American Flyer Discussion Group?

Most of the repairs and tune ups are covered in the repair clinics at the Port Lines Hobbies website. There are 53 of them. Port Lines also sells all the parts you might need.

Neglected to add that the Gilbert Factory Service Manual is online at myflyertrains.org.

Thank you Tom, this is very helpful, especially the Gilbert Service manual.

You’re certainly not wasting forum time or space. Others will also learn from your questions, namely me. 

liomelflyer, 

This forum is for all things S, we have all come with questions that may be very basic to some. You do not waste anyone's time.

Ray

I agree with these guys.  Post your questions and problems you run into.  We all benefit from posts.

Okay, here goes with the start of the basic questions.  Here is a video of a 471 Santa Fe PB unit.  Does this appear to be working properly?  I hooked up a Diesel Horn activation unit and the horn seems to work okay.  I'm not so sure about the Diesel Roar sound.  Is this how it should be operating?

Cleaning and repairing the diesels doesn't seem to be too difficult but the old steam locomotives are quite challenging.  Most of the ones that I have like 332, 336, 342 all need rewiring and/or the e-units rebuilt or replaced.

I'm also looking for a lot of parts as I go through these AF trains.  What is the best source?  Portline Hobbies seem to mostly have used parts and I'm searching more for repro parts if they are available (decorative horn for a PA, short coupler for a PA, body screws for a PA, power cords for transformers, knurled nuts for switches, etc.

Thanks in advance for any help.

LionelFlyer

That is actually the best sounding Gilbert diesel roar that I have heard.

Ray

Hi Ray,

Thanks for responding.  I guess that is what it is supposed to sound like?  It's not a nice as a postwar Lionel whistle but certainly way better than a postwar Lionel Diesel horn.  Those bicycle horns were never very good and having to use a battery that leaked and ruined plenty of postwar engines was disappointing.

LionelFlyer

As Ray said, that is the Diesel Roar, not the Diesel Horn. The Roar is supposed to imitate an engine sound. It will sound slightly different with the shell in place.

Hi Tom,

Yes, I'm aware it is the diesel roar.  I just wanted to make sure that this is what it is supposed to sound like.  I did check the diesel horn on this unit and it was working fine.  As I said, the AF diesel horn is much better than the diesel horn found on postwar Lionel engines.

I've moved on to restoring the remote control switches now.  They seem to function but will need cleaning and lubricating, along with some bottom plate screws, which seem either hard to find or very expensive.  If anyone knows of a standard size screw that might work as a replacement, I would appreciate the information.  I think the part number is S279.

Has anyone replaced the bulbs in the 720A switch or the controller with LED bulbs?  

LionelFlyer

Hi All,

Here are some more questions.

1. Can a pair of 720A switches going between two parallel lines be jumpered so that one side of a controller flips both switches?
2. For my previous Lionel layout, I used a bare copper wire under the layout to run common throughout the layout with wires dropped from the rails to the common "ground".  Can the same be done for AF?  Is there an advantage or disadvantage to doing this?
3. Are there any AF operating clubs in Northern NJ that anyone is aware of?

That should cover my questions for now.  Back to cleaning up the switches and tuning up the trains!

LionelFlyer

1. Can a pair of 720A switches going between two parallel lines be jumpered so that one side of a controller flips both switches?

I seem to remember trying to operate two switches on one lever many years ago and found it didn’t work. I believe one switch will operate OK as it is drawing most of the available current while the other one just moves partially but not enough to flip it over.

A couple of answers. A properly maintained 720A turnout will snap sharply at 12V. No problem using one lever to throw two turnouts, I do it all the time. I put readily available and cheap 24V bulbs in my turnout lanterns and controllers. No problem using LED screw in replacement bulbs if you want to spend the money for them.

If you choose to use a common bus wire for the Base Post connections be aware of two considerations different from 3 rail O gauge. First, the Gilbert turnouts are power routing, it is possible to defeat that feature with common bus wiring. Just be careful to assure you do not bridge the turnout rail gap. Second, if you have reverse loops be sure to connect the section of track in the reverse loop only to the controller and gap all the rails.

Third, I never use bare copper wire under the layout for any reason. I recommend all wires be insulated, all connections taped or on terminal strips.

I have always bought those screws from one of the train vendors.

You asked about an operating club in northern NJ.  I belonged to the Bergen County Model RR Club when I lived there some years ago.  At the time, it was multi-gauge - Std, O, and S.  We set up temporary displays in the Waldwick Library, at a church in Pearl River, and had plans for the Hillsdale Station at the time.  Check them out on Facebook for current activities, etc:   https://www.facebook.com/BCMRRC 

I've lost touch with them but you should be able to contact them thru FB.