Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines
Builds, Repairs, Show Your Machines! => Collections & Pictures => Topic started by: txlabman on May 03, 2023, 08:28:21 am
-
Hmmmm. Stilson has it as a B-33. It is a puzzlement, like the king said.
No, the B39 is different - in wattage & the drive. The B33, which is in documents, just has a normal pulley. Here is another video he did comparing the two.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVQknGZaRQY
-
Hmmmm. Stilson has it as a B-33. It is a puzzlement, like the king said.
-
Here it is - I believe it is the only one ever seen or known about. No docs/ads on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lwYMTbqoqs
-
B39? Did I miss something?
-
That sucks about the house, hope insurance is taken care of it!
Another empire model that I don’t know about? You’re killing me – I thought I only didn’t have the B–39 and the work shop. You got any pictures you can send me or a model number?
-
BTW: there is one more unicorn that I found a couple months ago. A really interesting engine marked with the Empire Patent No. Hopefully, I will get around to making a video of it soon.
Right now, our house is in a state of construction due to a water leak in our slab foundation right before Christmas.
Hand scraped hardwood floors in the Kitchen, Breakfast Room, Dining Room, Hall Entry and Family Room are being demoed today.
-
The Last Empire Unicorn has been found & it runs! Amazing!
See post of videos here (https://www.officeofsteamforum.com/videos-the-office-of-steam-cinema/empire-b-44-d-cell-battery-engine-yay/)!
-
Well one finally came up on eBay, though it wasn't listed as a Empire B-44 but "Vintage Unidentified Battery Powered Engine ? For Parts or Repair". While it appears to be complete, it is a bit rusty. Operational status, unknown.
Now I just need them to get it shipped to me and for it to arrive!
[attach=1]
[attach=2]
[attach=3]
-
Seems the New York Library has done a bit of scanning but the years for 1933~38 are not full scans. I don't know if that means they are still working on them, I hope so. Boy's Life has some Empire ads but once you get into the 40s they only Ad is their Lamp they made - I think @txlabman has one of those. I sent in a query about their scans for the years I am looking but they might not be helpful since I am in Texas (thus no Library Card).
I guess I should add that full Empire catalog here too.
-
Great bit of sleuthing Rich!
-
Here is something interesting, Harvey to Metal Ware[attachimg=1]
-
Thanks for posting Rich.
-
I found a lot of Empire Metal Ware Corp Ads via Google Book search but the B-44 is MIA. Granted there are lots of other engines / accessories I didn't find with this search...
-
No way, really? @crazydoug is that right?
I know he has a B-39, that is different from a B-33 (has a worm gear reducer).
-
And the 14 1/2 pounds does not include the battery.
I think that CrazyDoug has the only known example of the B-44.
-
So after looking at the "Empire Educational Toys 1935" book, it seems to me this guy will have a base like a B30/31/35. I thought it would be a pressed steel base but I think not. It's listed at a bit over 14 pounds... so at that weight it would need to have the older / heavier base..
"Heavy steel construction. Furnished in red enamel with polished nickel trim. Cast flywheel and drive pulley". I think a lot of Don's descriptions come from this book too but a bit summarized.
If we could only see one (or in my case HAVE one)! ;D
PS: When I bought most of Carl's Empire collection that B-44 was not to be found for me to buy. I even had the seller contact Carl's son and he didn't know about it and that all the Empire items had been turned over to SlowJoey.
[attachimg=1]
-
that would be a odd bird to find. I do have the other one, which is in near perfect shape
-
If the book is correct and it was in production for five years, it really shouldn't be too much of a Unicorn. But of course, with old D-cell batteries left in too long, leaking corrosive substances, I'm sure a whole lot of them ended up in the landfills a long, long time ago!
-
Now that we know of the one Empire Giant Stride Swing No. 48 exists, there is one remaining Empire Unicorn.
[attachimg=1]
Don Stilson's book credits the picture to Carl Pilletteri.