Unmarked American Flyer 718(?) Railway Express Agency car

Mostly for curiosity, is the chassis plastic, die cast or sheet metal? Is the pickup an outside sliding arm or is it between the wheels?

My opinion is the car was originally stamped but the stampings are worn off. It is surprisingly easy to remove the white lettering with common cleaners and leave no trace. Unlike Lionel, Gilbert did not use a heat stamping process which left visible imprints in the plastic.

@AmFlyer posted:

Mostly for curiosity, is the chassis plastic, die cast or sheet metal? Is the pickup an outside sliding arm or is it between the wheels?

My opinion is the car was originally stamped but the stampings are worn off. It is surprisingly easy to remove the white lettering with common cleaners and leave no trace. Unlike Lionel, Gilbert did not use a heat stamping process which left visible imprints in the plastic.

Hi Tom,

Die cast chassis,  outside sliding arm

Thanks John.

Photos??