Detailed Preview of American Flyer S Gauge Polar Express Set

In the world of trains, the story of the Polar Express is one of the most memorable and accessible of them all, and Lionel will soon be capitalizing on the tale once more. 

In order to celebrate the popular Polar Express film from 2004 and further establish its S Scale offerings, Lionel is bringing the heralded train to its American Flyer line. You can check out all the details from Lional and see a beautiful preview image of the set below (click for full size image).

American Flyer Polar Express Train Set

The story of the Polar Express never gets old – and now the magic comes to our American Flyer line as one of our first new complete S Gauge train sets to help marks the tenth anniversary of the popular movie in 2014.

Whether you are just starting with American Flyer, expanding your collection or looking for a train around the Christmas tree, this set will be a perfect fit. You’ll also find the size of S Gauge American Flyer to be a very nice complement to collectible Christmas villages.

This set will feature completely new tooling. Like our O and G gauge versions, the Polar Express will be modeled after the train as it appeared in both the book and movie. The locomotive, based on Pere Marquette No. 1225, pulls two coaches and an observation.

The locomotive will feature:

• Transformer controlled forward, neutral, and
  reverse operation
• Die-cast metal locomotive body and frame
• Operating headlight
• Operating coupler on tender
• Whistle sound in tender
• Puffing smoke
• Powerful maintenance-free motor
• Two traction tires
• Large “Polar” pilot and headlight lens shield
• Realistic bell and whistle details
• Separately applied detail handrails

The cars will all feature operating couplers, interior illumination and silhouettes in the windows. The observation car will boast a rounded platform and railing with a drumhead.

The set will also include an oval of American Flyer FasTrack (12 S-36 curves, 3 straight and one straight with power connections) and a powerful transformer – everything you’ll need to get started.

The ready-to-run set will retail for $ 359.99. This set is sure to delight for years to come. And stay tuned for more American Flyer Polar Express announcements in the near future!

This set might not get every enthusiast's heart racing, but it would be a beautiful gift for the casual collector or family Christmas display. The Polar Express is synonymous with the holiday, and I'm not sure Christmas would be complete without a train circling the tree.