shortage of plates. Always interesting to hear of the various variations. A whole other discussion would be the different plates found on the A.F steamer cabs. I have a piper with Annapolis, and an early 4680 with Adams plates.

Eric

TCA, LCCA, Ives Train Society

Once again, IMPRESSIVE knowledge of prewar Chicago Flyer products (and examples) offered here by the "usual suspects": NWL, Greg, and Rob. BRAVO, gentlemen!

WOW, thanks for ALL the info ! They are 'Blue/ Greenish' in color, will have to look at the trucks ? They do have the A F name plates,(three I think) along the sides, nothing 'special' just A F . If that helps. At least I know my friend isn't as smart as he thinks ha, ha. Again to ALL who replied, I want to say "Thank You", I learned much ! Dave.

Blue/Greenish color?  That makes me think of a Stadium set. Do they have red roofs and truss rods? Are you sure about the 18" length?

I don't have any photos of a Stadium set that are my own.  If you Google American Flyer Stadium Set several images will be available.

Northwoods Flyer

Edit: This is the best link that I can find

https://www.liveauctioneers.co...an-flyer-stadium-set

@Greg J. Turinetti posted:

Blue/Greenish color?  That makes me think of a Stadium set. Do they have red roofs and truss rods? Are you sure about the 18" length?

I don't have any photos of a Stadium set that are my own.  If you Google American Flyer Stadium Set several images will be available.

Northwoods Flyer

Edit: This is the best link that I can find

https://www.liveauctioneers.co...an-flyer-stadium-set

It still could be the Minuteman set also, as the OP describes the set as coming with a brass piper and the Stadium set came with a tri-valve engine.  The Minuteman cars likely said American Flyer instead of President's Special. 

I believe the Minuteman set would have only came with 3 cars.

Before we all get crazy lost down this wormhole:

1. We need photos from @WT.Co.

2.  Minute man sets had 4 cars from 1929 through 1931.  Starting in 1932, the set number changed and the set was renamed "NEW MINUTE MAN".  With this change, the dining car was eliminated from the set and going forward it only came with 3 cars.  The set was no longer cataloged after 1934.

Other things to keep in mind:

-later production versions of these cars tend to be more greenish than blue.

-nameplates began to run out somewhere around 1932 for these cars and you start to see a wide range of substitutions, including all "American Flyer" plates in all locations on the cars (small and large).  There are even some out there with decals in some of the plate locations.  

-Variations in how the cars were built/assembled, labels and ink used on the undersides, truss rods vs. air tanks, window plastic with/without shades, and even wheel paint color help to date the cars to a more specific time period.

Going strictly by the catalog descriptions (NOT Illustrations)  (also with the understanding that possible variations and exceptions might exist as production details changed) :

-1929 you would have gotten an Ives body locomotive and Ives tender(with AF trucks)  with 4 AF cars

-1930 you would have gotten an Ives body locomotive with the new AF Vanderbilt tender and 4 AF cars

-1931 you would have gotten the new Flyer die cast "Piper" body locomotive / Vandy tender  with 4 AF cars

-1932-34 you would have gotten a Flyer die cast "piper" loco/Vandy tender with 3 AF cars.

Unrelated to the Minute Man discussion, @Greg J. Turinetti 's warrior set is a nice example of a catalog correct 1929 warrior set.

I will try and post some pic's , the set is packed up right now. Man again you guys are info max ! Not sure how long the cars are, but I'd say 16"-18" ? They were never 'Red' roofed. Kinda Bluish/Green, and just say American Flyer on them, no car names. Thanks, always a joy to read your replies.