Small American Flyer Passenger Stations 1923-1938
Jul 23, 2024 17:48:14 GMT
Country Joe, healey36, and 1 more like this
Post by af3020 on Jul 23, 2024 17:48:14 GMT
1923
American Flyer’s small passenger station, #96, was first offered in 1923.
It did not appear in the main catalog but only as a black and white illustration in one of their 1923 supplements.
Supplement
Station #96
As you can see the brick lithography is all red, neither of the doors are cut and bent back, the olive green enamel roof is smooth and the window lithography treatment is a shaded blue for the glass and shades on the two right windows are only pulled part way down.
The station in this form was offered through 1924
1925-1926
The all-red brick lithography for #96 gave way to a variegated color brick litho. American Flyer also “upgraded” #96 by giving it an external light and the numeric identification of #104. The roof was unchanged from 1924 as was the treatment of the station doors. #104 being more glamorous was illustrated in the catalog and poor old #96 was downgraded to a footnote – “Same as No. 104 but without light”.
Catalog
Station #104
In addition to the change in brick lithography the window litho also changed to a light gray for the glass and darker green for the shades and the shades are now all the way down to the half way point of the windows.
1927
The catalog illustration for 1927 indicates a couple of changes to the 96/104 station.
The first is the indication that the baggage door is cut and bent back to give the suggestion of a partially opened door.
The second item is the roof color. The catalog illustrates #104 and has it with a smooth red enameled roof. As in 1925/26, #96 is a footnote – however, it appears American Flyer decided to make an additional distinction between #96 and #104. Specifically, #96 was now sold with a green enameled roof.
#96 for 1927
#104 for 1927
Based on what I have seen I think Flyer tried to maintain this distinction in roof color right up to and including the change in station side lithography in 1935 which was the last year they cataloged #96.
I also think production line demands occasionally resulted in #104 stations with green roofs and #96 stations with red/maroon roofs (as a collector I wouldn't get too worked up about roof differences with respect to color changes between the two stations - roofs are very easy to switch).
Finally, Note the 1927 price differential between #96 and #104: #104 - $2.60 and #96 - $1.25 – over a 100% markup for a light fixture.
1928
The catalog illustration indicates the baggage door is still cut and bent back and it also suggests the roof is now embossed. Starting in 1928 the stations were given the names of two Chicago suburbs – Flossmoor (#96) and Kenilworth (#104). It should be noted that none of the name/number changes appear on the stations. The end lithography just has "No.96" for all iterations up to the change in 1935. The names only appear in the catalog and on the box labels.
My observations indicate there might have been more changes in the station between 1927 and 1928 than indicated in the catalog.
As you can see from the picture – the #96 station box still states Model 96 Passenger station but the station itself now has an embossed roof and the cut door has changed from the baggage to the main station door.
Some notes on Chimney Lithography and Station Base Colors
Chimney Lithography
The chimney lithography changed over the years but I have not been able to determine any kind of pattern. Sometimes the brick litho matched the litho treatment of the station and other times it was presented as much larger brick
Base Colors
Most of the #96 and #104 stations I’ve seen have a light gray enamel finish. However, as you can see from the pictures above and below there were other colors - like the blue and tan. In addition to these colors bases have also been found painted in yellow, orange, and green I don’t have any explanation for the color differences. I do know the first version of the long base #97 freight station has a tan base so perhaps Flyer was thinking about base color changes at some point but that is pure speculation on my part.
Tan based #96
P.S. Also note the misspelling of Flossmoor on the station box. At some point they corrected this.
1933
It wasn’t until 1933 when Flyer introduced its #237 Station set that the catalog got around to illustrating the #96/104 station with a cut station door. However, the catalog illustration for #104 was unchanged. It is worth noting in 1933 the #104 Kenilworth was now priced at $1.50 and the #96 Flossmoor at 90 cents - now only a 66% markup for a light fixture.
Station Set Illustration
#96 Embossed roof and cut center door
#104 Embossed roof and cut center door
1935
The catalog illustration for #104 is the same as before as is the description for #104. What makes the catalog interesting is the footnote description of #96 – “Same as above but without light or frosted windows”
Catalog illustration
In the 1935 price sheet and in a 1935 supplement the illustration for the station is the same as before, however, the supplement description now indicates #104 has frosted windows and an interior light whereas #96 has neither.
Supplement Illustration
The catalog text indicates changes were made to the station in 1935. The station below came with its box which not only has the correct label for the #96 but also has the correct illustration for the station
1935 #96 Station
The 1935 catalog indicates #96 is priced at $1.00 and #104 is priced at $1.50.
As you can see the station lithography, windows, and lighting (or lack thereof) has completely changed. In addition, there are no lithographed identifications of any kind on the station - just labels on the box.
In 1935 it looks like American Flyer was still keeping with the roof color differences between the #104 and #96. When Flyer quit producing the #96 all of this changed - see below.
1936-1938
American Flyer drops #96, prices #104 at $1.00, still shows the old #104 illustration but has a completely new description for the station – “Has interior light which shines through transparent windows…” A supplement for that year correctly illustrates the new-for-1935 station lithography which now resembles clapboard and stucco finish.
Supplement Illustration
After dropping #96 the roof colors for the post 1935 #104 became many and varied. The roofs come in smooth enamel red, crackle enamel red, crackle enamel orange, green enamel, crackle green enamel, and probably some other colors I haven’t seen. As for chimney colors – you name it and it’s yours – red, green, yellow, orange – with one possible exception. Based on what I’ve seen, if the roof was a crackle finish so was the chimney and it was finished in the same color as the roof. ( A collector note - it is very easy to change the chimneys so I wouldn't get too excited about roof/chimney color combinations).
Crackle Orange Roof Finish
Red Enamel/Green Chimney
The “revised” #104 was cataloged through 1938.
The change in the #104 lithography carried over to the station that was part of the #237 station set (see the catalog cut above).
post 1935 #237 Station Set
Oddities and Curiosities
Corrected Mistake
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere on this forum, Flyer never wasted anything. Below is a station whose one side, after the door and windows were punched and cut, was fed into the final cutting press upside down.
As a result, all of the base tabs for the side are where the roof should go. How do we solve this – easy – we make a little fixture that looks like a donut with a stick, punch a hole in lower station side (square at bottom) , insert a rivet, and voilà – we have a tab to use to attach the miscut side to the base.
Probable use of forgotten parts
This station has two fronts – one with a cut and bent back waiting room station and one with no cutting of any kind. Flyer never scrapped anything if it could be used to make product and they routinely made it a point to use up old inventory. There are many examples of this practice in collectors hands.
"Front"
"Back"
Actual #96/104 Back
In this case I think what happened was sometime after about 1927/28 they found some front litho inventory from the initial production run in 1925/26 which was ready for assembly. The first version of this station did not have any cutting and bending of either the waiting room or the baggage room door. At the time of discovery production was using fronts with cut and bent waiting room doors – so, not wanting to waste anything, they just substituted the uncut station front litho for the backs of as many stations as it took to use up the old inventory and shipped it.
Sold as Shopworn
Flyer had an onsite salesroom where items that had been reworked in some fashion, were what we might call “seconds”, or were perhaps used were sold. This station is one of those items. I can’t decide if it was used, some kind of leftover after the change was made to the newer lithography, or what. Whatever the case – it was sold as shopworn and so indicated on the bottom.
Shopworn Station
Station underside
Assembly Line Shortage
The #237 Station set below has a small #90 passenger station in place of the usual small #91 freight station. I've seen a couple of these #237 sets over the years and, in every case, it is clear the station is not an after sales change but something that came off of the assembly line. My guess, based on other Flyer substitutions I've seen in their product line, is at one point for some brief period of time they ran out of a supply of #91 stations on the line and simply substituted the #90 in its place.
Whenever I use this station on one of my broadloom conspiracy layouts I make it a point to tell my visitors the larger station is for reserved ticket holders and the smaller station is for last minute ticket purchases.
American Flyer’s small passenger station, #96, was first offered in 1923.
It did not appear in the main catalog but only as a black and white illustration in one of their 1923 supplements.
Supplement
Station #96
As you can see the brick lithography is all red, neither of the doors are cut and bent back, the olive green enamel roof is smooth and the window lithography treatment is a shaded blue for the glass and shades on the two right windows are only pulled part way down.
The station in this form was offered through 1924
1925-1926
The all-red brick lithography for #96 gave way to a variegated color brick litho. American Flyer also “upgraded” #96 by giving it an external light and the numeric identification of #104. The roof was unchanged from 1924 as was the treatment of the station doors. #104 being more glamorous was illustrated in the catalog and poor old #96 was downgraded to a footnote – “Same as No. 104 but without light”.
Catalog
Station #104
In addition to the change in brick lithography the window litho also changed to a light gray for the glass and darker green for the shades and the shades are now all the way down to the half way point of the windows.
1927
The catalog illustration for 1927 indicates a couple of changes to the 96/104 station.
The first is the indication that the baggage door is cut and bent back to give the suggestion of a partially opened door.
The second item is the roof color. The catalog illustrates #104 and has it with a smooth red enameled roof. As in 1925/26, #96 is a footnote – however, it appears American Flyer decided to make an additional distinction between #96 and #104. Specifically, #96 was now sold with a green enameled roof.
#96 for 1927
#104 for 1927
Based on what I have seen I think Flyer tried to maintain this distinction in roof color right up to and including the change in station side lithography in 1935 which was the last year they cataloged #96.
I also think production line demands occasionally resulted in #104 stations with green roofs and #96 stations with red/maroon roofs (as a collector I wouldn't get too worked up about roof differences with respect to color changes between the two stations - roofs are very easy to switch).
Finally, Note the 1927 price differential between #96 and #104: #104 - $2.60 and #96 - $1.25 – over a 100% markup for a light fixture.
1928
The catalog illustration indicates the baggage door is still cut and bent back and it also suggests the roof is now embossed. Starting in 1928 the stations were given the names of two Chicago suburbs – Flossmoor (#96) and Kenilworth (#104). It should be noted that none of the name/number changes appear on the stations. The end lithography just has "No.96" for all iterations up to the change in 1935. The names only appear in the catalog and on the box labels.
My observations indicate there might have been more changes in the station between 1927 and 1928 than indicated in the catalog.
As you can see from the picture – the #96 station box still states Model 96 Passenger station but the station itself now has an embossed roof and the cut door has changed from the baggage to the main station door.
Some notes on Chimney Lithography and Station Base Colors
Chimney Lithography
The chimney lithography changed over the years but I have not been able to determine any kind of pattern. Sometimes the brick litho matched the litho treatment of the station and other times it was presented as much larger brick
Base Colors
Most of the #96 and #104 stations I’ve seen have a light gray enamel finish. However, as you can see from the pictures above and below there were other colors - like the blue and tan. In addition to these colors bases have also been found painted in yellow, orange, and green I don’t have any explanation for the color differences. I do know the first version of the long base #97 freight station has a tan base so perhaps Flyer was thinking about base color changes at some point but that is pure speculation on my part.
Tan based #96
P.S. Also note the misspelling of Flossmoor on the station box. At some point they corrected this.
1933
It wasn’t until 1933 when Flyer introduced its #237 Station set that the catalog got around to illustrating the #96/104 station with a cut station door. However, the catalog illustration for #104 was unchanged. It is worth noting in 1933 the #104 Kenilworth was now priced at $1.50 and the #96 Flossmoor at 90 cents - now only a 66% markup for a light fixture.
Station Set Illustration
#96 Embossed roof and cut center door
#104 Embossed roof and cut center door
1935
The catalog illustration for #104 is the same as before as is the description for #104. What makes the catalog interesting is the footnote description of #96 – “Same as above but without light or frosted windows”
Catalog illustration
In the 1935 price sheet and in a 1935 supplement the illustration for the station is the same as before, however, the supplement description now indicates #104 has frosted windows and an interior light whereas #96 has neither.
Supplement Illustration
The catalog text indicates changes were made to the station in 1935. The station below came with its box which not only has the correct label for the #96 but also has the correct illustration for the station
1935 #96 Station
The 1935 catalog indicates #96 is priced at $1.00 and #104 is priced at $1.50.
As you can see the station lithography, windows, and lighting (or lack thereof) has completely changed. In addition, there are no lithographed identifications of any kind on the station - just labels on the box.
In 1935 it looks like American Flyer was still keeping with the roof color differences between the #104 and #96. When Flyer quit producing the #96 all of this changed - see below.
1936-1938
American Flyer drops #96, prices #104 at $1.00, still shows the old #104 illustration but has a completely new description for the station – “Has interior light which shines through transparent windows…” A supplement for that year correctly illustrates the new-for-1935 station lithography which now resembles clapboard and stucco finish.
Supplement Illustration
After dropping #96 the roof colors for the post 1935 #104 became many and varied. The roofs come in smooth enamel red, crackle enamel red, crackle enamel orange, green enamel, crackle green enamel, and probably some other colors I haven’t seen. As for chimney colors – you name it and it’s yours – red, green, yellow, orange – with one possible exception. Based on what I’ve seen, if the roof was a crackle finish so was the chimney and it was finished in the same color as the roof. ( A collector note - it is very easy to change the chimneys so I wouldn't get too excited about roof/chimney color combinations).
Crackle Orange Roof Finish
Red Enamel/Green Chimney
The “revised” #104 was cataloged through 1938.
The change in the #104 lithography carried over to the station that was part of the #237 station set (see the catalog cut above).
post 1935 #237 Station Set
Oddities and Curiosities
Corrected Mistake
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere on this forum, Flyer never wasted anything. Below is a station whose one side, after the door and windows were punched and cut, was fed into the final cutting press upside down.
As a result, all of the base tabs for the side are where the roof should go. How do we solve this – easy – we make a little fixture that looks like a donut with a stick, punch a hole in lower station side (square at bottom) , insert a rivet, and voilà – we have a tab to use to attach the miscut side to the base.
Probable use of forgotten parts
This station has two fronts – one with a cut and bent back waiting room station and one with no cutting of any kind. Flyer never scrapped anything if it could be used to make product and they routinely made it a point to use up old inventory. There are many examples of this practice in collectors hands.
"Front"
"Back"
Actual #96/104 Back
In this case I think what happened was sometime after about 1927/28 they found some front litho inventory from the initial production run in 1925/26 which was ready for assembly. The first version of this station did not have any cutting and bending of either the waiting room or the baggage room door. At the time of discovery production was using fronts with cut and bent waiting room doors – so, not wanting to waste anything, they just substituted the uncut station front litho for the backs of as many stations as it took to use up the old inventory and shipped it.
Sold as Shopworn
Flyer had an onsite salesroom where items that had been reworked in some fashion, were what we might call “seconds”, or were perhaps used were sold. This station is one of those items. I can’t decide if it was used, some kind of leftover after the change was made to the newer lithography, or what. Whatever the case – it was sold as shopworn and so indicated on the bottom.
Shopworn Station
Station underside
Assembly Line Shortage
The #237 Station set below has a small #90 passenger station in place of the usual small #91 freight station. I've seen a couple of these #237 sets over the years and, in every case, it is clear the station is not an after sales change but something that came off of the assembly line. My guess, based on other Flyer substitutions I've seen in their product line, is at one point for some brief period of time they ran out of a supply of #91 stations on the line and simply substituted the #90 in its place.
Whenever I use this station on one of my broadloom conspiracy layouts I make it a point to tell my visitors the larger station is for reserved ticket holders and the smaller station is for last minute ticket purchases.
