Thank you for the info on fun with tubes. Looks like a GREAT GREAT site to learn something. Then I don't have to "tie" up nostalgia air for some "stupid questions". I am a beginner. Was always interested in electronics but could never afford to go to a trade school. What got me started was when I was 6 years old santa clauss got me an American Flyer electric train. The locomotive was a cast iron like the tender. ( I still have it)It (was put up on Christmas morn) by Dad. At that time I wasn't supposed to know who santa was. Then I took it down after Christmas, watching where all the colored wires went. Then there was only Black, Yellow, (track terminals) Black & Yellow & Red & Green for the switches. When the next Christmas came I put it up & took it down ALL by myself while DAD watched.Then I would lay in MOM & DAD's bed & listen to an old SONORA table radio to radio programs: Mr. & Mrs. North,The Lone Ranger, Green Hornet,The Shadow, Tom Mix, Gene Autry, etc. Was always fasinated by the "little man in the box" that could talk but there NEVER was any man inside! Then I'd turn the knob & a woman would sing! I was only 6 years old. Then I'd turn another knob & could change the loudness. I asked Dad if could I put a knob on Mom so I could turn her voice down when she scolded me. He got a good laugh out of that one. He told me to do nicer things when she was around. Then when I was in school a few neighbors gave me a couple of sets to play with. Now they're up in the back room on a shelve. They are newer than RIDERS but they are in SAM's. SAM's are not in smaller cities. They (the libraries) tell me that they don't have the room to store thousands of files. They also told me that SAM's can be found in the larger cities. On the set that I'm trying to learn on there are 2 tall square steel cans, 5 tubes, a speaker, & a odd thing that has "movable" half-circles that go inside of some "still" plates.Underneath there are a lot of different colored wires & some small tubes & some smaller tubes with colored lines on them. Then there is a little cardboard tube with some wires around it. Will read on the "fun with tubes" web site.Looks VERY interesting. I can do house wiring. There are ONLY Black, White, Red, Orange, Yellow & Green. But electronics has more colors so will have to learn some more. Thanks for the help on locating a web-site so I can learn on my own!

: Thank you for the info on fun with tubes. Looks like a GREAT GREAT site to learn something. Then I don't have to "tie" up nostalgia air for some "stupid questions". I am a beginner. Was always interested in electronics but could never afford to go to a trade school. What got me started was when I was 6 years old santa clauss got me an American Flyer electric train. The locomotive was a cast iron like the tender. ( I still have it)It (was put up on Christmas morn) by Dad. At that time I wasn't supposed to know who santa was. Then I took it down after Christmas, watching where all the colored wires went. Then there was only Black, Yellow, (track terminals) Black & Yellow & Red & Green for the switches. When the next Christmas came I put it up & took it down ALL by myself while DAD watched.Then I would lay in MOM & DAD's bed & listen to an old SONORA table radio to radio programs: Mr. & Mrs. North,The Lone Ranger, Green Hornet,The Shadow, Tom Mix, Gene Autry, etc. Was always fasinated by the "little man in the box" that could talk but there NEVER was any man inside! Then I'd turn the knob & a woman would sing! I was only 6 years old. Then I'd turn another knob & could change the loudness. I asked Dad if could I put a knob on Mom so I could turn her voice down when she scolded me. He got a good laugh out of that one. He told me to do nicer things when she was around. Then when I was in school a few neighbors gave me a couple of sets to play with. Now they're up in the back room on a shelve. They are newer than RIDERS but they are in SAM's. SAM's are not in smaller cities. They (the libraries) tell me that they don't have the room to store thousands of files. They also told me that SAM's can be found in the larger cities. On the set that I'm trying to learn on there are 2 tall square steel cans, 5 tubes, a speaker, & a odd thing that has "movable" half-circles that go inside of some "still" plates.Underneath there are a lot of different colored wires & some small tubes & some smaller tubes with colored lines on them. Then there is a little cardboard tube with some wires around it. Will read on the "fun with tubes" web site.Looks VERY interesting. I can do house wiring. There are ONLY Black, White, Red, Orange, Yellow & Green. But electronics has more colors so will have to learn some more. Thanks for the help on locating a web-site so I can learn on my own!
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Austin:
Glad you found it. That guy really knows his stuff, and can explain it so almost anyone can understand what he is saying. As to the All American five, they were all pretty much the same, so if you don't have the exact schematic, most any schematic for an AA5 will at least get you into the church, maybe even the right pew. Wish I had that site when I was about thirteen. Carry on, my friend.
Lewis