Marklin 1904 Inspector's Car. Crude replica or just old? Opinions? Pics

nice!

Here's a picture of an intact one from an auction site.  (Not da Bay...)

Rusty

Based on the pictures on pages 104 and 105 of Marklin 1895-1914 published by Denys Ingram Publishers, London it looks like what you have is an original mechanism with a scratchbuilt superstructure. 

  In the picture the bottom support does not go straight across. There is an arch on the bottom side in line with the larger wheel.  The opening for the key is a complete circle and the sides are not wire mesh rather they are sheet metal with very tiny holes. The footboards are too large have much more curvature than the book example and the pictured version does not show metal supports for them on the underside. The embossing on the footboards on the original are the reverse of those on your car.  The seat armrests while wire, are well formed and the simulated push-pull cross bar on the car in the book is of completely different construction.

Rusty, thanks for the link. I have not seen this picture before. The example in the photo is definitely more Marklin-esque in its execution.

@Robert S. Butler posted:

Based on the pictures on pages 104 and 105 of Marklin 1895-1914 published by Denys Ingram Publishers, London it looks like what you have is an original mechanism with a scratchbuilt superstructure.

  In the picture the bottom support does not go straight across. There is an arch on the bottom side in line with the larger wheel.  The opening for the key is a complete circle and the sides are not wire mesh rather they are sheet metal with very tiny holes. The footboards are too large have much more curvature than the book example and the pictured version does not show metal supports for them on the underside. The embossing on the footboards on the original are the reverse of those on your car.  The seat armrests while wire, are well formed and the simulated push-pull cross bar on the car in the book is of completely different construction.

I agree with Roberts assesment - the image initially shown definitely is scratch built.  A good attempt but still not original.

Robert, thanks for your studied reply. Your observations are spot on, but there are at least two other variables at play here, gauge and age.

The 1904 Marklin shows the Inspector’s Car available in O Gauge, Gauge I, and Gauge II. The respective lengths are given as 19, 23, and 24cm. The car in the catalog’s thumbnail illustration match the O Gauge auction car in at least two characteristics. The keyhole is semi-circular and the side panels are mesh rather than perforated sheet metal. If you look closely at the catalog image, the drive wheel spokes and chassis details are clearly visible behind the mesh. Neither are as visible behind the metal panels. The mesh in the photos is extremely fine, not something available in a hardware store, at least today.

Considering that the car was made in three sizes and for several years, it is likely that multiple variations exist. We also considered that the auction car - which is very fragile in its construction - may have suffered some damage in the past and been clumsily repaired.

Udo Becher’s Early Tinplate Model Railways has two good photos of a Gauge I example, conforming closely to your description.

@sofutile Though what you say may be very true, take a look at the linkage.

The linkage on both examples are very delicate and finely machined.

In the initial photo, the linkage and the handrail that it is attached too are very crude in comparison.

The only thing this could possibly be is a prototype model to demonstrate the concept.