# Childhood AF memory



## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

Back maybe 50+ years ago when my father decided his 1950s AF steamer wasn't worth repairing, he "destructively" took it and the tender apart down to the last screw and then put it all in a shoebox. I remember much of the tender being occupied by an object made of black plastic that had little pieces of metal imbedded in it. Does that sound familiar to anyone? What was its function, or was it just to add weight?


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## BrokeCurmudgeon (Feb 8, 2016)

It is most likely a weight for the tender. They are horse shoe shaped The plastic ones had metal embedded in them. There also metal ones..


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

If you still have the shoebox put that sucker back together. It can run again.
Wouldn't that be neat. If you get stumped just ask right here and someone will help.


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## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

TY Broke. Sadly, it's long gone. My dad went out and bought a bunch of "toy store grade" HO (Tyco, AHM, Model Power, etc.) and that I have. Still have my dad, too.


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

I learned something new here. I never know Gilbert used plastic embedded with metal for tender weights. I thought they were all solid metal.
GNfan, I tried N gauge a long time ago but it was too small for me and being somewhat short on patience I find it easier to work with the larger S gauge equipment. I only knew one model railroader in the TriCities, he was Lionel. He had a nice house with a finished walkout basement for the train layout.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

My favorite AF memory is running the trains around the Christmas tree, and shorting out the small circle of track with the old lead tinsel falling off the tree...Do you remember the cab number on the loco??. If you do, replace it from one on ebay, or I just might have a spare I can let go for a great price. When I came home from the Service back in 1972, I found that Dad had sold all the trains for $50 bucks!! That included 4 complete sets, including a 355 set, a 336 set, a 302 set, and the grand daddy of them all, the MP passenger set made in 1963-64..Turn-outs, track, rubber road-bed all gone, but he kept all the plastic-ville, lol!!.. I replaced everything, many times over...


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

AmFlyer said:


> I learned something new here. I never know Gilbert used plastic embedded with metal for tender weights. I thought they were all solid metal.
> GNfan, I tried N gauge a long time ago but it was too small for me and being somewhat short on patience I find it easier to work with the larger S gauge equipment. I only knew one model railroader in the TriCities, he was Lionel. He had a nice house with a finished walkout basement for the train layout.


Gilbert made 3 versions that I know off; plastic with metal embedded, solid u-shaped, and a solid chunk of metal.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

I think my 282 has plastic embedded with round solid tubes of metal.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

I don't have any train around the Christmas tree memories as a kid. That is a tradition
I started after I was married and had kids. I do have memories of running my AF train 
with my dad on my mom's kitchen floor. I don't think she was excited about it. I also
remember at age 5 I was not allowed to run the train. Only watch. Running came at 7.
At 7 I was allowed to take train to my room and run when ever I wanted. I was told a hundred times to unplug the transformer when I was done. One time I didn't unplug,
left it plugged in over a day and it burned up. They did get me another one sometime later. Very lucky to still have that very train.


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## dooper (Nov 9, 2015)

AmFlyer said:


> I learned something new here. I never know Gilbert used plastic embedded with metal for tender weights. I thought they were all solid metal.
> GNfan, I tried N gauge a long time ago but it was too small for me and being somewhat short on patience I find it easier to work with the larger S gauge equipment. I only knew one model railroader in the TriCities, he was Lionel. He had a nice house with a finished walkout basement for the train layout.


Here is one.


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