The Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts, manufactured the Weeden No. 900 toy steam engine from 1935 until 1940. The Weeden No. 900 was an electrically heated steam engine, and the two prongs that would be plugged into a cord can be seen under the boiler. The plate above the prongs details the volts, watts, and catalog number of the engine. The engine consists of a horizontal boiler powering a horizontal slide valve engine with flyball governor that powers a flywheel.
The Weeden Manufacturing Company was founded in New Bedford, Massachusetts by William M. Weeden in the early 1880s, originally producing a variety of tinplate household items. In 1884 it introduced the Weeden No. 1 Steam engine as “a new and great premium for boys” who were subscribers to the Youth’s Companion magazine. Weeden made over a hundred different models of toy steam engines until the company ceased operations in 1952.
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