What is this?..

The quality of those solder joints would argue for a home modification - to me they don't look like something done at the factory.

I agree Robert. Just very curious as to why they'd ad a "counter-weight"?  To hold the loco down from shooting ahead too fast?... I don't know.

It looks "aftermarket" to me... and those tabs sticking out ahead of it suggest that perhaps your locomotive is missing a part on the front.  It is possible that the part was damaged, removed and the weight soldered in to reinforce the area... or someone thought that the locomotive needed it for traction.  Perhaps it was needed to hold the motor in place... the soldering job at the back looks homegrown as well.

Having said that, I'll hedge my remarks with the fact that I have never had an Issmayer locomotive in my hands.  Without other examples for comparison, I don't want to make any definitive statements.  95% of my little clockwork fleet is American made, not a single Issmayer in the group (although my lone Karl Bub would probably like one to keep it company).   Hopefully, someone will have another locomotive like yours and share some pictures with us...

EDIT: The TCA Western website has a picture of a passenger train with what appears to be another example of your locomotive heading it up.  You can see it here.  Although it doesn't have anything in front (so much for my theory of a missing part that was held in place with those tabs) it appears that it does not have the weight soldered in like your locomotive.

Looking at various pictures on the web, I didn't see any weights on Issmayer locomotives like yours, so I am thinking it was added later.  It appears that what I thought were tabs sticking out the front are probably just a tinplate representation of the European buffers.  Very neat little locomotives...

Hi James..... Yes, I was just going to say that the "tabs" you were referring to are actual "buffers". It's a very "toy-like" train indeed!
ALTHOUGH...... Issmayer trains that were made for the US market, did have cow catchers on the front. These would have hung from exactly where this weight is situated.

Oh Well....... I'm now sold on the fact that the weight is an add-on. I COULD take it off... or keep it. I dont know. It's not protruding it's action. And I may do more damage than good.

now this is a maker I have never heard of. Interesting post.could you show a shot of the whole engine?

Dave, you can see a photo of this wonderful little locomotive in the drive wheel thread.

I don't have an Issmayer set but I do have Bing and KBN clockwork from that period and I just finished looking them over.  In both cases the motor is held in place with metal tabs on the superstructure that fit into small slots on the side of the motor frame.  The KBN does have some factory solder work to hold the cylinders to the frame but the soldering is very neat.  I wonder if there were tabs on your engine which fatigued and the soldering was the way the former owner put things back together.

For reference, there is a similar Issmayer listed on "that auction site" with some very good pictures from various angles in the listing's description.

thanks James

Well from what I have read here , sounds like it was put in to replace a missing part and keep the balance.

Originally Posted by WindupGuy:

You're right Allin. Mine just might have a replaced metal weight on. It looks very similar to the one on "that auction site" too. Although that one is slimmer and not as noticeable as mine. If it was replaced.. they did a good job finding a similar one.

This is what I meant by it "could" be original.... just soldered back on.

I'm comparing my loco to the one online right now...

Yes, I agree.  It is interesting that it is really only visible from the front view - which is probably why I didn't see it on other examples I found on the web... they are mostly 3/4 or side views.  Interesting that the motors on both show soldering at the rear, too.  It certainly makes me think that everything is original... and we have to remember, they were built as toys for kids, so neat solder work probably wasn't a high priority compared to speed of assembly and structural integrity. 

I did get a kick out of the fact that the dome and stack were swapped on the auction engine, though...

James.... I just got confirmation from an Issmayer collector in the States.. that the soldering is "normal" and part of the package. The metal plank is seen on some locos, including the one on ebay, but mine may have fallen off... and re-soldered.

The mystery's un-wind-ing huh.... (*no pun intended.. or was it?!! Haha!!)

That is great, pass my thanks along to the collector for the information!  It is interesting that the weight isn't on every locomotive... combine that with the fact it is hard to see in pictures, no wonder I was confused... 

Just when I think I got it all figured out.... I come across "this" photo reference :/

I'm just going to say that my metal plank was "an add" on... to hold the engine and frame together. I've seen too many variants on this engine.... and frankly, it's driving me a little coo coo trying to figure this out!! haha!

http://www.dakotapaul.com/items/showitem.asp?iid=2897