Good looking bridges, N-F. 
Rich
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That one is very cool!
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Chuck,
Here are examples of the variations of the Champion Line passenger cars that I have in my collection
Let’s just call them blue-green.
Northwoods Flyer
Notice the change to a black background on the Letter Board and Number Board.
And here is the red baggage.
Enjoying the World’s Greatest Hobby
Northwoods Flyer
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Northwoods blue-green works for me, they are neat little cars I think I like the white background better then the black. Just my opinion.thanks for the photos
Chuck
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When I moved into collecting Prewar American Flyer trains in earnest one of the sets that I was fascinated by was The Broadway Limited. It didn’t take long to find a set.
These brass tags indicate it was cataloged in 1927 or earlier.
In my opinion its a great looking set.
But this was just the beginning of my fascination with this set.
Enjoying the Worlds Greatest Hobby
Northwoods Flyer
Edit: This set is shown in the 1927 catalog.
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It only took a few years until I found a set of cars that are the same color as the Broadway Limited cars. but lack the lithography identifying the cars.
The catalog illustrations in 1926 show black roofs on the engine and cars. Cars similar to the second set are shown in the catalog as coming with The Washingtonian Special and The Senatorial Limited.
The cars are headed by either a 3011 0r a 3012. I pair my cars up with a 3014 which is from the same year but not shown together as a set.
The catalog for 1926 shows The Broadway Limited with the cars with American Flyer Lines in the name board and the coach being labeled for Seattle and the Observation being labeled for Chicago. (I do not have examples of these cars.)
And here again is The Broadway Limited from 1927 as it appears in the catalog.
Enjoying the World’s Greatest Hobby
Northwoods Flyer
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Ooo! Ooo! 
I see a Zephyr! I see a Zephyr!
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Becky,
Here are some Zephyr photos just for you.
This is a photo of an American Flyer Zephyr and the MTH version of the Mark Twain Zephyr at an open house for the Mark Twain Zephyr in Trego Wisconsin at the Wisconsin Great Northern railroad back in May of 2021.
I displayed some of my Zephyr memorabilia at the open house; 3 versions of the Zephyr by American Flyer including the sheet metal version that was peeking into the photo a few entries back.
Enjoying the World’s Greatest Hobby
Northwoods Flyer
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Very impressive, Northwoods!
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Wow!
I love those babies!
Rich
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Very cool!
Rich
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The MTH may be more “accurate” but the Flyer is WAAAAY cooler! 
. And better looking than the Lionel model as well!
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I have a truly wrecked example of the tinplate version which I attempted to restore/customize into a Flying Yankee. I didn’t do the best job, and some of my repair work hasn’t held up. Eventually I’d like to re-do it, better than before.
Love the Flyer zephyr, both in cast aluminum and lithographed tin.
-El
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These images, showing a costumed Santa and his “gnomes” using the American Flyer factory’s equipment to make electric trains, was released in 1938 as Tru-Vue subject No. 223 “Santa’s Workshop for Boys.” (A companion subject titled “Santa’s Workshop for Girls” was photographed in a doll factory.)
A forerunner of View-Master, the Tru-Vue Company manufactured 35mm stereoscopic filmstrips that fed horizontally through a special bakelite viewer. When held up to light, the images on the filmstrip appeared in 3D.
Although using the factory as Santa’s North Pole workshop was probably done for economic reasons, doing so provided an invaluable photographic record of the equipment that was used to make American Flyer trains in the years prior to World War II.
How this particular piece of machinery was used in the manufacture of American Flyer trains is not identified in this image’s caption. (In the background, at top center, two factory employees can be seen watching the photo shoot going on.)
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Santa and his “gnomes” pose with another large press that was used to form railroad cars “to the exact size and shape.”
The “gnomes” demonstrate how the freshly painted cars are placed on the drying racks. Although the American Flyer name is not mentioned in any of the photo captions, an American Flyer sign appears in many of the images.
Here we see the cars being wheeled into a large oven that will bake the paint onto the metal.
As part of their “quality control,” Santa and his helpers test out an engine and some cars on a loop of track. (Here, the attempt to insert the American Flyer name into the photo was only partially successful.)
Prominently displayed, the American Flyer sign leaves little doubt as to who made these engines. Those familiar with American Flyer’s pre-war electric trains should have little trouble in identifying the engine model shown here.
This American Flyer holiday layout might very well have been the prototype for similar dealer displays.
A nice assortment of pre-war 0-gauge American Flyer trains and accessories, photographed in a close-up that should make their identification easy.
Another display that features American Flyer’s line of pre-war toy trains, trucks, and other toys.
Judging from the expression on this little boy’s face, he is less than enthusiastic about having received an American Flyer electric train for Christmas! (Perhaps he had been hoping for a Lionel train set!)
With an engine peeking out of his sack, Santa sets off on his appointed Christmas Eve rounds to deliver American Flyer trains to the boys (and girls) of America. The greatest gift from Santa’s Workshop for Boys, however, is its many American Flyer pre-war factory photographs.
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This is something that I never knew, that is, that Santa himself ran the large press that formed the track. 
Rich
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Eric1946,
Thanks for posting the photos from the TueVue filmstrip. Your post motivated me to go looking through some of my storage boxes to find my TruVue items. I eventually found them.
My viewer had all of these filmstrips when I got it.
I kept the Santa’s Workshop filmstrip with a viewer in another box.
I actually have two toy train related filmstrips.
Santa’s Workshop and Sandy’s Railroad
Sandy’s Railroad shows a young boy giving a tour around his model railroad. It features what I think are 1940’s Lionel trains and many hand made buildings and scenic items.
Eric, do you have that one to post photos?
Enjoying the World’s Greatest Hobby
Northwoods Flyer
Greg
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Greg,
Although I collected TRU-VUE film strips for a number of years, I wasn’t even aware of this one. It might have been a limited edition item done for Lionel.
Eric
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I was able to fine Sandy’s Railroad on eBay. Once it comes in, I’ll make up a set of photos to post.
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