American Flyer Train Switching Operations

[TommyZTrains]

SUPER Video !! "I have scads of Flyer stuff packed away" ... You make me wanna get it all out again! I REALLY ENJOYED THIS !! GREAT Job.

[grumpusone]

Great video production. Brings back some happy memories. Thanks for sharing!

[usatrain4ever]

thank you

[usatrain4ever]

hey it's a nice video, I was wondering what was the name of this song

[jonzavrel]

Nice layout! Nicely done video.

[kd5gsp]

Smooth!

[grizzleybearz282004]

THAT WAS PRETTY COOL TO WATCH I DONT HAVE ANY AMERICAN FLYER SETS BUT I DO HAVE SOME OLD LIONEL SETS POSTED ON YOUTUBE

[SHIPSHAPE56X]

Thanks

[WA2JSG]

Very nice setup. Enjoyed watching your video.

[clusterfak]

Superb!

[InteriorCommando]

I love AF trains . This is the first time I have seen some of the automated accesories... nice video. Thanks!

[Hummelmoers]

Einmalig, wunderbar

[MartyInLa]

Very well done video. Especially liked your operating accessories. A couple of nitpicks, so I hope you don't mind. I miss seeing the headlight and the smokestack glow on your locomotive. I also miss seeing the smoke and hearing the choo choo. The only other thing that bothered me was the creme colored rug on your table top. It kind of ruined the illusion for me - sorry.

[racerboy23432]

i run lionel but only because i dont havr any american flyer trains nd cant find a place that has them cheap

[racerboy23432]

i run lionel but thats due to the fact that im 14 i really cant find a plsce that sells americn flyer

[Blocklandbrian498]

@racerboy23432 Im 13 and i know a guy >.>

[trailerandmovie]

nice train i have a 302 amarican flyer all metal and smokes does that train smoke .

[gingerdog1958]

Great video of the American Flyer 21160 4-4-2 Atlantic made in 1958-60

I linked it to my web site videos. American Flyer Table-top Layout

[SHIPSHAPE56X]

Thanks ! 

[4449ironhorse]

nice layout i love it you did a great jop

[SHIPSHAPE56X]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

[4449ironhorse]

i love americn flyer i had on e im 57 im going trade my my ngauge in i want real trains

[Sampug394]

Absolutely Fabulous work sir. I myself have a collection of passed down and collected American Flyer equipment. It all has the Hook and pin couplers though.

[SHIPSHAPE56X]

Thanks for your kind words.  Hope you have put down some track and are running your trains.

[AFTrainsND]

Very nicely done. I have a stockyard but can't get it to run as smoothly as yours. My cows just jump all over. I've tried various speeds with no luck. How did you get yours to run so smoothly?

[SHIPSHAPE56X]

@AFTrainsND Try reducing the voltage to the stockyard. I have the "hot wire" hooked up to the 0-16 volt terminal of the transformer instead of the 16 volt terminal. Thus, I can control and lower the amount of voltage flowing to it until I find the setting that gives the smoothest operation. Good luck.

[atsf3780]

You are very lucky to have those amazing trains. Due to the economy recently I had to reduce my table size from 4x8 n scale layout to a 4 x 3 n scale layout. Keep up the great videos. ATSF3780

[OSCALETRAINGUY]

I Really liked this POST!! great stuff...thanks Model trains IS FUN indeed..

Steve In Canada

[WillysMarx]

Excellent work! It is great to see these old trains operating so smoothly.  I just had to log in and tell you that I had a barrel of fun watching the mooving operations!

[MrDaylight844]

This is really cool. MY club recently installed a yard, and a buddy of mine and myself had the pleasure of wiring everything. It is quite a task, but nothing beats using a 21004 or a GP7 to assemble a monster 30 car train.

[jet936]

Excellent....I liked this clip until I saw the cars being loaded, then I was really impressed. Thank You !

[fferrarajr]

Great music..who's the artist and the tune please? Great trains as well!

[pastryhat]

so how do the couplers disconnect automatically like that?

[trainguy13]

Those are old, how old?

[ibreakwind2]

Shipshape is a great username 4 you since you obviously have your trains, accessories, and video working in fine order. It's a real pleasure to watch such a well done video. I have also converted my AF engines to DC can motors and it makes operating so much simpler and more fun. No more fighting a sticky e-unit. As a note to other AF owners the conversion doesn't alter the engine and it is simple to restore the original motor.

[SHIPSHAPE56X]

Thanks for your kind words.

Yup, converting to DC and switching to new can motors (from SnS Trains) makes all the difference.

[HIGHSCHOOLHOP]

The quality of American Flyer Trains being made by Lionel today doesn't even come close to the ones built by Gilbert. I wish MTH would make S Gauge Trains. Mike would get it right. Lionel doesnt have a clue.

[Jimmyyaesu]

cool!! my grandfather had these when he was a kid.......... who makes these now anyway?

[nardp96]

@Jimmyyaesu lionel makes american flyer now

[Jimmyyaesu]

ya but are they anywhere near the quality of the old American Flyer? because lionel makes horrible O gauge trains now.

[nardp96]

@Jimmyyaesu ya. their more hi tech now. but lionel does make good o gauge trains. you just have to spend a little more money. granted the trains in the starter sets arent as good as some of the others but their not supposed to have all the detail as the high end lionels.

[Jimmyyaesu]

im not talking about detail im talking about quality like metal gears, decent motors, not "the powerful maintinence free motor" which is a motor i find in some cheap HO trains, and metal trucks and chassis.

[nardp96]

@Jimmyyaesu ill have to agree with that to a degree. but i have a lionel UP big boy and its all metal and most of my engions are. even my gp60 has matal rucks and gears. but no one makes their products to the quility it used to be. and thats all companies. their sacraficing quailty to save money but you have to pay a little more to get the quality. do you agree with me on that

[Jimmyyaesu]

yes i have to agree on that even with MTH that is a similar story but with a little higher quality motors but their speakers for the sound system are terrible, they blow out ever couple of weeks even the premier engines. but i cant afford to buy the high quality lionel trains because if you want good quality you need to spend over about $700 at least maybe more. someone needs to start a model railroad company that has factories in the U.S.A. instead of china.

[nardp96]

@Jimmyyaesu you couldnt be more right. all those companys are in china witch lowers the quality. and you lionel does charge alot for a high end locomotive and some of the new ones are $2000. i will say mth is more fairly priced comapared to lionel. i grew up with lionel and i recently got a post war BUDD unit from my uncle and it runs like a charm. so how long have you collected trains?

[Jimmyyaesu]

i have collected trains all my life (12-13 years). i had a postwar lionel Virginian FM trainmaster but my uncle took it with a ZW 275 watt, and a postwar operating milk car. My grandfather was the only one that had flyer in my family. Of those things i cant find the milk cans for the car and the f3 (he probally sold them). only reason he took my postwar train was cause he argued i was too young to own the "relics" that gain in value so they have to sit on a shelf instead of running like i was.

[nardp96]

same with me im 14 so im around ur age. my uncle has a zw that ill be getting soon. oh and can you please subscribe to my channel i already subscribed to yours. you have a nice setup. im tering mine down and re-doing it. i didnt like the way it looked. thanks

[4449ironhorse]

@nardp96 your kinding

[nardp96]

@4449ironhorse kidding about what? that Lionel makes american flyer now?

[ModalTrains4884]

That"s classic! great layout!

[VilquinProductions]

Cool layout! Thanx fur sharin'! 5 thumbs up!

[brohoop]

That might be the most enjoyable video I have ever seen. Thanks so much!

[Dave121299]

Fantastic! - I have 40 - 60 year old american flyer trains and have trouble with the magnetic couplers releasing when going over the remote control switch tracks (the pivot rivet). Any suggestions? What train clubs do you belong to if any? A true pleasure.... you're tempting me to going DC also....... Thank you for the inspiration, Dave S.

[epentis]

C'mon, tell us your secret. What do you treat your rail with? It DOES look like it's brand new.

[SHIPSHAPE56X]

There are no secrets. The track is just old used track that I picked up at train shows.

It is important that the track is clean and shiny to maximize the electrical connection between each section of track and the engines.

I simply use sandpaper to remove all rust and grime from the top of each rail and the pins. I then use a towel to finish the job.

Thanks for watching.

[5tonyvvvv]

whats the differance new vs old??? its just age thats why its worth more..i really cant tell the differance if a 1930s train is made today..or was made in the 1930s???what do u think,and has every model train been made?

[BryantProductions]

Fantastic set... everything looks like it was just bought yesterday! Very impressive.

The video itself was very good as well... it's surprising how few people use a tripod and simple dissolve transitions!

Well done!

[SHIPSHAPE56X]

Thanks

[headlap]

How are you switching directions? It seems to smooth to be using a reverse unit.

[SHIPSHAPE56X]

Correct, no reverse unit is used. I run direct current (DC) instead of AC. Changing engine direction is accomplished by changing track polarity using DPDT switches. Also, I've replaced the original motor with a modern "can" style motor. With these changes, that 50 year old steam engine runs like a Swiss watch.

Thanks for watching.

[jcdemas]

brilliant - music, so on. well done.

[RsldDecapod]

Fabulous!!!

[YouPianoTube]

Very cool video, well done. Wondering what make video camera you use for these videos? The camera captures great images.

[SHIPSHAPE56X]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. The video camera is just an old Sony Digital 8 Model TRV 240.

[gibiliz]

Muito bom!

Belo trabalho!

[SHIPSHAPE56X]

Obrigado. Fico feliz que tenha gostado do vídeo. Foi divertido de fazer.

[svinehunden]

great video...) and the music is perfect... may i ask who made it?