American Flyer Towers

From 1950 to 1964, Gilbert American Flyer included towers in their product line. Mostly they provided night scene visual effects, but the bubble tubes, rotation and animation also provided interest for the train layout. As an accessory, the wiring was simple and the layout footprint was relatively small. The towers were an easy fit outside of the corner of track. For some reason, the oil derrick and Gabe the Lamplighter versions were short lived cataloged products, but the water tower, rotating beacon and floodlight towers had staying power for a large part of the Gilbert S gauge product life. Perhaps reflecting the sales levels in the S gauge product line, Gilbert American Flyer added towers to the HO gauge product line. Visually appealing and providing some railroading function, the towers complemented the Gilbert American Flyer Train product line.