Weeden No. 14 Toy Steam Engine
date: label: date made
content: early 20th century
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: The Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts manufactured the Weeden model number 14 from the 1890s until the 1940s. The toy consists of a brass boiler with safety valve, whistle, and chimney stack (that was not original to the engine). The horizontal slide valve engine has an ornamental flyball governor and powers an iron flywheel. The boiler and engine is attached to a six-legged cast iron frame that is painted green. The side of the boiler has bears the Weeden crest logo that reads “W MFG. CO.” While this item is similar to object MC*328959 and is the same model, this engine has concave boiler ends and green iron base, pointing to an earlier manufacturing date. The later stack replaced an early style lever safety valve and there is no sight glass.
label: Description (Brief)
content: 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 <i>Youth’s Companion</i> magazine. Weeden made over a hundred different models of toy steam engines until the company ceased operations in 1952.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Mechanical and Civil Engineering
label: See more items in
content: Family & Social Life
label: See more items in
content: Engineering, Building, and Architecture
label: See more items in
content: Engineering Steam Toys and Models
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Maass, Eleanor A.. Greville Bathe's "Theatre of Machines": The Evolution of a Scholar and His Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Bequest of the Estate of Greville I. Bathe
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MC.328960
label: catalog number
content: 328960
label: accession number
content: 278175
objectType: label: Object Name
content: toy, steam engine and boiler
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: brass, cast iron (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 7 3/4 in x 6 3/4 in x 5 3/4 in; 19.685 cm x 17.145 cm x 14.605 cm
label: Measurements
content: boiler - from catalog card: 6 in x 2 1/4 in; x 15.24 cm x 5.715 cm
label: Measurements
content: flywheel - from catalog card: 3 1/2 in; x 8.89 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall - from catalog card: 8 in; x 20.32 cm