The following information is provided to
help understand American Flyer Transformers.
Most American Flyer "S" and "O"
engines were designed to run on AC or Alternating
Current. Although, the motors are what is
referred to as "series wound",
so they can also operated on DC or Direct
Current. Maximum voltage is 15 to 17 volts.
American Flyer engines also were made that
would only run on DC, those engines have
a "DC" after the engine number.
Engines that have an "AC", after
the engine number will run on both.
All American Flyer Transformers are AC. The
DC versions are called Rectaformers.
Early American Flyer "HO" engines
ran on AC, while later versions run on DC.
In general the power units for the HO are
called DC power packs.
The size of transformers are rated in watts.
The smallest being 25 and the largest being
300 watts.
Most American Flyer boxed sets came with
25-75 watt transformers.
Choosing the right size transformer
When choosing a transformer it's important
to calculate the power requirements you need.
A good rule of thumb is 25 watts per motor.
So a small engine like a 302 running on a
small loop of track will only requires a
25 watt transformer. Larger engines or dual
motor diesels will require twice the wattage.
The next thing to consider is size of your
layout. You will need to add wattage the
larger your layout is and for accessories,
lights etc.
Small Steam Locomotive 15-25 watts Large Steam Locomotive 25-35 watts Diesel Switcher 15-25 watts Large Diesel A & B Unit 25-40 watts Each Lamp 3 watts Automatic Accessories 10-25 watts Operating Accessories 20-40 watts
AMERICAN FLYER TRANSFORMER DATA Transformer # A. C. Volts WATTS Frequency Variable Voltage Range Fixed Voltage
1 115 25 Watts 60 Cycles 7-15 Volts 2 115 75 " 60 " 7-15 " 15 Volts 4B 115 100 " 60 " 7-15 " 15 " 8B 115 100 " 60 " 7-15 " 15 " 12B 115 250 " 60 " 7-15 " 15 " 19B 115 300 " 60 " 7-15 " 15 " 30B 115 300 " 60 " 7-15 " 15 "
More information is available in our American
Flyer Trains Photo Gallery and items we have
for sale are listed on our Trains for Sale
page.