Why I collect Gilbert American Flyer

What do I collect?

I collect S gauge Gilbert American Flyer, as it’s the scale and brand with which I entered the model railroading hobby. I have always enjoyed S gauge, as the size is nice and Gilbert American Flyer enjoys a great history and loyal, albeit somewhat small, following.

When did I start collecting?

I began collecting Gilbert American Flyer in 1967, when I was five years old and received my father’s set No. K5419T The Black Diamond Steam Freight from 1954. He’d received it as a Christmas gift when he was 15 years old. The set likely came from a hardware store in a small West Virginia town (Ravenswood) and, since we lived in an apartment when I was a youngster and had no room for a train set, later resided in my maternal grandparents’ attic. I played with the set on weekend visits to my grandparents and the set now resides in the same town (Vienna, W.V.), where it’s spent most of the past 62 years.

What’s my favorite piece and why?

My favorite piece is the No. 303 Atlantic (4-4-2) steam locomotive with working headlight, puffing smoke, and choo-choo. It was at the head of my first American Flyer train set and still runs, good as new, to this day. Although inexpensive, the Atlantic steam locomotives are important, as these reliable little pullers introduced many people to the thrills of S gauge model railroading.

What’s the best thing about collecting Gilbert American Flyer?

My favorite part of collecting Gilbert American Flyer is, for one, nice examples of all but the most common pieces are a fun challenge to find and, second, there is a relatively small community of S gauge collectors who are nice people and cooperatively work together for the betterment of the hobby.

What advice would I give to a newcomer?

I would advise a newcomer to Gilbert American Flyer to consider specializing in a certain type of locomotive or cars, a certain road name, or items cataloged in a specific year. This will keep the monetary investment under control. That said, I’d certainly also recommend getting those Flyers out of the boxes and off the shelves and running them! Nothing beats enjoying an AF steam locomotive with puffing smoke, working headlight, choo-choo, and perhaps even a whistle, in action.