Gilbert Train Set

[Anonymous]

This is my childhood train set (NM) that I still have in the NM original box.

Gilbert American Flyer Train Set (S Gauge) # 20763

White box w/ red & black lettering

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Engine - 21166 Black (Smokes & lights up)

Coal Car - American Flyer Lines - Burlington Route - Black

Boston & Main - # 34124 - Blue

Post Breakfast Cereals - #24058 - White/Orange

Caboose - Radio Equipped - #24636 - Red

Track - 8 curved & 2 straight (Pikemaster)

Transformer

 

What can any of you tell me about this set?

Can I still buy track & cars for this set?

Marvelous

[Poppa_Zit]

Sold in 1962 and '63. Please do not take this personally, but sets of this time period were of greatly-reduced quality compared to the halcyon days of the late 1940s and 1950s. This is mainly because in the 1960s Gilbert, Marx and Lionel were making sets to be sold in the new big box discount stores -- as compared to the more traditional neighborhood hobby shops. The discount chains wanted super low prices, which equated to lower quality trains. Gilbert eventually declared bankruptcy and went out of business in 1967.

This set was made by the A.C. Gilbert Co. (American Flyer). It is 3/16" to one-foot scale, or S gauge (track width).

Locomotive 21166 was one-piece plastic shell with no details added save for a piece of tin foil glued inside headlamp in some models. Running gear was one stamped piece (unplated). No smoke, no choo-choo. Cars were injection-molded in colored plastic, had no detailing and had non-working Pikemaster couplers. Pikemaster track looked more realistic than traditional Flyer track, but curves were too sharp to run anything bigger than a Pacific (4-6-2).

Set is worth $40 in good (played-with) condition without original box to $225 with a mint original box and insert and paper and all cars in like-new condition. Not a rare set, so also not in high demand among American Flyer collectors unless it is brand new. But it is an excellent operator's set.

There are a lot of trains being made today for S gauge. You can buy new from Lionel, S-Helper Service or American Models, to name the biggies. Or check out S gauge for sale on eBay: http://toys.listings.ebay.com/Model-RR-Trains_S-Scale_W0QQfclZ3QQfromZR0QQsacatZ19143QQsocmdZListingItemList

You can also get more information from these S gauge forums:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Trains/

or

http://ogaugerr.infopop.cc/groupee/forums/a/frm/f/2721001123

Poppa Z