The Bing Company of Bavaria, Germany manufactured this toy steam engine during the early 20th century. The horizontal boiler has a steam whistle and sight glass above a black firebox with a simulated brickwork chimney. The boiler powers an orange horizontal slide valve engine and flywheel. Everything is mounted on a tin base that measures 9.25 by 9.5 inches.
The Gebrüder Bing (Bing Brothers) toy company was founded in Nuremburg, Germany by Adolf and Ignatz Bing in 1863 and operated until 1932. The company was renamed Bing Werke (Bing Works) in 1918 when Ignatz Bing died. While very successful from 1863 until 1912, World War I created an unfavorable export market for German products, and the hard post-war years caused additional financial hardships. The harsh political climate in Germany forced the Jewish Bing family to flee to England in 1932, and Bing’s assets were acquired by rival toy company Bub in 1933.
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