The best toys involve open flame!

Anybody who knows me, knows that this was an inevitability... a steam engine being The Toy of the Week.  I ran my old blog for nearly a year without bringing this topic up so the way I see it, this shit is seriously over due.  The fact is, I have an obsession with steam powered engines that boarders on psychosis.

I can't really explain it.  Steam engines are not just objects, they are an experience.  They are the ultimate expression of form-follows-function.  Even on a mere toy, like today's example, the design is almost entirely dictated by the operation of the machine.  There is also an exquisite tactile quality to a toy like this because it is entirely crafted from steel, brass and copper.  When you play with a toy like this, you engage in a ritual of mechanical care and maintenance.  It is primal and elemental as you coax it into operation with fire and water.  The pressurized power source will give life to the engine, or burn you, with equal indifference.  Steam engines demand care and attention, and they are inherently compelling.  There is also a role-playing component.  Even if it is only for a moment, I get to be a locomotive engineer with one hand on the throttle and one on the whistle cord.  It's like being in a Johnny Cash song.

Live steam is a hobby that attracts those with a mechanical mind and a willingness to tinker.  The desire to tinker drives many hobbyists to fabricate scratch-built masterpieces or modify off-the-shelf models into custom pieces of mechanical art.  Indeed there are countless gorgeous examples out there of steam-powered miniature engineering.  We will inevitably look into some of these in the future but one might wonder what is the entry point for this hobby?  Today we are looking at an entry-level steamer made by Accucraft.  This model is freelance.  In other words, it is not a model of an actual historical locomotive, instead it is meant to capture the character of a generic industrial geared tank locomotive.  It does bear striking resemblance to the locomotives once produced by the Bell Locomotive Works.  This model is a great little steamer with a quirky character.  See for yourself and enjoy some pictures of the Dora 1:20 scale live steam locomotive.  It's The Toy of the Week.

Technical Specs:

• Twin, Double-acting oscillating cylinders
• Gear transmission to front axle
• Side-rod driven rear axle
• Gas-fired copper single-flue boiler
• Cab appliances include throttle, gas regulator, reverser, displacement lubricator
• Length: 6.09"
• Width: 3.5"
• Height: 6.06"