Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

             I saw Crazydoug's post on his tiny single cylinder TMY and had to send some photos here of mine, which is quite different (although also exactly 2 inches tall). I have been unable to find any references to this engine whatsoever, but I am familiar with the other models he noted, and I have both the smaller and larger versions of the flat-twin model (last photo shows that engine with box next to this tiny single cylinder).

             I am not sure exactly what sort of valve mechanism this has, but it runs like a top, in either direction depending on which intake pipe is used. The cylinder cap has a small port on top, and unscrews to reveal the piston. Oddly (?), it runs just as well with the cap removed! Have only run it on air, but I would guess that it puts out an impressive stream of steam exhaust from that port. The cylinder bore is about 7.5 mmm (5/16 inch).

             Anyone ever seen another like this?

Thanks Nick, I forgot to note that the twin engine is the smaller model, measuring just over 3 1/4 inches from cylinder head to head, the larger models are about 3 3/4.

       Thought I would follow up with a photo comparing the smaller and larger flat-twin TMY engines, I am not aware of any readily available references comparing them. Not a great photo but sufficient for comparison.

      The easiest way to distinguish them is that the smaller (top) has 3 cylinder head screws, while the larger below has 4. The diameters of the cylinder heads are 19 vs 21 mm, and the flywheels are 34 vs 37 mm respectively. I don't know if there are any differences in the bore sizes.

      Another aspect of these that has always puzzled me is the frequency of references I have seen that state that they date from "1945", although other references date them from the 1950s. Seems to me that it would be nearly impossible that any were made as early as 1945, since I doubt that little model engines (or much of anything at all) were being made for export during the last 3 months following the end of the war! I would be curious to know anything more certain about the years they were made, if anyone can comment. Thanks!