So my brother's old friend that passed away a few years back had bought a large steam collection from a antique store in East Texas and he just found this binder of documents in a box he hadn't opened in awhile. He is going to send me this binder and I hope I can get it digitized somewhere here in Atlanta so I can share it.
My brother believes the person that put together this binder had collected at least one of every Weeden. Then David got most of the collection from that antique store (after the collector passed away). My brother only got a small percentage of the collection but still it was a LOT of items!! This is also how we ended up with a ton of what appears to be NOS crank pins and some other parts (pistons, glass fittings, etc) because he didn't only collect whole engines but tons of parts.
Anyone recognized these documents or the author names? Here are a few images my brother sent me.
Richard Leach's "Pictorial Guide to Weeden Stream Toys (1882~1940)"
Hal R. Swan, Jr. "The Weeden Manufacturing Co. | Its men and their toys"
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I have the Hal Swann book, but would love to see more of the first. I am friends with Richard Leach on facebook, he winters in Florida and lives in Indiana.
I have the Hal Swann book, but would love to see more of the first. I am friends with Richard Leach on facebook, he winters in Florida and lives in Indiana.
That's pretty cool that you know Richard Leach! I am looking forward to looking through the binder. I wished I knew who that collector was that put it together.
Gil knows him as well, I’m sure Brent does too, he was a collector pre-internet. I can send him a link to this, can’t remember if he’s a member on here or not… He has built some pretty cool miniature erector set stuff.
Via Text message, Charlie
@txlabman says he has both of these books (which didn't surprise me). Odd when I search on both of these and the author's nothings comes up in my googling searching.
Yes, I knew the late Hal Swan and once visited him to see his collection in Nashville; he did have one or more of almost every Weeden model. He sold the entire collection to another collector I know who's still with us but isn't on the internet that I'm aware of. I knew Richard as well but haven't seen him in years; he has or had a much smaller collection of (mostly) Weeden engines.
My brother got me those Weeden books, what a great read & information! One is numbered, #60 and to Bill Sievers. I wonder who he was... inside the binder was also a bunch of photos he took of his collection - he had some nice engines! Some of which my brother has but some ended up passing on to someone else. While I am happy to have this book and that my brother has some of the engines, it also makes me a little sad.
But I thank you Mr. Sievers for collecting because without you, my brother would not have gotten some of your items and he would not have passed on some to me. Without Mr. Sievers, I'd like have ever met any of you guys and I surely wouldn't have any of the Empire or Weeden engines & accessories!
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Amazing the connections that run through a history like this .... and the disconnects as well?!?!