Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Pratt & Letchworth Revisited

Sunday, October 3, 2016
Overcast with rain
17 Celsius / 62 Fahrenheit



Pratt & Letchworth Revisited




History
In 1848, the Pratt & Letchworth Company was established by Samuel F. Pratt, Pascal P. Pratt and William P. Letchworth The company initially manufactured cast iron hardware for saddles and carriages. Over the next few decades, Pratt & Letchworth diversified its product line to include cast iron hand tools, toys and railroad equipment.  By the turn of the 20th Century, castings for railroad equipment became the company’s primary product. In 1923, the Dayton Malleable Iron Company acquired Pratt & Letchworth. Located on Tonawanda Avenue in Buffalo, New York, the Pratt & Letchworth foundry consisted of three buildings on 25 acres of land. During its peak production years, the company employed nearly 1,000 people. In 1981, faced with dramatically reduced demand for railroad equipment, Pratt & Letchworth ceased operations. In 2005, the foundry was demolished.*
* Citation: 


PRATT & LETCHWORTH PHAETON
Cast iron, white horse, missing guide wheel, repair to riveted cart. 15" l. (Good Cond.)


Two horse team, brown with black trim, yellow manes, spoke wheels, black hitch, early version with tin wheel, original figure. 11" l. (Exc. Cond.)
Estimate: 1,200.00 - 1,500.00 USD

PRATT & LETCHWORTH ONE HORSE WAGON
Cast iron, black coach with embossed seating, large spoke wheels, back rests, drawn by brown horse with yellow saddle. 15" l. Back armrests bent, (VG Cond.)
Estimate: $ 600.00 - $800.00 USD


PRATT & LETCHWORTH HANSOM CAB
Cast iron, open front coach with side windows, driver seated on rear of roof, drawn by solo horse, painted sides. 11" l. Replaced figure, toy (VG Cond.)
Estimate: $ 400.00 - $500.00 USD

PRATT & LETCHWORTH PHAETON
Cast iron and pressed steel, open Phaeton done in black with brown seat and yellow foot mat, red spoke wheels, drawn by white horse, seated lady driver. 16 1/2" l. All original, (Exc. Cond.)
Price Realized: $ 885.00 USD


As time moved on, Pratt & Letchworth changed with the times. The company produced less 
horse-drawn carriages, and  produced cast iron trains and fire station horse-drawn wagons. 
This change was similar to what other companies were doing at the time. 

PRATT & LETCHWORTH VESTIBULE FLOOR TRAIN
Largest of the cast iron floor train models and arguably the most desirable ever produced, this buffalo train, as it is referred, comes with locomotive, tender, buffet and large "Vanderbilt" coach, well painted in olive green, red roof, orange trimmed windows and black loco highlighted in gold, strong red colors. 56" overall length. Flaking to paint, break to one pole at baggage car.

Realized Price: $ 2655.00 USD



PRATT & LETCHWORTH LADDER WAGON
Early cast iron example, painted in open black frame with red sides and high bench seat, includes two replaced seated drivers, red spoke wheels, drawn by two white horses. 22 3/4" l. Horses, spokes and areas of wagon repainted.

Price Realized: $ 501.50 USD


Please press here to visit one of my previous posts on Pratt & Letchford



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