History behind the Lionel NYC Flyer 4-4-2 steam locomotive

Well,

Here is a bit of History for the NYC Flyer locomotive that came in your set.

Production of the 4-4-2's started in the 1970's, however using the tooling from Lionel's postwar 2037's. In the early 1990's the engine was modified to look like it does today.

However, the Modified starter set 4-4-2's had a waterheater in front of the smoke stacks. This was continued up until 1999. This Atlantic appered in the Chessapeake and Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York Central, Lionel Lines, Santa Fe, and the Delaware and Hudson. These are the only roadnames I know of, but there might have been more.

In 1996 I beleive, the NYC flyer set was first cataloged. Instead of Trainsounds, the engine had a plain air-whistle. With it came 2 freight cars and a caboose. It came with an oval of Tubular Track (100 year old Fastrack predesscesor), grade crossings, and a die-cast truck.

Over the years the freight cars were changed, but the engine remained the same, until 1999 or 2000, when it was given Railsounds.

In 2000, the starter set 4-4-2 was redesigned. It was just the same without the waterheater in front of the smoke stack. The set components were the same.

In 2003, the new track system called Fastrack was introduced and put in all starter sets. The NYC was given Fastarck, and a CW80 controller.

In 2005, the sound system was changed to Trainsounds, the little brother to Railsounds. Railsounds was put in the high end engines, and Trainsounds were in the Traditional locomotives. The cars were changed.

This year nothing about the engine is different exceot that the set has a red caboose instead of a green one like last year, and a searchlite car was added.

The add-on packs were introduced in 2005. There was a freight and Passenger for both the Pennsy Flyer and the NYC Flyer. The freight packs were changed for 2006. The Passenger Packs remained the same.

If you want to see the old catalogs, Lionel has the 2000-2006 catalogs on their website.

Go to and find the catalog section, the you can view all the catalogs published by Lionel from 2000 - 2006.

My information may not be entirely accurate, so maybe some others here can help you with the Lionel NYC Flyers History

steel rails