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

I have a relatively respectable ephemera collection on the Empire brand, and haven´t after quite a bit of time spent today, been able to find this B39 mentioned anywhere.

Personally i do belive that you´re spot on, and this worm-gear eqipped model might well be a prototype...or at the very least a low productionnumber retailer only piece.

Thanks for sharing this rarity Doug, very interesting!!!

For the record, I am pining over your B-39 @crazydoug, almost as much as the Unicorn D-Cell B-44 LOL

Something that I recently realized, there are at least 3 variations of bases, though it seems they are all are stamped "E1" at the bottom.

• I thought the 75 watts was going to be the B39, but there is a eBay B-33 listed as 75 and not 50 Watts.
• There seems to be differences in the base.  Both the ones I have are pressed with two holes for the power switch and cycle's power off the transformer. The eBay one has one hole for the power switch and cycle's the 24v power from the center conductor for the magnetic coils.
• One of my B-33's has a "notch" in the base where the paddle mounts protrude through the base.  My other one and the eBay one doesn't have this notch.  I can tell you, not having that "notch" makes it a PITA to get the upper base off!

I am wondering @crazydoug what does the bottom of your B-39 (and B-33) look like?  Perhaps what I have spied is a progress of B-33.  I am leaning towards that the one on eBay right now (one hole for the power switch) would be a early one.  Then mine with no notch for the paddle but two power switch holes is next, then lastly the one with two holes/with notch is a later one.

Likely a worthless endeavor what I am bringing up but sometimes (well most times) my curiosity gets the best of me!

I have never seen another one Doug.

A few days ago I came across a ad that I believe is this engine running a display that is like the B-40 display for the B-38.  Though it doesn't have the middle pulley.  It seems to have a drive shaft from the engine to the display (not a belt).  I can also see what might be the added brace for the gear.  Hard to tell really with the image.  But it is clearly a different setup from the B-39.

Though if I am right, how would that drive shaft run the platter of the display?  Would the Display have a different model number?  hmmm.

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I have seen that image before but for whatever reason I didn't save it.  I do have all of those engines, the bottom in is the "normal" B-33 that you see for sale on eBay from time to time.  The B-33 is like the other engines, belt driven with a pulley (without direct drive gear).