Atlantic Coast S Gaugers - ACSG "Promoting S Gauge along the East Coast"

June 2023 Meeting

"Take a ride on the Reading, if you pass GO collect $200!" was the theme for the June 2023 monthly meeting of the North Florida Division of the Atlantic Coast S Gaugers.

The meeting was held in Larry's barn and featured some great S gauge trains. In the movie, you will see an American Flyer boxed set 5311T Black Diamond passenger set. The set is in pristine condition; the painted 655 cars have been upgraded with diecast floors and lights, and a painted automatic baggage car added to the consist. This set belonged to our late member Bob Connor and is now part of Larry's collection.

An all-Reading freight consist comprised of cars from Gilbert, Lionel, S Helper, and American Models includes many custom painted pieces. Chuck Bryner brought over his very first toy train set from 1958, an American Flyer 20163 set pulled by a Reading Atlantic. Chuck still has all of the original boxes and contents, even though the set was heavily played with over the years. Chuck also shared a Reading O gauge caboose, custom decorated by his wife and given to him on their wedding day. Larry ran his very first locomotive, a 302AC that his dad gave him to play with when Larry was 4 years old. It runs like a top, the same as it did over 50 years ago, pulling a string of link coupler freight cars. Everyone had fun running trains, including some Western Maryland and Jersey Central since those railroads cooperated with the Reading (along with NYNHH, PWV, and NYCSTL) to form the "Alphabet Route" from New England to Chicago in competition with PRR and NYC.

Lloyd Lippert brought a very rare American Flyer 20117 set included on a dealer display layout. The plastic Reading Atlantic pulled 13 freight cars up and down a trestle set to show off "Pull-Mor" power, or could be operated on the figure 8 as a "hit or miss" set. This particular set was found here in Jacksonville, in its original box, from its original owner who was from READING, Pennsylvania. While the picture shows the train with one Illinois Central reefer car and two Santa Fe box cars, Lloyd's set came with three IC reefer cars; the factory put whatever extra inventory they had into these dealer sets.

Steve Baxendale brought some vintage Reading timetables. We all enjoyed sharing stories about the Reading Company, as a number of us lived in the Philadelphia area.

Go to www.youtube.com/flyerjazz to see all of Larry's videos !!

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