SEARCHING FOR FELLOW/LADIES WHO LIKE A.F. LATE THIRTIES LOCOMOTIVES

Hi Gilbert Greg,

I have a few of this style loco. There are a bewildering variety of these.  The guts also vary wildly.  I have a gotten about 50% to run decently.... pretty nice when they do!

I think what Gilbert saw was an opportunity to build a new product line to add to his many other items. The guy even had a lead molding and uranium science type sets. Right after acquiring A.F. the next year or so  he was selling build your own kits as well as pre-finished. (even the locomotives) The cars were a dollar cheaper unfinished but the display box with brush and paint had to cost quite a bit you would think. Maybe this gives us a clue on issues. if you have kids (mind you they were more engineers than today) putting them together/ painting the items that might explain why there are issues esp. in the paint area.

As a side note you see common items like screws, fiber disks, rockets in usage. The huge advantage was  his cross marketing. Build a bridge that your train could go across. It took a larger set to build it. I build a few usually 1 to 2 feet section models for different train guys and it take an 8 1/2 set just to give you enough parts.

Thanks for you note. Here is a pic of one of the train kit ad 1939.

according to Bill Bean, in the five years O gauge locomotives appeared in Erector sets, there were four different types included...

the one i found hardest to find was the #420 with the nickel plated hardware.
cheers...gary

l have AF/O locomotive shell (rusty) and a assortment of cars. locomotive will be repowered with a Marx, mechanical motor.

Fascinating - I had no idea they offered these engines in kit form! Did the loco kits come in the Erector sets or were they sold separately or both? Gilbert was certainly a Renaissance man and a genius promoter of his many products. Even if he had not produced his remarkable postwar S gauge trains, he certainly deserved membership in the Pantheon of toy producers! Erector alone would have insured that!

Gary

Doesn't it seem strange to use 3  models in say 5 years in the same set(s). Changes with in the models with in the year as well. Then out side erector you have an entire train world growing, (expanding on/using the existing A.F) w/TRU-MODEL PIONEER,STREAMLINE , NORTHWESTERN, PATHFINDER, MOUNTAIN RED BALL, NORTHERN PACIFIC, YARD KING, SANTA FE, B & O, N.Y. CENTRAL, J-3a HUDSON (2 VARIANTS), AND THE TWO UNION PACIFIC. Then you have all the rolling stock, buildings. You could never acquire all of them just in the small window of 5 years. Even in today's relative cheaper climate you would need a ware house to display. Ever the marketer.

 I would like to see it when you get it done, even a pic on how you modified it would be super.

To my know ledge, the kits were only A.F. as a separate train option out side if the Gilbert Erector sets. When I got into the Erector sets I did not even know of trains other than the huge ads usually on both sides of back cover page of the building sets. Which by the way is the pic you see on some of the A.F. train billboards. In the building sets there were instructions on train bridges etc. but you would see pics of erector girder, boiler, stack,  and turret built locomotives that looked like a steam locomotive, Beginning in 1938 (a yr after he bought A.F.) you could buy 3315.then 39 the 420, and then in 40 the royal blue, with a few parts.They were only part of the largest building set which I have not personally ever touched fully complete.(Of course expensive) thus rare. 

There is one oddity. (using Greenberg's guide) In 1931-33  Gilbert came out with the Hudson locomotive, It came in a large #8 set and was the crowning jewel. Literally using many erector pieces he had a shell made and incorporated numerous standard pieces and it looked authentic but huge. You could buy it either assembled or build it your self. Same with the tender. This monstrous beautiful working set  was just out of most peoples reach. Included in the 10 set with an airplane etc, the box weighed 150 pounds and needed 2 people to lift. I think Gilbert had a seed for real trains was  planted here.