I just bought one of these, it should arrive next week. It was sold for parts or restoration, and m offer of next to nothing was accepted. It looks like it is in better shape than most I have seen for sale. I will have to replace then end of the sheet metal on the outside of the tray on which the track sits, as well as the metal piece the tab on the car contacts, as someone removed that section. I have had the car for some time and it works (and now has silhouettes of passengers in the windows). I still need the people and the controller. There is absolutely no way I can fit it on my layout but I couldn't turn down the change to get it. I will eventually get al the parts and get it working and it will appear in future videos as travelers move from one location to another.
@AFTrainsND27 күн бұрын
@@MarkWick It would be great if it’s in good enough shape to restore because it’s a more fun piece than I expected it to be. My 3 year old grandson loves it- he’ll spend an amazing amount of time opening and closing the gate and redirecting people in various ways. Good luck with it.
@MarkWick27 күн бұрын
@@AFTrainsND it arrived yesterday and it works very well. I have several ideas about how to replace the missing section, and I may have figured out a way to add it to my layout. Now, I need to get some people to use on it. I tested it with cows from the stockyard.
@AFTrainsND27 күн бұрын
@MarkWick if you see a thumbs down, please ignore it. My big clutzy thumb hit the wrong icon! I saw your video on Facebook. Nice test.
@MygrandpasTrainАй бұрын
Oooh I like that! Just the right amount of detail painted on!
@AFTrainsNDАй бұрын
Thanks. I’m glad you like it.
@-MAILMANАй бұрын
Looks swell. 👍👍👍👍
@AFTrainsNDАй бұрын
Glad you like it. Thanks for watching.
@willamettevalleyAFtrainsАй бұрын
Well done. The farm scene looks great. The front side action is fantastic.
@AFTrainsNDАй бұрын
Thanks, I appreciate the positive comments.
@williamloeber6253Ай бұрын
Looks great! Thank you. 😊
@AFTrainsNDАй бұрын
Thank you for watching and for your supportive comment.
@flyerjunction2 ай бұрын
WOW! You have really got that Silver Flash set running and looking great. I have the set made by Lionel which have chestnut striped passenger cars. I think that the Silver Flash set was the best "Fastasy" railroad scheme made by Gilbert. Your horn sounds really good and better than many horns used in model trains in the 90's. It is always a pleasure watching trains operating on your layout. Thank you for sharing.
@AFTrainsND2 ай бұрын
@@flyerjunction Thank you for your supportive comments. I am enjoying running this. I need to try to do a bit of paint and decal work on the B unit but, overall, it’s in nice shape. Several others have also commented on the horn sounding good. I have one other that doesn’t work near this well so I’m glad to have this one. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@dougdoesstuff242 ай бұрын
maybe the previous shortened the truck so that the cars were closer together...???
@MygrandpasTrain2 ай бұрын
Bolting the couplers on seems to have worked pretty good, and does appear to make it close couple. Custom paint work is always neat, if done well. I have some plastic coaches painted with red stripes for Frisco. I'm still working on finding some aluminum coaches. I want to learn how to replace bushings, I don't have a lathe but may have access to one then I could also re-bush motors. Your air chime horn is the nicer one, in my opinion- I'm a bit of an audio guru; that one is actually self amplified using a field coil magnet inside which makes it louder and sound better. Great to see your layout operating again!
@AFTrainsND2 ай бұрын
@@MygrandpasTrain Thank you for the comments. Yes, custom work can look nice if done well. This person apparently knew something about painting but nothing about converting couplers. But, I guess many of us have our specialties and limits. I probably would have done a good job of changing the couplers but botched the painting! At least I didn’t have to completely replace the trucks. The horn came up in one other comment and I agree that this one sounds better than some. I also got a 302, some other rolling stock and a handcar in this box and it’s all working well after some cleanup. They are all nice additions to the collection. Thanks for watching.
@TwistedMacGyversTrains2 ай бұрын
Wow Roger! They really turned out nice. I love the addition you added on the side. 👍
@AFTrainsND2 ай бұрын
@@TwistedMacGyversTrains Thank you and thanks for watching.
@williamloeber62532 ай бұрын
Wonderful looking train. Great layout! Thank you for sharing. 😊
@AFTrainsND2 ай бұрын
@@williamloeber6253 I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching and for the comment.
@-MAILMAN2 ай бұрын
Very Nice Looking Set that runs very well.. 👍👍👍👍 If you happen to remember the screw and nut size let me know because I may have to go that route to repair a coupler on a Lionel American Flyer Caboose which is riveted on which uses the newer knuckle couplers with the spring between the coupler and the weight. Thanks.
@MygrandpasTrain2 ай бұрын
My guess is it's a 2x56, although could be a 4x40. Just my 1 cent😀
@AFTrainsND2 ай бұрын
@@-MAILMAN I got them from Ace Hardware. I believe they are 40 x 3/8
@-MAILMAN2 ай бұрын
@@AFTrainsND 4-40 it is then Thank you.
@-MAILMAN2 ай бұрын
@@MygrandpasTrain I think 2-56 is too small. I have these which I use to mount HO Kaydee coupler boxes to car bodies. 4-40 sounds right. Thank you.
@stephenrickjr.75192 ай бұрын
The Silver Flash set is very desirable and very hard to find. Enjoy!
@AFTrainsND2 ай бұрын
@@stephenrickjr.7519 I am enjoying it- as you can see, I especially enjoy running it with my Santa Fe passenger train. Thanks for watching and for the comment.
@ronalddevine95872 ай бұрын
That is one of The most beautiful Flyer diesel engines. I think you are being a bit too harsh on the diesel horn. I don't think it's that bad.
@AFTrainsND2 ай бұрын
@@ronalddevine9587 You are right about it being a beautiful diesel and, yes, I may be a bit hard on the horn- I’ve heard worse! Regardless, I always appreciate the great work the Gilbert engineers did in those pre-digital days. They were very creative! Thanks for watching and for your comments.
@ronalddevine95872 ай бұрын
Funny, I've never had a problem with the prewar Gilbert 3/16 0 gauge link couplers. They are all metal and never fail.
@brucebenson59083 ай бұрын
Gee, a carpet layout. We did those a lot when I was a kid, including the layout you set up here. I'm sure this is how the great majority of toy train owners used their stuff. My brother and I would spend hours pouring over the layout configurations in the brochure you showed. Thanks for a little trip down memory lane.
@AFTrainsND3 ай бұрын
I love comments about bringing back memories! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching.
@2schnoz3 ай бұрын
Great work Roger! Thank u
@AFTrainsND3 ай бұрын
I’m glad you liked it. Thanks for watching and for the comment.
@brucebenson59084 ай бұрын
What a remarkable idea. A real addition to the hobby.
@AFTrainsND4 ай бұрын
Glad you like it. Thanks for watching and for your comment.
@jockellis4 ай бұрын
I, too, have a 290 which probably has the mileage from New Haven to my house in Atlanta. Does yours have traction tires or are they all metal? Mine rocks back and forth on the center driver. Love your track plan.
@AFTrainsND4 ай бұрын
My 290 doesn’t have traction or Pull-mor wheels. It’s totally steel to steel. Even so, I get all of the traction I need for the load I pull with it. The Hudson’s and Pacifics have a lot of weight to them so that helps. It seems to me that the Atlantics and GP diesels are in more need of that extra traction depending, of course, on high much of a load you want those to pull. Thanks for your comments and for watching.
@andy414174 ай бұрын
10:30 Wonder if the weight is not fully pushed onto the stem? Place weight on something solid and using a drift tap top of stem down towards the weight. Be careful not to slip off the top of the stem and hit the coupler body. Will need to support the car or train to free up hands.
@SteveBull-tg8mi4 ай бұрын
Nice sound, nice layout track plan, and lots of interesting old Lionel and Flyer accessories not to mention excellent Flyer trains,
@AFTrainsND4 ай бұрын
Thanks, I’m glad you like it. Thanks for watching.
@mreverythingcollectible3344 ай бұрын
I haven’t had the pleasure of having one of these cow accessories but just a thought try putting some painters tape on it and see how they move and if it’s work right remove it and use black electric tape it has a slick finish
@AFTrainsND4 ай бұрын
Thanks. I’ll give that a try.
@myworld674 ай бұрын
Nice job Roger, I am gradually making some changes on my layout to and I think you just gave me a little more inspiration. Keep up the good work and have Big fun in the process. "God Bless and Happy Rails". GMan
@AFTrainsND4 ай бұрын
I’m glad this helped. Updating a layout is a never-ending process but it also keeps the hobby fresh and interesting. Good luck with your changes.
@MygrandpasTrain4 ай бұрын
Thats neat! I have thought about adding an upper loop to my layout for the same purpose to run prewar flyer.
@AFTrainsND4 ай бұрын
Finding ways to make room for new ideas and/or new items can be challenging but it’s a fun challenge. It keeps the brain working! Thanks for watching.
@willamettevalleyAFtrains4 ай бұрын
I like it. Look forward to seeing more as it progresses.
@AFTrainsND4 ай бұрын
Thanks. We’ll see if the final outcome matches my vision- maybe it’ll be even better!
@MarkWick4 ай бұрын
I will look forward to you backdrop painting, as I am deep into a similar process on my layout.I figure that as long as I have more paint to throw at it, I can keep trying to make it better.
@AFTrainsND4 ай бұрын
I’ve always had the same attitude. Just keep adding layers and start over if you have to.
@williamloeber62534 ай бұрын
Looks great, thank you!😊
@AFTrainsND4 ай бұрын
Thank you and thanks for watching.
@ronalddevine95874 ай бұрын
Looking good. I like the combination of 3 rail and 2 rail. You can easily compare prewar and postwar steamers.
@AFTrainsND4 ай бұрын
Yes, I enjoy layouts that use both, too. Of course, you can’t be too concerned about scale when you do that but,oh well
@OgaugeTrainsplusslotCars4 ай бұрын
Looks great.Good job
@AFTrainsND4 ай бұрын
Thank you. I’m looking forward to finishing it. Thanks for watching and for your comment.
@josephadams76484 ай бұрын
Thank you so much Roger for taking the time to make this video. As a long time O gauge 3 railer who is just dabbling in AF for the first time, it was very useful for me.
@AFTrainsND4 ай бұрын
Welcome to the American Flyer world! I’m glad you found it helpful. Thanks for watching and for your feedback.
@michaelkunkel62645 ай бұрын
Love these types of layouts. They just take you back to your childhood. Great job!
@AFTrainsND5 ай бұрын
Thank you. There are many styles of layouts and it’s nice to know that others share my interests. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
@Cbtrainnut5 ай бұрын
Great idea for sound. You mentioned using more than 1 speaker on the layout. Can you connect to more than 1 speaker at a time? Or do you need more than 1 device for each speaker! Great layout plan! Thanks for sharing! @Cbtrainnut
@AFTrainsND5 ай бұрын
I’m really not sure about that so maybe I spoke too soon on that. Somebody with better tech skills than me might be able to answer that. Sorry for my lame response but thanks for watching and for your comment.
@AFTrainsND5 ай бұрын
Thanks for all of the responses. Later today I’ll try the brown cows on that side but, since the nap on them is different because they go the opposite direction, they’ll run backwards on that side. But that might also be informative so I’ll give it a try. I didn’t mention in the video that I run the stockyard from the variable post instead of the 15v constant post to give me more control over the cattle. That works well on the brown side but not as well on the black side. I’ll keep at it and, for now, still enjoy it as it is. Thanks again for all of the suggestions.
@MarkWick5 ай бұрын
It looks to me like there might be a very slight stain or watermark in the area where the cattle detour. If so, the nap of the mat might be slightly different from the rest of the mat. I also wonder if the metal floor on that side might be slightly dented or otherwise deformed. I actually like that the cattle don't hug the fence all the way around.
@jimfranklin97705 ай бұрын
They work like the old electric football games. Have you tried the brown cows on the black side? If so did they behave like the black cows? If they did, there might be a slight uneveness in the metal plate.
@ronalddevine95875 ай бұрын
Is there any adjustment on the vibrator?
@plunkervillerr15295 ай бұрын
Marx guy here, if it`s possible, remove the stockyard bottom plate and inspect for damage to the magnet track. It`s not in the proper location as manufactured
@flyerjunction5 ай бұрын
Have you tried swapping the cows from their proper sides to see what happens? That may clue you in on whether the problem lies with the cows or the stockyard. I am suspecting that there is a problem with the mat or the floor of the stockyard. I think a slightly raised corner on the mat or a slightly depressed center of the floor would cause the cows to behave as you have shown. You could also try adjusting the vibrator inside of the building to see if that helps.Possibly others have a fix for this problem. Good luck.
@davesaftrains43685 ай бұрын
Nice Roger, thank you for sharing. Just a suggestion for future videos that leverage online resources like products found on eBay, KZbin, etc. Consider placing links to these in your video description (a.k.a. “Description below”) or in a card above during the video replay (a.k.a. “Card above”), thanks for considering this, DavesAFTrains
@AFTrainsND5 ай бұрын
Thanks for the suggestion. I can still put the other KZbin links in the description. I don’t mind doing that but, several years ago, I thought I innocently referred to another video and got some sort of copyright violation notice. To this day I have no idea what I did wrong but it’s made me a bit hesitant to do that again- I thought people would appreciate the publicity! I don’t think there will be a problem listing the videos I used for my sounds so I’ll work on that. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@williamloeber62535 ай бұрын
Really nice layout! Thank you. 👍
@MygrandpasTrain5 ай бұрын
That's neat. I think that's much more practical way to add sounds than what I have been doing sometimes - LP records on my HiFi. Although I did pick up an antique horn sound generator from a swap meet today. If it works I will definitely use it in place of the AF horns!
@AFTrainsND5 ай бұрын
One of the apps has a pretty decent diesel horn but not as good as the videos. There are numerous ways to attack the same problem! Thanks for watching.
@MarkWick5 ай бұрын
Thank you for a nice idea.
@AFTrainsND5 ай бұрын
I’m glad you liked it. I’ve been working more with the apps and I think they could be useful.
@williamloeber62535 ай бұрын
Great layout. Thanks for sharing!
@AFTrainsND5 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching and for your comment.
@AustinsAmericanFlyertrains5 ай бұрын
Wonderful video and affordable sound system. Thank you for posting. I also really enjoyed your layout.
@AFTrainsND5 ай бұрын
Thank you. I’m redesigning the raised loop on the layout and hope to have it in place soon.
@paulmontgomery3037 ай бұрын
Thank you so much for the video of your layout you have an amazing.
@AFTrainsND7 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching and for your kind comment. There are very few American Flyer people in my area so the videos are my way of having a “train club” and I’m glad to hear that people enjoy the layout .
@williamloeber62537 ай бұрын
Thank you. Retired RRPD, PC, CR NS. Great layout. 😊
@AFTrainsND7 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching and for your comment. I don’t know what all of the initials stand for but I’m thinking they have something to do with railroads?
@williamloeber62537 ай бұрын
@AFTrainsND Yes, RR Police Capt. Penn Central, Conrail, Norfolk Southern. Luckily, I made it through the mergers to retirement. It's good to be retired.
@Cbtrainnut7 ай бұрын
Back around 1971 or 72 I traded a friend 3 original GI Joe Action figures for An American Flyer Franklin Truscott set. My mother was so pissed at me. She had no idea that the train would bring me a lot more satisfaction than those 3 dolls. I still have this set today! Awesome video Roger. Thank you for sharing this. Chris @Cbtrainnut on KZbin!
@AFTrainsND7 ай бұрын
Great story! I don’t know if many mothers would truly understand your reasons but I have to give my mom credit for giving my dad his first American Flyer set for their first wedding anniversary in 1952. A beautiful Hudson set that I still run. It probably cost only about $30 but that was a lot of money back then. I grew up with that set and it blossomed from there. Thanks for sharing.
@MygrandpasTrain8 ай бұрын
Pretty neat. I'm always fascinated by the prewar stuff.
@ronalddevine95878 ай бұрын
Great tutorial. Nice layout. Prewar Chicago Flyer made some really neat stuff. The cream of the Prewar Flyer is New Haven built A.C.Gilbert 3/16 0 gauge. Beautiful looking and running. Like other manufacturers, there are some problems with zinc pest.
@AFTrainsND8 ай бұрын
Things certainly changed when A.C. Gilbert took over, even those few years before the war put production on hold. But these 1920s engines have a uniqueness of their own. I’ve read that they are based more on European designs. Thanks for watching.
@plunkervillerr15298 ай бұрын
Marx guy here, interesting info. I noticed that your Flyer transformer was a 4B 100watt does it have a breaker reset button, or does it reset internally? My Flyer unit has me wondering.
@AFTrainsND8 ай бұрын
The 4B resets automatically. I’m hesitant to use a transformer without a circuit breaker except for, maybe, a few accessories. Thanks for watching.
@sandranelson71248 ай бұрын
(This is Tom, not Sandra.) Quaint setup!! I love it. Not too much going on to distract you from the train running around the layout. Thank you for sharing this video with us, sir. Happy New Year to you and yours!! (Tom)
@AFTrainsND8 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching and for your comments. Happy New Year to you!