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

I bought this one today locally. I have much testing and inspection to do next week. I hope to get finished with that and operate it some the latter part of next week. It the biggest plant I’ve bought yet. I would love to hear what you all think I need to do to display or arrange it appropriately. I see a lot on Mohogany its future!..🤣🤣

Be well my friends!
Steam Tech

Wow, that is beautiful!  Nice buy/find.    Would love to see it in action in a video.   

I think the water tank ends might have once been on a brass sausage stuffer, I kid you not!

Check this out! He was even in Chicago, Illinois. I think this guy possibly could have built something with those ends on it.


William Hoskins (1862–1934)[1][2][3] was an American inventor, chemist, electrical engineer, and entrepreneur in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, most active in Chicago, Illinois. He became the co-inventor in 1897 of modern billiard chalk with professional carom billiards player William A. Spinks.[4][5] He is, however, best known for the invention of the electric heating coil (the basis for numerous ubiquitous household and industrial appliances, including electric stoves, space heaters, and toasters) and the invention of the first electric toaster.[6][7]

Check this out! He was even in Chicago, Illinois. I think this guy possibly could have built something with those ends on it.


William Hoskins (1862–1934)[1][2][3] was an American inventor, chemist, electrical engineer, and entrepreneur in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, most active in Chicago, Illinois. He became the co-inventor in 1897 of modern billiard chalk with professional carom billiards player William A. Spinks.[4][5] He is, however, best known for the invention of the electric heating coil (the basis for numerous ubiquitous household and industrial appliances, including electric stoves, space heaters, and toasters) and the invention of the first electric toaster.[6][7]

It does say Chicago Ill. right on the endcap casting of the center tank. What a fascinating fellow he was! That mini-biography certainly adds interest to the steam plant as a whole, and vastly increases potential pride of ownership ...... it would for me anyway!

I agree with Stoker, leave as is.

Much of this looks newer than what your Wm. Hoskins might have made. Very creative combination of old and newer components.

Okay, So I got the Plant home. And I checked the engine, and one or both pistons are stuck. So I guess my first move to get that freed up. Suggestions requested. I'm thinking that I need to take the caps off the cylinders and maybe let them soak a bit in either Marvel Mystic or Aerokroil. Only thing I've seen so far. I'll admit I am a little bit bewildered at the gas tank for the heater system. I'm thinking its a custom built tank made out of a pancake air compressor tank. There is a regulator valve and a pressure relief valve. IF it ran on something besides butane or propane, I cant see any normal means of filling it. That big bronze valve to the right of the water tank in the picture goes into the gas tank. and the regulator and pop off are on the left side of the water tank, both piped into the bottom (fuel?) tank. Nothing I see to re-fill the tank with gas or liquid fuel other than that valve on the right side. I will be working on it next week and will try and get you some pictures that are more informative after I begin to disassemble the whole thing. I have some ideas on using the current plinth but I this I may just make a new one out of something thicker and more substantial. It will have to be on a slight elevated plinth because of the condenser drain and the boiler jet coming in from under the bottom. I want to see how quickly I can get this engine checked and freed up next week. There are also a lot of check valve to be checked out, Hydrostatic test on boiler, etc. that has to be inspected and checked before I can attempt to fire it up. Thanks for any and all suggestions as to checking this whole plant out. I making plenty of pictures before I start disassembling the engine and Plant. I hope this finds each of you doing well!