Peter's Model Railroading | My Library | Magazine Authors
Magazine Articles By Bill Clark

Action-packed Hi-rail Layout Features AF Track, Locos, Accessories

The author describes his toy-train layout (set up as if he was a 10-year-old boy). Includes several photos of the layout, and a track plan.

American Flyer Rarities at the York TCA Show

The author describes the rare products he found at the April 2010 TCA York show.

Evolution of the scale AF Challenger

The author interviews Remy Convey, product manager at Lionel.

Following the Flag Once Again

The author describes how he models the "Wabash Blue Bird", a streamlined passenger train.

Keep Your Legacy System Software Updated

The author describes how to obtain and apply the software upgrade for the Lionel Legacy base station and CAB2.

Lone Star Flyer Club

This article covers the history of the club, the history of their layout, and includes a couple of photos.

Maury Romer Interview 1973

With permission from Marilyn Heimburger, the author was able to reproduce the 1973 interview article as found in the S Gaugian magazine. Maury Romer was involved in both the American Flyer before A.C. Gilbert bought it, and the post-WWII era.

MTH and Lionel Talk 'S'

The author interviews Matt Ashba of Lionel and Andy Edleman of MTH.

New Locomotives, Old Cars?

The author notes that Lionel has produced locomotives that can be seen on today's real railroads, but they have not made any freight cars to match the era. This article covers some of the cars by other manufacturers he was able to find that might be possible to model modern railroads.

Restoration Station

In his first column in the Dispatch, the author covers his locomotive test station that he built, which includes photos of it.

Restoration Station

The author shares the reference materials he uses to help him diagnose problems with A.C. Gilbert equipment.

Restoration Station

Working on A.C. Gilbert's 5-digit model ID steam engines.

Restoration Station

Dealing with Lionel's Polar Express passenger cars' lighting issues.

Restoration Station

The author describes his process for doing maintenance and repair work on American Models locomotives.

Restoration Station

Repair of the Air Chime Whistle Tube.

Restoration Station

Restoring the Same the Semaphore Man animated accessory produced by A.C. Gilbert. Includes wiring diagram.

Restoration Station

In this column, the author covers the two-step E unit as used by A.C. Gilbert. It includes a parts list, a diagram, and how to dissassemble and wire the unit.

Restoration Station

Getting a Lionel 2-8-2 Mikado to produce steam again. Includes two interior photos.

Restoration Station

The author takes a thorough look at A.C. Gilbert hand cars #740 and #742. Include a photo and a parts diagram.

Restoration Station

The article covers cleaning white film from early American Flyer plastic models, cleaning cars and engines in general, cleaning reversing units and motors, replacing motor brushes and springs, repairing driver wheels, evaluating smoke units, lubricating gears, and how to remove paint from plastic A.F. models.

Restoration Station

This column is about the A.C. Gilbert 4-4-0 Casey Jones locomotive, covering production runs, taking it apart, how the various runs differ, and possibilities for repair.

Restoration Station

How to disassemble, clean, repair, and re-install an AF smoke unit. Has a side note on how to repair the HO-scale versions.

Restoration Station

The author covers the A.C. Gilbert reproduction that Lionel made of the #752 and #752A Seaboard Coal Loader accessory. Includes wiring diagrams.

Review of AF ES44ac Diesel Engine

The author provides prototype information about this GE engine, and a review of the Lionel model.

S Product Reviews

Reviewed are the SD70ACe diesel locomotive by Lionel.

The American Flyer Baldwin

The author shares the history of how A.C. Gilbert designed and built this locomotive, and the compromises that they had to make to make the motor and mechanicals fit in such a small engine. Includes photos of examples of the various models produced by A.C. Gilbert and Lionel over the decades.

The American Flyer Freedom Train & the Real Deal

Information about the prototype "Spirit of 1776" train and Lionel's American Flyer versions.

The Roundhouse

The author takes over this column, introduces himself, and covers the AF diesel roar.

The Roundhouse

This column covers repairing the A.C. Gilbert two-step E unit.

The Roundhouse

The author answers questions about the whistle 314AW.

The Roundhouse

First, the author encourages modelers to learn how to do their own repairs on their A.F. products. He then continues by discussing the A.F. 4-step reversing unit.

The Roundhouse

The author covers how he repaired a #355 Baldwin CNW locomotive. It is continued in the next issue.

The Roundhouse

Information about fixing smoke units in some A.F. steam engines.

The Roundhouse

This articles covers how to rebuild the smoke-in-boiler unit. Although previously covered in the S Gaugian magazine, this includes updates.

The Roundhouse

How to install and operate the #761 Semaphore.

The Roundhouse

The author gets an A.F. K-5 Pacific steam locomotive #21115 running again.

The Roundhouse

The author describes how to repair horns and whistle sounds in American Flyer steam locomotives, tenders, and diesels.

The Roundhouse

The author describes the techniques he uses to make his American Flyer steam engines perform better.

The Roundhouse

This column covers the A.F. #752 and 752A Seaboard Coal Loader.

The Roundhouse

Testing and using the A.C. Gilbert vibrator tubes that are inserted into the #708 Air Chime Whistle Control and the #710 Steam Whistle Control.

The Roundhouse

The author installs a FRED in an AF gondola.

The Roundhouse

How to repair the 1981 Flyonel diesel locomotive's E unit.

The Roundhouse

The author describes the A.C. Gilbert "Talking Station" accessory.

The Roundhouse

The author describes how to repair the smoke units in the newer AF Legacy diesel engines made by Lionel, covering charred batting and weak smoke production.

The Roundhouse

This article covers how to deal with the common-rail system when using multiple transformers to control trains on your layout.

The Roundhouse

Improving the smoke production of Lionel's Northerns.

The Roundhouse

Improving the A.C. Gilbert link couplers.

The Roundhouse

How to divide a planned AF layout up into electronic blocks.

The Roundhouse

How to repair two-motor locomotives.

The Roundhouse

Covers various short tips. Included are cleaning the plastic bodies, cleaning engines, cleaning e-units, new motor brushes and springs, repairing steam drivers, rebuilding a smoke unit, lubricants, and removing paint.

The Roundhouse

The author covers A.C. Gilbert steam engine motors that were built from 1948 through 1966. Includes how to tune them, disassemble them, repair them, and then re-assemble them.

The Texas Special

This article is basically a product review of the Lionel Texas Special Alco AA set.

Veteran American Flyer Writer Joins The Dispatch

Bill Clark introduces himself as he is now a new columnist for the Dispatch, covering how to repair and maintain old American Flyer products.