The American Flyer is probably the most popular of all model train series. They did reach their peaks around the 40's and another peak in the 60's, they had been around for much longer then that. Their popularity is also skyrocketing today as well and they are I feel going to be around another 100 years!



A toy maker in Chicago called William Hafner, in the very early 20th century developed a model train developed on a clockwork motor, primarily for the use in toy cars. By about 1905 how ever he decided to put them into use in model trains as well. Good thing he did, the model cars sold no where near as well as the trains.

William Hafner and his good friend by the same name, William Coleman approached a small manufacturer of hardware, Edmonds-Metzel. They used this company to start producing clockwork toy trains in 1907.

They were first marketed under the name of Edmond Metzel trains, but because they were selling so fast and so well they needed a new name and they came up with the name of the American Flyer. This came about in 1910. Even the name of the hardware company they were using had also changed its name to incorporate the American Flyer name in it.

They started selling like hot cakes for a few reasons. They were quite cheaper then other popular makes of model trains at the time and because they were also quite a bit more realistic then more budget style model trains of the time.

Mr William Hafner left the partnership around 1913. He used the funds he had already made and started his own company. Colemans American Flyer Trains. It did well for quite a period of time around the first world war. There was little to no competition at the time due to the war efforts.

In 1938 right before the break out of the second world war, the founders son with the same name, who was in charge of the business after his father died in 1918 sold the American Flyer to a company called A C Gilbert Company. Gilbert already had experience in manufacturing toys, but had never done so with trains.

At the same time he also moved the company from Chicago were it was created to New Haven in Connecticut where he lived. He also began to drastically re design the American Flyer and turned it into an S-scale model train in 1939. This scale is a modification of the popular O scale or model which was then the leader on the market.

The S-scale was much smaller then the O-scale and this made it more popular with enthusiasts as it required less room to setup a decent track. The scale is 1:64, considerably smaller then the O-scale yet still very detailed and precise.

He also made another change in 1946 that improved the realisticness of the American flyer more so. Model trains, electric model trains at that time had been run on 3 rail tracks. Not realistic. He changed it so they ran on 2 rail tracks, much like their bigger counterparts. These tracks had 7/8th inches between each rail. This made the trains run better as well.

How ever, television was starting to take hold at this time as well. This distracted many from their hobbies they would usually spend their spare time on. Also at this time, discount chain stores came into play, discounting train sets that companies like A C Gilbert could not compete with. in 1962, Gilbert sold the American Flyer to Wrather Group. This company produced toys as well, but usually on a mass scale and tended to produce poor quality as well. Sales of course fell through the floor and in 1967 the company went bankrupt.

A major toy train maker and the market leader at time, Lionel Corp purchased the American Flyer. This company itself was having difficulty with finances as well and they also went bankrupt in 1969, so they sold off the rights to the American Flyer to another manufacturer, General Mills.

This company, General Mills, started selling some of the designs of the original designed Gilbert American Flyer, it how ever sold off everything it purchased from then Lionel Corp to Kenner, who then in turn sold the company to a man named Richard Kughn. This happened in 1985.

Mr Richard Kughn had great success with the company and design for 11 years, but he sold out in 1996 to a company called Wellspring Partners, who then took on the original name of Lionel and called themselves Lionel LLC, which still operates today.

The sell the S-scale American Flyer still. They were at first focusing on selling other scale models, but in 2002 they started selling more and more of the American Flyer.

The American Flyer toda is more then 100 years old and has gone through many different hands. It's popularity is still going strong and while it fluctuates, this model train and scale is going no where fast.