American Flyer Archives

Project – Solder Station Build

AC Gilbert Lego Train Depot

Lab Work – Ready For Service

BOOM! Soldering Station Done

It’s always great to have Legos handy, especially for building the Lego Train Depot. This model features a big smoke-stack and a unique, oblong, and somewhat unstable shape. This is where Legos come in handy. With a few blocks, you can create your very own DIY solder station. You can buy a 300 pcs set or purchase Legos in bulk (4lbs) if necessary, along with some connectors. You can find sets at garage sales or use ones you already have in storage. Look for bargains to gather the pieces and parts needed for these projects builds using Lego bricks..

For this article or application, I believed that stability would be crucial. We needed something to immobilize and stabilize the train while it sat on its top. Ironically, the train spent more time upside down than right side up. This allowed us to solder the necessary wires, clean debris, and wipe away the age. Yes, the model train spent most of it’s time on the upper ‘casting’ (locomotive mold) so that we could access the electronics housed within.

Depot Pics

Train Wheels

Re-solder

Do you enjoy Lego, Lego building, etc.? Leave a comment below and let us know what you’re thinking!

AdNeSC AC Gilbert Model Trains – The American Flyer Series

American Flyer Wiring Schema

AF 312 Wiring Schema - Archived American Flyer Locomotive Wiring

Materials – AC Gilbert Wiring Schema

Rewire – AF 312, with the AF 312 Wiring Schema

I thought this might come in handy for those of you out there, tinkering and wrenching with old model trains, trying to keep our historic, scale models running smoothly. I recently, needed to rewire a 50’s AF 312 Locomotive and Tinder (using the AF 312 Wiring Schema). Also, for future reference, two other models are included the diagrammatic illustration.

Drone Accessories

Wheels

Re-solder Power

The teardown effort went smoothly, with only a little trouble encountered with the tinder card. Resoldering the burnt wires wasn’t a pleasant task. However after swapping in some new wires, fresh resin, and solder, we were back in business. We cleaned out the tinder cart, removing any debris, paint, and oil deposits. The same care was taken with the wheel set, ensuring the original parts ran as they should. This effort aims at restoring and bringing the model trains back to life.

AC Gilbert Schema Diagram

Next, a similar rewire requiring coils is needed for this locomotive, but it does not have those parts. Those items seem to be missing at this point, causing a wiring and parts issue. They appear to be charging coils and connections on the circuitboard, solidifying the connection underneath the locomotive’s body. Unfortunately, this train seems to be missing parts, possibly due to age, wear or simply being lost. Unfortunately, these models need replacement parts for an aging model locomotive set so that this train can ride the rails consistently.

The rewire challenge is straight-forward, but be prepared to face challenges. Preparation is essential! Check back soon, to see if we can locate the required pieces. In the meantime, visit an AC Gilbert American Flyer train website – www.thegilbertgallery.org that cover s-scale trains, including the #336 Union Pacific Northern and the #293 New Haven Pacific locomotives which are similar to the train we are refurbishing (AF 312 Wiring Schema). Feel free to leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts!