# I’m looking for identification



## Bdub09 (Nov 9, 2021)

i have some model trains passed down to me, and I’m having trouble identifying one.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Any markings on the bottom of either piece?


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Looks like a home-made custom live steam to me…..


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Yep, and possibly butane for fuel.


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## Bdub09 (Nov 9, 2021)

Yes











Old_Hobo said:


> Looks like a home-made custom live steam to me…..


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

So what’s to identify….it’s a custom made live steam locomotive….4-4-0 wheel arrangement….


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## Bdub09 (Nov 9, 2021)

Old_Hobo said:


> So what’s to identify….it’s a custom made live steam locomotive….4-4-0 wheel arrangement….


good to know, any idea by the manufacture?


MichaelE said:


> Any markings on the bottom of either piece?


no 


MichaelE said:


> Any markings on the bottom of either piece?


MichaelE, no markings besides a price tag.


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## Bdub09 (Nov 9, 2021)

Old_Hobo said:


> So what’s to identify….it’s a custom made live steam locomotive….4-4-0 wheel arrangement….





Old_Hobo said:


> Looks like a home-made custom live steam to me…..
> [/QUOTE
> is there anything Indicating which manufacturer


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Custom made means it was built by the original owner, so there is no “manufacturer”….


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## Bdub09 (Nov 9, 2021)

Old_Hobo said:


> Looks like a home-made custom live steam to me…..





Bdub09 said:


> good to know, any idea by the manufacture?
> 
> no
> 
> MichaelE, no markings besides a price tag.





Old_Hobo said:


> Custom made means it was built by the original owner, so there is no “manufacturer”….


was it a kit or made from scratch?


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Looks like a European kit from the buffers on the ends.

If scratch built, the machinist had some skills for sure.


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## Bdub09 (Nov 9, 2021)

Old_Hobo said:


> Custom made means it was built by the original owner, so there is no “manufacturer”….













Old_Hobo said:


> Custom made means it was built by the original owner, so there is no “manufacturer”….


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## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

*Wow. Totally impressive *It might be a kit or scratchbuilt, but it needs track to run. Any ideas on scale or gauge? Does the distance between the wheels correspond to some brand of sectional track? Is there any engraving on the back of that pressure gauge (like who made it)?

*Edit: *My wild (probably wrong) guess is that it was a live steam kit of "The General" that kitbashed to look British. One reason I don't think it's scratchbuilt is that the soldering on the sides of the cylinders doesn't look original.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Bdub09 said:


> View attachment 570519


Well, that pic helps….I can see what could be a manufacturer sticker under the bar-cord sticker…..you could try to carefully peel the bar-code sticker off and look….


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

Bar code scan only comes up with Japan shipping, so Its likely it was made in Japan and not home built.


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## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

I can clearly read "EISEN" below the "3600" - German for iron. The word between "02900" and "3600" _might_ be a non-standard spelling of something like "Hiroshima".
"


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I'd like to see the tag under the price tag.


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## Firewood (Nov 5, 2015)

Nice little steamer. It has a Chinese/Japanese look about it, in that their steamers had a hybrid British/North American look about them. Is that slip-eccentric valve gear? (push the locomotive in the direction you want it to run.)

FW


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## OilValleyRy (Oct 3, 2021)

I’m trying to read the letters showing through just above the 3600.
Is that SCHIRME? SCHIKME? SCRIKME? It’s only partial of the word but looks German/Austrian/Chech to me. Ring any bells to anybody?


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Near as I can make out, the tag reads: Jos. Schirmer, Dampflok Eisenbahn. Jos. being a common abbreviation for Joseph in German countries.

Schirmer is still making model locomotives, at least in TT scale in Germany. I don't think the founder is with us any longer. I am going to present this thread on a couple of my German forums and see if I can learn more about it.

There was one reference to a live steam lokomotive by this name on a Christies auction held in 2001. Unfortunately the photo has long been removed and I was not able to see the auction locomotive.


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## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

MichaelE said:


> Near as I can make out, the tag reads: Jos. Schirmer, Dampflok Eisenbahn. Jos. being a common abbreviation for Joseph in German countries.


Thanks MichaelE. That's what I couldn't figure out - I had "Jos" but didn't think about it being an abbreviation.


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## Firewood (Nov 5, 2015)

You gents certainly have better eyesight than me! Here's a Jos. Schirmer catalog pic - catálogo ameba joseph schirmer basel schiffdamp - Buy Antique toy Catalogs and Magazines at todocoleccion - 34552325

FW


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I found that site earlier today but the locomotive in question did not appear to measure up to the detail and rod work, or scale that Herr Schirmer produced in these photos.

Maybe it is his, or someone unscrutipously slapped one of his builders stickers on the model in question. This model just doesn't seem to 'belong'.


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## Rich1853 (Jun 25, 2018)

To my eyes it appears to be the bottom locomotive from that catalog page
I couldn't attach a screenshot


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## prototyper.01 (Oct 23, 2021)

Bdub09 said:


> i have some model trains passed down to me, and I’m having trouble identifying one.
> View attachment 570484
> 
> View attachment 570486
> ...


This isn't a homemade loco. I can't remember the manufacturer's name but I believe it to be British-made. They at one time were big fans of live steam models.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Rich1853 said:


> To my eyes it appears to be the bottom locomotive from that catalog page
> I couldn't attach a screenshot


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