The only early catalog that I have is this one from 1925
My 1925 catalog is a black and white reprint so I don’t know what color the No. 1102 is in the catalog, but I believe that my set is from 1925. Does anyone have an original copy of the catalog in color?
The engine is a black 1096
There are two 5 1/2" 4 wheel #1120 Seattle coaches in green in the set.
Its a nice entry level set, and its amazing to think that it is 92 years old and runs like new.
I have the cd rom with the catalog scans, which to my understanding was made using original catalogs. The 1925 set 1102 shows a black 1096 engine with the red/maroon Seattle cars.
The 1926 catalog shows the lithographed red/maroon 1096 with the later New Haven body (see below) that has the cast pantograph/headlight on roof and red/maroon Seattle cars.
Therefore, it appears that due to the body style of your engine, your set would date to 1925 or possibly early 1926 (as I believe the catalogs typically came out in the fall).
I know set 1102 was first cataloged in 1925, with the similar set using either the 1101 engine or 1095 engine (later years) was cataloged from 1922 through 1924.
However, just because the catalog shows one color, with Flyer the colors certainly could have varied.
The 1102 set in my collection matches the catalog, with black 1096 and red/maroon Seattle cars; however, I do not recall if it is a boxed set.
I know the colors varied in the late 1101 sets from 1924, as I have a set with brown 1095 and red/maroon Seattle cars and a set with black 1095 and green Seattle cars and have seen green 1095 engines.
Anyone wish to take a shot at the history of this 1218 ? I purchased it at a yard sale and the previous owner had no history or story to go with the engine. It is a dark ultramarine blue. I will let the photos tell the rest of the story.
Dark Blue is a known color for a 1218. It is a very rare color, as the blue did not typically adhere well to the steel/paint.
The one true blue 1218 I have seen in person, was a factory overpainted black body and unpainted steel roof. The blue paint was 99% gone from the roof and at least 50% gone from the black overpainted body.
As for your engine. I see some things wrong with it and will note them
big thing wrong, is that there is a post sticking up through the body behind the headlight. Not sure what that is or how that is attached, but it is not normal.
After reading the points made by NWL I decided to do a bit more checking of the engine. I can report these items.
The 1218 cover plate on the back of the cab came off pretty easy and it did cover up a hole. The hole was punched, not drilled, into the body at some point since there was a slight burr on the inside of hole. The type of burr that is created when metal is punched. There was no socket for a blub behind the plate hole. This holed may or may not be original to the cab.
Looking through the hole the inside of the cab body is visible and I did see some bear spots in the blue paint. The bare metal of the cab is visible in spots and I could see no evidence of any other color paint but the ultramarine blue. It did not seem to have been repainted or blue over another color.
The cab and frame were apart at some point and were reattached with flat top split rivets with newer couplers having been added.
I could see the end of the pole and it was left long and then the end was mushroomed to attach it to the cab.
One other point I did find. American Flyer did make a train set for Montgomery Ward it’s #7010. They used a 1218 body but put a reversing motor in the cab body. So if the engine could talk it could tell us how it got and extra hole, a pole and a reversing motor. Sadly it can’t, so it will remain THE 1218 FRANKENSTEIN.
Thanks for sharing your 1218 Frankenstein, and your observations. While it may not be an original American Flyer issue it certainly is an example of a model railroader’s creativity. One of its previous owners obviously put a lot of time into that project. From gathering the parts (from toy train graveyards?) to developing the concept and painting the carcass and assembling it all, the person who put it together was a real artist.
Here are some photos of the #7010 that was marketed through Wards. I have only seen it come in green.
This is a cover from the 1929 Montgomery Ward Catalog
And the page showing the trains for sale.
This is the #7010
I have never seen a boxed example of the Wards set, but I think this is a representation of what the set may have looked like.
I recently bought myself an early Christmas present. I have wanted one of these Switch Towers for a long time. I finally came across one that was in an acceptable condition and at the right price.
The #108 was cataloged from 1929 - 1934. There are at least two color variations of this accessory; Schuweiler labels this one as variation A.
One of the really fun things about it is that the wiring instructions are pasted on the bottom.
There is a version that has no knife switches on it that NationWideLines posted a while back when we were posting trivia questions.
My Xmas present to myself arrived in the mail today! Being a box fan, I could not resist bidding on the following item.
The 1118 tank cars did not come with the box and I put several in for the photograph, so they do not all match. My plan is to acquire 2 more of the high truck early versions to add to the 4 that are shown in the group.
This half dozen box goes well with my other half dozen assortment box, which was shown on an earlier page, as well as below.
NorthWoodsFlyer & NationWideLines,
Very nice gifts.
I was at a train show a couple of weeks ago and a friend of mind picked up a empty American Flyer set box with the numbers 1438RT stamped on the label on the side of the box. The label is the one from the mid to late 30’s and it was on the side of the top lid, no label to the top of the box. It is a large box, so maybe a standard gauge set of a deluxe O gauge set with building and tunnel? I have not found the set number in any of my references. Any ideas as to what came in this box? A picture of the style of label is shown below. This is not the actual label, dummy me forgot to take a picture of it.
NorthWoodsFlyer & NationWideLines,
Very nice gifts.
I was at a train show a couple of weeks ago and a friend of mind picked up a empty American Flyer set box with the numbers 1438RT stamped on the label on the side of the box. The label is the one from the mid to late 30’s and it was on the side of the top lid, no label to the top of the box. It is a large box, so maybe a standard gauge set of a deluxe O gauge set with building and tunnel? I have not found the set number in any of my references. Any ideas as to what came in this box? A picture of the style of label is shown below. This is not the actual label, dummy me forgot to take a picture of it.
Unfortunately as I stated in my earlier email, I did not take any pictures of the box. I have sent an email to the owner requesting the photos. I also asked if he is doing the next Greenberg Train Show in Richmond, VA. I have asked him if he is willing to bring the box so I could see it again, take pictures and look inside of it, which I did not do at the last show. I will post the information when I hear from him.
strainst
Back on pages 5 and 6 of this thread I wrote a series of posts with the lead title of “Electrifying Steam”. There are a total of 6 articles covering the various American Flyer electric trains with cast iron superstructures. In the last post (Electrifying Steam VI) I described the demise of the cast iron superstructure locomotives and also commented on the introduction of a small cast iron superstructure engine #915 in the 1932 catalog which, because of its frequent sightings at various train meets, I thought had been either manufactured for a longer period of time than was indicated by the catalogs or perhaps had been offered for separate sale to outlets like Montgomery Wards.
In the post “Electrifying Steam V” I described the brief history of the uncatalogued cast iron engine #1084.
Engine #1084
This engine headed up a passenger set (#932) and a freight set (#933) which were illustrated in the 1931 American Flyer Dealer Price Sheet and were called “Express Electric Trains.” The evidence I had back in 2008 indicated these sets disappeared in 1931 along with the end of the production of #1084.
Just picked this beauty up from a seller on Etsy. This will probably be one of my earliest Flyer trains! Now I need to research when it was from and get all the info I can on it!
This photo is from the seller. I’ll post some more when I get it.
Assuming the box is original, it would date to approximately 1928. I say that because the box indicates “Over 6 Million” and that label first appeared in 1928 and was shortly superseeded by the “Over 6.5 Million” label.
The frames on the cars are certainly after approximately 1923-1924 due to the style of the frame.
I cannot say much more than that, as there is no visible set number on the box. Had there been a set number, it might help identify if what you purchased matched the set description
I find myself shaking my head when I realize that another year has passed. It is amazing to think that the thread is celebrating its 10th anniversary – an entire decade. In that time we have gathered a wealth of information that stretches on for almost 69 pages. In this year alone there have been approximately 150 postings; the counter on the main forum page says that there have been 2,057 replies to my original posting and invitation on
A 10 year anniversary - now that’s electifying news! In the spirit of electrifying news and the count of 10 here’s a 10th anniversary picture - 10 American Flyer sets all headed by electric outline motive power and the entire display backed up by American Flyer catalogs from the teens, 20’s and 30’s.
Anyone wish to take a shot at the history of this 1218 ? I purchased it at a yard sale and the previous owner had no history or story to go with the engine. It is a dark ultramarine blue. I will let the photos tell the rest of the story. 
