My Pre War Train

[Anonymous]

I am not sure if I am in the right dept. as I just signed up about 15 min ago and do not know my way around the site.

As I write I am 73 years old and have saved my American Flyer train that I got for Christmas in 1938, plus still have a photograph sitting under the tree with my train that was taken by my Father.

Also still have the boxes they came in, although the ends of the boxes are in very poor condition and most of the ends have come off the box.

I am curious as to the value of the train, and thought you might shed some light on its value.
The numbers of the cars were printed on the box end flaps and as most of the end flaps are gone there are three cars that I don't have the numbers too, but I do have the numbers to the locomotive and three other cars.

The Locomotive has a number of 420
The coal car.........no #
The Auto car is #3015 And I don't understand what "Auto car" means. "Note below"
The Box car ........no #
The caboose is #3017
The tanker............no #
The Dump car is #3019, also called a "Auto unloading car"


this train even though it was purchased in 1938 is in "O" gage. [three rails]


Oh Sick
[e-mail]

[lionelsoni]

Three rails are to be expected. American Flyer changed to two rails after WWII.

I don't know enough about American Flyer to help you appraise the set. Nowadays automobiles are carried in specialized "auto racks"; but they were once carried in boxcars that were ordinary except for having wide double doors to facilitate loading and unloading. Could that be what your "auto car" is?

[Anonymous]

Dear Oh Sick,
Welcome to the forums [#welcome]!

To help you appraise this, I would suggest you buy the appropriate Greenberg price guide for them from your local toy train store.

Whatever you do, take good care of this train!

I have two questions:
1.) Does the locomotive still operate?
2.) Did all of this come in one set?

I'll see you around the forums,
Daniel

[spankybird]

Hi Oh Sick

Welcome to the CTT Forum,



I hope that your name doesn’t mean that you are??

tom

[Dave Farquhar]

That'll be a nice set, but as prewar Flyer goes, it's fairly common. These prices are a bit old and not Greenberg, but they'll tell you what ballpark you're playing in. Pricing is in VG condition, meaning it's not perfect but will turn heads. If there are paint chips or rust, etc., trim the price by 30-50%.

420 loco: $120
3015 box car: $20 (yes, it had the same number as the auto car below)
3017 caboose: $13
3015 auto car: $25
3013 gondola: $25
3018 tanker: $33
3019 dump car: $18

1938 was a bit of an odd year as I recall; I think it was the year Flyer switched to those odd "curly-Q" almost-knuckle couplers. They were only made for a year, and Flyer switched to its more reliable but less realistic banana link couplers. If you've got the curly-Q couplers as opposed to the link couplers or the older tab-in-slot or hook couplers, it'll increase the value slightly.

If it was a set, it's worth a bit more. Having original boxes, even though damaged, will increase the value. By how much, I couldn't tell you. Based on the value of 3/16-scale Flyer prewar boxes, I'll guesstimate $10 each, but that's just a guess.

Anyway, those 9-inch Flyers were nice cars. Frankly I think they're underrated. I've got a couple of 3013s, a 3015 and a 3017 myself. I like them an awful lot.