# Button pushing



## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

So I'm going through a box of goodies I "found" not long ago, and I need some help, all related to control buttons.

First, why were some made brown, some black, and some marbled/swirled red? Simple availability of materials or other nefarious reasons?

Second, I have three nondescript buttons. Two say "American Flyer control button" (duh), a brown one with those wire pinching thingies...so help me I can't recall the actual name, and a black one with 4 wires, two yellow and two black, soldered in place.

The third has two buttons, one green one red, with six wires soldered in place. Two yellow, two black, one red, one green.

The bloomin' bucks token question then, does anyone know what these were originally intended for? All the other buttons I have are accessory specific.


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Press each one a see what happens!:laugh:

Seriously, post some pictures.


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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

rkenney said:


> ...post some pictures.


I had hoped to find where my wife put the camera before that was asked.

foiled again. hwell:


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

The New Guy said:


> So I'm going through a box of goodies I "found" not long ago, and I need some help, all related to control buttons.
> 
> First, why were some made brown, some black, and some marbled/swirled red? Simple availability of materials or other nefarious reasons?
> 
> ...



Don't know about the colors, I guess from different years they tried different styles?
The 2 yellow and black are in here, for the 715 and 719 and 714.
Have you seen this? Maybe the others are in there too?

http://www.thortrains.net/flyermanual.pdf


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

The 2 button might be for an operating magnetic crane, or the lumber camp.
There is a 3 button controller for the coal loader accessory.
Page 42,43 ,44 of the link.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Page 61, a fahnstock clip and zip clip are shown.


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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)




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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

Thanks Ed, I hadn't seen that. I appreciate the help.


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

The control boxes pictured were generally in postwar sets/accessories made between 1946 and 1949. The one on the left is generic for accessories such as the whistling billboard and the water tank. The one in the center is for the unloading car and the coal dump car that used a pickup rail. It will also work for the cattle car, unloading boxcar, people moving passenger car and the milk car. The one on the right seems to be the button that works for the magnetic crane, early versions of the coal loader w/o the chute door and the log loader.
Buttons were made as black, white, brownish and marbled.


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## Nuttin But Flyer (Dec 19, 2011)

The 2-button control with 6 wires may be for the early coal loader or log loader. 2-button controls were also used for the cow on the track and sam the semaphore but don't think they had 6 wires from those. Photos will help immensely....


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I see this was moved to the S forum like I suggested.

And one of my posts got deleted in the process?:dunno:
I wonder why it got deleted? :smokin:


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

big ed said:


> I see this was moved to the S forum like I suggested.
> 
> And one of my posts got deleted in the process?:dunno:
> I wonder why it got deleted? :smokin:




And I am left wondering why my post was deleted? :dunno:


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