Clockwork verses Steam Powered

Are you asking about model trains, or real railroad motive power?

Hi Hot Water,

 I am talking about toy, model trains.

Thanks,

John

OK, well now I'm confused. 

First, this is the 2-Rail SCALE Forum, and thus is not generally for discussion about "toy" model trains.

Second, I guess I'm not aware that O Scale steam locomotives are actually "steam powered", although there are some rare cases of alcohol fired steam locomotives in O SCALE as well as G SCALE.

Third, O scale, and or O gauge model trains were electric powered, from about the early 1900s forward. Yes, there were some "wind-up" toys, but NOT actually "O SCALE" model trains.

Hi Overland,

 I think you are on the right track,(no pun intended), I would probably venture a guess that it was a German Company, either Bing or Marklin, started the ball rolling with the toy model train production, but was unsure about what was first, clockwork  or live steam toy model trains.

 I  do know Bing produced these toy model trains for the United Kingdom, especially Hornby Trains.

Thanks,

John

I had a clockwork train in 1941.   We called them "Wind-Up Trains".

BAD ORDER

Hi Bad Order,

 Yes they went by that name or Clockwork and Mechanical Trains.

John

HEY RICE BURNER,

Yes, that's what we called them in in those days, because I HAD one.....in 1941!

This was my 1941 Christmas Train...72 years ago.

BAD ORDER

I think you will find more answers and information on the Tin Plate forum as they deal in model trains closer to the time period you are mentioning. 

Butch

I don't need information and answers for that time period, Butch...I LIVED in that time period!   

Here's a picture of a wind-up train...see the windup key?

Mine had a feature that made sparks fly out the stack...you could turn it on or off with a lever on the loco.

BAD ORDER

Clockwork was much more common in England here and they used much more sophisticated mechanims.   It was actually real model railroading rather than toys.   I think they even could put stops next to the track to turn trains off.   There is a very good book about a British Model RR that was 2 rail and was "clockwork" into 70s or 80s I think.   I can't remember the name of the book, but the RR was the "Cheshire Lines" and they ran with bell signals (british tower communications" and a regular schedule for the train movements.   

So it was model RR, it was 2 Rail, and It was O Scale, and it was Clockwork!

As to what was first, I would guess that steam models might have preceded clockwork, but just a guess.   I would also guess that the early ones would be much larger than O scale at the minimum.    Although I have heard of alcohol fired standard gauge steamers.    Not sure how old.

We also had the candle-powered "Putt-Put" motor boats that we ran in the bathtub...they used a hot water stream exhausted at atmospheric pressure through an underwater pipe at the stern, making a bubbly wake.

Anybody remember those?   (Here's muh LGB-scale MOGUL, that I used to run on a 150-foot indoor track)

BAD ORDER HAL

Hall,

 I was born in 1958, what does that tell ya? LOL.

John

Overlandflyer,

 Could this possibly be the beginning of the name, (Clockwork Trains)?

HEY RICE BURNER,

That tells me that you missed a lot of History!

Steam was still around until the mid-1950's.

Too bad you missed it.

BAD ORDER

Marklin was the company that standardised the Gauges we now use in 1890, except Lionel's standard gauge, of course.

The very earliest trains tended to be steam or clockwork, if steam prototypes and electric or clockwork if electric prototypes, electricity @ 4 v dc (requiring two battery cells) being the initial voltage.  The motors had wound fields, and if still complete, these trains work just as well as when they were new. new.

But from about 1902, electric versions of steam locos gradually became available. This was not followed by steam versions of electric locos!