But during Mr. Coleman's ownership of Chicago American Flyer, there was some really neat stuff being produced. A Standard Gauge Presidential Special, a chrome Standard Gauge train set, O and 027 Hiawatha sets, and so much more. And LOTS of cool O gauge both heavy metal and tinplate.
Check out this really cool American Flyer Prewar O gauge Blue Comet articulated streamliner passenger set from the 1930s. Flyer made some really neat stuff in three rail before World War 2. Yes, it will run on any O or 027 three rail. It has been serviced here and is ready to rock your train room! https://www.ebay.com/itm/204543812599
We have quite a bit of O gauge Flyer to be listed soon. Right now, we have some hard to find parts and other items...
]]>With such a large collection, he could have had his pick of any transformer, but he always said that he preferred Lionel's LW. And that is saying something because he considered himself an American Flyer man!
Lionel produced the LW in 1957 until about 1966. It has 20 volts (higher than most at 16-18). It has whistle and direction control. It has a nice smooth handle. It has constant voltage posts for accessory power.
He had LWs on his layout, his test track, and his work bench. Why? He extolled the brute power of 125 watts through one channel. He liked the buttons for the whistle and direction as opposed to the springed handle on most others such as the 1033, KW, etc.
But I think he also liked the green glow that this transformer emits like no other. There is a little green cap on the center of the handle, and a bulb underneath, so it glows a light green, looking quite sci-fi in a dim light. For a child of the 50's, this must have felt really atomic!
So think of Dad and partake of his wisdom. Take a look at our LW transformers. If you have not considered them before, remember...when it comes to trains, Father Knows Best!
https://lonestartrains.com/search?q=LW&options%5Bprefix%5D=last
]]>Step Right Up!
Check out the American Flyer Circus Set Cardboard Cutout made into a nice diorama!
In 1950, American Flyer put out its famous Circus Set, something competitor Lionel never did in those days. The set consisted of a red painted bullet style steam engine and tender, two flat cars with two animal cages each, and a passenger coach for the Word's Greatest Show!
The hardest part to find these days is the cardboard cutout of the entire circus as well as the 22 tickets for the Circus.
In 1983, Greenberg Publishing produced a licensed reproduction that is considered the best in quality and thoroughness.
We have put together the circus set and landscaped it for you. AND we have included 22 reproduction tickets that are the only reproduction tickets the exact size (yes they are marked reproduction on the back).
The cutouts are so tedius that hardly anyone ever assembed a circus. Even today, the reproduction sheets are tough to cut.
We have done the heavy lifting for you. We cut the items out, designed the circus layout, affixed the items to the board, and landscaped it for you. And we even got your trapeze artists swinging high up over over the circus!
Check out the video below then visit the Ebay listing here: American Flyer Circus Cutout Diorama.
]]>The first sleigh full is ready--we have cars in Prewar O, Lionel O, American Flyer S, and American Flyer Pikemaster.
More coming soon in HO and G!
Just search by "custom Christmas", and you will see availability.
Stay Tuned--more coming!
]]>HOW, you ask?
All you have to do is sign up for our newsletter here at the website so you get to hear about these things first! Newsletter recipients know about sales before anyone. Wouldn't YOU like to have first pick next time? So, Clay, you are asking (thought I couldn't hear you?), how do I join the cool kids and get the newsletter?
EASY. Just go to our main page and scroll down below the big pictures. You will see Subscribe to Our Newsletter. Enter your email address (and your neighbor's while you are at it) in the box. That is ALL there is to it.
You should also follow us on Facebook at Lone Star Trains and Collectibles. You can find a link on our front page.
]]>Sam comes out of the crossing shanty when the train comes by, and then retires inside after it passes.
The earlier version had one button, and posed some operator issues. You had to press the button a lot, and unless you locked the locomotive in forward, pressing the button would cause it to go in neutral and reverse.
So American Flyer decided to IMPROVE SAM.
Flyer came up with a new and improved Sam the Semaphore Man. THIS ONE, the 758A (as opposed to the 758), solved some of those problems. First, the control was updated to the two button red and green control. Second, a Fahrenstock clip was added behind the tool box so you could hook up a 707 terminal to keep the engine from cycling during operation.
The way it operates is this: When you push the red button, Sam comes out and the semaphore drops down as the locomotive stops if it is on the track section powered by the 758a. When you push the green button, the locomotive resumes, Sam goes back into his shack, and the door closes as the semaphore arm raises.
Improving one's own product--that is one of the many reasons American Flyer was so beloved.
]]>The orange and white are the school colors, although this orange is tinted a hair brighter orange than UT's trademark Burnt Orange.
Check out our auction for this item here:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/314115989557]]>One question we often get is why is G usually called GAUGE (true for O as well) while other sizes such as HO are referred to as SCALE? That is because there is no true single ratio or scale for items manufactured in G. It can vary by manufacturer anywhere from 1:20.3 to 1:32. Narrow Gauge (narrower rails such as we find in mining or Colorado Rails) is popular with G gaugers. That is usually 1:20.3. Garden trains are often larger. Add to that the discrepancies in European G and American, and you get the variety. Really the main commanality is the width of the rail, which is the GAUGE. Thus we have G GAUGE versus a SCALE.
The same is prevalent in O by the way, as there is traditional 027 sized Lionel all the way up to 1/48 prototypically scale trains. The commonality? You guessed it: the width of the track rail. Thus O GAUGE versus O SCALE. Usually when we hear about O SCALE, we are referring to 1/48.
But back to G gauge. Below you will find a relative breakdown of G sizes by manufacturer. Hope it is helpful in your TrainQuest. And you might browse our selection of G every few days this summer as we will be adding quite a bit to the online inventory.
Manufacturers in G scale use one of five different scales: 1:32, 1:29, 1:22.5, 1:24, and 1:20.3, even though they all run on the same width track:
1:22.5 is most often associated with LGB layouts and Bachmann Narrow Gauge.
1:29 is the most common G scale, with the most equipment available, and is accepted as a compromise to standard gauge.
**ARISTOCRAFT and USA Trains use 1:29. LGB uses 1:22.5.
]]>Here is one that was originally commissioned by a published American Flyer collector. He paid a lot. His loss is your gain. It is just under SIXTY square feet, at 11.75' x 5'.
Check it out at American Flyer Layout!
It has two loops. One is a figure eight that goes up and down. The other is an outer loop with two sidings. It has a mountain and a tunnel. Nicely landscaped and wired. Ready to run trains now. If you want to use the existing wiring and accessory activators already installed from the previous owner's accessories, you'll want to tie into it. I can provide the original placement of accessories to interested buyers.
Let me know if you have any questions!
]]>And yes, we have Texas Specials. Check out these Williams O units: Williams Texas Special AA
And stay tuned as we have the 1950's Lionel 2245 AB set incoming from our latest collection. These are clean units which we are servicing for you right now.
]]>Marx issued Army Train pieces both prewar and postwar, in tinplate and plastic. The prewar pieces date to the late 1930s into the earliest part of the 1940s.
Some of the prewar tinplate prices came with four wheel trucks; some came with the fancier EIGHT wheel trucks with journal boxes.
We have a collection of Army Trains in, so if you are looking for something in particular, let us know. We even have the rare Army Train tunnel on deck
Check out this week's Army Train offerings, via auction at Ebay!
https://www.ebay.com/str/lonestartrainsandcollectibles?_bkw=marx+army
]]>It was a tough year, but as model train collectors and operators, we are blessed with our trains. When you collect and operate trains, there is never a dull moment; there is always something to do, always something to look at, always something to research, and we are lucky to have that.
This year, we at Lone Star Trains used some of that extra time we had here during the first shutdowns and coinciding downturns to improve this website and finally integrate a shopping cart.
We appreciate you and look forward to even more trains in our lives in 2021!
Happy New Year!
Clay, Lisa and Lone Star Trains
]]>In the Christmas classic movie Elf, when Santa returns to the North Pole after his annual ride around the world, he tells the elves that this Christmas was a success. And now, he tells them, next Christmas starts today.
Of course, Santa is right.
And so it is with our Christmas trains. Is that special boxcar missing an axle? Is your favorite engine sputtering? Is that accessory missing pieces? Do you wish you had that ONE MORE car, engine, or accessory to make it all perfect? Do you need more power?? If you noticed this year that you needed something for the layout or scenes, or maybe an engine needs servicing, NOW is the time to take care of it—not next year when you get the boxes out.
My family watches The Polar Express every year on Christmas Eve. LAST year, Christmas Eve 2019, the blue ray froze and skipped in a few places (yes, we watch it a lot), so we paused the festivity while I put the older dvd copy we had in the player. I told myself I would either get the blu ray disc cleaned or buy a new one. But I put it away with the other movies, and sure enough, this Christmas Eve, I put in the disc completely oblivious to last year's freezes and skips. Again, it froze and skipped. Fortunately, I had my trusty backup dvd, but I had to interrupt the magic for a few minutes to change it out.
If you are like me, you will forget that need by next year. Then come the Holidays, you will remember, when again, you are in the craziest time of year or perhaps in the middle of your train-tastic tradition. Take care of it now, before you forget. Think of how impressed with yourself you will be when you get everything out next year, and you see that you have already taken care of that Christmas train need.
I just ordered a new Blu Ray of the Polar Express. I'll be ready. Will you?
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Check this out from our friend and longtime customer Allen Bordelon. He has put together a nice virtual Polar Express Experience. This is one your kids will watch and rewatch. Be sure to stay tuned until the end for a special ten minute treat! All Aboard!
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Thank you for stopping by. As each day progresses, we will be adding MUCH more inventory, so please keep coming back. We have a large inventory of classic era and modern toy trains, parts, and railroadiana. And don't forget to regularly check the blog and sign up for the newsletter to be among the first to hear about our new finds. If there is something you are looking for, please email us at our contact page, and if we have it, we will post it just for you.
You can checkout with whatever payment you like. At the actual checkout, you will be able to see options from Shopify which include all credit card types, debit cards, Google pay, Apple Pay, and more. And of course, you can use Paypal as well--and you do not even need an account to use Paypal. You can use it with a credit card without an account.
]]>The internet provides many opportunities to collectors to easily find their desired items, and with this new Lone Star Trains & Collectibles website, we are making it even easier to locate the most detailed and precise listings, as well as the highest quality of shipping and train expertise.
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