American Flyer model trains were manufactured by the A.C. Gilbert Co., the same company that made the famous Erector sets. American Flyer trains were modeled in "S" gauge, a slightly smaller scale than Lionel's "O" gauge (but not as small as the popular "HO".) American Flyer trains were different than Lionel in many ways, but the most obvious was that Flyer trains ran on "realistic two rail track" rather than the 3-rail Lionel track, a fact that A.C. Gilbert's marketing and advertising division used to pretty good advantage during the 1950's. However, A.C. Gilbert's company was much smaller than Lionel, and toy trains in general were losing market share to new slot car sets in the early '60s, so the good 'ol A.C. Gilbert Company folded in 1964. A legion of American Flyer enthusiasts, however, keep the sets, accessories and rolling stock alive on their layouts despite the company's early demise. 

Pictures of the main Lay-Out are included here.:

The American Flyer "2-Rail Track" came in two varieties: regular "S" and "Pikemaster." The Pikemaster track was produced just before the company went out of business. It was cheaper and more flimsy, and had a shorter turning radius. The shorter turning radius made it difficult for longer engines to navigate, but you could put more lay-out per square foot on a plywood board, as is demonstrated by the 2 train "loop within a loop" design picured above (in a 4 foot wide spce).

Here several cars wait for a car to be unloaded to the "parking lot" from the Automatic Un-Loading car.

On the Main Lay-Out I have used a combination of Pike-Master Track (over cork roadbed), Gilbert "S" gauge track (with Gilbert black rubber roadbed) and Gargraves flexible track. All three types of track can be seen in this corner of the layout:

A "Birds-Eye" view!

The dual oval around the "Talking Station" is Pikemaster track. The "dead-end" siding is Gargraves, and the oval on the left circling the barn is regular Flyer "S" track!

Here are some interesting Flyer Accessories:

  "Louie The Loader"

   "Sam the Semaphore Man"

(This also shows the Pikemaster track on cork roadbed.)

Also, check out my son John's trains: Model Trains