American Flyer Polar Express

Post by **paulrace** » Mon May 22, 2017 6:30 am

We moved in November to a house with a very large garage. There should be enough room to set up some indoor trains. So I started looking for some of the American Flyer pieces I used to own, just for nostalgia's sake. Also it's worth mentioning that S scale is not far off from the proportion of most ceramic villages and the larger cardboard ones. I had heard that Lionel made an AF version of the Polar Express but I had never been that interested in it until lately. Of course they've been out of production for three or so years. But I tracked one down and am delighted with it. In case you wondered. Almost as big as Lionel, slightly better proportioned, pulled by a Berkshire model that looks more like an oversized HO model train than a tinplate locomotive. NOT a toy.

I was a little worried about the roofs of the coaches, because in the photos it almost looked like the snow was MOLDED into the roof, which would ruin that classic clerestory roofline. But it's just painted on.

More later, when I have a place to set it up,

Paul

Clinton · Post by **Clinton** » Mon May 22, 2017 12:35 pm

Awesome Paul, can't wait to see it!

Post by **paulrace** » Mon May 22, 2017 1:51 pm

Will, neither can I. That is I did get it out of the box and look it over. But it will be a while before it is running on tracks.

Clinton · Post by **Clinton** » Mon May 22, 2017 1:55 pm

Sweet. I am joining a local "garden train" & "O" gauge group here. I told them I build houses and they would like to have me possibly build some for them! We'll see what comes of it!

Post by **paulrace** » Tue May 23, 2017 6:17 am

Will, don't overlook my graphic pages, with realistic and tinplate-looking textures.

https://bigindoortrains.com/indoor_reso ... ources.htm

And be sure to upload photos of anything you build for them.

Post by **paulrace** » Thu Jun 01, 2017 7:01 am

Here's an article I'm planning to publish in the next BigIndoorTrains.com newsletter, whenever it goes out. Mostly about our family's early experiences with American Flyer Trains, and a tiny bit about the new Polar Express train.

https://bigindoortrains.com/primer/s_ga ... isited.htm