Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

AMERICAN FLYER SET

Date Range From

1945

Date Range To

1955

Materials

STEEL, PLASTIC, RUBBER

No. Pieces

137

Description

SCALE:0.5 CM. .1 15B TRANSFORMER. NON-OPERATIVE. .2 8B TRANSFORMER, ATTACHED CORD. "THE A.C. GILBERT CO. NEW HAVEN, CONN." NON-OPERATIVE. .3 NO. 2 TRANSFORMER, ATTACHED CORD. NON-OPERATIVE. .4 LOCOMOTIVE WHISTLE CONTROL BOX. "JULY 1950" ON BASE. .5 CONTROL SWITCH AND WIRING. .6 & .7 CONTROL SWITCHES AND WIRING. .8 & .9 CROSSING FLAGS. .10 & .11 UNCOUPLER CONTROL SWITCHES. .12 & .13 CONTROL BUTTONS. .14 WHISTLE CONTROL BUTTON. .15 UNCOUPLER CONTROL BUTTON. .16 MAIL PICK-UP CONTROL BUTTON. .17 STOCKYARD CONTROL BUTTON. .18 "AMERICAN FLYER LINES" ENGINE AND COAL TENDER. .19 "CANADIAN PACIFIC 2850" ENGINE AND COAL TENDER .20 & .21 RED PASSENGER CARS. "NEW HAVEN 650". .22 & .23 RED FREIGHT CARS. .22 "NEW HAVEN 718 RAILWAY EXPRESS AGENCY". .23 "CANADIAN PACIFIC". .24 RED CATTLE CAR. "MISSOURI PACIFIC 736". .25 GREY TANK CAR. "SHELL 625 S.E.P.X. 8681". .26 GREY HOPPER CAR. "LEHIGH NEW ENGLAND 632". .27 RED CABOOSE "READING 630". .28 TO .129 ACCESSORIES INCLUDING TRACK, SIGNS, FENCES,CATTLE, ETC. .130 INSTRUCTION BOOKLET, 65 PAGES. .131 OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS FOR REMOTE CONTROL TRACK SWITCHES. FOLDED; TORN. .132 DIRECTIONS FOR WIRING REVERSE LOOPS. FOLDED; TEAR REPAIRED WITH TAPE. .133 OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS FOR NO. 577 REMOTE CONTROL WHISTLE. OTHER PIECES NOT NUMBERED INCLUDE PAMPHLET "AMERICAN FLYER AUTHORIZED SERVICE STATIONS" WITH LIST OF LOCATIONS; 2 BOXES OF "NO. 25 SMOKE CARTRIDGES" -- 1 BOX CONTAINS 23 CARTRIDGES AND FUNNEL; OTHER CONTAINS 25 CARTRIDGES; 2 ENVELOPES WITH "26520 KNUCKLE COUPLER KIT"; 1 OPEN ENVELOPE "NO.693 TRACK LOCKS" INCLUDING 21 TRACK LOCKS; 1 OPEN ENVELOPE CONTAINING 6 "NO. 690 TRACK TERMINALS"; 1 BOX LABELLED "WHISTLING BILLBOARD NO.577"; 1 LONGER EMPTY BOX WITHOUT LABEL; 3 BROKEN TRACK PIECES; 1 SCREW; 1 BLACK SHOELACE.

Subjects

TOY

Historical Association

LEISURE

History

MR. JARVIE STATES THE WHOLE SET DATES TO ABOUT 1950, AND THAT BOTH ENGINES WERE EXAMPLES OF TRAINS WHICH RAN THROUGH THIS AREA. CANADIAN PACIFIC AND "2850" HAVE BEEN HAND PAINTED ON ONE ENGINE AND COAL TENDER. "2850" INDICATES A "HUDSON" ENGINE. ENGINE NOT A HUDSON. WHEEL SEQUENCE IS "4/6/2" SHOULD BE "4/6/4". *UPDATE* IN 2010, NICOLE HEMBROFF, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT, CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF PALLET RACKING. SHE TAKLED TO ALLAN AND JIM JARVIE (SONS OF J.A. JARVIE) ABOUT THEIR FATHER'S DONATION. ACCORDING TO JIM, THE TRAIN CAME FROM HOYT’S HARDWARE. IT WAS A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR THE FAMILY. THE TRAIN WAS ACQUIRED IN THE EARLY TO MID 1950’S – NO LATER THAN 1955. IT WAS SET UP IN ONE OF THE ROOMS IN 320 12 ST A. NORTH. THE ROOM SERVED AS BOTH HIS MOTHER’S SEWING ROOM AND A ROOM FOR THE TRAIN. JIM SAID HE WAS APPROXIMATELY 15 YEARS OLD WHEN THE FAMILY GOT THE TRAIN. J.A. JARVIE BOUGHT THE TRAIN BECAUSE THE RAILS LOOKED MORE REALISTIC THAN OTHER TRAIN SETS AVAILABLE AT THE TIME. OTHER TRAIN SETS RAN ON THREE PARALLEL TRACKS. THE MIDDLE RAIL WOULD PULL THE TRAIN ALONG. THIS SET WAS MORE REALISTIC BECAUSE THE TRAIN RAN ON A TWO TRACK SYSTEM. IN ADDITION, J.A. JARVIE HAD SOMEONE PAINT “CANADIAN PACIFIC” ON THE ENGINE (EITHER DAVID GRAHAM OR RONALD BURR TWO OF J. A. JARVIE’S COUSINS). JIM SAID HIS FATHER “GOT AS MUCH ENJOYMENT OUT OF IT, OR MORE, THAN US.” HE HAD TWO TABLES CUSTOM BUILT FOR THE TRAIN. THEY HAD HOLES IN THEM SO THE WIRES COULD RUN UNDERNEATH THE TABLES. IT WAS USUALLY SET UP AROUND CHRISTMAS. IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO ALWAYS KEEP IT RUNNING. IN NOVEMBER OF 1956 THE TRAIN WAS BROUGHT TO 1005 27TH ST. S. WHEN THE TRAIN WASN’T IN USE IT WAS STORED UNDER THE STEPS IN THEIR HOUSE. BOTH JIM AND ALLAN HAD FAVORITE PARTS OF THE TRAIN SET. JIM REMEMBERED THAT THERE WAS A CATTLE YARD THAT WAS A PART OF THE SET. THE YARD CAME COMPLETE WITH MINIATURE COWS. THE CATTLE YARD WOULD VIBRATE AND THE COWS IN THE YARD WOULD ‘WALK’ UP THE RAMP INTO THE OPEN DOORS OF THE CATTLE CAR. ALLAN LIKED THAT THE TRAIN HAD OIL PELLETS WHICH COULD BE INSERTED INTO THE SMOKESTACK OF THE TRAIN. THE PELLETS WOULD HEAT UP AND SMOKE WOULD COME OUT OF THE ENGINE AS IT WENT AROUND THE TRACK. THE TRAIN ALSO HAD A WORKING MAIL PICKUP CAR. TWO OF THE BROTHERS, MELVIN AND JIM, USED TO RUN THE TRAIN OFF OF THE TRACKS. THE TRAIN WAS DONATED TO THE MUSEUM BECAUSE IT EVENTUALLY BECAME TOO DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN IT. NOBODY COULD REPAIR THE ENGINES IN LETHBRIDGE SO THEY HAD TO BE SENT UP TO CALGARY. IN ADDITION, JIM HAD GROWN OUT OF THE TRAIN SET AND ALLAN HAD BECOME MORE INTERESTED IN SLOT CARS. ALLAN’S INTEREST IN SLOT CARS WAS INCREASED DUE TO THE TRAIN’S DIFFICULT AND FREQUENTLY REQUIRED MAINTENANCE. THE SET WAS QUITE LARGE SO IT WAS DONATED TO THE GALT. J. A. JARVIE WAS A BIT OF A HISTORY BUFF. HE LIKED TO KEEP PEOPLE INFORMED ABOUT HOW THIS AREA WAS DEVELOPED. HIS INTEREST IN HISTORY LIKELY CONTRIBUTED TO HIS DESIRE TO DONATE TO THE GALT. SEE P19640820000 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Catalogue Number

P19738902000

Acquisition Date

1969-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail