Many people probably don’t realize, but American Flyer Trains actually started life as “Chicago Flyer Trains” right at the beginning of the 20th century. Founded by William Hafner. This was back before electric trains and toy trains all used a wind up clock style mechanism to power them around the track.
The company was eventually sold to the A. C. Gilbert toy company in 1937 and thanks to the innovations of its founder, Alfred Carlton Gilbert, the iconic reputation of American Flyer Trains was sealed.
Gilbert revised the track coupling mechanism and also came out with an HO (half-O) scale line. A particularly clever innovation was mounting the track on a lithographed road bed for an extra touch of realism. Gilbert further expanded the line by offering both higher end and lower cost sets. A wonderful array of engines, rolling stock, and accessories such as switches and lighted billboards were added.
Gilbert and their competitors in the toy train industry were forced to cease production during WWII, but during this period Gilbert took the opportunity to further innovate. After the war Gilbert was in heated competition with their arch rival Lionel.
By the early 1960s, model trains began to fall out of popularity due to the popularity of television and from competing toys such as slot cars. The Gilbert Toy Company eventually went bankrupt due to some disastrous business decisions and was subsequently acquired by arch rival Lionel. The good news is that the iconic American Flyer brand carries on to this day under Lionel Trains.
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