Weeden No.20 Toy Steam Engine “Big Giant”
date: label: date made
content: ca 1900
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This toy steam engine is a Weeden model number 20, manufactured from around 1894 until 1940. The boiler is stamped with “Big Giant,” which is the version that was included as a prize to subscribers of <i>Youth’s Companion</i> magazine. The brass base of the engine is a fuel reservoir with protruding wick, and was made to burn either petroleum oil (kerosene) or alcohol. The brass boiler comes with a sight glass, and powers a vertical slide valve engine attached to a flywheel.
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
place: label: place made
content: United States: Massachusetts, New Bedford
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Mechanical and Civil Engineering
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content: Family & Social Life
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content: Engineering, Building, and Architecture
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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.328947
label: catalog number
content: 328947
label: accession number
content: 278175
objectType: label: Object Name
content: toy, steam engine and boiler
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: tin (base material)
label: Measurements
content: overall - from catalog card: 10 1/2 in x 4 3/8 in; 26.67 cm x 11.1125 cm
label: Measurements
content: flywheel - from catalog card: 2 7/8 in; x 7.3025 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 10 3/4 in x 5 in x 4 1/4 in; 27.305 cm x 12.7 cm x 10.795 cm