That's a kind offer Chris and I appreciate it but I'd prefer to keep going as I am.
So....as you said, back to the trains.
American Flyer Passenger Cars III
1107 and 1108 5 ½ Inch Cars
The 1107 passenger cars (and their associate 1108 baggage cars) were first offered in 1914. The cars, with changes in litho and frame styles stayed in the product line until the mid 1930's.
The first cars were lithoed to resemble wood sheathed passenger cars. The 1914 cars have "American Flyer Lines" on the letterboard, yellow lettering, and lithoed wood-sheathing in brown, green, or red. Matching baggage cars have been recorded only for the brown and the green. The baggage cars have "American Flyer Line" on the letterboard, "Express Service Baggage" on the side to the left of the door and "United States Mail" to the right.
Woodside litho Passenger Car
Woodside litho Baggage
In 1915 specific railroad names were added - Pennsylvania, Northwestern, and Union Pacific. There were baggage cars to match each of these road names.
Pennsylvania ca. 1915
Northwestern Passenger ca. 1915
Matching Northwestern Baggage
Flyer also offered cars to the Canadian market with the letterboard carrying "Imperial Limited Line" and C.P.R. below the windows. This gave way to "Dominion Flyer" on the letterboard and "Canadian National Railways" under the windows.
Around 1916 the litho treatment changed from wood sheathing to steel sides.
Steel sided litho passenger car ca. 1916
Steel sided litho baggage car - the baggage cars came with and without doors.
In 1917 Flyer trademarked the Winged Engine herald and began using it on various cars. This emblem - below the windows - remained until the late 1920's.
Like the wood sheathed cars the steel sided cars were also manufactured with railroad heralds - B&O, Erie, Pennsylvania, Northwestern, Santa Fe, NYC, Continental Flyer Line, Dominion Flyer (Canadian National, and Canadian Pacific), and Jefferson - this a car name under the windows.
The cars came in a wide variety of litho treatments (car side color, trim color, lettering/number color). The basic litho treatments for the steel sided cars were as follows:
1. Cars with "American Flyer Line" on letterboard- ca. 1916-1917 (as above)
2. Cars with "American Flyer" on letterboard and Winged Engine Herald under the windows. - ca 1917-27
Orange Litho
Green Litho
3. Cars with "American Flyer" on letterboard - no engine herald. 1922-27
4. Cars with "American Flyer Lines" (note the "s" on line as opposed to #1 above) on letterboard 1928-34 - This series introduced an observation car to the Flyer line up for the 1107 series.
and...
5. Cars with no name on the letterboard
#1108 No Name (no nothing actually )Baggage
A Herald Car and its Associated Baggage
Steel sided Litho - Pennsylvania
Some Herald Cars
B&O
Canadian National - Note the Dominion Flyer on the letterboard
New York Central
Erie
Over time there were changes in the frame style and coupler type. The earliest frames are those of the wood sheathed litho cars. These are designated Type III by Greenberg and were in use from 1914-1924. These were followed by the Type IV frames like that on the green #1107. The rounded part at either end of the frame have "A" and "F" embossed in the center. These were made from 1921-1925. The last frames, Type V, were made from 1925-1933 and were embossed to give the impression of end steps and an air tank in the center. The passenger car with no name on the letterboard has this style of frame.
....And A Stranger
Cars with the words "Overland Flyer" on the letterboard look like American Flyer cars and they are often advertised as such, however, they are Hafner.
I hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July.
Mersenne6
