Sturgeon-Phish You have a great start to an Amrican Flyer collection. But I forewarn you, it is very addictive and chances are you will spend many times over the $600. AF forever!!!! Jim
You have a great start to an Amrican Flyer collection. But I forewarn you, it is very addictive and chances are you will spend many times over the $600.
AF forever!!!!
Jim
I have to say that I agree, although I got bit by the 3 Rail O-Gauge Virus. Be Vewy, Vewy Careful as Elmer Fudd would say. I just bought "One Lionel for around the Christmas Tree" and you can see a partial result of that below. Before Novemeber 2005, I was an active member in a large HO club, and would have Laughed at anyone who would have suggested that I would be this involved in 3 Rail. When I got infected by the O-Gauge Virus, it was a Full Blown case, the Doctors had never seen so severe a case, almost had to notify the CDC, in Atlanta. Almost 4 years later now, and I still haven't recovered, the Doc says it will likely be a Lifelong affliction, and the only known treatment is to keep buying more trains to control the symptoms.
These are most of my Lionel Steam collection.
The Scale size Locomotives
The Semi-Scale and Traditional size Steam
The little Hudson Top Center, Earned that position, by being THE locomotive that got me Hooked on 3 Rail O-Gauge, it was just supposed to be "One Train for the Tree".
Rember, Listen to Elmer, Be Vewy, Vewy Careful,
Doug
May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails
Sturgeon-Phish49 - 52 weight now black steel,
I believe this is correct for the model I have. Thanks for the pricing. So I got $600 worth of 1951 American Flyer trains. Nice.
Here is some of the other stuff I saw in your picture
The tressel 780 5 18
760 crossbuck 9 43
Switches 720A 23 55
Lamp posts 778 10 28
The easiest way to date link coupler cars is the type of link used. ’46 thin shank, ’47 thick shank, ’48 brass weight added, 49 - 52 weight now black steel, ’52 went to knuckle couplers.
These prices are from the 2008 Greenberg’s book.
Piece good excellent
342 95 350
631 8 19
630 8 39
17B 33 80
715 55 80 based on with the tootsie Race Car on it (the version you have is more rare)
946 searchlight 30 45
568 billboard 20 45 This is from 1956
You did well, if your friend is getting rid of any more AF stuff, I am willing to take it off their hands!
lionelsoniI would keep that reversing unit in the tender in case you ever change your mind and decide to hook it back up.
I did. I just reconnected the wires inside the tender. It will be simple to move them back.
Driline,
The red plastic tube he is referring to screwed into the top of the smoke unit in steamers from 1952 onward. Your 342 should have the earlier brass tube in the smoke stack. Both variations of the stack tube have one end that is threaded to screw into the smoke unit, and the other end will have a slot cut across it. You'll need that tube along the one of the small metal funnels in order to be able to get fluid into the unit. The tube, funnel, and fluid are readily available on ebay or from parts dealers.
stebbycentralThere should be a plastic tube, often red in color, that goes into a hole in the top of the box.
Gone with the Wind. So the rectangular box just heats up the contents of the tube and wa la smoke?
I would keep that reversing unit in the tender in case you ever change your mind and decide to hook it back up. But, if you have a notion to discard it, I'd be interested in buying it from you. They work just as well inside O-gauge locomotives and are easier to find room for than the Lionel ones.
Bob Nelson
Driline I believe the 342 is the 1951 version. What smoke unit? I didn't see a wick?
I believe the 342 is the 1951 version.
What smoke unit? I didn't see a wick?
The wick is inside the rectangular box that is attached to the front of the piston unit. Along with some sort of heating element I assume. There should be a plastic tube, often red in color, that goes into a hole in the top of the box. The tube is a slightly smaller diameter than the smokestack, and fits up inside it like a chimney liner. They can often be broken off if someone was not careful when they removed the shell.
In the day, the smoke fluid came in tiny ampules that you would snip the tip off of and squeeze the contents down the red tube. After a few minutes of running time, the engine would send up puffs of smoke in time with the chuff-chuff sound.
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!
1) Motor and spotlight car Erie 7210 #PA10358
2) Vehicle dump car #715 (no vehicle)
3) gondola T&P 631 #PA9986
4) Caboose 630 with lamp
5) Electronic Steam Whistle with Billboard
Transformer is a 17B
You've got a nice set there. If you are interested in the value, post the numbers off the cars and the transformer and I'll come up with an estimate.
The 342 runs fairly slow due to the small diameter wheels, but let it run a bit and see if it does not loosen up and go faster.
Get some smoke fluid in the smoke unit before you run it too much so you won't burn out the wick
Well, I got lucky. I wired around the tender and it works in FORWARD. I need to clean up the track and maybe get some new track pins so that the AC is solid, but it runs really nice. Not fast though. I have it full throttle to obtain a nice running speed. Is this common? Thanks for the help though and enjoy the pics...
All the train stuff shown together my co-worker was going to give away or throw out
My new wiring job...
I really like this sound unit...works fantastic!
No, you don't have to take the train off the track to reverse it. You just shut it off, turn it on, shut it off, and turn it on again. The lever under the tender is for disabling this reversing function and locking it into one direction or neutral. It's the same scheme that Lionel uses, except that the disabling is mechanical rather than electrical.
I don't know what you mean by "reverse the outer two". If we number the pins 1, 2, 3, and 4 from left to right and label the tether wires A and B, I think you mean A-1, 2-3, 4-B for one direction and B-1, 2-3, 4-A for the other direction. This will not change the direction. However, if A-1, 2-3, 4-B makes the locomotive run backward, A-1, 4-3, 2-B will make it run forward. (There are many other possibilities, some of which will work, others of which won't, and some that will damage the locomotive.)
lionelsoniYou can disconnect the entire reversing unit and wire around it if you want. If the locomotive then runs backwards, just swap the armature or field wires, but not both, to get it to run forward. However, it shouldn't be that hard to fix everything.
I think thats what I will do. I never saw the point of reversing these types of trains anyhow. To do so you have to pull it off the track and move the lever underneath the tender. I mean...whats the point? Lionel was easy because the reversing lever at least on my models is on the loco itself? So I guess I'll just re-wire it using the diagram that shows how to operate the loco without the tender. Just short the two center wires and reverse the outer two to change direction. Correct?
This kind of motor, called a "universal" motor, has the armature and field in series. You can reverse it by swapping the two wires to the armature or by swapping the two wires to the field. That is what the reversing unit does. In addition to the drum and fingers that do that swapping, it has an electromagnet coil to rotate the drum, one step every time you start the locomotive. Between the steps for forward and reverse, the drum has blank spots so that the locomotive stands still, with just the smoke generator and headlight on. American Flyer reversing units have a lever that locks the stepping mechanism mechanically, even though the coil is still connected.
You can disconnect the entire reversing unit and wire around it if you want. If the locomotive then runs backwards, just swap the armature or field wires, but not both, to get it to run forward. However, it shouldn't be that hard to fix everything.
There are three sets of two terminals each on the reversing unit. The two terminals on the top middle are for the coil. The other four are for the fingers. Each of the truck rivets should be donnected to one side of the lamp and to one end of the coil. In addition:
The front truck rivet should be connected to one of the top pins of the tether connector.
The rear truck rivet should be connected to the centermost of the upper pair of fingers.
The outermost upper finger should be connected to one of the bottom pins of the tether connector.
The centermost of the lower pair of fingers should be connected to the other top pin of the tether connector.
The outermost lower finger should be connected to the other bottom pin of the tether connector.
Oh....so close, but yet so far away.
I've rewired the tender to the loco, BUT the only direction the locomotive will run is in REVERSE.
How does the tender make the loco go forward or reverse with the lever underneath the car? Forward, Neutral Reverse?I really don't care if the engine ever goes in reverse. If I could wire it to go forward ONLY thats just fine by me.
Here is a pic of the tender when it is in REVERSE. Stepping the actuator by hand and changing the contacts still does not allow me to go FORWARD no matter what the location of the contact drum. Any help appreciated....
I wouldn't use sandpaper or a Bright-Boy on the track. You don't want to remove any tinplating that is there. I would use Scotch Brite.
You did great! As you found out the AF stuff is fairly straightforward and easy to work on. There are some exploded drawings on the RFGCO or Portlines site to help with the reassembly. Your enginge has seen a lot of easily rode miles from the look of your pictures and the brushes down to 1/4". I'd go ahead and replace the brushes while apart, they are inexpensive. Jim T good job on the troubleshooting.
stebbycentralDriline, you lucky dog. I started out with American Flyer equipment when I was young. Of late I have been doing research on old AF equipment. As I have been wrestling with the idea of replicating the train set I had as a child. Not the same train set as you have, though the green gondola and the Reading caboose are quite familiar. Anyway, in the course of my research I found this website which might be of some use to you; they sell replacement parts for old AF equipment. http://www.rfgco.com/
Driline, you lucky dog. I started out with American Flyer equipment when I was young. Of late I have been doing research on old AF equipment. As I have been wrestling with the idea of replicating the train set I had as a child.
Not the same train set as you have, though the green gondola and the Reading caboose are quite familiar. Anyway, in the course of my research I found this website which might be of some use to you; they sell replacement parts for old AF equipment.
http://www.rfgco.com/
Wow great website! I can order the bulbs I need from there. This set included a railroad cross buck with flashing lights and also a Train sound device that actually works! I've got two turnouts that work as well. Plenty of track and quite a few bridge trestles. Checking on that website you gave me, it looks like the train was built in 1951 and the transformer 1952.
I'm going to use a mild detergent to clean the outside of the engine. And probably a bright boy to clean the track or some fine 600 grit sandpaper.
Here's a link to some info on the 0-8-0, appears it was made c.1952.
http://www.geocities.com/theupstairstrain/engines-Switcher.html
Earlier this year one of these sold on ebay for $260....
http://cgi.ebay.com/American-Flyer-Trains-343-NKP-0-8-0-Switcher_W0QQitemZ250422351669QQcmdZViewItemQQptZModel_RR_Trains?hash=item3a4e55d735&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50
If it still doesn't run, try disconnrcting the smoke unit. It may be shorted.
green97probeDid you use a toothpick to remove the gunk in the commutator slots?
Yes, did that.
green97probe Pull the armature out and try to turn the wheels by hand to check for binding.
thats Ok too.
green97probeConnect one wire from the tranformer to one of the brushes, and connect the remaining wire from the transformer to one of the field wires. Use a jumper to connect the remaining brush wire to the remaining field wire. The motor should run.
I'll try that tonight when I get home...thanks.
Did you use a toothpick to remove the gunk in the commutator slots? If they are not clean, they will display the same symptoms of a shorted armature. Pull the armature out and try to turn the wheels by hand to check for binding. The wiring going from the motor to the jack panel may not be correct. Connect one wire from the tranformer to one of the brushes, and connect the remaining wire from the transformer to one of the field wires. Use a jumper to connect the remaining brush wire to the remaining field wire. The motor should run. Whatever you do, don't throw the engine in the garbage. The 342 is hard to find, especially one as clean as yours. I'll be sending you a message.
Cleaned armature,brush housing, removed old grease from worm gears, cleaned and used TV tuner to degrease. Removed tender and bypassed as shown in diagram. Still get the same thing. Low motor hum and the AMP meter on the power transformer increasing as I increase voltage. No Joy.......could armature be bad?
Hmmmmmmm.....scratching head. Hate to throw this away......I could sell the cars, transformer and track though.
Sturgeon-PhishWhen troubleshooting the loco put a jumper between the center two jacks and apply voltage to the outer two jacks. If the loco is good it should run as this simulates the tender connection. With AF locos with the eccentric side linkage, I’ve had engines that I thought would not run because the linkage was bound up.
Ok, did that and heard the motor hum, I gave it a little nudge and could see it try to move, but no joy. I've taken in a part and now it looks like frankenstein. The brushes are intact and are a little over a 1/4" long, so they should be OK for now. Springs look good too. Commutator is very very dirty however.
I'm planning on using some contact cleaner and hopefully it will run after I put it all back together. If I can remember what went where
PA9603 is right for the brushes. I accidentally read the wrong line in the parts list. PA10757 is the number for the springs.
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