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General Discussion - Model & Toy Steam Engines – Stirling Cycle – Flame Lickers – Small Antique Originals / Been wanting one ....
« Last post by Stoker on May 27, 2026, 01:32:38 pm ».... and now one has arrived, that being an Empire #92 "Play Boy" vertical copper boiler engine.
Oddly, it was listed as a "Miller" #92 steam engine, but the seller even had a photo of the underside of the base showing the Empire diamond mark, so why they listed it as a "Miller" remains mysterious?!?!
Not in great condition as it is more than a bit dirty with stains and spots of rust around the lower edges and feet of the base, the original cloth cord has some holes "chewed" in it and I get no resistance when checking the heater, but there could be many causes for that besides a bad element. Whistle is missing the thumb lever handle, with the lever still partially intact, which is quite common, yet does still have the upper shell tube which isn't all that commonly found on these older engines. The safety valve screwed out without issue and seems to still have a fair amount of spring tension left in it, though all seals will need replacing. The whistle banjo fitting threads do appear to have been cross threaded at least once in the past, though they seem to have plenty of good "tooth" left, so a little pipe dope or Teflon tape, and new seals, should be all that is needed there.
Not really a bargain, as I got it for a little under $100, well actually a little over $100 delivered, but I have been wanting one for my sparsely populated Empire collection, and guess I just took pity on the poor mislabeled thing!
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Oddly, it was listed as a "Miller" #92 steam engine, but the seller even had a photo of the underside of the base showing the Empire diamond mark, so why they listed it as a "Miller" remains mysterious?!?!
Not in great condition as it is more than a bit dirty with stains and spots of rust around the lower edges and feet of the base, the original cloth cord has some holes "chewed" in it and I get no resistance when checking the heater, but there could be many causes for that besides a bad element. Whistle is missing the thumb lever handle, with the lever still partially intact, which is quite common, yet does still have the upper shell tube which isn't all that commonly found on these older engines. The safety valve screwed out without issue and seems to still have a fair amount of spring tension left in it, though all seals will need replacing. The whistle banjo fitting threads do appear to have been cross threaded at least once in the past, though they seem to have plenty of good "tooth" left, so a little pipe dope or Teflon tape, and new seals, should be all that is needed there.
Not really a bargain, as I got it for a little under $100, well actually a little over $100 delivered, but I have been wanting one for my sparsely populated Empire collection, and guess I just took pity on the poor mislabeled thing!
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