Hi All,
As some of you might remember, back in October, forum member "txlabman" (Charlie Miller) decided to gift me an engine for restoration. Here is the relevant post:
https://www.officeofsteamforum.com/restorations/restoring-a-doll-vertical-steam-engine/msg58463/#msg58463 The engine arrived on December 2nd, and I'm now getting around to giving it the attention it deserves. It appears to be in remarkable shape for its age. It must have been taken care of over the decades, as it now has a beautiful patina, and shouldn't require any cosmetic work at all. Here's an overall picture of what was received:
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The boiler has become separated from the firebox, and needs to be re-attached. I unsoldered the steam pipe from the boiler fitting, as it required some straightening, and also removing it will simplify re-attachment of the boiler. The crankshaft bearings have significant wear, but not such that it would prevent it running. So, fixing the worn bearings appears to be optional at this point. The smokestack does not appear to be original to this engine, in any sense. It's much too tall, and the diameter is too large to fit the spigot atop the boiler. I am hoping that someone more familiar with these engines can shed some light on what model engine this is, and can perhaps provide a picture of what the smokestack should look like, so that it may be reproduced.
As far as identification, here is an image from the "Great Toys" book, showing what appears to be the vertical version of this engine:
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The 690/12 seems almost identical except for the vertical cylinder configuration. The base and boiler dimensions shown in the listing match my engine almost exactly. By subtracting the measured boiler height of 8.50" from the listed overall height of 14.25", you get a smokestack height of 5.75".
The above catalog image dates to 1911, although I'm guessing that this engine is somewhat older. This is based on the fact that the boiler has the earlier logo:
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The U-shaped sight glass appears to have been recently replaced. There is evidence of some kind of clear sealant at the upper and lower sight glass connections. I have not yet done a pressure test of the boiler, nor have I attempted to test the engine. My first step, beyond trying to identify the model, is to disassemble and clean the parts without disturbing the patina.
Might as well start with the bottom of the boiler, which has a generous coating of carbon soot:
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Before signing off from this introductory post, I'd like to extend a BIG THANKS to Charlie for donating this lovely little engine, and for trusting me to give it the attention it deserves. Also, I am grateful for any information that some of you experts on this brand of engine can provide.
(to be continued)
Postscript: After reading through my post, it occurred to me: "Why haven't I test-run the engine yet?"... something I should probably do before taking it apart. With a rubber-tipped blow gun, set to 10 PSI, I verified that the engine runs very nicely indeed!

This is a unidirectional engine -- no reversing.