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

There are many opinions on this engine and that is great. Love the discussion. I've done a lot of research into this one. More than one family member dated the purchase year of it. I have no doubt it is 1938. So how does that fit into the Jensen #50 that are known??? I don't know.
I don't think anyone one can say this is not something Jensen made just because there is not yet a second found. Take the forgotten #35's. For a while people debated if Jensen really made them until others were found. Things like the sight glass are different but that does not affirm or deny authenticity. Interestingly the bolts in the sight glass fittings are also hollowed out and consistent with what Jensen did back then. The holes are the same size etc. Why is it different? Who knows. Similar to the 10" Boiler Gil found. Many people thought it was not Jensen. Never seen one like it. One thing I know, the more I look the more I find, there are many engines out there that are different. Lot's of variations over the years. Some stayed and some went away. This one also has a larger Jensen decal similar one the wood base similar to the one on the #20 Deluxe Big Power Plant. The smoke stack mount is of the same material, shape, design but it's diameter is larger than the other Jensen #50's. The thickness of the smoke stake is the same but it was flared and the bottom rolled. It was made to fit. Other Jensen #50's stacks will not fit this one. Interestingly enough the #20 Big deluxe power plant is also larger than all the other #20 base mounts and they will not fit it.
I too had many of the same thoughts when I first saw this engine. We all know Tom Sr never wasted anything and was very much in to testing and trying new things back then. Most of the early #50's we see today were in pieces, very bad condition or have been rebuilt and restored.
I'm just happy to find such an old engine complete and in great shape. It truly is one to spark discussion and that is awesome. I'm always looking for old, unique and rare Jensen's and this one is just one more that's been discovered. Kind of like that early #25 with the Chromalox heater I found. We only thought the one with the melted boiler existed and then that one popped up. So now there are two. Anyway, love the feedback. Can't wait to see what is discovered next.
Have a great day!