Watson / Ives Locomotive, Tender & Gondolas; Antique Cast Iron Floor Train, 1895

Description

This rare, 125-year-old Watson set is complete, with
no chips, cracks, or breaks.
The 2-2-0 locomotive measures 8-3/4" long and  4-3/8" tall; the "187" tender is 4-1/2" long, and the "CPRR" gondolas are 6-1/4" long.
In Rick Ralston's superb
Cast Iron Floor Trains
-- which was published nearly 30 years ago -- t
hese pieces are attributed to Ives
.
However, a
uthor
Ralston has since confirmed that they were produced by the Watson Iron Works of Bridgeport Connecticut. T
he
locomotive and
tender
are catalogued as No. 767; t
he
gondolas
are an uncatalogued version of No. 1804.
Watson pieces differ from their Ives counterparts. This Watson loc has no bell and a distinctive cap on its stack. The tender sides do not have embossed rectangles framing the numbers, as Ives tenders have. Also, the numbers and letters on the tender and gondolas are smaller than those on Ives pieces, and sans-serif style.
This set's painted finish has been professionally restored. The locomotive's distinctive red trim is authenticated as Watson's original paint scheme by the last photo. (Note:
The loc pictured in that last photo
is not
included in this auction.)
Study the photos, consider them part of the description, and use them to judge this set's condition for yourself.
Feel free to ask questions before you bid, and please check my other auctions for more hard-to-find cast iron floor trains. Combining auction wins can sometimes reduce shipping costs.
Thanks for looking.