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The neat train room is a deception. That picture was taken by the realtor photographer when he was doing the official pictures. He was kind enough to do the train room for me so I had a memory. Our realtor told us to leave the layout up but it had to be uncluttered, neat and clean. No the train room was not in the web site pictures.

Ray and John: Thanks, and I planned the whole layout that way from the beginning.  I've seen too many guys who had to scrap a good layout in a move..  There are those who haven't done badly in a move, but I don't have the time to spend on trains like I want.  I planned the benchwork for the Southeastern Michigan S Gaugers portable display layout, and used the same principles on my home layout.   It's basically salvaged lumber from a high school's bleachers which were scrapped.  The boards were very dry 1.5" x 12" clear fir.  I planed the boards down to 1" and ripped to 4" widths.  No warpage at ALL.  Each section weighs less than 20#, including the foam terrain.  And John, there's NO WAY anybody but me is moving my trains.  I plan on renting a storage unit to store everything until we find a new place.   Eight sections and 10 plastic tubs plus assorted boxes.  I too have heard too many horror stories about "missing" trains when moving.  BTW, the trackage in the foreground of the photos is a return path for a streetcar line, which resembles a subway tunnel.   

Cal, Good hearing from you again.  Contact me off list and we'll catch up!  Email is in my profile.

Hwy, I want one too!    Seroiusly, did you have a set of plans, or did you free lance it from photos?  Nicely done in any case.  I have a simple way of displaying my Flyer items.  There are routed slots in the shelves to keep the trains in line (so to speak).  Here's one of the three:

 

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poniaj posted:

Hwy, I want one too!    Seroiusly, did you have a set of plans, or did you free lance it from photos?  Nicely done in any case.  I have a simple way of displaying my Flyer items.  There are routed slots in the shelves to keep the trains in line (so to speak).  Here's one of the three:

 

Hi Jerry,

Freelanced from a photo I pulled up on line. Mine has 2 less shelves as I needed it to fit in the space I had. I also added the Choo-choo sound and Pull-Mor Power graphics that were not on the original. Would you believe that before October York the only Flyer I owned was the O gauge set on the display (I restored all of those cars except for the gondola) and a "Cow on Track" accessory (very cool!). 

Your display looks very much like what I have on all of the walls surrounding Warrenville and under it like skirting. This brings up another issue - I took down about 20 Lionel cars and engines from the wall where the new AF display is now, and a set from the loop section that was replaced, and I can't find a square inch to put them. I gotta buy or rent a basement stretcher!

Thanks for the kind remarks. I love building things and working on Warrenville and, now, The Alcove. For some reason when I do I don't feel my Rheumatoid arthritis pains.

 

Last edited by Lionelski

Guys, one of the passenger cars on the display has a broken link coupler (looks like a zinc pest victim). Any tips on replacing the coupler or would I just be better replacing the whole truck?

While we are (sorta) on this subject, the set I'm running has knuckle couplers (which I prefer). Is there some kind of conversion kit to replace link couplers to knuckle? A better alternative would probably be modifying a car with link on one end and knuckle on the other and run it as a transition car- do you agree?  If I have to replace one truck to do this, the side frames on the trucks on that car would not match and look odd. Have you guys addressed this issue and how?

Should I just sell or trade the link cars for knuckle cars?

Dang, sorry for my rambling here

Last edited by Lionelski
Lionelski posted:

Guys, one of the passenger cars on the display has a broken link coupler (looks like a zinc pest victim). Any tips on replacing the coupler or would I just be better replacing the whole truck?

While we are (sorta) on this subject, the set I'm running has knuckle couplers (which I prefer). Is there some kind of conversion kit to replace link couplers to knuckle? A better alternative would probably be modifying a car with link on one end and knuckle on the other and run it as a transition car- do you agree?  If I have to replace one truck to do this, the side frames on the trucks on that car would not match and look odd. Have you guys addressed this issue and how?

Should I just sell or trade the link cars for knuckle cars?

Dang, sorry for my rambling here

No rambling.  They're all legit questions on S and particularly Gilbert items.  First, you can replace the link coupler using repro parts from a number of sources.  I like to use Doug Peck's things. His site is called Port Lines Hobbies.   He's a good guy to work with and a fountain of information  The link, pin and tool to peen over the pin are available to do an almost perfect repair.  As to replacing a link with a knuckle, they're also available.  Simple procedure.  Gilbert even offered a kit to do just that.  A special knuckle and a pin to keep it in place. Changing one truck like that keeps both of them looking the same, and provides a "transition" car.  A lot of guys do the exact same thing.  It keeps you from having to replace the whole truck.   As for the broken link coupler, they're made of a nylon type plastic and break if you slam the cars together too hard.  Old plastic shrinks too and adds to their vulnerability.  

The photo I posted isn't the most detailed, but you can see some of the cars with link couplers have the bright journal boxes, while the knuckle ones have scintered iron side frames.  It's all for fun anyway, isn't it?

Last edited by poniaj

Thanks Bob, I really enjoyed this project.

I've always been (and always will be) a Lionel O gauge guy but I've always remembered seeing a friend's father's American Flyer layout when I was only 6 or 7. It left an impression on me and, after 60 something years I finally bought some.

I'm now a four gauge operator/accumulator: O gauge (mostly Postwar Lionel) main layout                                                                                                                                                       S gauge (Postwar American Flyer) "The Alcove"                                                                                                                                                   Standard gauge (Prewar Lionel) Christmas tree loops                                                                                                                                        N gauge - Amusement park ride on main layout

John as usual Jerry nailed. I did see a youtube video where instead of the pin removal tool a pair of needle nose pliers was used to wiggle the pin out. I looked but  could not find that video again. Beyond my search abilities. If I find it, I'll post. But at midnight my windows 7 laptop turns into a pumpkin so not sure when.

It maybe worth a try if you replace with a knuckle  coupler for a transition car which I have done.

Also the general public agreed with you about the link coupler since Gilbert replaced them. The only reason I have heard as an advantage is they allow closer coupling. Now I'm rambling.  

Not mentioned is that there are at least 4 versions of the link couplers.  1946 production with a narrow shank (and a matching pin), 1947 production with a thicker shank, but still no weight. 1948 production with a brass weight added, and then 1949 to 1953 production with a black weight. Pins go from nickel plated to cadmium plating too.

I assume you know that that red 631 is one of the harder gondolas to find.  If not, I'll trade you a green 931 straight across and then you'll have another Knuckle coupler car!!

 

traindavid posted:

Not mentioned is that there are at least 4 versions of the link couplers.  1946 production with a narrow shank (and a matching pin), 1947 production with a thicker shank, but still no weight. 1948 production with a brass weight added, and then 1949 to 1953 production with a black weight. Pins go from nickel plated to cadmium plating too.

I assume you know that that red 631 is one of the harder gondolas to find.  If not, I'll trade you a green 931 straight across and then you'll have another Knuckle coupler car!!

 

Thanks for the link coupler lesson, David. I've been absorbing a lot from you guys as well as from the websites suggested here. I don't know if I'd have gotten this far if not for this forum.

Interesting that you mentioned this car. When I received it as part of a collection I looked it up in Greenberg's guide to American Flyer (I have a 2008 edition, so, I'm sure, it is out of date).

The guide lists 4 variations, but not the one I have:                                                                                                                                            Green unpainted $8-$19                                                                                                                                                                                         Dark Grey unpainted $70-$330                                                                                                                                                                               Red painted $31-$195                                                                                                                                                                                             Green painted $4-$30

The version I have is red unpainted, not listed. I have no attachment to this car but I would like to know it's current market value before I trade or sell it. Do you, or anyone else here, have any thoughts on its value?  

The guide lists the Green painted 931 at $5-$15                                                                                                                                                                        

 

       

 

Yeah, I know what the 931 is worth-less! Hmm, red plastic, I would have to look in my books some more, the usual unusua red one is red painted over white plastic--there is a chance yours may be even more unusual--or more usual. there are multiple books out on AF production and they don't all show the differences. We tend to forget that ACG was making toys and getting product out was more important than creating rarities!

The 631 T&P hopper has a red painted variation. The 641 hopper has a red plastic unpainted variation. The 631 red painted in excellent condition, no broken steps would be worth at least $125. A red plastic unpainted 631 T&P would be an unreported variation so there is no reliable way to price that absent an auction.

AmFlyer posted:

The 631 T&P hopper has a red painted variation. The 641 hopper has a red plastic unpainted variation. The 631 red painted in excellent condition, no broken steps would be worth at least $125. A red plastic unpainted 631 T&P would be an unreported variation so there is no reliable way to price that absent an auction.

Tom, it sure looks unpainted but after seeing your post I went to check the steps and see that one in mine is broken showing white plastic.

So, anybody have an idea of what a red painted 631 with one broken step, but in otherwise excellent condition, is worth? It would not hit the "Good" description because of this.

 

If the 631 red painted T&P were in a solid excellent condition and the only issue was the broken step my estimate would be about $15 less. Broken steps are fairly common and would not warrant knocking an otherwise excellent car down to good. If the car grades at very good and has a broken step then the value falls more. For the red painted 631's excellent paint and strong lettering are more important than one step because the red paint gets chipped easily and is harder to find in perfect condition.

AmFlyer posted:

If the 631 red painted T&P were in a solid excellent condition and the only issue was the broken step my estimate would be about $15 less. Broken steps are fairly common and would not warrant knocking an otherwise excellent car down to good. If the car grades at very good and has a broken step then the value falls more. For the red painted 631's excellent paint and strong lettering are more important than one step because the red paint gets chipped easily and is harder to find in perfect condition.

Thanks for the guidance, Tom

Gang, I just listed this car with pics in the FS or Trade section.

If not for the one broken step I would rate it Ex - Ex+

Last month I bought one on the last day of the Roseville train show for $4! Paint is chipped all over, but it IS the red one. This is often a "sleeper" car, not on everyone's radar. I also bought the 30B transformer from the same guy for $5. It was electrically fine, just had lots of corrosion on it, which it doesn't have now!

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OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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