American Flyer S Scale Cabooses (2 of 5)

Gilbert made 27 distinct cabooses, some of which had numerous variations, and Lionel made 37 more up through 2006.  Because there are so many, I have split them up over five web pages:

Gilbert Cabooses #630 through #930 are on page 1
                         #934 through #24627 are on this page
                         #24630 through #25052, plus the unnumbered Game Train caboose, are on page 3
Lionel Cabooses  #9400 through #48715 are on page 4
                         #48718 and above are on page 5

Unless otherwise specified, the large pictures on this page are of cars in the collection of The Upstairs Train.

If you have a picture that you would like to share with the world of any of the cars not shown here (or a better picture of one that is shown!), email them to me: theupstairstrain@yahoo.com

#934 Caboose made only in 1955.
(Photo courtesy of G. Elliott.)

#935 Bay Window caboose made only in 1957.

Unlettered #935 Bay Window Caboose made only in 1957.
(Photo courtesy of an anonymous donor.)

#938 Caboose made in 1954 and 1955

The #977 operating caboose with a metal brakeman made in 1955.

The #977 Operating Caboose was made with a rubber brakeman in 1956-1958.

#979 Bay Window operating caboose made only in 1957.


#24603 unpainted caboose made only in 1958.


There is also an extremely rare painted version.


I took several pictures trying to capture the difference between the painted and unpainted versions;
this is the best I could come up with.
The unpainted version has an orange tint to it, whereas the painted version above it is a dark red.
The unpainted version is more shiny; the difference is analogous to the difference between
the flat paint used on plasterboard walls and the semi-gloss paint commonly used on woodwork.


#24610 made in 1958-1960 with solid knuckle couplers.
(Photo courtesy of Rhett George.)

#24619 Radio-Equipped Bay Window caboose made only in 1958.
(Photo courtesy of New England Toy & Train Exchange.)

#24626 Radio-Equipped caboose made only in 1958.

#24627 caboose made in 1959-1960.
(Photo courtesy of Rick Dunn.)


Show me the rest of the cabooses.


Over the years, Gilbert made four different kinds of couplers, three of which are common and familiar to most American Flyer owners: link, knuckle, and Pike Master.  The fourth, the so-called "solid knuckle coupler," was short-lived and not used on very many cars.  Lionel later came up with its own version of knuckle coupler.  American Flyer has therefore gone through five generations of couplers.  Because there seem to be a lot of people confused by this, I created a page to show the differences.  Click the picture below for more detail.



It takes time and money to maintain a website like this.  If this site is interesting and helpful to you, please contribute financially to its ongoing success.  You may send a contribution via PayPal using theupstairstrain@yahoo.com as the payee. Both credit card and direct transfers would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

If you or your friends have some American Flyer trains and would like them to go to a nice home where they'll be loved and cared for, this is the place!  Email me: theupstairstrain@yahoo.com.  See my Wish List for the items I need most.  Thank you very much.

On the other side of the coin, I post pictures from time to time on my For Sale page of surplus items I have for sale.

This gallery will continue to grow and become more comprehensive as I collect more cars and as visitors like you send me pictures of the cars I don't yet have.  If you have a car that you would like to share with the world, email me a picture:   theupstairstrain@yahoo.com.  Click here for a list of the pictures I need to complete the Gallery.

The books I am using for reference are listed in the Bibliography page.  All the writing and all the pictures on this website are, however, my own, except where cited.  No copyrighted materials have been included and all pictures provided by others are used by permission.

Now show me:                                                                                                                                  
The Gilbert Gallery Home Page  
Engines    Passenger Cars    Freight Cars    Freight Sets    Work Cars    Accessories    Infrastructure Gallery

Christmas Cars      Boxcars      Refrigerator Cars      Stock Cars      Hopper Cars      Gondolas
Tank Cars      Flatcars      Aquarium Cars      Autorack Cars      Mint Cars      Cabooses

Pictures Needed     Useful Links     For Sale     Wish List     Bibliography     The Upstairs Train