Old Antique Toys

Monday, December 4, 2023

Those Magnificent Machines from a Long Time Ago

Monday, December 4, 2023

Overcast,

27 F -2.77 C

Those Magnificent Steam Engine Machines

from a Long Time Ago

Whenever I get an e-mail from a reader, I'm always reminded of the 1995 Tom Hanks movie Forrest Gump, for which Tom won an Oscar award for Best Actor. I still remember that famous line in the movie where Forrest is seated at a bus stop and says to the lady seated next to him, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get".

And so it was with today's post. I received an e-mail from Mr. Richard Rominger, III, asking if I knew something about a specific type of steam engine. The engine was an Empire B-44 D-Cell Electric Engine that would have been produced between 1933-1938.

Richard is searching for that rare B-44 Engine. So if there is anyone out there who has one or knows of someone who has one for sale, could you please contact me.

I'll then forward the information to Richard.

Unfortunately, I am 99.9% sure that I never ever wrote a post about these most-interesting machines. I called these engines machines because in my humble opinion, I felt that they were made for older children due to their complexity, and their needing care and caution when "working" with them.

Naturally, I wrote Richard back, and said that I did not know anything about these special class of machines, but if he could send me some photos, I would gladly write a post about them.

These machines ran on electricity, and would produce heat (steam) by heating up water in an enclosed system.

Below is the cover page of a 1935 Empire
(The Metal Ware Corporation) Catalogue

Below are 5 pages from this

excellent catalogue

I normally add a copyright notice to each and every photo that
I use. However, in this case, Richard is not the owner of the of the copyright, and the manufacturer has not been in business for a long time.

If anyone knows about what happens to copyrights when a company or publisher closes down, please write to me, and give me the information, so that I
can share it with others.

Above: Dry Cell B32

1930-1942

8"x 6"x 6" (20.32 cm x 15.4 cm x 15.4 cm)

Dry Cell Battery Supplied Power (4 Volts)
Above: Hot Air B40

1924-1941

12 1/8" x 6 1/4" x 5" (30.8 cm x 15.8.75 cm x12.7 cm)
Above: Large Wheel

1930-1933

15" x 14" x 6" ( 38.1 cm x 35.5 cm x 15.24 cm)
Above: Dry Cell B32

1930 - 1942

8" x 6" x 6" (20.32 cm x 15.25 cmx 15.24 cm

2 lbs (.907 Kg)

Above: Water Twin B42
1926 -1930
9" x 8" x 7" (20.32 cm x 15.25 cmx 15.24 cm
12 lbs (5.44 Kg)

Accessories
Top Left: 6 1/4" x 4 1/4"
No. 32 Variable Speed Unit
1930-1935

Top Right:
6 1/4" x 4 3/4"
No.50 Water Pump
1939-?

Bottom Middle:
7" x 5" x 4"
1/8 scale B34 Windlass Variable Speed Unit
1930 - 1935