The Old Centurions

Friday, August 29, 2014
    Sunny but seasonally cooler

The Old Centurions
(Live Steam Engines)

   I decided  to go back into my old posts, and search for old toys.  Sure enough, I came across steam toys. So that's how I came to write today's post. As I selected some prime and choice toys from Bertoia Auctions, I kept coming across the phrase "Live Steam Engines".  I didn't know what the term meant, so I decided to do a search and Wikipedia had the answer.

A live steam machine or device is one powered by steam, but the term is usually reserved for those that are replicas, scale models, toys, or otherwise used for heritage, museum, entertainment, or recreational purposes, to distinguish them from similar devices powered by electricity or some other more convenient method but designed to look as if they are steam-powered. Revenue-earning steam-powered machines such as mainline and narrow gauge steam locomotives, steamships, and power-generating steam turbines are not normally referred to as "live steam".*

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_steam

Please click here to redirect to this fine American auctioneer's website

What's interesting to note when reading the actual descriptions is how renowned and long-established auction house mentions all of the descriptive worn parts, as well as the replacement parts. Over the years, I'm sure they get to see at least several similar items, and this can readily identify replacement parts or re-soldered parts.

For today's post, I decided to enlarge the images to their full size. Normally, I present then smaller, and occasionally will add a note for you, my readers, to look at the photos in Google Blogger mode (the blog company that I use).

I don't have all of the dates to these toys, but they are all very old, and many are true antiques

 (100 years old or older).

What's interesting about these toys is the fact that would be played with by children, with I'm sure supervision of their parents. Also, I would like to think that these centenarians (100 year olds) could still operate if you started them up. As I was typing the word for 100 years old, I wrote centurion (A term for a battle-strong  and experienced Roman soldier and leader of a group). I knew that I erred, so I checked the correct spelling for centenarian. However, the word centurion was so apropos or appropriate, that I thought of retitling this post - The old centurions, and I did!