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[Shiffy48]

 first post 10-08-14

Up to about 5 years ago I laboriously maintained a website AF316s pertaining to my interests in trains (mostly Gilbert prewar) and audio restoration.  It became exasperating, so I abandoned it..  Fortunately I still have many if not all of the elements.  Some of my buddies & followers have been bugging me to resurrect it.  I was about to sign up for an adult ed. course to learn something much more powerful & much less cumbersome than Front Page. So it was exhilarating and ironic that last night I was introduced to this forum by one of my train-audio-music buddies (Hi Mike!).

 I was ‘Gilbertized’ when my parents gave me an AF S steamer set.  I think that the enlightenment happened in 1955.  I distinctly remember that It was a Chanukah present.  Some years later I mistakenly decided that I was ‘growing up’ & gave away everything.  In retrospect, it’s nothing to now regret because except  for a Hudson that had slammed on to the hard tile (from perhaps 30” below grade), floor several times.

 30 years later our son Peter had turned 6 & I decided that he should get an electric set for Chanukah.  I was determined to replay the past & started to research AF S.  I erroneously deduced that they were too esoteric as compared to then new and postwar Lionel.  Had I not come to that questionable decision, then I’d might not have discovered ANY Gilbert or Chicago Flyer O.   BUT it turned out that a valid justification for Lionel  was that Peter’s Smurfs could more easily fit into some freight cars & a steamers cab.

 I soon became hooked on attending local (NYC area) train shows & eventually noticed an AF 3 rail Northern.  I don’t recall if it was a spur or eorm shaft version.  I immediately knew that it wasn’t S & asked the seller if it had been customized.  I’d have bought it immediately had the seller not refused to take it to the test track.    

 Better research conducted afterwards led me to these great trains.  That  included honest and informative dealer / collectors such as  Bob Doyle and Doug Peck.

 I have a tinkerer’s brain & soon began buying distressed cars & engines to make whole diecast pieces that had ‘rotted’.  That led to a big surplus of spares, which resulted in kit bashing products that (to me) AF should’ve & could’ve made. 

 IF I pass muster with the trial period, then I’ll start posting photos,  ideas & schematics.

Some of them never made it to the original website.

 More than a year ago, our Grandson Ethan (5.5 years) had already outgrown his Thomas push trains.  He always asks if we can ‘work on the trains’ when he visits.  The layout’s been a semi-shambles for about 5 years, but because it’s now so difficult for me to work on (let alone under) e board I’m getting close to appointing him as project engineer.

Also, one of the posts contains an unclear image (with a blue background) of a graphic that I created (& disseminated) of wiring instructions for the RDC control button.  When permitted, I'll post a crispy version.  

 May all of our journals stay lubricated!

 

Shiffy48

[Penny Trains]

aboard!

Becky

[Northwoods Flyer]

Shiffy48,

 to the forum. You will find that there are some avid American Flyer fans here.  No matter what era of Flyer production you are interested in there will be someone here to join in and share in that interest.  I look forward to your posts.  You may have already discovered that there is a thread about American Flyer 3/16" O gauge here on the forum.  I'm sure its several pages away from page one but its well worth looking at. 

I hope that your renewed interest in all things Flyer will be a good relaxing hobby for you and not a burden.

Again, Welcome.  And don't be a stranger.

Enjoying the World's Greatest Hobby

Northwoods Flyer

I bumped the thread to the top.  It was only back about 20 pages.  Here is another link to it.

http://cs.trains.com/ctt/f/95/t/211963.aspx

[Firelock76]

Welcome aboard Shiffy48!

And as the old saying goes,  "All Aboard!  Americaaaaaaan Flyerrrrrrrrrr!"