This page is dedicated to the rediscovery of an old American Flyers train set, which was given to me when I was born (December 1955) by my Godfather, Uncle George (a.k.a. Bumpy).  And of course, if left to mine own devices, this train set would have assuredly been reduced to rubble without the intervention, care and maintenance provided by my Dad, Felix.  So, and with thanks to two of the most important male influences of my young life, this Christmas, as was our family custom when I was a boy, I decided to drag these trains out of moth balls, set them up and give them a spin.

While unpacking the set, I couldn't help but smile at the fact that all the original boxes and manuals were still in the kit (though somewhat worn by over a half century of time).  The cleaning kit, though long dried of any fluids, was also there.  One by one, each train car and accessory was unwrapped and remembered from the old setup we used to have down in our basement.  Sure, there was a nick here and there, but for the most part, everything was in excellent condition (thanks Dad).

The first problem was the transformer's line cord.  The insulation simply crumbled to the touch.  Luckily, I had an old broken lamp, who's line cord was available for use.  I chuckled at the variable output coil inside the unit.  Simple and effective.  But there was no guarantee it would work after all this time.

Well, I hooked it up to the track, and turned the switch on.  The familiar buzz sounded.  The light-car sputtered, but lit.  But the engine ignored the request.  I tried a number of things, like making sure each section of track lit the light-car, making sure all connections (track and transformer) were secure, but no joy.  At this point, I figured the problem must be with the engine.  So, I decided to set up all the accessories and just do a photo shoot.

Sue suggested I clean the tracks, but I figured it was already getting juice, and besides, the cleaning fluid can was bone dry.  But then I decided to listen to my better half, went and got some rubbing alcohol, and scrubbed the rails down.  They were pretty dirty.  But I was still stuck.

So, I turned on the transformer so the light-car would light up for a photo opportunity.  And the engine chugged.  It was a single chug, but an unmistakable sound, ingrained in my conscious from so long ago.  I jiggled and tapped.  Then I started to play with the tender switch (which toggles between forward/reverse mode and simple forward mode).  I heard the relay click when i powered up.  I tried a few more times.  It clicked again.  Then, as if in answer to a prayer, it just started to run.  A familiar, ozone-like smell filled the air (no, not that type of smell).

Son of a gun...

This probably isn't nearly as big of a deal to anyone else as it is to me, but there you have it.
 

Links to pictures and a couple Quick Time movie files follow.
Right-click, save will download to your hard drive.
 

Large Picture Format (2576 x 1932)  [1542 KB to 2047 KB, mostly @1700 KB]
These will likely exceed the size of your monitor.  Very large file sizes, but best quality/detail

Medium Picture Format (1024 x 768)  [111 KB to 168 KB, mostly @130 KB]
These are less detailed, but still offer good-sized viewing.  The file sizes are significantly smaller.