Prewar Flyer Mail Set #4122

The mail bag set was made for both O gauge and Wide Gauge, with size differences in the stand that holds the mail bags.  A typical mail bag set includes a stand that attaches to the track and holds a mail bag, a clip that attaches to the baggage car at one of the door openings, 4 mail bags, and a hook to fish the mail bags out of the car, once they have been picked up.

The basic principal is that as the car goes by the stand, the clip on the car picks the mail bag and flings it inside of the car. 

One problem with the mail bag sets, is that the clips that go on the side of the baggage car tend to scratch the side of the car.

I will try and get a picture posted later.

yes the #4122 is the wide gauge set,i just pickup a set ,the 1st one i have seen complete in years,they are not cheap.i am rebuilding my layout so in the next month or so i hope to have a vid ,i have never seen one operate

I knew that Flyer had something like this PW for S trains but had no idea that there was a Prewar version.  Very interesting!  I look forward to and will greatly appreciate any pics and vids; thank you!

Here are photos of a mail bag set and instructions.  I will caution you that these are photos of a 122 Mail Bag Set for O gauge, so the bracket that attaches to the car may be slightly larger.  I know that the mail bag stand certainly has to be taller to reach the height of the standard gauge car and longer to attach to the standard gauge track and sit back far enough for a standard gauge car to pass by.

NWL

Here you go.

As has been mentioned above the mail set is not cheap when you can find one.  It also explains why so many cars with baggage doors have scratches on the sides.

I am looking forward to ordering one of the new Wide Gauge books soon.

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

The American Flyer mail bag pickup and delivery mechanism has been around a long time. Go to https://clintjefferies.com/catalogs.shtml and take a look at the 1930 catalog. Page 8 shows the narrow (O) gauge mechanism, page 22 shows the Wide Gauge mechanism. When Gilbert purchased AF in 1938 the mail bag system was redesigned. The 1941 catalog, page 14, shows the Gilbert update which is the same as the postwar S gauge system.

Greg, thanks for posting the great pictures.

I want to thank all of you for the information, the pics, and the links to the catalogs.  This is all wonderful info!

So I need to find a decent Flyer Passenger Set (only have freight so far) and also look for the mail set now that I know what to look for.  Clever (if hazardous to the paint or the litho).

FYI: The postwar S gauge version employed a plastic mail "bag" which was picked up by a solenoid operated metal arm on the car while at the same time another similar "bag" was ejected from the car. Loads of fun!

I have to say that the AF catalogs at the clintjefferies site are much more exciting for me than the 2022 Lionel catalog raising so much fuss elsewhere on the forum

@palallin posted:

I have to say that the AF catalogs at the clintjefferies site are much more exciting for me than the 2022 Lionel catalog raising so much fuss elsewhere on the forum

I agree I just wish we could pre order " a few things" from those catalogs as easy as the new catalog elsewhere on the forum !

@palallin posted:

I want to thank all of you for the information, the pics, and the links to the catalogs.  This is all wonderful info!

So I need to find a decent Flyer Passenger Set (only have freight so far) and also look for the mail set now that I know what to look for.  Clever (if hazardous to the paint or the litho).

Just a thought here...........perhaps rather then hazard the paint and lithography  on a " decent" car in a set find an additional baggage car that is less then what you usually look for, restore it or fix it just for use as the mailbag catcher. perhaps adding a containment inside the car to keep the mailbag from rattling around and makes it easier to retrieve. Of course if you want to keep it all as it was in 1928...........

Enjoy    

Sincerely

Frank

Food for thought, Frank.  Since I haven't found anything yet, deciding is a little premature, but I will keep it in mind as I look.  It may well be that I can't find something unscratched anyway.  I wonder if some thin cork or cardboard between the car side and the catcher . . .

@palallin:  You mentioned a "prewar Flyer set book" in your prior post.  Could you post some details on that book?  Where might one find a copy?

Thanks

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

@palallin:  You mentioned a "prewar Flyer set book" in your prior post.  Could you post some details on that book?  Where might one find a copy?

Thanks

Don

Don,

Check out this website

https://americanflyerwidebook.com/

The book was first available in October 2021 at York.

NWL

NWL:  THANK YOU for the information.  I had  not heard of this book before.

Don

Don, you will enjoy it!  Though I became interested in Flyer Wide Gauge more than a year ago, this book really caught my heart.  The photography is phenomenal; the trains photographed are luscious, and the information is intriguing!  Would that a new edition of Schuweiler's guide could be done with the same kind of visual effect!  Along with the catalogs linked to above, I have been thoroughly enchanted.

palallin :  Thanks , I intend to try and get it.

Don