Barn find 1953 American Flyer factory built dealer display layout #150

Cool! 😊😊

Mark in (not so many attics here) Oregon

Nice catch Dennis.

It looks to be in pretty good shape. I have always liked the fenced in farm.

What is your intentions with the layout?

Excellent find!

Gunny

Great find Dennis!

I assume you are familiar with the site www.americanflyerdisplays.org. For the 5'x9' #150 the site has a picture, the track plan with BOM and an artist rendering of the layout.

Below are the sellers pictures that I had to work with while trying to identify this beauty.  Yes, I did use the American FLyer displays as an excellent source.

http://www.americanflyerdispla...wPkr8N02Xd4hy4cglV2c

That is amazing!

Peter

Thats a bit of a treasure

Dennis,

Wow! That is amazing and the layout looks to be well preserved. In the last photo you posted, the box is labelled "A.C. Gilbert - New Haven, Connecticut" - which of course was where the company's offices were. What's interesting to me is that in the fifth photo, the station name is Guilford. In the real world, Guilford is a town on the New Haven Railroad's main line about 15 miles east of New Haven.

There remains a strong interest in American Flyer in the towns around New Haven. The shows at Cheshire High School in Cheshire, CT, usually in March and November, always have several people selling a wide variety of American Flyer.

MELGAR

This layout is factory layout #150, built by Gilbert. These layouts were advertised as "self liquidating" to Gilbert retailers. That meant, per Gilbert, that the cost to the retailer for the entire package was equal to or less than, the retail price of the included trains and accessories on the layout. The layout Dennis purchased seems complete and in pretty good condition for a layout made in 1953.

Very nice layout and accessories.

Tremendous find and back story.  Can you imagine the owner the morning he came downstairs to find that set up!  And now after you have it cleaned up and running again.  Thanks for sharing this and in advance for giving this layout a second lease on life, the owner a chance to experience the thrill of it again if even only by photographs/video, and yourself the opportunity to enjoy it as well.  Please keep us posted.  

Fantastic! Such a great find.

As a Lionel Dealer Display Layout afficionado, it's interesting to see an AF version. The fact that it is so well preserved makes it even better.

That is a solid score! Congrats!

I see you added some additional information to your original post; that only adds to the "coolness" factor. And yes, by all means keep us updated. 😊

Questions: did this happen to have the original transformer and if so, what is it?

Is this something you found on a "Craigslist" type of thing?

Mark in Oregon

Congratulations on a great find.  Back in the days when American Flyer S gauge was the primary focus of my collecting energies I dreamed of having a dealer display.  I have since expanded my energies to Narrow gauge and Wide Gauge Flyer. I also have modest amounts of the other Prewar manufacturers.  There isn't enough room for a dealer display anymore.  I am very happy for you (read envious).  I look forward to following your progress.

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

This morning I lined the two halves up in the garage so I could start the assessment stage lol.  I place all the accessories in their proper location per the dealer layout literature.  About the only thing missing are the two bumpers and the cattle house roof. You can also see I managed to end up with six cattle and two people for the 766 animated station so that is a big plus! Opps I mixed in one of Daryl's  layout.  The two loop picture is Daryl's # 300 also from 1953.  Both he and Dale from the American Flyer display layout webpage/org have been helping me out on the identificationa and details so we should be able to get this cleaned up and operating again.  You cansee the 755 took it the worst. I am suspect a bit of mouse urine got the 755 base.

@Greg J. Turinetti posted:

Congratulations on a great find.  Back in the days when American Flyer S gauge was the primary focus of my collecting energies I dreamed of having a dealer display.  I have since expanded my energies to Narrow gauge and Wide Gauge Flyer. I also have modest amounts of the other Prewar manufacturers.  There isn't enough room for a dealer display anymore.  I am very happy for you (read envious).  I look forward to following your progress.

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

Thank you Greg, I always love to see the trains you post, always great stuff.  I suspect you know how eclectic my collecting habits are by now lol  My Flyer collection is surely growing but it is still dwarfed by the amount of Lionel.  The challenge will be can I obtain, or claim squatters rights to enough spacein the basement to set this dealer display up lol!

@Strummer posted:

I see you added some additional information to your original post; that only adds to the "coolness" factor. And yes, by all means keep us updated. 😊

Questions: did this happen to have the original transformer and if so, what is it?

Is this something you found on a "Craigslist" type of thing?

Mark in Oregon

I thnk they are 4B's and it was a dumb luck find in FB marketplace.  It just happened to be close enough (3 hours one way) and price such that I couuld go for it.

Wow... Love it!!!

Here are a couple of videos I threw up on youtube a few minutes ago. Most of the blabber youprobably already knew lol. If nothing else they are a little walk around and show each accessory in position.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9bBdoiNPZs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdyHKnrldAA

And here are the trees that came with the layout, I am not sure yet if these are original or not, but will do some digging to figure it out. After talking to some folks we think these are Tru scale trees and that Gilbert did use them on these displays. Of course these are beat  but still seem to be the original trees

Dennis, a couple of observations from the pictures you posted. Looking carefully at the factory picture on the americanflyerdisplays website, there is no uncoupler installed and there are only six control buttons next to the pair of 4B transformers. Were there an uncoupler, a seventh button would be there to actuate it. That means both uncouplers were probably added to the layout. Either a factory design change or by an owner. Obviously the Oil Drum Loader was added to the layout by an owner.

The talking station is the 755A version with the resistor. The factory layout appears to have not used fiber pins along with a 707 track clip to enable the automatic stopping of the train provided by the white wire.

The factory layout has the small red tank water tower last made in 1952, yours has the correct checkerboard tank for 1953.

When selecting bumpers for the sidings either Type 1 or Type 2 would be correct. The Types 3 and 4 have different brass clips made after the introduction of Pikemaster track.

Thanks Tom, I’ll see if there are any fiber pins in that loop for the blocks for the station. I am removing the track and starting to clean the roadbed.

Here are a few shots after moving it down to the basement last night and about 5 hours of cleaning and moving stuff around this morning. Thinking about adding the water tower, crane and mail bag post.

Cleaning the roadbed. As you can see a simple wipe wasn’t going to do it!

That's an amazing find Dennis. I love the nostalgia of dealer displays. This one is in great shape for its age except for the decades of dirt on it. Can't wait to see trains running again.

Bob

Great find! As you know I enjoy researching and restoring dealer displays from Lionel but AF stuff is just as neat and seems to be harder to find. Enjoy and post pics when up and runnng

Your American Flyer pictures bring back a lot of great memories. Your rubber roadbed will provide your train layout with a finished look. Plus your trains will run quieter. I have asked Menard's to make rubber roadbed for their tubular track. Maybe someday.

I loved my rubber roadbed. It made my trains run quieter and gave the layout a nice finish look.

Jim, that is an awesome looking layout and collection.  I had no idea your roots went back to American Flyer stuff lol 

JagRick, Was wondering if you woulsd see this post!  Yes, I fondly remember following your build and restore threads for the Lionel factory displays! That and talking cars as well.  I finally got my 72 911 back from the painter after four years...  Smooth as glass is not descriptive enough, but I know you know what I mean lol

Here is update #4

And a link to update #5 on my Youtube channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlbC4aocjAc

Dennis, I had American Flyer Trains from 1948 to 1983.

Hi Dennis, thanks for sharing! The factory display layouts are so interesting and bring back so many memories.  I remember a kid in my neighborhood in the north end of Tacoma, had won an AF display layout in the mid-1960's.  He was a few years older and would give us little kids the opportunity to come in and watch him run the layout in an operating session.  It was full of action and the scent of the AF smoke was really special. keep us posted on your progress,     

Post/send some pics of your 911. Still working on cars, putting new soft top on my 57 corvette currently

Good stuff Dennis, thanks for the video.

Dennis, great progress.  Thanks for the updates and videos.  Keep up the good work.  Terrific to see AF trains running at least so far around that factory layout again.  Looking forward to its completion - siding action, accessories, etc.  We're living its revival vicariously through your efforts.  Where do the switch controllers go?  Thanks again.

This is really cool to see you revive that display set!

AF had a great idea in that rubber roadbed.

Was VERY impressed with the smoking ability of your engine!

When I see an AF trains, I am impressed all over again with the basic proportions of the equipment. Plus, their nice proportions look even better when the trains are in a setting with scenery.

Andre

Just found your thread Dennis, and can only echo what others have said already.  That was a tremendous find, and you are giving it the justice it deserves.

I have rubber road bed on my layout and agree it adds a little realism and cuts down the noise.

Please keep the updates flowing.

Many fond memories of my American Flyer received at Christmas 1949. Was always glad that Santa liked the 2 rail track! First set was a #310 PRR K5 w/out smoke & choo. Always wanted a Hudson...

Dennis,

   Nice find. Good luck with it.

   With this rather large and heavy acquisition, I would imagine you are soon to be running out of any remaining house space?

Tom