American Flyer Train Track

Hey everyone,
I have a question regarding American Flyer model train track. My dad was showing me an American Flyer train he got when he was a kid. This train is from the 1950's. He told me that he threw away the original track, because American Flyer brought out a new type of track that was not compatible with his original track.
Does anyone out there know the differences between these tracks, and what the track that he threw away would be called? I am hoping to find replacement track.
Thanks

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Before World War II, American Flyer trains were three rail 0 gauge (1:48).
After World War II, American Flyer produced two rail S gauge trains (1:64). The original track was steel tubular type track. A circle was about 41", I believe. The rail heads were square and the black steel ties were rather "tall" with flared bottoms. The track sections were about 10" long with two or three ties per section as I recall.
In the 1960s, AF produced their All Aboard Scenic Panels and track with plastic roadbed attached. The track was known as Pike Master track and a circle was about 36".
Story of All Aboard Scenic Panels:
http://www.rfgco.com/allaboard/index.html
Hobby Surplus Sales (div. of Amato Hobby Co.) has used American Flyer S gauge track (and other Gilbert AF parts and items):
http://www.hobbysurplus.com /
R. F. Giardina Co. has parts for American Flyer:
http://www.rfgco.com/index.html
I believe K-Line produced new S gauge track sections with the same profile as the original AF track. However, K-Line is no longer in business (Lionel is producing selected K-Line 0 gauge trains).
Bill Bill's Railroad Empire N Scale Model Railroad: http://www.billsrailroad.net Brief History of N Scale: http://www.billsrailroad.net/history/n-scale Model Railroad Books, Toys, and Trains: http://www.billsrailroad.net/bookstore Resources--Links to 1,200 sites: http://www.billsrailroad.net/bills-favorite-links

Bill wrote:
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2006 American Flyer cataloged offerings:
http://www.lionel.com/Products/Catalogs/Catalog.cfm?CatalogUID �9F8B9D-B0D0-205D-B71E34759BC76E19&PageIDi0
And S gauge track(presumably from K-Line tooling - bottom of page 122):
http://www.lionel.com/Products/Catalogs/Catalog.cfm?CatalogUID �D98741-B8B4-F5A5-9867DF780CEE5190&PageID�4
Rob
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Hello, and to add to Bill's (Bill's Railroad Empire) comment about a year ago I retrieved by AF train set from my parent's attic as we were preparing a move to a retirement community. It had remained there untouched for about 40 years. I was surprised to find that upon power-up everything still worked, sort of. I cleaned the surface rust off some of the track sections and steel pins and slightly bent the pins of each track section (per the AF user manual) to ensure good electrical contact. A problem using old steel track IMHO is the difficulty in removing oxidation/rust that is inside the track rails. Electrical resistance using old track can readily accumulate to the extent that even a small oval layout (with a properly operating transformer and locomotive) can cause the train to slow down in certain sections. Those crossing sections used to create figure-8 layouts have a lot of electrical junctions that, when loose and/or oxidized, can also be a source of significant electical resistance. Additionally, the original S-scale track uses steel ties that are insulated from the rails by paper that must be in place to prevent short-cicuiting the rails. Just some things to consider if you acquire some original Gilbert/AF track. Other than that, it's extremely durable stuff (as were all of A.C. Gilbert's 1948-1960 era products). Enjoy! Sincerely,
John Wood (Code 5550) e-mail: snipped-for-privacy@itd.nrl.navy.mil Naval Research Laboratory 4555 Overlook Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20375-5337