IndianaRog and the Temple of Steam
Toy and model steam engines and turbines by Jensen, Karsten, Mamod, Stuart, Empire, LiNEy & others plus engine videos with sound & helpful restoration tips
A little something about Mamod: Click Here
Engines in this Collection:
(click hyperlink to jump to that engine type)
Approx. Dates: Model
1964-1965....................TE 1 Traction Engine (nut & bolt construction)
early 1970's.................LW1 Lumber Wagon
1965............................SR1 Steam Roller
1960's..........................OW1 Open Wagon
late '50's/early '60's.....SE3 Stationary (modded 2007 into power plant)
A little something about Mamod
The Unofficial Mamod and Other Steam Forum.
I won't pretend (yet) to know that much about Mamods, but as I do I will incorporate some info here...til then, this forum has about 99% of the world's Mamod knowledge captured and available to share (most of what I note for each of the following engines came directly from this forum)...come visit, come join...free and very family like.
As of Sept '08, this group stands at approx. 375 members since startup in Jun '06. When I check in of an evening...it is like going for a soak in a steam bath with a bunch of good friends, where you can seek opinions, give opinions, defend opinions or just browse the hundreds of postings done each week. Members and brands now embrace many countries including the UK, Australia, NZ, US, France and Germany amongst them.
When I joined the forum, my collection was a "Mamod Free" zone...but that has changed. Although I normally tend toward stationary toy steam only...the jewels below caught and kept my eye. For my Mamod collecting, I have focused on their mobile pieces with one exception. I like the quality and charm their mobiles offer, hence a nice sampling of them here.
The following video gives a glimpse into How Mamod's Are Made...enjoy!
Mamod TE1 Traction Engine...vintage 1964-65
Mamod began making the the TE1 in 1963. This example is most likely a 1964-65 vintage model bearing the early mark of a brass "nut and bolter" vs. riveted construction which came along in 1965. The detail cast into the rear wheels is simply gorgeous, right down to the 2 raised rivets on each wheel spoke. This TE1 is in fired but pristeen condition after just a bit of spit and polish.
The TE1 and subsequent TE1A went on to be among Mamods most successful offerings and 44 years later the TE1A version is still being made. They are NOT large engines, but they pack a lot in a small space!
The TE1 had several features I really liked in addition to the quaint nut and bolt construction. These include the ability to throttle down the speed with it's classy brass inline exhaust regulator. I can also toot the whistle with an equally classy brass whistle.
A "meths" (alcohol) vaporizing burner provides the heat source...a pleasant change from the smell of Esbit tablets used in my Wilesco roller and on later Mamod models.
These 4 desirable TE1 features were changed in later years, but this example has them all and it's easy to understand why Mamod collectors have a warm spot for the venerable TE1. An added nicety is the use of copper leaf springs on the front axle as seen above.
In the pic below, you can clearly see the brass exhaust regulator that enables the user to really throttle down the speed to a more scale like pace. Regulating speed via exhaust control is a new one for me...most of my engines throttle the steam output BEFORE passing thru the piston...this one does it very effectively on the back end.
The whistle can be seen to the right rear directly over the firebox...hence one needs asbestos fingers to operate it when a fire is down below, but again, it looks great, I'll just need to toughen up those fingertips!
The turned brass whistle and regulator are so appealing...it's easy to forget that this little jewel is NOT a high priced model traction engine...this is a toy, just a very well executed one from the days when the Malins family ran Mamod and quality was king.
Although I am not usually a fan of acquiring and then storing original boxes...this piece came along with a pristeen box plus all the accessories, literature, funnel etc. that accompanied it when shipped from Mamod's Thorns Works, England facility in the early 1960's.
This engine took a 40 year nap in the loft of a nice 82 year old English lady named Margaret who sold it to me via eBay. Thank you Margaret, I should be so computer savvy when I'm your age!!
For me this lovely TE1 marks only my second mobile steam engine after
my Wilesco roller, and I am delighted to have it and it's accompanying
lumber wagon join the Temple of Steam where it will take a cherished
space.Mamod LW1 Lumber Wagon
Steven not only packed my TE1 well, he slipped in a little surprise gift to keep it company. A perfect early 1970's Mamod LW1 Lumber Wagon. This from a gent I have never actually met face to face...but who obviously loves his Mamods and wanted to share a piece to accompany the TE1. Toy Steam collectors are very nice folks!
Mamod LW1 Lumber Wagon & Logs...vintage early 1970's
The Mamod TE1 towing the LW1 lumber wagon below, perfect companions.
Like my TE1, the LW1 came with a dandy example of a box.
Mamod SR1 Steam Roller
The SR1 actually preceeded the TE1 by a couple of years making it's debut in 1961...this specific example was most likely made in 1965 per feature review noted below.
I truly see the love many a boy must have felt for this little jewel. Heck, many a grown man loves these things today!!! It is the perfect compliment to the TE1, the build quality is superb. It is not the very earliest version which was of nut and bolt construction, but it is a very good example of the earliest riveted type.
With the kind assistance of my friend Steven in the UK (who owns many Mamod SR and TE versions)...he ID'ed this as most likely an early 1965 example.
Telltale clues include:
- pop rivets which came into being in 1965
- early domed hubcaps which makes it possibly early '65 (though those appeared in the '70's for a brief time as well...probably a box found and used up)
- boiler held in place with two brass bolts vs. two copper rivets
- water level plug is of the single bent arm type
- instructions are in leaflet form in the box vs. pasted on box rear panel
The more I look at these early Mamods, the more I like them...just simply a well made toy. The black rubber treads are a new add on from Forest Classics as I do intend to run this and the rubber protects the metal wheels. I'll cover the front roller with rubber as well since concrete will scuff them up badly otherwise.
Lastly is the original box...it came with burner, steering rod, funnel, internal corrogated partitions and even a brown wax paper used to wrap things from the factory. Instructions were there as well...like this sat in a time capsule for over 40 years.
Mamod OW1 Open Wagon
Though not a lover of boxes given they take up space, I do find the Mamod boxes are a cut above most others, especially the early ones. Sturdy and bearing a nice graphic label. As can be seen on the label, this OW1 and the SR1 that preceeded it were both made at Mamod's Thorns Works facility.
The obigatory pic showing the wagon in tow by the SR1 roller.
Mamod SW1 Steam Wagon
Answer: toy steam engines!
Seems like it was just a few short weeks earlier I acquired a very nice Mamod TE1 traction engine and a surprise gift of a very nice Mamod LW1 (Lumber Wagon)...now look what I fell for...
This is a 1973-74 mint in the box Mamod Steam Wagon (SW1), also known as a Foden Wagon given they copied that full sized vehicle's style and very unique rear wheels. This was an eBay find THIS side of the Atlantic, so someone else paid the freight to bring this from the UK to the US thirty plus years ago.
I am quickly finding that eBay auctions shipped from the UK to the US can almost double in price by the time you pay shipping...this one cost me just $10 USD shipping from one state over. Sweet!
If
you spend a second or two it is easy to see the parentage of this
piece...it is one of several iterations built off Mamod's wildly
successful traction engine (TE1) introduced in 1963. A few seconds more study, and you can also see a few key changes from those first 2 years when the TE1 started.
The whistle is no longer a fingertip toaster, having an extended chain pull affair to get fingers away from the heat rising up the firebox vents. The regulator handle made of that same dastardly brass has likewise been updated with a plastic knob to protect us from ourselves!
The Health and Safety types obviously felt children would repeatedly burn those fingertips, hence drastic changes were in order. Funny, but those same children are now adults paying premium prices to once again burn their fingertips on the original design TE1 with it's lovely brass valves.
To help trim costs, some parts were changed with time. Instead of solid front axles like the TE1, the SW1
has a tubular axle, and rivets replace brass nuts and bolts reducing time and labor to assemble. I admire Mamod for making a toy that stayed within reach of most boys...the cost cutting did not radically detract from the final product which remained robust and attractive. I'm very happy to own example!
The steam wagon was born with these "improvements" and a few more, but toy mfg. like any business has to be cost competitive or you go out of business as many brands of toy steam have done in Germany, the UK and the US. Mamod is still with us, so they have done what they needed to do to stay competitive and yet still attract buyers.
Not ALL changes were cost cutters though,
check out those cool rear wheels, they are inspired by the original full sized Foden Wagon and
could almost pass for something ultra modern on a sports car...they are
really beautifully made and a nice touch harking back to the genuine
article that inspired the SW1. 
The rear green part with roof and doors flips up like a dump truck to enable user to get at the firebox with it's vaporizing burner, a clever design.
The roof of the truck is made of nicely ribbed metal not unlike the TE1's canopy. Add some period correct looking fenders and voila, a overall lovely piece I am glad to add to the Temple of Steam.
The last picture above shows the heart and soul of the Steam Wagon underneath the Green Body...things look very TE1 like for the most part. This piece was 100% virgin/never steamed...firebox clean as a whistle and burner pristeen.
It came complete with steering rod, funnel and original box...but this one WILL get steamed and might even get a set of accessory barrels designed to fit the truck bed.
Mamod SE3 Stationary Engine
I have finally acquired a nice 50 +/- year old example of Mamod's twin cylinder model SE3. It started life sometime in the late '50's or early '60's based on the unique design of the con rod ends, but it's interim history is unknown up until 2007 when it was acquired by fellow steamer and friend Mooseman.
In the left photo is an "on arrival" picture taken on Moose's trademark kitchen tablecloth. It had been painted an incorrect gray on the base and engine uprights, firebox paint was rough and it was missing it's decals...generally in need of a major face lift.
In the photo to the right is the result of a complete refinishing by Moose bringing it back to it's proper color scheme. This is exactly how it looked when I received it in early 2008 in another of Moose and my collection "recycling" efforts! 
I have long wanted an SE3 to modify into a "power plant" and mount on a nice wood base...this one was a perfect candidate. The finished product below was completed in April 2008. It is considerably more solid feeling with the thunderous SE3 sound mellowed out a bit as a result of it's transition to a walnut base, a lucky yardsale find costing me all of 25 cents (former award plaque). 
A flywheel recess was cut, the light green engine frames were attached with small brass wood screws and the firebox/boiler combination was fastened down with brass rods extending thru the wood base.
I lined the firebox floor with a brass tray to catch meths drips and save the wood finish in case of a spill.
To improve burner performance I repacked it with fresh cotton from a new mop head (they are 100% cotton BTW). I also cleaned the pores in the burner top for a nice even flame which laps up the sides of the boiler but is not excessive.
The generator is a small DC "can" motor salvaged from a defunct computer printer. It fit snuggly into a short piece of nickeled sink drain pipe and is further supported in a mount I made up from pieces of sheet brass. That combination of nickel and brass ties nicely with the brass boiler and nickel lamp post and dresses the generator a bit. 
A larger generator was initially tried, but the internal magnet drag overwhelmed the engine.
The lighter weight can motor worked out perfectly and these are available cheaply as surplus or new. This one happened to be a Mitsumi #QH4-4486 in case you want to find one like it.
I couldn't remove the pressed on gear from the motor shaft without damaging the motor, so I simply glued a Wilesco pulley to the gear face with a bit of J.B. Weld brand epoxy. It is a rock solid attachment!!
The generator output feeds a Jensen lamp post with a 6 volt #502 bulb, via a wire routered into the underside of the wood base. The SE3 is self starting even with the generator drive belt attached. Once up to steam, I just turn the steam regulator and it roars to life (see video below). There is little wonder why the SE3 is a Mamod collector favorite, they just run so darn well.
When I finished with this one, I felt it needed a unique decal to commemorate it's re-birth in a different land with some significant modifications...apologies to my English friends, the devil made me do it.
Click below to see an instant video via YouTube:
