Electoy

Congratulations, that's a very nice set. A word of caution: the Electoy motor commutators are prone to exploding on these locomotives. I suggest strengthening the fiber commutator ring with a coating of epoxy. Here's a link to a video of my similar set:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwTnGlRQF_4

The set will run on regular 1 gauge track, e.g., Bing or Marklin, but the original Electoy track, if you can find it, has a unique design. Here's a photo: 

Very interesting ..a brand l knew nothing about, but which seems to have had a broad and interesting line for that period, if you could have found them.

What an interesting and great condition set. Trains like these keep tempting me to plunge into tinplate.

Thanks for posting.

That is a great find, enjoy it.

The engine is remarkably detailed for its era. Nice piece.

Jim Kelly-Evans posted:

Congratulations, that's a very nice set. A word of caution: the Electoy motor commutators are prone to exploding on these locomotives. I suggest strengthening the fiber commutator ring with a coating of epoxy. Here's a link to a video of my similar set:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwTnGlRQF_4

The set will run on regular 1 gauge track, e.g., Bing or Marklin, but the original Electoy track, if you can find it, has a unique design. Here's a photo: 

 

Jim- great video! And thanks for the suggestion on the motor, I gather you had the commutator come apart on yours?

The other Electoy item I'd really like to find is one of these No. 934 electrics. These seem to be exceedingly rare, I can find only one past sale on the various auction sites. 

Very nice acquisition! I imagine such a rarity brings a premium at a show or auction? (yes or no answer) THANKS! ☺

Tinplate Art posted:

Very nice acquisition! I imagine such a rarity brings a premium at a show or auction? (yes or no answer) THANKS! ☺

Yes- like anything else rarity and condition will drive prices, although admittedly not everyone is looking for this type of thing so they could be a slow mover at a local meet. I'm no expert on Elektoy, but I gather that these 903 type steam engines (in either the brass like mine or black paint) are more common than the electric outline locos. I saw a set with the 903 at York last year, and in fact there is a 903 engine for sale right now on Ebay.

Here's another Elecktoy item I'd like to find, a 904 electric, this one is at the National Toy Train Museum at Strasburg:

John: CONGRATS on your wonderful find! Hope you get it running soon, and can post some video!  ☺

beautiful set!

Hello all ...the Elektoy window of manufacturer/ sales  is a bit shorter ..per Playthings magazine ..Tad Cody did quite a detailed article about Elektoy in a TCAQ many moons ago .... Elektoy was all about variations...they came and went in a flash ...   first described in Playthings July of 1911 ....but first ad February 1912 ...some big ads  for a few months ..then smaller ...then gone by with last ad October .... they tried to make it big ....but fell short ...cute stuff ....even if "durable"  would not be a word you would use to describe them ...  amazing amounts of it has survived ...   interesting as Elektoy was fading from the scene ...Ives was introducing their electric 1 gauge line ....   to make it big you need a big distributor....  oh yes a good product at a favorable price point ..and a proven track record ...      buyers for big chains would be hesitant to place an order with a start up company  for their Christmas  stock .... no matter how shiny the engine was 

in the Elektoy  ads they push dry batteries ..that is so 1909 ....Thoradson had come out with a good cheap transformer in 1910 which jump started the electric toy train world into safe and cheap to use ..now a practical toy ...for the masses ... sales would be  taking off exponentially ...in 1912/3  --and onward ..

Cheers Carey  

Carey- many thanks, very interesting stuff!

And here's another Elektoy trivia item- one of the things that catches your eye about the Elektoy cars are the unique trucks. I was looking at the stamped side frames thinking that they looked like they were made to have springs installed, but none of the cars in my set have them. Looking at other photos however, I see that a few cars do have truck springs. For example, see the hopper car in the photo below, and also the photo from the Toy Train Museum posted earlier. The springs were just decorative and no doubt were easily lost.

John wrote: "I gather you had the commutator come apart on yours?"

It was blown when I purchased the set. I had the Motor Doctor repair it. But the biggest problem is that the side frames of the motor are riveted, never meant to come apart. So it's a difficult repair if the commutator needs work.

Guys any idea what track goes for? I have a right hand switch and 13 curves plus what seam to be an uncoupling flag connected to a tie that would sit under a piece of track.

WOW, what a find!  The TCA Western Division contains a wealth of information on many toy train manufacturers.  Their coverage of McCoy is fantastic.  Oh to be the proud owner of one of their Great Northern sets!

Hmmmmm.

VERY COOL!  

@POC914NUT posted:

Hmmmmm.

So what does this post have to do with Electoy, the subject of this topic?

@POC914NUT posted:

Hmmmmm.

What gauge/scale is that? It sure looks good, especially for tinplate.

Personally, I loved seeing that beautiful and colorful McCoy NP set!

@Nation Wide Lines posted:

So what does this post have to do with Electoy, the subject of this topic?

Only that Eric was responding to a prior post.

Sreve

Mea culpa! :-( The first toy train company to introduce a working toy train headlight was Howard, and NOT Electoy, as I previously stated. The Howard Miniature Electric Lamp Company of New York City made both a line of 2" gauge electric trolleys and trains in the first decade of the 20th Century. They were also known in their relatively short years of production for their quality built three-pole electric motors. The reference article  by Case Kowal in Toy Trains of Yesteryear is on pages 9-13. Toy Trains magazine originally published the separate historical columns by Case Kowal, that were later compiled into the Toy Trains of Yesteryear collection published by Carstens.

Howard was a close predecessor of Electoy and both companies promoted the use of dry cells to operate their trains.

The early transformers left much to be desired in terms of safety and reliability.

I’m trying to refurbish 2 Elektoy Engines and 1 Bing 524/509 Gauge-1 Steamer.  All 3 are missing the brushes and brush springs.  Can anyone help me out with what brush size to order?  With my wooden ruler, the Elektoy look about 1/8”, and the Bing just slightly larger.  But I’m VERY unsure about both measurements.  I know of no one who specializes in obscure parts for Bing, Elektoy, C&F, etc. so I imagine I’ll be creating pick-up sliders and other missing parts from scratch.  But if anyone knows of a likely source, please let me know…   

Joe Mania has made parts for Electoy

https://jlmtrains.com/

Good luck,

Very cool that these were made during the Edwardian Era.  Would like to have seen one of these sets running in an early Downton Abby episode.  :-)

Fantastic!  Glad to bump into this thread... Thank You!

@Carey Williams posted:

Joe Mania has made parts for Electoy

https://jlmtrains.com/

Good luck,

Yes, thanks!  Joe only has the couplers though.  Not enough call for Elektoy parts to justify the tooling for repros.