so how does an american flyer locomotive work?

That’s a great question! The postwar American Flyer S gauge locomotives (by A.C. Gilbert, late 1940s–1960s) are clever little machines that mix simple mechanical engineering with rugged AC electric motors. Here’s an overview of how they work, broken down into their main systems: 🔌 Power & Electrical Pickup ⚡ Motor 🔄 Direction Control (“E-Unit”) ⚙️ […]