Lot Essay
The missing locomotive motion was neatly replaced with brass connecting rods by the vendor before he was aware of the original pattern.
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Details
A very rare 19th Century Rock and Graner French-market clockwork hand-painted Floor Train Set
Cat. Ref. 1524, comprising 2-2-2 Locomotive 'Mercur' and integral tender, painted in red-lined green, with splashers lettered and lined in yellow, with black smokebox and chimney, detachable headlamp, black flangeless wheels, both ponies centrally-pivoted for radial running --22cm. long, and two-axle passenger stock --each 14cm. long - one red Coach, lined in yellow, with interior bench seating, with spikes for passengers, partition and brown steps, one royal blue Coach, lined in yellow, with interior bench seating, spikes for passengers, partition and brown steps, and dark brown Baggage Van, lettered 'Bagage' and '13' on yellow-lined red panels, with roof lookout, tail-lamp and brown steps, circa 1875, with pine box with hinged lid, probably contemporary (VG, original external motion missing, some old retouching in black Signal paint to chimney, lamps, roof edges, buffer heads, couplings and wheels, some retouching to steps, three couplings refixed, soldering weak at base of splashers, one coach step loose)
Cat. Ref. 1524, comprising 2-2-2 Locomotive 'Mercur' and integral tender, painted in red-lined green, with splashers lettered and lined in yellow, with black smokebox and chimney, detachable headlamp, black flangeless wheels, both ponies centrally-pivoted for radial running --22cm. long, and two-axle passenger stock --each 14cm. long - one red Coach, lined in yellow, with interior bench seating, with spikes for passengers, partition and brown steps, one royal blue Coach, lined in yellow, with interior bench seating, spikes for passengers, partition and brown steps, and dark brown Baggage Van, lettered 'Bagage' and '13' on yellow-lined red panels, with roof lookout, tail-lamp and brown steps, circa 1875, with pine box with hinged lid, probably contemporary (VG, original external motion missing, some old retouching in black Signal paint to chimney, lamps, roof edges, buffer heads, couplings and wheels, some retouching to steps, three couplings refixed, soldering weak at base of splashers, one coach step loose)
Provenance
The vendor's family comes from Kensington and Mortlake and the train comes from a house that they have owned since 1853.
The train was inherited from the vendor's parents in the 1980s and - now in his early 70s - has known of the train since he was a child, but is unsure of its exact origin. His grandfather was a builder and his maternal grandmother was a secondhand furniture dealer.
The pine box that contains the set originally had a Carter Paterson label on it; the famous removals company was nationalised in 1947.
The train was inherited from the vendor's parents in the 1980s and - now in his early 70s - has known of the train since he was a child, but is unsure of its exact origin. His grandfather was a builder and his maternal grandmother was a secondhand furniture dealer.
The pine box that contains the set originally had a Carter Paterson label on it; the famous removals company was nationalised in 1947.
Literature
See Biberacher Blechspielzeug, Meisterbücher der Firma Rock und Graner aus der Zeit um 1875, Betulius Verlag, Stuttgart, 1997, pp. 40 and 41 for illustration of this train
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.
Sale room notice
Further to the condition description: the tender seams have been repaired, there is green and red retouching to the locomotive in several areas and the rear coupling has been refixed. The original safety valve assembly is missing. It is possible that the mechanism control lever has been replaced.