The huge differences in overall quality, trueness and attention to detail of the American Flyer products when compared to the "Toy-Like" level of the much more popular Lionel ones needs to be stressed and explained. Comparing contemporary examples of both of them, the difference is considerable. The critique about American Flyer using "plastic" car bodies ignores the fact that the plastic used was of high quality, with good color rendition and a much higher detail level. The twin rails used by american Flyer were of much truer profile than the three, rounder section Lionel ones, and a 90 degree turn required three curved sections of much more ample radius than the abrupt two 45 degree pieces of the Lionel. Overall, American Flyer abstained to produce fantasious designs like the "atomic missile car", concentrating on real reproductions of real railroad cars, in essence, a true "Model Railroad" versus a flashier toy. People not knowing this, wrongly believe Lionel trains deserve their iconic status, when it was the American Flyer product that was the best one among the two. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.100.180.20 (talk) 18:41, 13 October 2011 (UTC)Reply
.jpg){kind=small}
