Top 4 differences between American Flyer trains and Lionel trains?
My father grew up on American Flyer trains and I grew up on Lionel trains. I remember distinctly some major differences and found the three rail aspect of Lionel trains always weird. That being said, here are the Top 4 differences between American Flyer trains and...Why should we start a toy train blog?
My father has collected toy trains since he was a kid. That makes it over 60 years. He knows everything imaginable and has an amazing collection. This site attempts to develop a toy train community online by providing educational content, repair strategies and...
Christmas with American Flyer
The Holiday Season has always been a focus of toy trains. In some families it was the time of year to put up the train set under the Christmas tree with a village or putz to add to the festive décor in the living room. In other families it was the time of year for a...
American Flyer Bridges and Tunnels – Part 1
When Gilbert acquired American Flyer in 1938, they introduced Gilbert designed accessories to compliment the train line. The first Gilbert American Flyer design bridges used Gilbert Erector Set Gilbert AF 1st Bridgeparts. The migration of parts went the other way as well. The house at the top of an American Flyer signal tower became the Erector Set house.
American Flyer Accessory Crossing Gates Guide
Gilbert American Flyer Crossing Gates were introduced in the pre war 3/16’s product line from 1938 to 1941. Many of the parts that were in inventory when toy production was stopped for the war were saved and then used in the post war products. The first crossing gate introduced in the post war period was the 591 which continued the prewar 591 design but with the wiring adapted to the newly introduced two rail track system.