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A small county station from BING, it dates from around 1915-20. I just restored the mechanism, when the pedal is pushed by the train the bell rings and the arm semaphore moves from up to down. unfortunately missing two sliding blue guards on the front but still a nice model. It can be used with O or I gauge.

IMG_8924IMG_8926 [2)IMG_8927

A special indicator, also from BING, the center has been re decorated to illustrate a railway line just passing in my hometown.

IMG_8829

And a small lever crossing to restore, missing a signal and the opposite side. The small house was lighted with a candle.

IMG_8819IMG_8820

Have a nice tinplate weekend.   Daniel

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  • IMG_8926 (2)
  • IMG_8927
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Edit  04/06/2019

Happy Tinplate Weekend Folks,

I have been doing some inventory work on the collection this week. I discovered that I have at least 5  American Flyer Kenilworth Stations.  Two of them came to me with their boxes.

Edit:  While the station on the right was stored in the box it is sitting on it did not come to me that way. This is the earlier #104 station that came in the box.  There is an interesting story as to why I have that station stored in that box, but I will save it for next week's Weekend Tinplate thread.  To be continued.....

The photo at the top of the page should look like this:

The #104 is a fairly common station and relatively easy to find.  It had a long run which bridged the transition from Chicago Flyer to Gilbert Flyer.  My stations illustrate that transition and how the labeling changed.

Chicago Flyer

Gilbert Flyer

Gilbert also added some additional identification on the station itself.

Have a Great Tinplate Weekend

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

Last edited by Greg J. Turinetti
Tinplate Art posted:

GREG: I have a very nice 102 station with a blue roof but no box, and I have two questions: Were the original exterior bulbs white globes, and is the 102 harder to find than the 104? Mine also has the original cloth hookup wire. THANKS in advance!

Tinplate Art,

I believe that the #102 station only  came with a green roof. I am sure that the green could vary in shade. Could your roof be a blue green?

The #102 was cataloged from 1928 - 1938 and all of the catalog art that I have seen shows the exterior lights as being round globes.

Image result for American flyer 1928 catalog

I have seen it being sold with the long Christmas tree bulbs and the ornate bulbs found in the Ives/Lionel street lamp bulbs.  I assume that the white round globes were originally included with the station.

The #102 was never marked with its catalog number but is usually known as the Central Station.  I have seen it have that brass tag on the front, or one on each end.  I have also seen it with the Terminal Station signs from the #107.

...and is the 102 harder to find than the 104? 

The #102 was cataloged from 1928-1938.  The #104 (Kenilworth Station) was cataloged from 1925 - 1937. There were two versions of the #104. 

Unfortunately I have posted inaccurate information in my post earlier in the thread.  I will go back and make some corrections.

The first version of the #104 was cataloged from 1925 - 1935

Notice that the illustration on the box matches this version.

The second version of the #104 was cataloged from 1936 - 1939.

These stations must have been very popular because they all seem to be relatively easy to find. While you would expect the later version of the #104, which was cataloged for a shorter time, to be less plentiful it seems to show up fairly frequently.  

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

 

Tinplate Art - just to add to what Greg has already posted.

    The variegated brick version of the 104  that Greg posted is the third version that Flyer made

    They first introduced the station in 1925

    AF_Station_104_1st

   The initial version has a smooth green roof and no cut or bent back doors in front and the lamp was painted green with a white painted reflecting underside.

  around 1927 Flyer made some changes

AF_Station_104_2nd

The roof was still smooth but was now red/maroon in color and the baggage room door was cut and bent back.

Around 1933 they made the final changes before the complete change in litho treatment

AF_Station_104_3rd 

  The roof is now embossed, the lamp fixture is now plain brass, and the waiting room door is cut and bent back.

  There are a number of smaller changes between 1927 and 1933 and 1933 and the end of the brick litho - simplified embossing of the roof (the first versions had embossing around the chimney mount later versions don't, the litho treatment of the brick chimney changed from small brick to large brick, etc.) however, these are the three basic versions of the brick 104.

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  • AF_Station_104_2nd
  • AF_Station_104_3rd
Last edited by Robert S. Butler
Robert S. Butler posted:

Tinplate Art - just to add to what Greg has already posted.

    The variegated brick version of the 104  that Greg posted is the third version that Flyer made

    They first introduced the station in 1925

    AF_Station_104_1st

   The initial version has a smooth green roof and no cut or bent back doors in front and the lamp was painted green with a white painted reflecting underside.

  around 1927 Flyer made some changes

AF_Station_104_2nd

The roof was still smooth but was now red/maroon in color and the baggage room door was cut and bent back.

Around 1933 they made the final changes before the complete change in litho treatment

AF_Station_104_3rd 

  The roof is now embossed, the lamp fixture is now plain brass, and the waiting room door is cut and bent back.

  There are a number of smaller changes between 1927 and 1933 and 1933 and the end of the brick litho - simplified embossing of the roof (the first versions had embossing around the chimney mount later versions don't, the litho treatment of the brick chimney changed from small brick to large brick, etc.) however, these are the three basic versions of the brick 104.

Thanks Robert.

After reading your excellent articles about Flyer Pre War stations over the years I knew you would be able to provide more precise identification and information.  This ability to share information and collaborate in identifications is one of the things I enjoy about collecting and doing research in the age of the internet.

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

There are also several color variations of the 104 stations.  

 

Oh, and Greg's post about the 104 coming with Terminal Station plates on is something I have never seen.  I have seen Terminal Stations with Central Station plates, but not the other way around.

There are variations of the 104 Station.

The first year station came with the center front name plate and name plates on each end, for a total of 3 name plates. 

After the first year, the name plates only appear on the front of the station.

If the station has an orange base, the station will have orange chimneys.  The late stations had red bases and red chimneys.

There is one other variation, which I have only seen on the orange base 104 stations.  There is a version that had a green crackle (orange peel finish) roof and only a single plate on the front of the building.  This is a more difficult to find variation.

 

Well Terry we can't have that!   You could always start off slow with #104's close cousin #96 .... in addition to being simpler (no light) it also started earlier and therefore has 3 basic litho treatments to chase...along with all of the other things like, doors cut and uncut, colored bases, etc.

#96 - first litho version

AF_Station_96_1st

#96 - second litho version

AF_Station_96_3rd

#96 third litho version

AF96_Late3scred

Inside the third #96 version

AF96_Late1scred

....one of the many different colored station bases....have you all of them?   ...Oh, sorry that's a question for Marx enthusiasts.

AF_Station_96_4th_Blue_Base

 

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  • AF_Station_96_3rd
  • AF96_Late3scred
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  • AF_Station_96_4th_Blue_Base
Last edited by Robert S. Butler

A bit of American Flyer Station historical trivia.

  If you check the lithography on the brick #104 stations you will find that, on the ends, it is identified as #96 and this ID remained through the entire run for the brick litho.  When American Flyer decided to give their stations names in the catalog in 1928 they chose to identify #96 as Flossmoor and #104 as Kenilworth. Both of these towns are suburbs of Chicago. Of the two Kenilworth was more upscale than Flossmoor (it was also on the lake) so, no light means southern suburb, add a light and call it luxury on the lake.

   What I always thought was odd was that the smallest of the stations #90 was given the name Hyde Park. The real Hyde Park is part of downtown Chicago.  It includes the University of Chicago and art museums and the big Museum of Science and Industry is just outside the borders of Hyde Park proper on the southeast corner.  I guess I would have expected Flyer to have represented Hyde Park with something a little fancier.

Robert S. Butler posted:

A bit of American Flyer Station historical trivia.

  What I always thought was odd was that the smallest of the stations #90 was given the name Hyde Park. The real Hyde Park is part of downtown Chicago.  It includes the University of Chicago and art museums and the big Museum of Science and Industry is just outside the borders of Hyde Park proper on the southeast corner.  I guess I would have expected Flyer to have represented Hyde Park with something a little fancier.

Actually, Hyde Park is not considered part of downtown Chicago.  Hyde Park is 7 miles south of downtown Chicago and at one time was a separate suburb/township, until it was annexed into the city in 1889.

Nation Wide Lines posted:
Robert S. Butler posted:

A bit of American Flyer Station historical trivia.

  What I always thought was odd was that the smallest of the stations #90 was given the name Hyde Park. The real Hyde Park is part of downtown Chicago.  It includes the University of Chicago and art museums and the big Museum of Science and Industry is just outside the borders of Hyde Park proper on the southeast corner.  I guess I would have expected Flyer to have represented Hyde Park with something a little fancier.

Actually, Hyde Park is not considered part of downtown Chicago.  Hyde Park is 7 miles south of downtown Chicago and at one time was a separate suburb/township, until it was annexed into the city in 1889.

The Museum of Science and Industry is actually in Hyde Park in the Jackson Park greenway. It was originally an art museum as part of the World’s Colombian Exposition in 1893. There is an Art Museum on the U of C campus, but the rest of the art museums are in downtown Chicago. Today Hyde Park is surrounded by some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the US. Washington Park, which boarders Hyde Park on the West made the top 10 a few years ago.

George

two versions of a well-named (), mid-30's set from Hafner.
not really sure why these are known as "Transitional" and it's too early in the morning to think about it now...

Hafner 919a comp 01
the set with sliding tab/slot couplers included a battery op light.

Hafner 919b comp 01
the vestibule mounted coupler set did not include a lighted observation.

cheers...gary

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  • Hafner 919a comp 01
  • Hafner 919b comp 01
Last edited by overlandflyer

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