Model Railroading > American Flyer question

A friend recently sent me a photograph of an American Flyer steam engine.  He said it was about 60 years old.  He wanted to know if it had any collectible value.  I did a quick search and didn't really seen anything specific on it.  I always assumed American Flyer was S scale, but the search yielded some indications there is American Flyer HO scale.  In any case, is anyone familiar with the locomotive pictured?

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I bought one on eBay a few years back for around $150.  This locomotive was one of the "flagship" locos for AF back in the 1950's.  And it is 'S' scale.

AF dabled in HO in the early 60s, my first train set was the "marketeer". Crude by today's standards, but that little engine still runs ! 

Seems like there was a C&O Alco RSD-15 with high hood in the AF HO product line.

TJY

This is an S Scale or S Gauge loco.  It is an earlier model, evidenced by the cloth covered wiring harness between the loco & tender, around mid 1950's.  The 336 is a very desirable loco amongst AF collectors and operators,  it was the top of the line steam loco, with smoke, "choo-choo" sound and an electronic whistle in the tender.  These locos were so long and heavy, especially since the loco & tender were attached as one unit, making them a bit difficult to handle by kids.  They are often found with bent pilots, missing number boards and bent or broken tender steps.  They came from the factory wrapped in a long piece of soft, corrugated, wrapping paper, brown or gray, rubber stamped with the model number of the loco.  The wrapper, as shown above the loco in your photo is quite messed up and will not add much to the value.

Hope you are all doing well,

Allen Drucker



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/20 09:33 by Streamliner.

According to Greenberg, American Flyer 4-8-4 locomotive, manufactured from 1950-53, is worth from $170 to $190, depending on several variables.
Bill Pyper
Lacey, WA
 

Also, AF had O gauge 4-8-4 s (3/16 scale)  pre-war II. My engine is numbered UnPac 813. and it pulls train  #40. (Salina to Kansas City, Mo)
wag216

I've got a #336 for my A/F layout! Even though it ran great, I recently had the whole loicomotive rebuilt and even had a new smoke unit put in it! With the $150.00 I paid for it and the rebuild/tune-up for $80.00, I've got a brand new engine for my new A/F layout! I couldn't ask for more! They just don't build them like that anymore! 

Wondering if this particular engine had link or knuckle couplers.

boejoe Wrote:
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> Wondering if this particular engine had link or
> knuckle couplers.

All 336 locos had knuckle couplers.  The previous 332 models had link.
And, for those not familiar with old AF & Lionel trains, the cab number, "336," was actually the factory model number.  This is true of most all AF & Lionel locos made prior to about the 1990's or so.

icancmp193 Wrote:
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> Seems like there was a C&O Alco RSD-15 with high
> hood in the AF HO product line.
>
> TJY

I had one of those RSD-15's in the Alco demonstrator scheme.