American Flyer S Scale Cabooses (3 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 page 2
                         #24630 through #25052, plus the unnumbered Game Train caboose, are on this page
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

#24630 AFL Caboose made in 1959-1960
Like a few other cabooses, my #24630 has only one coupler.
The sheet metal arm that holds the coupler is cut off the truck.

#24631 Radio-Equipped caboose made with knuckle couplers in 1959-1960.
(Photo courtesy of an anonymous donor.)

#24631 Radio-Equipped caboose made with Pike Master couplers in 1963-1965.
(Photo courtesy of an anonymous donor.)

There is also a variation without the red stripe.
(Photo courtesy of an anonymous donor.)

#24632 made in 1959.
(Photo courtesy of an anonymous donor.)

#24633 Radio-Equipped Bay Window caboose made in 1959-1962.

#24634 Radio-Equipped Bay Window caboose made in 1963-1966.
(My apologies.  I lost track of whose picture this is.
If you recognize this as yours, please let me know and I will give proper photo credit.)

Some of these cabooses were made without all the lettering.
(Photo courtesy of an anonymous donor.)

The #24636 unpainted red AFL Caboose made in 1961-1966.

Like certain other cabooses, some of the #24636 cabooses had two couplers and others had only one.
I have one of each.

Later cars had much larger lettering.

It came with knuckle or Pike Master couplers.
(Photo courtesy of Rhett George.)

The extremely rare #24636 painted red AFL Caboose with Pike Master couplers.
(Photo courtesy of an anonymous donor.)

The rare #24636 AFL Caboose made in 1961-1966.
(Photo courtesy of an anonymous donor.)

#24638 Bay Window Caboose made in 1961-1962.
(Photo courtesy of an anonymous donor.)


#25031 Operating Brakeman Caboose made in 1958.
I have been told it was never produced, but I've gotten pictures of it from four people.
(Photo courtesy of Ted Hamler.)

The #979 Operating Caboose was made only in the transition year 1957.
Some were sold in boxes numbered 25036, and others in boxes numbered 25035.

#25052 Bay Window Caboose made only in 1958.
(Picture courtesy of D. Bafaro.)

Here's the brakeman on the back.
(My apologies.  I lost track of whose picture this is.
If you recognize this as yours, please let me know and I will give proper photo credit.)

Unnumbered Freight Ahead Caboose made only in 1963 for the #20800 Game Train.
(This is a picture I took of a car in Jack Larson's collection.)


Lionel began making cabooses under their American Flyer name in 1980 and is still producing them.  Between 1980 and 1998, they produced 24 different cobooses.  Show me the cabooses made by Lionel.


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:                                                                                                                                  
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