TimboyLinkers have gotten a bum rap, but the truth is, it is sloppy track laying that deserves that rap. When vintage track is correctly laid down, linkers out-perform knuckles for the reasons you stated above, IMHO. AND they are less expensive to buy!Only drawback is that there is not the variety of cars that the factory later put out in knuckle couplers. But there is enough if you are like me and not greedy about having to have one of everything. -Timboy P.S. I also think that linkers is the ONLY way to go for passenger cars.
Linkers have gotten a bum rap, but the truth is, it is sloppy track laying that deserves that rap. When vintage track is correctly laid down, linkers out-perform knuckles for the reasons you stated above, IMHO. AND they are less expensive to buy!Only drawback is that there is not the variety of cars that the factory later put out in knuckle couplers. But there is enough if you are like me and not greedy about having to have one of everything.
-Timboy
P.S. I also think that linkers is the ONLY way to go for passenger cars.
In 1953 Flyer came out with a greater variety of link coupler cars, some of them are hard to find since they were only produced that one year. But while there is a lack of variety and color the overall effect is closer to actual trains. Plus I like the early stock cars with the open slats. Now for a wild idea! What if Lionel issued some of their new items with a link couplers! I know I would purchase them. They would surely work better than the knuckle couplers they are using and look better with the stamp truck than the monstrosity they are using now!
Very impressive pictures of your collection. i have stayed out of the "PURE" flyer discussion for a reason. Unless the trains someones owns is 100% as built by Flyer,with original brushes,springs wiring ,e-unit fingers, GE or Westy lightbulbs, smoke elements, stacks etc, then it is not 100% pure american flyer.and can never be !!! we as a group of collectors tend to forget that our trains were built as playthings to be run and run! not "Hanger Queens" to sit on displays or in cases collecting dust!
so weither it is prewar-postwar-Flyonel,AM or S-Helper, i buy trains that i like and i run them! not all at once of course but for what ever mood i am in to run! that is what they are made for. i find that is is much easier to appreciate someone who takes the time to make sure everything they own runs and works as intended then a person who is terrified to run them because they might lose monetary value.
just my own 2 cents worth. Mike
Even though I am not a pure Flyer guy, There are some aspects of early flyer I like. I use to convert Link to knuckle couplers but not any more. All of those link couplers I saved are being used to convert back to link. Link couplers work all the time on curves or straight track and if properly adjusted and free moving do not uncouple. Plus the cars couple closer together. I run 20+ freight trains with link couplers and no problems. My hat is off to those of you that are pure Flyer, But for me I like all trains no matter the manufacturer. With S- Helper and American Models I run them only with non flyer cars because I use Kadee couplers on all non Flyer rolling stock and locomotives, the large Flyer couplers just don't look good on them!
I am a PURE Flyer guy in every way. I operate my trains as if I were in the 1950's. And I know I enjoy my trains as much as anyone. Postwar trains with no alterations. Heck, I don't even want my link coupler cars changed to knuckle couplers. The only replacement I have ever made was to replace my broken trucks with original replacement trucks. I have paid extra for original over reproduction. AF4EVER
I am a "pure" Flyer kind of guy. When I became serious about collecting as well as operating my trains, I had modern S and HO along with my post-war . When I realized my budget could only afford a certain amount of trains. I only kept that which I truly did not want to part with. I now have over 200 pieces of different postwar Flyer rolling stock, mostly boxed in Excellent or better condition. I have thought about thinning my collection, but I do not want to part with any of it. AF4EVER
Yes Timboy,
I think that you must be the only pure Flyer guy here. I have a few pre war Lionel pieces in the collection to illustrate production by other companies of the same era . Flyer items in my collection include, Wide Gauge, Narrow Gauge, 3/16 O Gauge, S gauge, and Gilbert Flyer HO, and accessories.
The Northwoods Flyer Collection
of
American Flyer Trains
"The Toy For the Boy"
Flyer guys or Amish flyer guys?
I switched to S helper track since it's conductivity is so much better and no feeder lines every 2 inches
I won't go to DCC since you need to modify all the engines and action cars but to ignore any developments in the past 30 years is rather silly in my mind. LEDs lower heat from bulbs that can lead to fires
This past Xmas I smoked a flyer transformer I had for 40 years.
Later I found a notice in the service manual that said not to keep the variable voltage on at low levels or it'll short out
That caused an entire fire station to be at my house with axes in hand.
Timboy Maybe the question should be: How many PURE Flyer Guys are there? I might be THE only one. No other components from any other train system and no modern components either, such as can motors, electronic reverse units, non-Flyer vintage track/switches, etc. No Flyonel. No Flyer compatible. No replaced wheels or wheelsets. No modern transformers or powerpacks. No modern track sensing gizmos. No LEDs. Can anyone else out there lay claim to being a PURE Flyer Guy? I bet someone will say that they are a Pure Flyer Guy, except for the... Nope. It's either all or nothing. One possible exception would be Chicago Flyer AND AC Gilbert Flyer. Now THAT is pure! -Timboy
Maybe the question should be: How many PURE Flyer Guys are there? I might be THE only one. No other components from any other train system and no modern components either, such as can motors, electronic reverse units, non-Flyer vintage track/switches, etc. No Flyonel. No Flyer compatible. No replaced wheels or wheelsets. No modern transformers or powerpacks. No modern track sensing gizmos. No LEDs. Can anyone else out there lay claim to being a PURE Flyer Guy? I bet someone will say that they are a Pure Flyer Guy, except for the... Nope. It's either all or nothing. One possible exception would be Chicago Flyer AND AC Gilbert Flyer. Now THAT is pure! -Timboy
But........................................................
Oh well!
Alton Junction
You would be the only pure Flyer guy that I know. Even when I was a kid I would take the small Lionel box cars and put Flyer wheel sets on them, I personally appreciate the other S-Scale manufacturers out there and truly like many of the Flyer by Lionel products. As good as Flyer was many of the new products are superior. This is very true with diesel locomotives. American Models and S-Helper makes diesels that operate far better than Flyer units especially at slow speeds. So I guess I would be a S-scale hi railer instead of a pure Flyer guy. TMCC and Legacy in my opinion is the way to go.
LocoPopsAlthough I have some AF pieces, I really don't consider myself an AF guy or a Lionel guy. I really don't have a "team", so to speak. I have nice stuff from both companies. And from a few other companies too.
Although I have some AF pieces, I really don't consider myself an AF guy or a Lionel guy. I really don't have a "team", so to speak. I have nice stuff from both companies. And from a few other companies too.
I guess that explains that LGB equipment I picked up about fifteen years ago.
So far, there are 33 of us who have acknowledged our undying love for American Flyer, the 2 rail classic toy train that turned boys into men - - real men. Will the rest of our brethren overcome their shyness and step forward and be counted?
Don't let those Lionel guys intimidate you! There must be more than 33 AF guys who inhabit this forum.
Respectfully Submitted,
A.C. Gilbert
I was amazed at just how good it looked. It's a really beautiful model, and after lubricating, it ran perfectly.
In storage with it were a dozen or so AF freight cars, all of them looking just as shiny and new as the day they left the factory. They were all converted to Kadee HO couplers by the previous owner long ago, and I'm still trying to make up my mind what to do about that, if anything.
Even more surprising was the Reading 302 Atlantic that I'd forgotten about completely. Even though this was a relatively low-end item in its day, the detail is remarkable, both on the locomotive itself and the die-cast metal tender. Flyer really did put a lot of work into this equipment. I'd hesitate to call it "toy train" at all. These are genuine hi-rail scale models (with the exception of the trucks and couplers).
The Hudson and the Atlantic are on my mantel even as I type. I just ordered a replacement trailing truck for the 302 this morning, and I'm on the lookout for a nice K5 PRR Pacific. So although I'm already on the list, I guess you could say I really belong there, now.
richhotrain richhotrain richhotrain richhotrain richhotrain Here is the tally of American Flyer guys so far: Sturgeon-Phish green97probe Timboy richhotrain balidas Northwoods Flyer sulafool mersenne6 jcolonbc banks arkady stebbycentral aflyer traindaddy1 joehohmann laurastom RockIsland52 - wannabee Russ D Little Tommy nwoodsnut AFBOXCAR rrlineman Major AF4EVER PHM AFLines LocoPops kaycee Brady AF53 SFFlyer Acela026 Tinplate
richhotrain richhotrain richhotrain richhotrain Here is the tally of American Flyer guys so far: Sturgeon-Phish green97probe Timboy richhotrain balidas Northwoods Flyer sulafool mersenne6 jcolonbc banks arkady stebbycentral aflyer traindaddy1 joehohmann laurastom RockIsland52 - wannabee Russ D Little Tommy nwoodsnut AFBOXCAR rrlineman Major AF4EVER PHM AFLines LocoPops kaycee Brady AF53 SFFlyer Acela026 Tinplate
richhotrain richhotrain richhotrain Here is the tally of American Flyer guys so far: Sturgeon-Phish green97probe Timboy richhotrain balidas Northwoods Flyer sulafool mersenne6 jcolonbc banks arkady stebbycentral aflyer traindaddy1 joehohmann laurastom RockIsland52 - wannabee Russ D Little Tommy nwoodsnut AFBOXCAR rrlineman Major AF4EVER PHM AFLines LocoPops kaycee Brady AF53 SFFlyer Acela026 Tinplate
richhotrain richhotrain Here is the tally of American Flyer guys so far: Sturgeon-Phish green97probe Timboy richhotrain balidas Northwoods Flyer sulafool mersenne6 jcolonbc banks arkady stebbycentral aflyer traindaddy1 joehohmann laurastom RockIsland52 - wannabee Russ D Little Tommy nwoodsnut AFBOXCAR rrlineman Major AF4EVER PHM AFLines LocoPops kaycee Brady AF53 SFFlyer Acela026 Tinplate
richhotrain Here is the tally of American Flyer guys so far: Sturgeon-Phish green97probe Timboy richhotrain balidas Northwoods Flyer sulafool mersenne6 jcolonbc banks arkady stebbycentral aflyer traindaddy1 joehohmann laurastom RockIsland52 - wannabee Russ D Little Tommy nwoodsnut AFBOXCAR rrlineman Major AF4EVER PHM AFLines LocoPops kaycee Brady AF53 SFFlyer Acela026 Tinplate
Here is the tally of American Flyer guys so far:
Sturgeon-Phish
green97probe
Timboy
richhotrain
balidas
Northwoods Flyer
sulafool
mersenne6
jcolonbc
banks
arkady
stebbycentral
aflyer
traindaddy1
joehohmann
laurastom
RockIsland52 - wannabee
Russ D
Little Tommy
nwoodsnut
AFBOXCAR
rrlineman
Major
AF4EVER
PHM
AFLines
LocoPops
kaycee
Brady
AF53
SFFlyer
Acela026
Tinplate
Welcome to the forum, Tinplate. Don't be a stranger.
Jack
IF IT WON'T COME LOOSE BY TAPPING ON IT, DON'T TRY TO FORCE IT. USE A BIGGER HAMMER.
If your still counting, add me to your list. It always has and still is #1 in my book. First was at Christmas 1950 Penn #312--K5 Pacific set # 4607.still have it, still runs, like a swiss watch. And yes I just received my Big Boy. My handle is Tinplate (glad I found you guys)
NASG # 01CO176W----TCA # 94-39718
richhotrain richhotrain richhotrain richhotrain Here is the tally of American Flyer guys so far: Sturgeon-Phish green97probe Timboy richhotrain balidas Northwoods Flyer sulafool mersenne6 jcolonbc banks arkady stebbycentral aflyer traindaddy1 joehohmann laurastom RockIsland52 - wannabee Russ D Little Tommy nwoodsnut AFBOXCAR rrlineman Major AF4EVER PHM AFLines LocoPops kaycee Brady AF53 SFFlyer Acela026
richhotrain richhotrain richhotrain Here is the tally of American Flyer guys so far: Sturgeon-Phish green97probe Timboy richhotrain balidas Northwoods Flyer sulafool mersenne6 jcolonbc banks arkady stebbycentral aflyer traindaddy1 joehohmann laurastom RockIsland52 - wannabee Russ D Little Tommy nwoodsnut AFBOXCAR rrlineman Major AF4EVER PHM AFLines LocoPops kaycee Brady AF53 SFFlyer Acela026
richhotrain richhotrain Here is the tally of American Flyer guys so far: Sturgeon-Phish green97probe Timboy richhotrain balidas Northwoods Flyer sulafool mersenne6 jcolonbc banks arkady stebbycentral aflyer traindaddy1 joehohmann laurastom RockIsland52 - wannabee Russ D Little Tommy nwoodsnut AFBOXCAR rrlineman Major AF4EVER PHM AFLines LocoPops kaycee Brady AF53 SFFlyer Acela026
richhotrain Here is the tally of American Flyer guys so far: Sturgeon-Phish green97probe Timboy richhotrain balidas Northwoods Flyer sulafool mersenne6 jcolonbc banks arkady stebbycentral aflyer traindaddy1 joehohmann laurastom RockIsland52 - wannabee Russ D Little Tommy nwoodsnut AFBOXCAR rrlineman Major AF4EVER PHM AFLines LocoPops kaycee Brady AF53 SFFlyer Acela026
Go to a train show some time or even the TCA train show at York, PA. The vast majority are late middle age men reliving their youth. Hey I am one of them. At least my son is also interested in the hobby, and we are building a layout at his home. But without mass marketing and an influx of new individuals I see a declining number of people in the hobby. But remember at one time Trains were mainly a holiday item with small sales the rest of the year., It may return to being that again, in fact it may have always been that way for the large scale manufactures
And me! Good ole 2-rail track is the way toy trains are meant to be made. I also love the Flyer choo-choo smoke units. I have a set that my grandpa had as a kid, still running great after 55 years!
Flyer is the best!
The timbers beneath the rails are not the only ties that bind on the railroad. --Robert S. McGonigal
arkadyAF4EVER It was only the late Fifties, when AF was cutting back and cheaping their sets and rolling stock that Lionel was able to catch up and over take AF. By the late Fifties, Lionel was cutting back and cheapening their sets and rolling stock, too. Flyer did not recognize where their strengths were and that is what understand killed the company. In my opinion, the problem was that Flyer (in its S scale incarnation) simply came along too late in a game that ended much too soon. S scale was just beginning to hit its stride when Space Age America decided it wasn't interested in anything as "old fashioned" as toy trains any longer.
AF4EVER It was only the late Fifties, when AF was cutting back and cheaping their sets and rolling stock that Lionel was able to catch up and over take AF.
It was only the late Fifties, when AF was cutting back and cheaping their sets and rolling stock that Lionel was able to catch up and over take AF.
By the late Fifties, Lionel was cutting back and cheapening their sets and rolling stock, too.
Flyer did not recognize where their strengths were and that is what understand killed the company.
In my opinion, the problem was that Flyer (in its S scale incarnation) simply came along too late in a game that ended much too soon. S scale was just beginning to hit its stride when Space Age America decided it wasn't interested in anything as "old fashioned" as toy trains any longer.
I'm not sure I agree there. I think they tried to keep up with the trends. I remember in the mid-60's the big thing suddenly was slot cars. And Flyer responded with their own slot car set. My brother owned one.
But I also remember at that time my interest was shifting to scale model trains. And you simply couldn't find Flyer in your LHS. Lionel, yes. HO, yes. And that upstart scale N, which is where I wound up. I think they just stayed too long with an outmoded retail model.
I have figured out what is wrong with my brain! On the left side nothing works right, and on the right side there is nothing left!
richhotrain richhotrain richhotrain Here is the tally of American Flyer guys so far: Sturgeon-Phish green97probe Timboy richhotrain balidas Northwoods Flyer sulafool mersenne6 jcolonbc banks arkady stebbycentral aflyer traindaddy1 joehohmann laurastom RockIsland52 - wannabee Russ D Little Tommy nwoodsnut AFBOXCAR rrlineman Major AF4EVER PHM AFLines LocoPops kaycee Brady AF53 SFFlyer
richhotrain richhotrain Here is the tally of American Flyer guys so far: Sturgeon-Phish green97probe Timboy richhotrain balidas Northwoods Flyer sulafool mersenne6 jcolonbc banks arkady stebbycentral aflyer traindaddy1 joehohmann laurastom RockIsland52 - wannabee Russ D Little Tommy nwoodsnut AFBOXCAR rrlineman Major AF4EVER PHM AFLines LocoPops kaycee Brady AF53 SFFlyer
richhotrain Here is the tally of American Flyer guys so far: Sturgeon-Phish green97probe Timboy richhotrain balidas Northwoods Flyer sulafool mersenne6 jcolonbc banks arkady stebbycentral aflyer traindaddy1 joehohmann laurastom RockIsland52 - wannabee Russ D Little Tommy nwoodsnut AFBOXCAR rrlineman Major AF4EVER PHM AFLines LocoPops kaycee Brady AF53 SFFlyer
Add me to the 'good' list.
A minority to say the least but getting bigger by the day!
AF4EVER Sadly, after AC Gilbert died, the brains of the company could only think of $ signs and did not understand the business or where it was going.
Sadly, after AC Gilbert died, the brains of the company could only think of $ signs and did not understand the business or where it was going.
January 24, 1961, "the day the music died".
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