Help. I know nothing. lol

[dpate]

My dad was born in 1939. I've recently found his childhood American Flyer electric train set, (not in it's original box) and I'm trying to find more information on it. 

The Engine has 302 printed on it and the attached car says Reading Line.

There's a red car that has a sliding door on each side. It has 633 and Baltimore & Ohio printed in white.

There's also a flat bed car that has C&N W.N.Y. 42597 printed on the side.

The caboose says Reading 630.

Packaged with it, is an Erector Set. The info on the Erector engine says it's and A-47 Electric Engine. 110-120v 25 Watts A.C. 60 cycles only. Made by the A.C. Gilbert Co.

Does the erector set have something to do with the train? Can I download instructions for the set online that you know of? Any information or resource links would be greatly appreciated. I'd like to be able to put it together, see what works and what doesn't and know if I'm missing anything.

[TrainLarry]

The train set looks like set #4801A from about 1948 onward. The flat car had logs on it. The 1948 catalog shows the boxcar to be red.

The Erector set was a separate sale item, and not related to the trains, except by manufacturer. A motor was included in many different Erector sets, and it would be difficult to tell which set you have without seeing all the parts.

Larry

[phillyreading]

DOes the engine have just 302 on it or does it have 302DC on it? If it has the DC prefix it runs on DC. The Erector set was a separate sale item from the same company. The Erector set motor most likely is a small 3 volt DC motor, if it don't run on 3 volts DC then try 6 volts DC. Unless you are 100% sure do not put more then 6 volts DC to the Erector set motor. I had an Erector set and remember the motor running on either 2 or 4 D cell battery power.

[Major]

FYI the 302 is an Atlantic with smoke and choo choo and never came in a DC version. Only the Northern #332 and the 0-8-0 Switcher #342 came as AC or DC powered.

[Penny Trains]

The best online source for kinfo on Erector and similar construction sets is Girders and Gears: http://www.girdersandgears.com/models.html.  They have contents lists for sets.

Becky