How can I go about determining the background and value of an old train set. Manufactured by a company called Ingersol I believe. The train locomotive is steam powered. Trains were manufactured somewhere around the 1890’s. My internet searches over the years have come up empty.
I checked a list of manufacturers published by the Train Collectors Association (Western Division) and didn’t see any listing with the name Ingersol. However the TCA West also says there were literally thousands of toy train makers that have come and gone. In my opinion Ingersol may have been an importer, not a manufacturer.
You can try contacting the TCA’s Toy Train Museum, https://www.tcatrains.org in Ronks PA. Maybe they can give you a history of Ingersol but they won’t be able to give you a value. An auction house that specializes in trains like Cabin Fever might be able to give you an approximate value but they’d have to see it.
Good luck!
Thanks for checking into this for me. A did some additional research. The distributer was Robert.H. Ingersol and Bro., 67 Cortland street Ny. They were watch manufacturers then expanded out into the mail order business and had a catalog similar to a Sears Roebuck but much more limited. The catalog online is 96 pages published in 1898. That particular catalog has an electric battery trainset. Very interesting. You could buy the battery chemicals at any local pharmacy and mix them yourself. What interesting times. Prices were great also. That particular catalog did not however have a steam powered train set. Thanks for the suggestions
Can you post photos? Welcome aboard!
I’ll second that!
Welcome to the forums! I’d love to see some photos of this train.
You’re very welcome!
What scale is it or approximately scale,is it tin would love to see some pictures does it work
Found one on Morphy auctions it was a Ingersol passenger set sold for $3,540.00 don’t know if its same set, but hope it helps.
sorry it included all the boxs
Here are some photos. Manufacturer unknown. Sold through Robert Ingersoll and Bros. Company Cortland st. NY. 1890’s i believe.
WOW!!! That’s a gorgeous locomotive! Based on that paper label on the box I wouldn’t doubt that Ingersoll actually made it themselves. Try looking into Ingersoll-Rand.
Robert ingersoll and bros. Company started as watch manufacturers then branched into mail order selling a wide variety of merchandise such as toys, jewelry, you name it. There is a catalog online from 1898 96 pages of merchandise. I suspect the manufacturer was an American company probably within proximity of new york where Ingersoll was located. I was limited in the number if photos i could post but had about 10 more to share
that looks like the train in the auction sorry no more info auction ended could not read description .
A favorite YouTube channel of mine, Leonard Williams, has showcased a similar looking (but different) live steam outfit made by Beggs in Patterson NJ.
The cover of a book on the company is briefly shown, on which I can see a model that looks much like the one shown in the auction picture in this thread. Perhaps Beggs was their supplier for this outfit?
-El
WOW! It’s a beauty!