Welcome to the Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines - Enjoy!
Yes it is Jack's engine. (Trying to talk he out of it). Don't think it ever had the asbestos lining in it. Talked him out of restoring it. Just doing a good cleaning, fixing and replacing missing parts. Trying to preserve what is there. It can only be original once. No matter how much you try you can't ever put it back.
Thanks for reminding me of this, Charlie. We had a great time entertaining you here and we look forward to seeing you again!Gil
The cord is twisted cloth covered wire. By the way it is attached to heater I would say it's original. It is wrapped with cloth tape at connection very neatly done. Still very tight and heater works, so I'm not taking it off. Someone had added a more modern cord to this cord to make it longer. I took that cord off and put a new old style end on it.
I know about these holes in the firebox. The very first Jensens were built with open flame heating requiring the vent holes. At the first major toy show that Tom Sr. showed them, he received his first order for 50 engines contingent on them all being heated electrically. Rather than make new fireboxes, (remember, Tom Jensen Sr. wasted nothing), He simply added electric heating.This engine appears in Jensen's earliest known advertising and the cut was used throughout the 1930's and into the 1940's even though all the engines sold were electrically heated.Hope this helps,Thanks for posting the adverts Gil. I hope you enjoy the Dublin Show. Looking forward to seeing the video!GilHere are two of the early ads and both have that ultra rare Big Power Plant with the vented firebox and slide valve engine. Notice even the artists cuts in the ads ads have the electric cord. (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link)