Are you looking for a new home for one or more old Erector Sets you no longer want? Here are some suggestions for donating your Erector set:

If the set contains parts that are in good shape and sufficient to make at least some of the basic models, local foster homes will often accept items like this for the kids to build and play with. One of our members has given 13 sets to foster homes with good results.

Another possible place to donate a set is to grandparents of an 8-12 year-old boy. Grandpa may have had one as a kid and it gives the grandparent and grandchild a bonding opportunity. ACGHS members have given 12 sets away to grandparents and grand-kids in the past couple of years.

Finally, the A. C. Gilbert Heritage Society has national and regional conventions where models are showcased and the general public gets to enjoy a bit of toy history for a few hours. At several of the National Conventions, members have donated sets or portions of sets for kids to build and take home a simple model. This past summer, the emphasis was on STEM training in schools (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathmatics), and parts to build an improved model of a walking giant were donated and the students challenged to engineer improvements to the original design. This worked well. If you decide on this option, use our Contact Us form and we can connect you with this year’s sponsor for the National Convention.

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Fourth Edition

On October 2, 2023, the A. C. Gilbert Heritage Society released the fourth edition of Bill Bean’s Guide to Gilbert Erector Sets, 1913-1932. Recent revisions include:

• A few typos and errors have been corrected in the text.
• Recently uncovered factory-printed contents lists have been incorporated into the Appendix: 1914 Nos. 4 and 8; 1915 No. 2; 1916-1918 Nos. 1 and 5; 1919 No. 2; 1921 No. 4; 1922 Nos. 4 and 8; 1923 Nos. 1 and 7; two versions of 1924-1925 No. 4; and two versions of 1928 No. 77. Sets that were dropped by Gilbert have been removed from the contents lists: 1920 No. 4; 1922 No. 6; and 1923 No. 6. Finally, different sizes of the (GY) metal Erector trays packed in 1929-1930 Nos. 7, 7½, 8, 9, and 10; and in 1931-1932 Nos. 7, 7½, 8, 8½, 9, and 10, have been noted.

Retrieve a listing of the revisions and corrections to the Fourth Edition of the guide: October 2, 2023 corrections and updates (PDF | 6 pages)

Members of the A. C. Gilbert Heritage Society can retrieve a PDF of the entire revised Appendix, pages 191-222, by logging in and selecting Erector Contents Lists from under the Erector Sets heading in the top navigation bar.

Here are the particulars for Bill Bean’s Guide to Gilbert Erector Sets, 1913-1932:

• Fourth Edition, October 2, 2023
• Price: $49
• Publisher‏: ‎A. C. Gilbert Heritage Society
• Language: ‎English
• Paperback: ‎224 pages
• ISBN-13: ‎978-0-578-99437-6
• Item Weight: ‎1.45 pounds
• Dimensions: ‎8.5 x 0.53 x 11 inches

Order your copy of Bill Bean’s Guide to Gilbert Erector Sets, 1913-1932 from Amazon today.

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Third Edition

The Third Edition to Bill Bean’s Guide to Gilbert Erector Sets, 1933-1962 was released on April 23, 2023. Minor revisions to the text include:

• Page 50: No. 6½ – The Super No. 6½ sold for $7.95 (not $6.95); No. 7½ – The Engineer’s Set sold for $10.95 (not $15.95).
• Page 254: quantity of (NZ) Plastic Handle Screw Driver for 1959 Set No. 10053 corrected from 0 to 1.

This guide is a comprehensive update to the 1998 edition of Greenberg’s Guide to Gilbert Erector Sets, Volume Two, 1933-1962. The revised and updated guide features dozens of new photographs of Erector sets and component parts, and includes Contents Lists for every set from 1933-1962. This is the companion guide to Bill Bean’s Guide to Gilbert Erector Sets, 1913-1932, published on November 15, 2021 (learn more here).

Here are the particulars of the new guide:

• Third Edition, April 23, 2023
• Price: $59
• Publisher‏: ‎A. C. Gilbert Heritage Society
• Language: ‎English
• Paperback: ‎262 pages
• ISBN-13: 979-8218077501
• Item Weight: 1.68 pounds
• Dimensions: ‎8.5 x 0.62 x 11 inches

Order your copy of Bill Bean’s Guide to Gilbert Erector Sets, 1933-1962 from Amazon today.

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Above: Cover of the 1939 American Flyer catalog

Although best remembered for the S gauge trains of the 1950s that it made as a division of the A. C. Gilbert Company, American Flyer was initially an independent company whose origins date back nearly a half century earlier. Chicago, Illinois-based toymaker William Frederick Hafner developed a clockwork motor for toy cars in 1901 while working for a company called Toy Auto Company. According to the recollections of William Hafner’s son, John, he had developed a clockwork train running on O gauge track by 1905.

In December, 1937, the A.C. Gilbert Company acquired American (Chicago) Flyer. Gilbert soon moved manufacturing from Chicago to New Haven, Connecticut, and re-designed parts of the product line. The initial changes included substitution of the ‘slot & tab’ couplers with link and pin semi-automatic ones on the higher priced 10-inch freight cars and steam engine tenders.

The smaller scale (1:64) models became much more prominent with its introduction in the 1939 catalog, which featured World’s Fair imagery on the yellow, black, and white cover. The relatively expensive, heavy, and highly detailed engines and cars had had diecast zinc alloy bodies. The 1939 catalog also featured the following introduction by A.C. Gilbert:

Hello Boys!

The Gilbert Hall of Science now brings you trains so true to life you can almost smell hot grease.

15 new features to give miniature railroading breath-taking realism.

Boys, if you went to the New York World’s Fair, you probably saw these marvelous new American Flyer Trains in action. Day after day vast crowds of boys – Dads – and Veteran railroad men gathered around to see . . . hear . . . and applaud these Tru-Model Trains of Tomorrow – that are here today.

Here, indeed, are the latest and most up-to-date “Challengers of the High Iron” . . . trains that capture all the romance of railroading . . . its air and adventure . . . its soul-stirring sounds . . . its sense of mighty power that you can control with a finger.

American Flyer engineers and technicians of the Gilbert Hall of Science have combined their inventive genius to develop 15 sensational new features. These features make electric trains look more realistic . . . sound more realistic – and operate in a more realistic way than ever before was dreamed possible.

Be sure to read every word in this booklet. That will help you decide what set and equipment you want for Christmas. Then see them at your local store. Take Dad along. He will be just as eager for an American Flyer as you. Tell your Uncles, Aunts, Grandparents what equipment you would like, so they can all join in giving you an American Flyer Merry Christmas.

Signed A.C. Gilbert

President The A.C. Gilbert Co.
and Founder of the Gilbert Hall of Science

After WWII, the 3/16s scale O gauge trains were re-engineered to run on much more realistic two rail track. The fine detail of the diecast engines, tenders, and cars that had debuted in the ‘39 catalog reappeared. The engines and tenders continued to be made of diecast metal, but the cars’ bodies were made out of plastic. Because of the relatively accurate scale of the rolling stock and two rail track, these trains (not yet referred to as “S” gauge by Gilbert) were significantly more realistic than their 3 rail O gauge counterparts.

Photograph on right from page 2 of the 1939 catalog, showing John Kane, engineer of New Haven’s Crack Trains, with Mr. Gilbert and “Len” Bennett. (Click on photo to enlarge)

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