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

When you think of the time the company was making these, sales would have (presumably) been made through hobbiest magazine ads, or at engine fairs.

Do you think this company in today's world market with the internet and online sales would be in a better position to prosper?

All hypothetical I know.

I'm not sure that this dog would hunt, even with the far better exposure provided by internet and other modern media outlets.

The extreme weirdness of the linkage, and the fact that it seems rather awkward, inefficient and probably more that a bit fragile I think, dooms this particular model to have rather poor sales whenever it may have been released, in my opinion.

But the part that intrigues me most is the cast in burner well with the cylindrical firebox/chimney being essentially absolutely identical with the Solar 1 that was produced some two thousand miles away, and maybe a few years later. I would love to know with a certainty which was produced first, but current information only suggests that the ECO motor of Guelph, Ontario, Canada was the first on the scene, possibly by several years, and the Solar 1 of Phoenix, Arizona USA may have been second.

The best explanation I can come up with is that both Stirling Cycle engines were designed by the same individual, and thus incorporated that same feature .....  and I think I know who that designer may well have been ..... maybe?!?!?