THE GILBERT HALL American Flyer Product guide

Instructions, Suggestions
and Helpful Hints
for Planning and Operating
your
RAILROAD
Developed at
THE GILBERT HALL. OF SCIENCE

M2984
Copyright 1952 by
THE A. C. GILBERT COMPANY
Erector Square, New Haven 6, Conn., U.S.A.
Printed in U.S.A.

CONTENTS
Planning the Railroad ................................................... 4
Suggested Track Layouts
................................................ 6
Wiring Diagram for Train Layout
................................ 8
Preparing the Right of Way ............................................ 10
Using Rubber Roadbed
.................................................. 11
Building Grades
.............................. .................... 13
Assembling the Track
...................................................... 13
Attaching the Track Terminal
........................................ 14
Jumper or Feeder Lines
.................................................... 16
Reverse Loops
.................. ...................................... 16
Building Scenery
................
Transformers ...................... ..................... 19
Locomotive Reverse Units
............................................. 22
Switches .................................... ............................ 23
Uncoupler
........... ............................ 26
Automatic Action Cars
.................................................... 27
Illuminated Equipment .......... .............................. 31
Operating
. Equipment ...................................................... 32
Track Trips
...................................................................... 33
Scenic Structures .............................................................. 52
The Airchime Whistle ...................................................... 53
Using Equipment with 3 - Rail Track ............................ 54
Track Maintenance .......... .. ....
Maintenance of Rolling Stock
Smoke and Choo
- Choo Units
Testing the Locomotive
.................................................. 59
Miscellaneous Tips .... ................... 60
Lamp Data ........................................................................ 61
...... .. ... .. .... . ......... .. . ....... . .. . .. . .. . ................ 63

PICTURE YOUR RAILROAD EMPIRE IN ADVANCE
In all the world of playdom, Miniature Railroading offers a pastime of
never
- ending thrills and countless hours of pleasure.
There’s something fascinating about our great railway systems and their
charm reflects on the imagination and inventive genius of youngsters and grown
ups with the resultant desire to imitate and reproduce. Such
a desire can, and
probably will, become an accomplishment with you now that you own an
American Flyer Train, for you are actually at the very starting point to enjoy
all the thrills that such a hobby presents.
Picture your train speeding over the rails, passing green lighted signals
and semaphores
- roaring through tunnels and over bridges, smoke streaming
from its stack,the noise of its “choo
- choo” beating against the walls, and finally
slowingdown with a grinding of couplers and screeching brakes, as your station
looms into view. Picture a scenic background with green fields, winding rivers,
waterfalls and lakes
- big cities and little towns nestling in the foothills along
the right of way
- tree - studded slopes with towering mountains and passes,
and you have a panoramic view of your railroad amid the scenic grandeur of
the great outdoors. You have something tangible to exhibit to your friends,
something to view with pride
- an example of your skill and handiwork. Such
an achievement can easily become a reality, for American Flyer engineers and
technical experts of the Gilbert Hall of Science have created dazzling new
features in scale model trains and equipment for the further perfection and
realism of miniature railroading.
On the following pages you’ll find suggestions and helpful hints for plan
-
ning and operating your railroad empire. Whatever your plan may be, build
carefully, for precision and realism. You’ll soon realize your hobby has an
ever
- widening horizon, that there’s always something new to add, always
something to keep your interest athighest pitch. There’sa never
- ending fascina -
tion in a hobby that carries all the fun of railroading - its air of adventure -
its soul stirring sounds - its sense of mighty power that you, as the owner -
the big boss or “Brass Hat” as they say in railroading - can control with a
finger.
THE ROMANCE OF MODEL RAILROADING
In a short time, if not already,you will find that the operating facilities of
your railroad empire are too limited. Expansion is in order and the Board of
Directors must be approached for funds. It will be much easier to obtain this
appropriation if
a fairly definite plan of operation is laid out. Your railroad
must have work todo in order to exist and you should decide what type of serv
-
ice, passenger or freight, it is to give and what communities and industries it is
to serve before
you purchase new equipment or prepare your permanent right
of way.
4

You now have a freight or passenger train. You can’t leave the train on the
main line
so you’ll need a freight or a coach yard. Leaving the station for a trip
around town and back to the station
is a rather aimless job for a railroad.
Better lay tracks to the next town, at least. Keep in mind the fact that space
must be allotted for future expansion.
The freight yard will eventually have a number of tracks and switches
with an assortment of cars and a switcher scurrying back and forth picking
up cars and backing them onto the make
- up track where a transcontinental
freight train is being assembled. A powerful locomotive steams up from the
round
- house andwaits tobe coupled tothis freight. Overnear thestationa string
of stainless steel coaches, headed by a sleek looking two unit Diesel, stands
ready for a long journey. The train caller, baggage smasher and station hands
becomealert attheapproach of the express. Itstopsatthe station for
a moment.
Passengers board it while succeeding stops are announced and then, whistle
blowing, away it goes with its club car and Pullmans to resume
its
race against time.
While it screams over a trestle and rushes through a tunnel, the block
signals all show a green light indicating a clear road ahead. Meanwhile the
freight gets
a highball as the man in the signal tower clears it onto the main
line. The signal lights, now red since the passing of the express, become
green again and the freight train proceeds to a factory siding at the out
-
skirts of town where it picks up a car of scrap iron just loaded by a mag -
netic crane. Thundering along, it crosses a highway over a massive girder
bridge and pulls into an oil depot, uncoupling and leaving several tank cars
of gasoline. As it travels on, it enters an open switch onto a passing siding.
The switch is then thrown back to the main line leaving the train beneath
a
water tank, to fill its tender while the excursion train goes through to the
Big City, drawn by a sturdy American Flyer K5
- Pacific.
The excursion train finally reaches its destination The express
is now
far out into the country whizzing by wayside stations and billboards, whistle
blowing and smoke streaming from the stack.
It cuts across the tracks of a
branch line with a great clatter of wheels, while the local stops to allow it to
pass, and on it goes over miles of rail to some distant city. Meanwhile the
freight leaves the siding and continues its journey towards its western terminal.
Every bit of this action
is automatic or operated from a control board
when you use American Flyer equipment. You sit in the dispatcher’s chair
withtrain orders before you and run your whole railroad system by simply
pushing buttons and throwing levers.
Of course, you probably won’t be for -
tunate enough to have all this at once but you must start with a definite
plan
in mind, similar to the above system, and add to your present equip -
ment, piece by piece, making each purchase increase your sphere of opera -
tions along the lines of your plan.
5

SUGGESTED TRACK LAYOUTS
On this and the following pages are suggested track layouts showing the
number
of pieces of track and the size space needed for them. The size and
shapeof the space which is available to you for your railroading will determine
what type layout you can use. Itshould be designed to provide for future addi
-
tions. The more switches, track and equipment you add to your layout, the
more interesting your railroad becomes.

7

METHOD OF WIRING TRACK
8

CONVENIENT METHOD OF WIRING EQUIPMENT

PREPARING THE RIGHT OF WAY
Start your railroading on the floor. Quite a sizable layout can be used
on the floor before the inconvenience of moving it outweighs the enjoyment.
When your future layout is fairly well in mind commence looking for a place
where it may be set up and left intact. The greatest pleasure is derived from
your American Flyer Model Railroad when you have found a place in your
home where your layout can be set up permanently.
If there is a spare
room available it makes an ideal location. The attic or cellar can be used
provided there is a convenient electric light outlet. Room should
be avail -
able for the expansion and development of your layout.
The first requirement of a perma
-
nent layout is a good substantial table.
If the accompanying sketch (Fig. 1) is
followed a firm table will result. The
table top should be
30’’ above the floor
and perfectly level and of an area that
will provide space for the layout you
intend
to develop.
Most Ping Pong tables are satis
-
factory for use. Minimum track diam -
eter being 40”, table top should be not
less than
44’’ wide. Note space required
for different layouts as illustrated
on
pages 6 and 7. Size of table is deter -
mined by the layout you decide to make.
When permanent layouts are not practical
- by permanent layouts we
mean a complete layout on a solid table which will not be moved
- it is a
good idea to mount track layouts permanently to plywood panels
so they
can be picked up in sections and stored readily.
Plywood is the best material for the table top. It should be at least
thick. Plywood is sold in sizes
4’ x 8’ and 5’ x 9’. Wherever a joint is made
between two pieces
of plywood, it is best to place a 2“ x 2“ cross member
under the joint. Before nailing down the table top it should be checked
every way to see that it is level.
Railroad right of way and sidings are usually covered with ballast
(crushed stone, cinders, etc.). Slate covered roofing paper is a very suitable
substitute in constructing your model railroad.
It can be obtained from your
lumber dealer. This paper comes in rolls and should be laid out
so that it
will flatten itself before working with it.
Rails can be fastened directly to table top, but rails mounted on road
-
bed strips, covered with roofing paper, give greater realism. Method of
mounting sections of track is shown in Fig. 2.
10

The top surface of these boards should be wide for double track
or wide for single track. The material used should be thick, well
seasoned white pine or spruce. When constructing the curved roadbed make
it up of small segments
1/12 of a circle as shown in Fig. 3. When laying
out curved roadbed for doubletrack operation, be sure to temporarily placeyour
track
so that you can cut your wood segments for the roadbed correctly.
Cover the roadbed with grey slate surfaced roofing paper and you will have
a Tru
- Model roadbed. Illustrated on pages 6 and 7 are suggested 3/16” Scale
track layouts and with each is given the table space required, track and
equipment needed.
For best results the track sections should be fastened down with small
nails or brads using the holes provided in the ties.
Do not tighten down on the
nails to the extent that the roadbed is distorted.
USING RUBBER ROADBED
The above - mentioned process of making a realistic - looking roadbed is
one which takes considerable time and special tools to accomplish.Therefore,
American Flyer engineers have developed a very realistic
- looking rubber road -
bed into which the track is nested firmly and gives the appearance of a real
stone roadbed as used by all railroads.
This roadbed not only improves the appearance, but it helps deaden the
noise
so all you hear is the “clickety - click” of the wheels on the rails. The
rubber roadbed comes in both straight and curved sections, and can be cut to
be used in shorter lengths.
To cut for use with half - sections, just use a sharp knife and cut the road -
bed in half, then move one of the crossties on the track to line up with the hole
11

in the roadbed. The tie can be moved by first loosening the metal clamps with
a screwdriver and sliding the tie back on the rail. See Fig.
4.
To fill in edges along switches and crossovers, cut the imitation ballast
edge from a section of roadbed and tack it to' the table along the edge of the
switch
so it blends with the rest of the track roadbed as shown in Fig. 5.
When fastening track with rubber roadbed to thetable, donot nail through
the track holes, but tack the edges
of the roadbed with small brads or staples.
This does not allow for a transfer of noise through the nails to the table top.
For additional realism, the built
- in ties on the. rubber roadbed can be
blackened to match the ties on the track; this can be done with a black ink or
a marking brush.
Where spaces are needed to locate special track trips or operating mech
-
anisms,the rubber can be cut away. In cases such as the 697 Track Trip, it may
be necessary to place a heavy piece of cardboard underneath the trip to make
up for the difference in height. Along one side of your table top,
space should be provided for
a control
panel upon which you should mount
your transformer and controls. Lead
wires from your control panel, if
so
desired, can be placed on the underside
of the table, being led to the top sur -
12

face through holes at points where controlled equipment is placed. A good
temporary arrangement for these lead wires is to wind them around a pencil.
When the pencil is removed the coiled wire can be stretched between the two
points to be connected without leaving a lot of slack wire on your layout.
(See Fig.
6.)
BUILDING GRADES IN THE LAYOUT
When building a permanent type layout, you may desire to have more than
just the flat table top, and want to incorporate some overhead passes or grades
in the track system. This should be carefully planned as the grades should be
gradual and not too high. Four and one
- half inches should be sufficient
for any overpass and this height should not be reached in less than about
12
feet. If grades are steeper, you will find that they are out of proportion to the
rest of the equipment and that operation becomes poor. Grades can be built
by making a series of
“L” shaped blocks at varying heights, as shown in Fig. 7.
Tack the two pieces of wood together, then mount them to the table top
so that the gradual rise is accomplished; then fasten a strip of plywood across
the top of the uprights; this will be used for the track bed. Screen can then be
tacked from it to the table top, to build up the scenic effects as described on
page
19. The steeper the grade, the greater the tractive power of the locomotive
must be to pull a load up it; if more traction is needed to climb the grade, this
can be accomplished by adding lead strips or weights of some sort into the
locomotive boiler. When adding weight to the locomotive, care must be taken
that no short circuits develop or that the moving parts are not restricted in
any way.
HOW TO SET UP A TRACK LAYOUT
Havingdecided on the sizeand type of layout you wish to assemble, lay the
separatepieces
of track flat on table and join by inserting the pin of one section
asfar asit will go in theopening of the next section. CAUTION: Push together.
Do not twist, bend or squeeze as this may distort the track and cause the
wheels to bind, and result in uneven operation of the train.
13

It is essential that all
the track joints fit together
tightly. When you have a
good tight track joint it in
-
sures a good electrical cir -
cuit and there is less chance
for a voltage drop in the
track.
If two sections of track
fit together loosely this can be remedied by bending both pins outward about
1/16”, as shown in Fig.
8, then when they are assembled, the results will he
a good conection both electrically and mechanically.
For the purpose of holding the track together firmly, American Flyer has
developed the
No. 693 Track Lock, which is a spring clip, packed in most train
sets foruse when track is not to be fastened to a table or roadbed.
After assembling all the track for your layout be sure and test it both
electrically and for operation before you fasten it down.
To test it electrically,
fasten one wire to the Base Post of the transformer and one wire to the
7 to
15 Volt Post, turn the handle half way open. Be sure that transformer is
plugged into a regular
110 - 120 Volt A.C., 60 Cycle outlet, brush the bared
ends of the wires together and see that you get a small spark. This indicates
the transformer is alive. Now hold the bared end
of one of the wires on one
rail and brush the bared end
of the other wire on the other rail. If a spark
occurs, there is a short somewhere in the layout and
it will have to be located
by following the procedure described on page 55. If no spark occurs, it is
o.k. Now fasten the No. 690 track terminal to the track as described below,
and hook the transformer wires to the terminal clips. Place the locomotive
and tender on the track and allow it
to run slowly around a few times and
it it works 0.k. then fasten the track to the base.
WOW TO ATTACH - NO. 690 TRACK TERMINAL
Fig. 8

When attaching No. 690 Track Terminal to a section of track, put
shoulder shown as
“A” against bottom of outside rail as in Fig. 9. Press
spring shown at “B” up and around bottom of other rail as in Fig. 10. Take
wires shown as
“C” and “D” in Fig. 11, cut off about of insulation from
each end of wire. Connect
BLACK wire from clip marked BASE POST
on the track terminal to the BASE POST on the transformer. Connect the
WHITE wire from the remaining terminal clip to the 7 - 15 VOLT POST
on the transformer as shown in Fig. 12, below. If the terminal is used to
supply track current to
a piece of equipment, the wires “C” and “D” are
connected to the two terminals on the equipment unless equipment instruc
-
tions read otherwise.
When wiring the air chime whistle control
unit, do not
use this wire from 7 - 1 5 Volt Post,
but
follow the wiring diagram on page 53.
15

JUMPER OR FEEDER LINES
In many large layouts it is frequently found that the train slows down
when it reaches the part of the track which is farthest from the transformer.
This can be remedied by using another track terminal at that point and
running feeder wires from the one terminal to the other, being sure that the
BASE POST clips are connected with one wire and the other two clips are
connected together with a second wire. See Fig.
13. Be sure both BASE
POST clips are fastened to the same rail.
Be sure this method is used when using an airchime whistle control box
and do not run jumper wires direct from the transformer.
REVERSE LOOPS
In designing and wiring layouts, some people have encountered difficulty
in the attempt to incorporate a reverse loop. This is a convenient method of
reversing the direction of travel of the train. Therefore, we have packaged a
No. 698 Reverse Loop Kit, which contains the necessary double pole,
double throw switch, terminals, fiber pins, and wires to conveniently wire up
a
reverse loop. Note Fig. 14 for wiring diagram. It is necessary to remove the steel
pins from the six places marked
“X” and replace them with fiber pins; then
wire according to the diagram, Let
us now assume the train is running forward
16

on the straight track, which is section 1. As it passes through this section, and
into section
2, the double pole, double throw switch is thrown, which changes
the polarity of both section
1 and section 3 and the track switch is then thrown
to receive the train from section 3. When the double pole, double throw switch
is thrown, it does not affect the current in section 2 on which the train is
operating at the time the changes in polarity are made.
In cases where the track forms two reverse loops as in diagram No. 15
the hook - up should be made as shown and while the locomotive is in the insu -
lated section the double pole double throw switch should be thrown.

SCENERY ALONG THE RIGHT OF WAY
With the expenditure of a small amount of money an astonishing variety
of scenic effects can be constructed. Railroad yards, highways, farms, forests,
and mountains are easily built with ordinary household materials.
Additional realism can be obtained by adding train and station figures,
highway and railroad signs,park benches, mail boxes, etc. around your layout.
For this American Flyer has a complete line, consisting of
No. 578 Station
Figure
Set, No. 30Highway Signs, No. 31 Railroad Signs, No. 32 City
Street Equipment
and No. 33 Station Figures. They are all hand painted
miniatures
of the real thing.
In one section of your layout you will want your railroad yard with its
No. 593 Signal Tower and No. 774 Floodlight Tower commanding a
view of your switch layout. On sidings you can have your steel scrap yard and
a
No. 583A Electromatic Crane for loading your Gondola Cars. Several
large oil storage tanks can be made from sections of round cardboard boxes
used for oats or salt. This set up against a background of tenement houses
should make a realistic setting.
By the use of several
No. 773 Oil Derricks along with the No. 768
Oil Supply Depot,
a real oil field scene can be built up. Have this on one
section
of the layout and use a long string of tank cars hauled by a No. 370
GeneralPurposeDiesel
switcher,and the scene cannot be beaten for realism.
On the highway leading out of the railroad yard where it crosses the
tracks a
No. 592A Crossing Gate could be used, blocking the path of small
automobiles, such as are found in any Toy Store, while your train passes.
With the help of log and coal loaders, automatic dump cars, stock yards
and loading platforms, stations, bridges, various types
of semaphores, mini -
ature diners, watertanks and tunnels, an actual working scene can be built
which can match even the most vivid imagination. The highways are made
of strips of wood painted a grayish white, its seams marked off with black
paint, representing tar.
Country roads, driveways, and paths can be made by applying a coating
of glue or shellac to the surface, and sprinkling American Flyer’s
No. 22
Scenery Gravel
on it. Along the highway a fence can be constructed of thin
wood shaped up with a penknife and glued together.
The highway could lead to a rural section, where trees and foliage can
be assembled, using a supply
of twigs and dry weed roots. These pieces
should be dipped in shellac and, when tacky, shaken around in a cardboard
box containing finely chopped - up yarn of suitable shades of green.
Beautiful green fieldsand lawns are quite easy to make when using Ameri
-
can Flyer’s No, 21 Imitation Grass. Just paint the surface to be covered
18

with a green paint, and shake the grass on through a sieve. Allow the paint
to dry, then remove the excess grass with a light brush or with
a vacuum
cleaner attachment.
For weeds, select
a good variety of weeds from the nearest vacant lot and
dip them in green paint of varying shades.
A cornfield can be accomplished by removing one side of a piece of
corrugated board, such as packing boxes are made of, exposing the ripple sur
-
face. To represent earth spread a thin mixture of crack filler over the entire
surface. Small pieces of grass stalk should be inserted to represent stubble,
and bundles of longer pieces of grass will represent shocks of corn.
A piece of window glass, painted blue - green on the underside to repre -
sent water, makes an excellent river or lake, (See Fig. 16). A realistic shore -
line may be obtained by spreading crack filler around the edges, or by cutting
an irregular shaped hole in the table and fastening the glass beneath it.
A
small boat and a wharf or bridge will complete this interesting feature.
Mountains serve as a most suitable background for your rural scenery.
They are not too difficult to make.
A rough frame covered with paper or wire
mesh, or even heavy sheathing paper purchased from any lumber company
and crumpled into
a satisfactory shape supplies the foundation. Over this
pour a mixture of asbestos plaster or of crack filler and mold it into the
desired contours. Allow
a day for it to dry before applying paint. Water
colors or artists oil colors may be used. Choose shades of green, brown, ye!
-
low and blue which fit the scene you wish to reproduce. By copying nature’s
color
- scheme and blending carefully where two colors come together a very
real and satisfying effect will be obtained.
POWER SUPPLY -
“SAFETY FIRST” TRANSFORMERS
Before purchasing a transformer, it is necessary to know the type of cur -
rent which you have in your home. If you are not absolutely sure of this,
your electric light company will be only too glad to tell you the voltage and
whether it is Direct Current or Alternating Current and if A.C., the number
19