Uncataloged Flyer Set

From the Tufts set listing:

20046 Service Special 1949 - 21808, 24553 rocket transport, 24416 Boxcar, 24116  gondola, 24076 stock car.

12 - 26720, 6 - 26700, 26810, 22004, 23589 passenger & freight station, 747, 753.

The 24416 is  valuable.

Rich

There is an inadvertent typo in the year column above. The 1949 should be 1959.

Thanks Tom, fingers too fast for brain.

Rich

Hi Rich,  Thanks for the reply, I've asked everyone I know if they had the Tuft's book.  Nope.  Does Tuft mention who the set was made for?

Let me preface this by saying my set came from a guys attic and was the only Flyer he had.

I don't know where to start.  The only things my set and Tuft's have in common are the engine, rocket car, straight track and track clips.  Unfortunately not the box cars.  You didn't list a caboose. 

My set has 24206 Hopper, 34608 Tank, 25052 Caboose, 913 Boxcar (24005 rubber stamped on box), 753 Mountain and Tunnel Set, 26782 Trestle Set (in long tube) and 20 curve track.

Trestle Set and Mountain Pass Set boxes are a perfect fit into the set box.  Glad to hear that there was a station included.  Now I have to decide which one to look for.  The 789 Baggage Smasher was only cataloged through 1957, could be leftovers and the instruction sheet came with my set.  The 23589 Station is cheaper. 

Thanks again,

Ron

  I believe Gilbert would do custom sets for various retail chains/Railroads which would include perhaps excess inventory or even special marked rolling stock (Prestone Atlantic Simmons mattress  UP passenger set etc) for their Clients .

  The book AC Gilbert s Heritage transcribes an interview with Maury Romer about some of the occasions this was requested 

Al

Ron,

Set is listed as a service special, no particular brand.

According to Tufts listings, many of the uncataloged sets came without a caboose.

Box # listed as B2N882.

23789 is the 5 digit version of the Baggage Smasher but if a station was included with a set, the 788 or 23788 was usually used. The 23589 listed by Tufts sounds like a 5 digit stamped version of the 589 metal station. Don't know if anyone has seen one of those so a 788 or 23788 is more likely. Usually the trestle sets included in sets are the cardboard 747 which are in a thin flat box. Since it is in the cylinder box and they are plastic, along with the difference in cars and 789 instructions, he may have had more trains at one time.

34608 tank? 24309 in a box stamped 24308? That would make it a 57 product.

Rich

Some pictures would be a lot of help.

Thanks Al and Rich.  Being UNcatalogued and using 'excess inventory' helps explain the huge difference between the Tufts set and mine.  They would have no incentive to make up identical sets like they would for catalogued sets.  Its possible Tufts had no more than one observation of the set.

I've decided to look for the 23789 Baggage smasher to complete my set.  The 789 was only cataloged through 1957 but it is possible it might have had the 789 instruction sheet I found in my set. 

24313 Tank, sorry for the confusion.  My set box is also B2N882.

Tufts might be mistaken about the 12 curves.  The trestle set and Bridge in his set would imply a figure 8 track.  My set came with 2 instruction sheets for the 753 Mountain and Tunnel.  One (M-4110) shows the cardboard trestles and I assume it came in the box with the 753.  The other features the plastic trestles and is on a 8 1/2 x 11 non-standard sheet (M-4702).

According to the previous owner there were no other Flyer trains.  I am going to contact him in the hope that the Baggage Smasher is still in his attic somewhere.

I'll try to post some pictures.

Ron

Richard Cuozzo posted:

Some pictures would be a lot of help.

Here is a link to the photos

https://photos.google.com/shar...bHZMYlhMb0JqZkQ4aldR

Thank you, that is very interesting.

HI,  Looks like the set was shipped to the Seneca Army Depot in Romulus, NY.  Not far from where I live...

Any idea why it would be sent to an Army Depot?

The set was called Service Special. They were sold in PX's.

Cool!

Thank you.

Very nice find! If you can, please post some pictures of the trains too.

As requested...

https://photos.google.com/shar...aGFLTk5mZFRkSTBwMHRR

They look very clean!

The silver caboose is remarkable.

Looks like it might be missing the end rail and ladder assembly.

Rich

Yes, I noticed that.  Good eye.  Looking for one at next train show.

Ronf43 posted:

As requested...

https://photos.google.com/shar...aGFLTk5mZFRkSTBwMHRR

Thanks Ron - the trains look to be in really nice condition!