Cart 0
Cart 0
STEAM ENGINE 1880 Tom Thumb Patent Scale Model Car With Wheels Polished Brass
STEAM ENGINE 1880 Tom Thumb Patent Scale Model Car With Wheels Polished Brass
STEAM ENGINE 1880 Tom Thumb Patent Scale Model Car With Wheels Polished Brass
STEAM ENGINE 1880 Tom Thumb Patent Scale Model Car With Wheels Polished Brass
STEAM ENGINE 1880 Tom Thumb Patent Scale Model Car With Wheels Polished Brass
STEAM ENGINE 1880 Tom Thumb Patent Scale Model Car With Wheels Polished Brass
STEAM ENGINE 1880 Tom Thumb Patent Scale Model Car With Wheels Polished Brass
STEAM ENGINE 1880 Tom Thumb Patent Scale Model Car With Wheels Polished Brass
STEAM ENGINE 1880 Tom Thumb Patent Scale Model Car With Wheels Polished Brass
STEAM ENGINE 1880 Tom Thumb Patent Scale Model Car With Wheels Polished Brass
STEAM ENGINE 1880 Tom Thumb Patent Scale Model Car With Wheels Polished Brass
STEAM ENGINE 1880 Tom Thumb Patent Scale Model Car With Wheels Polished Brass
STEAM ENGINE 1880 Tom Thumb Patent Scale Model Car With Wheels Polished Brass
Treasure Fine Jewelry

STEAM ENGINE 1880 Tom Thumb Patent Scale Model Car With Wheels Polished Brass

$4,985.00 $0.00
Shipping calculated at checkout.

An antique Tom-Thumb steam engine model designed by Peter Cooper.

This is a superb antique scale model created in America of the Tom-Thumb steam locomotive. The original model was designed by Peter Cooper, back in the 1830. This model represents the earliest American steam engine built to demonstrate the viability of steam power of the Baltimore and Ohia railroad. Masterfully crafted with impeccable details with parts assembled together of polished bronze, carved wood and natural coal. The Tom Thumb was originally designed as a four-wheel locomotive with a vertical boiler and vertically mounted cylinders that drove the wheels on one of the axles. The "design" was characterized by a host of improvisations. The boiler tubes were made from rifle barrels and a blower was mounted in the stack, driven by a belt to the powered axle. The engine was fueled by anthracite coal.

Peter Cooper

He was an American industrialist, inventor, philanthropist, and politician. He designed and built the first American steam locomotive, the Tom Thumb, founded the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, served as its first president, and stood for election as the Greenback Party's candidate in the 1876 presidential election. Cooper began tinkering at a young age while working in various positions in New York City. He purchased a glue factory in 1821 and used that factory's profits to found the Canton Iron Works, where he earned even larger profits by fabricating machinery such as the Tom Thumb. Cooper's success as a businessman and inventor continued over the ensuing decades, and he became the first mill operator to successfully use anthracite coal to puddle iron. He also developed numerous patents for products such as gelatin and participated in the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable. During the Gilded Age, Cooper became an ardent critic of the gold standard and the debt-based monetary system of bank currency, advocating instead for government-issued banknotes. Cooper was nominated for president at the 1876 Greenback National Convention, and the Greenback ticket of Cooper and Samuel Fenton Cary won just under one percent of the popular vote in the 1876 presidential election. His son Edward and his son-in-law Abram Hewitt both served as Mayor of New York City.

Country: United States.

Period: American classic, 1880-1900.

Model: Tom-Thumb steam locomotive car.

Materials: Bronze, natural coal, carved wood and polished brass.

Weight: About 15 pounds, (6.80 Kg.). 

Measurements: H. 231.7 mm by L. 254 mm by D. 120.7 mm, (9.12 x 10 x 4.75 Inches).

Condition: The overall condition of this Tom-Thumb steam engine model is excellent. Beside the little normal wear there is no damage and all parts are secured in the settings. This piece was carefully inspected to guarantee the condition & authenticity.

INVENTORY REF: D031826MAEN/.6734

More from this collection