1880s LARGE BEGGS NO 1 LIVE STEAM ENGINE RAILROAD TRAIN LOCOMOTIVE 1 GAUGE

Description

Very rare and original, ca1880’s Large Size, Beggs No. 1, Live Steam Toy Train Engine / Locomotive manufactured by Eugene Beggs of Patterson, New Jersey in its original Box.
This wonderful, working Live Steam Toy Railroad Train Locomotive Engine measures approx. 12" long overall and 5 1/4” tall to the top of its smoke stack. The Train Engine is 1 Gauge (one of the first 1 Gauge Locomotives manufactured in the United States) and made of brass, iron and tin. It is complete and in working condition. The Locomotive retains a significant amount of its original surface paint and is very attractive.
This is a 2 Gauge, 2-4-0 Railroad Locomotive with the front truck pre-set to travel in a circle on Beggs patented tracks. Offered here as a somewhat later version of the Beggs No. 1 with two domes and smokestack atop the boiler (no bell or headlamp was originally included). The Engine is near complete with an intact sight glass on the back of the boiler and all filler caps but lacking the decorative, back sand dome.
"Eugene Beggs of Patterson New Jersey began manufacturing live-steam toy trains around 1871 with his associate Jehu Garlick. Beggs filed a patent for an improvement on steam driven toy trains that was his original design for the American market. It was an American profile locomotive with a cow catcher. Beggs manufactured the first American live-steam toy trains in 1 gauge and continued to produce them through the early 1900's. These toys ran just like the real trains on steam, with heated water forced into the steam chamber to drive the wheels. Begg's engines were a higher quality than the European imports and were therefore priced higher. The fact that the trains resembled American steamers was a selling feature. American department or specialty stores were the primary outlet for these early live-steam toy trains, and Beggs was the first American company to tap into this market with mass production. These train sets were a very popular toy and a very expensive toy in its day." (from the Western Division of the Train Collectors Association)
This wonderful, Beggs No. 1, 1 Gauge, Live Steam Railroad Engine is in very good condition. The Engine is near complete lacking the rear, decorative sand dome but otherwise complete with all original parts (including the original, four wick burner) present. Although we have not fired up the Engine we guarantee it to be in working order. There appears to be an old repair to the front plate of the boiler but there are no other repairs of any kind. The surface paint is well preserved on the cowcatcher and side panels of the Locomotive but worn on the removable cab. Please see the scans below for a good representation of form and condition of this highly desirable Beggs Live Steam Railroad Locomotive!!
A very rare and original, ca1880’s Large Size, Beggs No. 1, Live Steam Toy Train Engine / Locomotive and a fantastic addition to any collection!!!
Be sure to check out this seller’s other auctions for a number of other late 19th and early 20th century Toys (including Live Steam Model Trains) which are also being offered for sale this week on eBay!!
Overseas shipping is extra and cost will be quoted at bidders request. Massachusetts residents must add 6.25% sales tax.
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Important Notes about Shipping Charges:
The amount quoted for Shipping & Handling is calculated by eBay and is equal to the EXACT amount charged by the Post Office plus a .00 "packing fee" - the .00 fee is our only compensation for the virgin packing materials we use on all of our professionally packaged boxes as well as our cost for the salaried help that does most of our packing - as I am sure you can see, we make NO profit on the Shipping charges and, in fact, our costs are usually greater than the .00 fee. Please contact us if there are any issues regarding the cost of shipping.
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