Can anyone tell me about this toy train? It’s hard to see in the picture, but the small wheels are flat on the bottom and the big wheels spin on a small rod. The coal box has two rows of six dots at the top and bottom, and the cow catcher has horizontal stripes. The age depends on the owner…it was either my great-grandfather’s (b. 1863) or my grandfather’s (b. 1909) toy.
Thanks!
Jen
Jen, I have seen these before, in a museum. Maybe Strausburg???
This engine would definitely be your grandfather’s and not your great granfather’s. The design of the engine is more modern. Engines from the 1860’s/70’s had smaller boilers and larger smokestacks and headlights (the type of engines you see in western movies). Cast iron toys of all kinds were popular in America from the 19th to the early 20th century. Manufacturers of such toys who might have made this train include Dent, Kenton, Hubley and Arcade. The fact that the engine and tender (which carries coal) are cast together as one piece instead of being two seperate ones and that many of the wheels don’t actually turn indicate that this is a cheaper low-end model. Floor toys aren’t in my area of expertise, so I can’t tell you much more. I would recommend looking on ebay in the Toys & Hobies: Vintage, Antique Toys: Cadt Iron category to see if you can find a simmilar engine and perhaps find some more information that way. I hope this helps.