Steam Engines Revisited

Sunday, December 25, 2016
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-6 C  21 F

Steam Engines Revisited

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The Industrial Revolution  (1760-1840) was a transition period whereby industry in Europe, and later North America was transformed from manpower to machine power. New methods of power were created and discovered to increase production. These included water power, and also steam power. There were abundant coal reserves in Europe which were able to produce the steam for the vast number of machines that became the replacement for manpower. These included large presses and weaving machines (looms) that were able to replace many people and produce many more goods than had ever been produced before.

Naturally, with the invention of steam engines, European toy manufacturers and later American toy manufacturers started to produce steam toys. Some steam toys were simply steam engines that illustrated how these machines operated. Other steam engines could indirectly attach to other machines that could move.  THe power for the steam engines were small containers of small candles or small fuel sources to produce the heat necessary to produce the steam that ran the steam machines.

GEORGE BROWN FIRE PUMPER

Elusive clockwork driven horse drawn steam pumper, this very scarce Early American fire engine retains all the piping and decorative appointments as viewed in the important George Brown Sketch Book: hand painted tin, boiler done in patriotic red, white, and blue colors, bell appears under frame, drawn by two horses, large cast iron spoke wheels, clockwork concealed in upright boiler.  Minor re-touch to boiler, replaced wooden stack and tin pipe in rear frame, short pipe needs repair, horses re-soldered to hitch frame.

Length:  15"  380 mm

A scan (below) of the George Brown steam engine from the catalogue

suaid to have been produced between the 1860's-1870's.

Horizontal Steam Engine

Kenton, cast iron, painted in red and green, flywheel allows movement of parts, scarce.

 H x L:  5" x 7 1/2"  127 mm x 190 mm

The toy below appears to be a stand-alone toy. If the large green wheel was hand cranked, all of the parts of the toy would move to simulate a steam engine. Alternatively, a "real" steam engine could be directly attached to the toy via a cord or metal cord. This would then automatically 

cause the Kenton toy to go through all of its' motions.

a/ MARKLIN COMPOUND STEAM ENGINE
Germany, large scale example, features dynamo, centrifuge governor, feed pump, common cylinder with low & high pressure, horizontal boiler, many nickeled parts, mounted on enameled metal base, this was expensive in its day at $1.75. Base 21 1/2" x 21 1/2"  545 mm x 545 mm

MARKLIN STEAM PLANT

Germany, a wonderful engine, includes pressure gauge, weighted safety valve on steam dome, whistle, protected water glass, drain cock, feed water pump, a flyball governor, ladder to the catwalk around the marine style engine. 

L x W x H: 18 1/4"  x 20 3/4"  x 24 1/4" 463 mm x 528 mm x 615 mm

BING VERTICAL STEAM ENGINE

Germany, boiler appears partially blued, sight glass on side, whistle, fixed cylinder, cast iron base.  l x w x h:  4 1/4" x 4 1/4"  x 3 1/2" 118 mm x 118 mm x 90 mm  

MARKLIN DREDGING SHIP

#4322 w/4116 Steam engine, Germany, c.1909, exceedingly rare example, cataloged as "Bagger Machine," a fabulous entry depicting bucket dredge steam accessory toy, open hull boat able to sit into an embossed wave stand with spike for securing position, great colors comes with small boat to catch over spill from long chute protruding from deck. Toy comes with Marklin steam engine. Small boat 4 7/8" long. Engine 11" high.

The steam engine to the left could be attached to the dredging ship. When the steam engine was powered up, the energy transferred to the dredger would power the chain and small dredge "scoops" to fill with dirt. The scoops would rise and then tilt, dropping their load to the flat plate. From there, the load could drop into the smaller boat.

MARKLIN F.E. 4021 I GAUGE LOCOMOTIVE & TENDER

Hand enameled, 4-4-0 European outline live steam wind cutter style locomotive with eight wheel tender, features opening tool compartments and opening cap for access, functioning water reservoir, well detailed overall, extensive nickel apparatus. Engine and Tender 24 1/2" l

DOLL CO GANTRY CRANE
Germany, hand painted grey tin crane with double crank action, can be operated manually or as a steam engine accessory, overhead shed able to move across beams. 14" w. 

The above toy would have a stand-alone steam engine attached to it via a cord or metal cord.

The energy produced by the steam engine would allow the flywheel (the large wheel on a steam engine) to transfer the energy to the flywheel of the gantry crane. From there the small house hoist would move back and forth on the tracts, as well as lift an object from the ground.

Thanks for dropping by,

and have a Merry Christmas, 

and Happy New Year.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com