I have no I idea where my first American Flyer set came from. I was no more than three years old at the time and can barely remember the Christmas when I got it. It was an uncataloged set with a 290, a hopper, a caboose, a #2 transformer, a pair of remote control switches and track. Threr may have been a gondola with it too.
When I got old enough to really look at train displays, the best in Cincinnati were at Shillito's department store, a local auto parts chain called Checker Auto (no relation to the Checker Auto Parts that operates in the southwest today), and Brendamour's Sporting Goods. I bought an uncataloged set with the 21808 Baldwin, an IC reefer, a T&P gondola, a caboose, a 40 watt transformer, track, an uncoupler and a cardboard tresstle at Shillito's. I was very proud of that set because I had saved and purchased it with my own money. I really liked that Baldwin, even if it did have a tendency to derail on curves due to the lack of weight over the front trucks. I purchased several streamlined passenger cars at a discount house on Main Street called Hirschman's. I think that they must have purchased leftover stock from other stores because they rarely had more than one of an item and the stock was not consrtant. Shillito's had a large toy department, but they didn't really display trains except at Christmas. Checker and Brendamour's had large display layouts up all year. I used to got to the downtown YMCA with my brother on Saturday mornings and then in the afternoons walk to Checker and Brenmdamour's to look at the trains and wish. Vic Bereskin S-Trains list sponsor: http://www.americanflyertrains.com All the Flyer you desire...books and accessories too! To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list send a note to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
