1880's Shepherd Elevated Railroad

Beautiful!!!  Great Post!  Thank You!  There is not a single era, scale or manufacturer that I do not thoroughly enjoy.  If there are rails (or, rail)... I'm in!

Toys and model railroading have come a long way. Are we better off?

MELGAR

Wow, Thanks for sharing. That is a real antique and in great shape. Am I only one who thought of putting an A.C Gilbert electric motor from their Erector Sets on the table and running some string to a pulley on the crank handle?  Okay, I was....

Once again, Carey, you have shared a unique vintage artifact! THANK YOU!

Wow! what it must have been to be a kid back in the day … well at least for the rich kids.

That's cool! I didn't know that sort of thing ever existed. Cool history behind it.

How did you come across it?

Hello all thank you for your kind words .... it is a special piece ..  a certain charm and innocence of an era long gone .

This one surfaced on Ebay ...having been in the family for 100 years + - ..as I was told ..

There is another complete with box still on ebay ...for any one who can not live without ...

Shepherd's other trains ... the Curved Rail Road and the Rapid transit ..... some day a Rapid Transit may just have to be added to the collection ...

Cheers Carey

That is great. All wood, including the rail it looks like? I could make one at home! It's the great great great granddaddy of Brio trains. What is the track gauge? I am trying to get an idea of the size.

I can't find the other listing on Ebay, though.

Very nice item, Carey!

Magnificent!  Hard to imagine, but the boy who first enjoyed this toy was born but a decade after the end of the Civil War.

Simply amazing that it has survived as long as it has, pretty much intact!

A credit to the family that kept it for as long as they did.

That box it comes in is so cool! I love the look of older packaging like that.

Beautiful piece Carey thanks for sharing. I will say this... the family that owned that toy must have had a great appreciation for it to have it survive in that condition.

Hello all ....  thank you again for your kind comments ...I'll try and be a good caretaker for the train ...till room temperature takes over ...

Ok the Shepherd on ebay ...is listed   Sheperd .....now I did just email the owner to tell him of his dropped H.....so in time it my be listed as Shepherd ...

the circle diameter is 24"   ..cheers Carey

Carey,

I watched your video, and enjoyed it very much.  The music box that was playing, was that a Regina and what tune were you playing specifically?  I have over 30 such disks.  I actually have refurbished boxes like these so that they can play again.

Glad you liked the video and music ...

Polyphony music box ...coin up ..thought the sound went well with the train .

Oh gauge, is 1 5/8" ...

Cheers Carey,

@Carey Williams posted:

Toys were rapid to copy reality ...1878 Elevated trains begin to roll in Manhattan . C C Shepherd receives a patent for his "model" Elevated Railroad in 1879. Here is Shepherd's "New" Elevated Railroad ( In Circular Form) . Wood construction ...litho paper sides ..delicate ...yes.. turning the crank attached to a rod with a roller , turning the center axle which has a rod with string to pull the train ...around and around .
C C Shepherd also made a Rapid Transit Elevated Railroad.. were the trains move back and forth in a straight line ( for which the patent was based) and the "Curved" Railroad ...wooden floor train ..track and switch .

Train is DCC ...direct crank control,

Please see link for action video

https://youtu.be/xIQwuDr_Kjw

An amazing vintage relic, I've never seen anything like that before!

Absolutely wonderful!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for sharing Carey!!!!!!!!

Bob Nelson