Nice Work NationWideLines. The set is indeed the Iron Horse, and it appears in the 1930 and 1931 catalogs. Thanks for the additional information on the tenders too. It makes dating sets a bit more precise.
Trivia Question #5
What is this and where will you find it?
Good Luck!
Enjoying the World's Greatest Hobby
Northwoods Flyer
The Northwoods Flyer Collection
of
American Flyer Trains
"The Toy For the Boy"
Come on, you can't come up with something harder? Red Block signal
NationWideLines is correct again.
The photo is of the back side of the #2218 block signal in its less common red color.
Trivia Question #6
What is this a part of? What year(s) did this appear in the American Flyer catalogs?
A crane of some sort, probably 1939/1940?
tinplatacis A crane of some sort, probably 1939/1940?
Correct color and close to the correct year. Try again.
Longshot here, because I don't know Gilbert. How about the prewar HO version of the switch tower? The item is obviously cast and is yellow in color and that is the only thing I can think of that matches those characteristics.
I guess one other option is the cart on the track gang accessory.
NWL
Northwoods Flyer Trivia Question #6 What is this a part of? What year(s) did this appear in the American Flyer catalogs?
Good observations so far, but no correct answers. Its been 13 hours since the last guess. Need another clue?
FYI i figured id pass this along to anyone here interested in restoring prewar flyer.
I spied a rough and rusty 1939 mountain red ball double header set on one of the auction sites....I wont give away the location to spoil it for some one bidding.....but i figured if anyone is looking for this set there is a project to restore out there.....youll have to study the photos to see the cars and dummy for this set...the auction does not list it as a set.
Hope it finds a good home....Jason
Northwoods Flyer Northwoods Flyer Trivia Question #6 What is this a part of? What year(s) did this appear in the American Flyer catalogs? Good observations so far, but no correct answers. Its been 13 hours since the last guess. Need another clue? Enjoying the World's Greatest Hobby Northwoods Flyer
That makes it easier, it is the other cast item that was painted yellow, which I did not think about. It is the die cast bumper/stop that Gilbert made. Not sure of the years cataloged, likely 1940-42
Nationwidelines Northwoods Flyer Northwoods Flyer Trivia Question #6 What is this a part of? What year(s) did this appear in the American Flyer catalogs? Good observations so far, but no correct answers. Its been 13 hours since the last guess. Need another clue? Enjoying the World's Greatest Hobby Northwoods Flyer That makes it easier, it is the other cast item that was painted yellow, which I did not think about. It is the die cast bumper/stop that Gilbert made. Not sure of the years cataloged, likely 1940-42
You beat me to that guess, although I would be inclined to say 1941, since 1940 was close.
Good work folks.
It is the #610 Bumper from 1941. My catalogs only go up to 1941 and that is the only one that I can find it in. Is there a 1942 catalog?
I have not seen very many of these, which makes sense if it was only produced one year. I have another one but it is broken. It did not survive the journey from its previous owner. It made me think that the diecast was somewhat fragile. Several of them have the "Amercian Flyer Lines" decal on them. My example does not, althought the broken example did.
Northwoods,
To answer your question "Is there a 1942 catalog?" I have been told that there is a 1942 catalog that is identical to the 1941 catalog but with a minor difference, which I believe relates to prices.
It would seem logical that there could be a 1942 catalog, as the US entered WWII in December 1941 with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The wartime production board was established in early 1942, but it would have taken a while for industry to shift production and there would likely have been un-assembled items that could have been assembled for sale in 1942.
That was a good challenge by the way and had you not posted additional photos, it would have been a tougher one to solve.
Trivia Question #7
What is this? Where is it located? What year(s) was it pictured in the American Flyer Catalog(s)? This isn't really that difficult, but the blurry photo should add a bit of mystery.
Good Luck. Yes NationWideLines, I know that you will get this in seconds, but there are other folks who will find it challenging.
Actually, I have no clue, other than it is a lithographed item, likely showing some windows on something.
Will have to walk back down to the archives and root around the shelves, til I find something that matches.
It took me a while to figure it out, as I have very little standard gauge in my collection and do not have an example of those. But it is a lithographed baggage car door from a standard gauge car. Likely the brown president's special set, which I know you have. But it could be on a blue one also, your editing skills are good enough that one cannot tell what color door it is on. Not sure if they used similar doors on other standard gauge cars or not. Years cataloged would have to be between 1925 and 1927, depending on what type of car it is on, because Flyer switched to enamel painted doors with punched out vents and/or windows around 1928.
I am inclined to say something random like a switch tower, but the truth of the matter is I have absolutely no clue.
Quiz
OK Northwoods and others, where does this opening appear?
May or may not be easy. Or am I tricking you all?
I would like to have posted this on April 1, but was too busy with work.
It appears on an O gauge coach, orange in color it would appear.
Nationwidelines .... it is a lithographed baggage car door from a standard gauge car. Likely the brown president's special set, which I know you have. But it could be on a blue one also... NWL
.... it is a lithographed baggage car door from a standard gauge car. Likely the brown president's special set, which I know you have. But it could be on a blue one also...
I just wanted to verify NationWideLines' correct answer. The photo is indeed of a window on a baggage car door. It happens to be from the 1927 Presidents Special #4090
This was clue #2
Clue #3
The solution:
The car:
The artwork from the 1927 catalog:
Nice Work NWL.
Nationwidelines Quiz OK Northwoods and others, where does this opening appear? May or may not be easy. Or am I tricking you all? I would like to have posted this on April 1, but was too busy with work. NWL
Well, I won't admit how much time I have spent trying to figure this one out. It is obviously from a lithographed piece, but I haven't been able to identify it yet. Because of your April 1st reference I am tempted to think that you rotated the photo 90 degrees to throw us off. The rivits make me think it is from a passenger car. It looks like it should be from a Statesman set, or perhaps from the back door area of an Illini set. However because of your penchant for unusual variations I am beginning to think that it is from something that I don't have in my collection or something that I have never seen before.
How about another clue?
Enjoying the world's Greatest Hobby
Tinplatics and Northwoods,
You both are on the right track.
It is more of an trick question as it is from a factory error.
Here is the larger shot of it
Here is a close-up of the other side of the car.
Apparently the red never got applied to the one side.
New Quiz
What is this from?
I believe that it is from the desk of the station agent of the #101 Passenger station. It is his desk lamp.
My version of the #101 Passenger Station was available 1925-1927.
Excellent challenge NationWideLines
You are close enough. It is actually from my 100 Station and is from the actual bay window lithograph portion, which is slightly different from the non-bay window lithos. Note that your 101 station simulates shading and the 100 station with the bay window portion does not have simulated shading.
tinplatacis AF53 Back on page 7 Northwoods posted: "This is the 403 Locomotive/Tender combination. It has the Type XX locomotive(401) 2-4-4 and a Type IV tender(421). It has nickel trim and therefore comes from early in 1940. It is Gilbert production." Here is a later 1940 version of the same Locomotive /Tender, as there is no rubber stamp below the cab window. Not long after the original post quoted above, someone noted the similarity to the Marx Wedhe Tender, commonly 951A. I have an example of this tender. Just gonna look at them both. Marx -Has the rear ridges. -outward facing sideplate. -Attached with tabs underneath. -No side handrails. -Sheetmetal tabs above for ladder tops. -features the pair of box ridges on the top. -Full tender. -Single piece coal gate opening -Unbent tender top sides. American Flyer: -Sideplate depressed. -Rivited on ends to frame -Has side handrails -Missing ladder top tabs -Tender filled lower than Marx example -2 piece coal gate opening -2 boxed ridges on top -Rounded tender top sides. All in all, they are a bit more similar than I had expected. The Marx design seems to be an improved version of the AF tender above (No bricks, please), or else they are based upon the same design, possibly a NYC design. I will say, though, that the trucks on the tender look a bit similar to the Marx 3/16" trucks. I do not have any examples that have these trucks, so I cannot say anything definite on the subject of them.
AF53 Back on page 7 Northwoods posted: "This is the 403 Locomotive/Tender combination. It has the Type XX locomotive(401) 2-4-4 and a Type IV tender(421). It has nickel trim and therefore comes from early in 1940. It is Gilbert production." Here is a later 1940 version of the same Locomotive /Tender, as there is no rubber stamp below the cab window.
Back on page 7 Northwoods posted:
"This is the 403 Locomotive/Tender combination. It has the Type XX locomotive(401) 2-4-4 and a Type IV tender(421). It has nickel trim and therefore comes from early in 1940. It is Gilbert production."
Here is a later 1940 version of the same Locomotive /Tender, as there is no rubber stamp below the cab window.
Not long after the original post quoted above, someone noted the similarity to the Marx Wedhe Tender, commonly 951A. I have an example of this tender. Just gonna look at them both.
Marx
-Has the rear ridges.
-outward facing sideplate.
-Attached with tabs underneath.
-No side handrails.
-Sheetmetal tabs above for ladder tops.
-features the pair of box ridges on the top.
-Full tender.
-Single piece coal gate opening
-Unbent tender top sides.
American Flyer:
-Sideplate depressed.
-Rivited on ends to frame
-Has side handrails
-Missing ladder top tabs
-Tender filled lower than Marx example
-2 piece coal gate opening
-2 boxed ridges on top
-Rounded tender top sides.
All in all, they are a bit more similar than I had expected. The Marx design seems to be an improved version of the AF tender above (No bricks, please), or else they are based upon the same design, possibly a NYC design. I will say, though, that the trucks on the tender look a bit similar to the Marx 3/16" trucks. I do not have any examples that have these trucks, so I cannot say anything definite on the subject of them.
In addition to the tender similarities noted previously, Marx and AF had some similar passenger cars, of the short, rounded roof variaty. Don't remember if anyone posted about them earlier. These got me thinking a little bit, and I have a theory to propose: What if Marx bought some of the old AF dies from Gilbert? Around the same time the AF products were being phased out in exchange for Gilbert designed pieces, the similar Marx trains appeared. It wouldn't surprise me if enough leftover parts were available for some of the late AF production after Gilbert took over from the previous years? Marx had some designs developed before these were phased out, but the wedge tender and the open window, rounded roof passenger cars didn't appear until AFTER 1938, around when the last AF pieces were catalogued. (Only reason I thought of this was because some AF passenger cars I am in process of purchasing off the Fleabay are close enough in appearance to look like Marx pieces. They were actually advertised as such.)
tinplatacis,
I think that a similar question was answered over on the OGR site. From the responses over there it would appear that the Marx cars appeared a year before the Flyer cars. I'm not much of a "marxist" but from what I have seen of their construction they are similar but not identical. Both types of cars are very simple construction and probably were inexpensive to manufacture. Interesting observation. I'm sure the was "industrial espionage" even back then.
Marx (borrowed from Google Images)
Flyer (mine and borrowed from Google images)
Trivia Question #8
This should be an easy question for a lazy Saturday morning.
What is the name of this set? What year(s) did it appear in the catalog(s)? Extra points given for: What is the number given to this set? What is missing?
Hmmmm, 24 hours and no responses. NationWideLines must be on his way to York.
Here is a hint.
Ok, I had to take a break from my honey-do list to pull out my catalogs and research your puzzler (Oh the pain....). The set of course is the Statesman catalogued from 1928-31. Also it came in 1930-31 in "The Frontier Town" with many accessories. "A completely equipped railroad system" What is missing? I will guess the flags from the motor unit.
Set numbers were 1473 or 1483 w/remote reverse and 1469 for "The Frontier Town"
I hope using the catalogs doesn't count as cheating.
I better get back to work before she sends the dog to look for me!
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