Bassett-Lowke Toy Steam Engine

Bassett-Lowke Toy Steam Engine

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Description (Brief)
Bassett-Lowke manufactured this metal steam engine toy in Northampton, England around 1920. The toy consists of a horizontal boiler with sight glass, steam whistle, pressure gauge, and throttle valve on top of a black simulated brick firebox with chimney stack. The boiler powers a cam operated valve gear horizontal engine and flywheel that is connected to a line shaft with three pulleys. The boiler, engine, and line shaft are all on a tin base. The line shaft may not be original to the toy.
Bassett-Lowke is a toy company in Northampton, England that was founded in 1899, and constructed a variety of model boats, ships, trains, and engines until it went out of business in 1965.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
toy, engine-boiler lineshaft
engine-boiler-lineshaft, steam, toy
toy, steam engine-boiler-lineshaft
date made
ca 1920
Physical Description
tin (overall material)
wood (base material)
Measurements
boiler-from catalog card: 8 1/2 in x 3 in; x 21.59 cm x 7.62 cm
overall-from catalog card: 16 1/4 in x 15 1/2 in x 14 in; 41.275 cm x 39.37 cm x 35.56 cm
flywheel: 4 1/4 in; x 10.795 cm
overall: 9 1/2 in x 15 5/8 in x 14 in; 24.13 cm x 39.6875 cm x 35.56 cm
smokestack: 10 7/8 in x 1 3/4 in; 27.6225 cm x 4.445 cm
ID Number
MC.329033
catalog number
329033
accession number
278175
Credit Line
Bequest of the Estate of Greville I. Bathe
See more items in
Work and Industry: Mechanical and Civil Engineering
Family & Social Life
Engineering, Building, and Architecture
Engineering Steam Toys and Models
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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