1946 Miniature Train And Railroad Company G-16
Some of us had toy trains as kids and some kids had a dad who made a huge “toy” train and built a track around their yard so they could ride on and in it along with their friends. Paul Sturtevant was that dad and this 1940s, or possibly 1950s, Miniature Train And Railroad Company G-16 is one of those trains. This incredible piece of history is listed here as an Auction by Pearce in Montgomery, Alabama and the current bid price is $15,750. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Tony P. for the tip!
I never had a toy train as a kid but I wanted one. The zoo in our city had a similar train ride as seen here, but I can’t find a photo of the more modern diesel-type train – this is an old steam train ride from before I was born. Mr. Sturtevant came up with these incredible little trains in 1928 and in 1946, the “G-16” name was attached to his latest train. It was modeled after a GM locomotive (the “G”), and the “16” relates to the gauge, or width, of the track in inches.
The story goes that neighborhood kids loved riding around on his train since the late-1920s. Word got out about this neighborhood attraction and the owner of a Sears store asked about using the train at his store for the holiday season. Other Sears stores showed interest and in 1940, the Miniature Train and Railroad Company was born. As mentioned, the “new” G-16 model came out and that’s what this example is, although we don’t know the exact year.
This train was in the process of being restored for someone who unfortunately passed away before it was completed. It’s part of the Royce G. Kershaw Jr. collection and is being auctioned. If I had invested wisely, or at all, I would be the high bidder, would complete the restoration, and then have a track built around our yard at our seaside mansion. The cab or passenger compartments may not have enough legroom for my 6′-5″ frame, but it appears to be relatively complete and in good condition. It comes with two 12-passenger cars and is said to have been purchased by Mr. Kershaw’s father in the 1960s.
We don’t know what powers this train, but a lot of them used four-cylinder Wisconsin engines and they ran on regular gasoline, not diesel or steam. I can’t imagine a more fun way for kids and adults (kids at heart) to spend their retirement funds than on buying this train and getting it running on the 1000 feet of track that comes with it. Have any of you ridden on a kiddie train like this G-16?
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Griffith Park in Los Angeles has a little railroad like this. I rode on it as a child in the early 1960’s, it was always a big deal. The track is a long loop with a trestle bridge and a little western town. Google tells me it’s still operating. Nice memories.
Point Pleasant,N.J. used to have a “beach train” that ran the length of the boardwalk at Jenkinsons Beach.
Lots of great memories in the 70s.
There was another one – at the fair …
https://rmli.org/our-collection/1964-1965-worlds-fair-train/
One of these trains ran at a Zoo near Sanford, Florida the time I checked.
I believe the term for these is Park Trains. Generally the track is 12′ gauge
It says it is a replica of a 4-4-4, that would be a steam locomotive, this is not one. So i guess it does not come with any track.
The track is 16 guage. The 4-4-4 refers to the wheels and how and where they are located. I don’t know how to translate the 4-4-4 exactly.
The wheel arrangement on the loco appears be Bo Bo. I have no idea how the 4,4,4 designation refers to it. As pointed out above, the 4,4,4 designation would normally apply to a steam loco although that designation would be unusual anyway.
You should see the REST of the auction–about two dozen “barn find” cars there!
https://www.aumannvintagepower.com/auction/the-incredible-royce-g-kershaw-jr-estate-collection-70397/photos#&gid=1&pid=6
Awesome, this would be fun
Hershey Park in Hershey, PA, has a similar narrow-gage railroad in the park, called the Dry Gulch RR, but again, that uses a miniature steam locomotive instead of a miniature Diesel locomotive. The now closed Benson’s Wild Animal Farm, in Hudson, NH also used to have a miniature Diesel train set, but Benson’s went under sometime in the 1980’s, I think.
Benson’s is now a public park where you can walk around. Some of the buildings are still there.
https://forgottennewengland.com/2020/11/08/bensons-wild-animal-farm-the-strangest-farm-on-earth/
I was raised in Salem, NH, a couple of towns away and in the 1950s we had a yearly pilgrimage, until I got too old, around 1956. When the Air Force planted me back in New England in 1980, Benson’s was still there and we took or then 5yo over there a couple of times. The also had a “hook and ladder” fire truck that you could ride on, towed by a Crosley cab. As I approach 80, I enjoy these trips back memory lane.
A steam 4-4-4 engine would have four small front guide wheels, four large drivers, and four small wheels under the cab. From the side you would see two-two-two as the count was of both sides. If you want to see one of the largest steam locos ever made, there is a Pacific 4-8-8-4 in Cheyenne Wyoming that I saw during our trip west in 1967 to my first active-duty assignment in California. That is one huge engine!
No surprise who wrote THIS up, and a major tip of the hat to the staff that allows his shenanigans. It, in part, is what makes BFs great.
Kiddietown,,Capitol Court Shopping Center, Milwaukee, Wis. circa early 60s through the 70s. A downsized amusement park for kids at the then most modern of shopping centers, Capitol Court.. Pales in comparison to the horror induced rides of today, a “Tilt-a-whirl” was the most, but for kids( and parents), it was a big deal. They had a mini-train like this( and a Crosley fire engine to pick up kids) that ran the perimeter of the park. It was modeled after the Milwaukee Road, and to a kid, it didn’t get much better. If that’s the motor, I read, most were powered by the V4 Wisconsin, had an air compressor and brakes like a real train. I can’t seem to find the transmission type, I believe it was a standard clutch and 3 speed, anyone? I doubt in it was an automatic. Well worth the 1 ticket you got at the gate. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AZUh540V8ExbXPzHSG0QfdIKKxYM2Ak9oANb2PlxJiuTitAm_EOhIyQ/
I “drove” one of those old trains like that at the Gingerbread Castle in Hamburg, New Jersey one summer, probably 1969. A neat experience- I got yelled at for going too fast with a full passenger load. It would be nice to have one just for the fun it brings to people.
The Western Washington Fair in Puyallup had one that ran near the base of the roller coaster. I road it as a kid, and decades later they sent some wheels and axles to my shop for repair.
I recall that train also. Grew up in Tacoma Wa. and went to the Puyallup fair every year. Rode that train many times and the Christmas Train at Rhodes department store in the 50’s and early 60’s. Good times.
There’s a track in Northeast Ohio that these trains run on, as well. I think it’s called Penitentiary Glen park. My friends dad has one of these engines. Now there’s a crazy hobby.
There’s a railroad like yhis in Northern Atizona too. They have loys of locomoyives and other csrs on site We i brlieve there’s also a go. went for a ride on one a few years ago.
Train is cool, but check out the other items in that auction. The Executive Cruiser is cool as heck!!!
We have 2 model train layouts in our cellar and I own a collection of model trains in O and HO scale but I think my wife would draw the line at this. Plus we live on a quarter acre lot. But I serve on my town’s planning board so if I needed a use variance to put it on our property i would know how to go about doing it. I love trains in all sizes as well as full sized cars, trucks and airplanes.
As a kid I had trains all over the place. When I wasn’t running my electric trains I was out watching the big boys go buy. Still a rabid fan. Even married into a train family as my father in law worked for the railroad all his life as did my brother in law and my wife when she was in her early ’20s. Followed the Big Boy that popped up on BF a few years ago until my eyes gave out. Over 60 comments on that one before it was over. By the way Bruce, my trains were American Flyers and HO gauge. As a young kid living in New Haven 2 miles from the factory I couldn’t help but get totally involved.
Train Town right here in Sonoma, Ca has a very elaborate one that runs the a petting zoo etc. This just wonderful if you have that large pice of lanbd..A work of aret that’s fun..what could be better….
I believe Grants park in St Louis had one that circled the entire park, and maybe part of the zoo ? Best I can remember after 60 years.
Nice silver grey real early push button Pantera in background.
The Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, GA, on the north side of Atlanta, has an operating MTC G-16 locomotive set that is available to ride Friday through Sunday, when the museum is open. It’s soon to have a second G-16 locomotive painted in Southern green and white in operation as well.
Barn Finds, has a great variety of transportation related objects. From cars,trucks, airplanes, and miniature trains! Keep it coming!
My grandparents used to live in Asheville, NC when I was a small child. At that time, the city of Asheville had both a zoo, a large public swimming pool and what they referred to there as “rec park”, which I assume meant recreation park. In the late 50’s and throughout at least the 60’s, rec park was full of kiddy rides, very similar to a carnival. But, one more permanent rides there at the park, was the miniature train that ran about 14 to 1/2 mile down by the Swananoa River and back. It went through a real tunnel and they even built a train station for it. As you might imagine, this was about the most popular ride in the entire park for families and it was always busy. The one I am talking about in Asheville, was exactly like the train pictured to resemble a diesel train from the time period and I remember it very fondly. It looked identical to the train in these pictures and it will always be a very fond memory of being on vacation in the mountains of North Carolina as a kid. Glad to have seen this posting. Unfortunately, my wife would not be too understanding of a miniature train in our backyard and I have no grandchildren to share it with.
Growing up in Storm Lake, Ia. friends of our family had one of these. They’re family had developed a small section of the lakeside (part of Storm Lake now) and built a nightclub out of the stones along the lake, rightfully named the Cobblestone. Many of the big bands played there in 40’s-’50s. They built a swimming/diving pier, a large bath house w/sundeck on top, a stone pavilion for picknickers, a small marina, and a park. One of the brothers had a small carnival and would set up the rides on holidays. Always rode the train for a dime. Only thing left now is the Cobblestone, in deep needing of a benefactor to bring it back. Left there 50 years ago, but never forgot the good times.
I grew up just north of Redding, California and a city park was at the bottom of the hill coming down Quartz Hill Rd. On the park grounds was a kiddie land area that had a small train for the kids to ride on. It wasn’t as big as this one, but for a small donation one could ride in one of the cars being pulled by an old style steam locomotive. It actually had a gas engine and a young engineer to operate it. It was quite fun for a youngster. Then in the 1970’s I was at a park in North Seattle with my brother, his wife and son. There was a model train there that ran a lengthy run for a reasonable fare. This train would be a very nice addition to any city park for children entertainment.
God Bless America
The Train Mountain Railroad Museum in Chiloquin, Oregon has “27 miles” of this size track, available to run. https://trainmtn.org/pages/visitors-1.shtml
We have a mini GM AERO TRAIN Here in Ellis, Kansas @ the Ellis Railroad Museum. It runs on 20-gauge track & is 3/4 of a mile long.. We have an engine that’s powered by a 4-cylender gas Ford motor & pulls 4 cars that hold 14 people each.Built by Chance Amusment company.Wichita, Kansas
The design of the locomotive was based on the classic “bulldog nose” locomotives manufactured by the General Motors Electro-Motive Division.
Grew up in the country in the town of Hyde park N.Y…. An ice cream stand in the village had a similar train. Rode on IT as a child. Long gone, still great memories… We would visit the train station also, many celebs and dignitaries passed thru it as Hyde park was the home of President and Eleanor Roosevelt…
This looks very similar to the one that runs around in a loop near the entrance to the San Diego zoo… Or at least did last time I was there about 10 years ago…
4 wheels front , 4 wheels rear, and 4 cylinder engine. Since he built it a 1 of 1, he can call it what he likes.
I have good memories of Orville Seals, who, IIRC, was a successful plumber by trade. He built a live steam model railroad (Chester & Long Valley RR) on his property near Chester, NJ during the1950’s. He became friends with some of the CRR of NJ people at the road’s Elizabethport locomotive shops (the CRR of NJ was still running Steam locos until 1954). The CRR of NJ folks assisted Orville with the design of the boiler, firebox, pistons, valves and running gear. With the help of his friends, Orville built several kid size freight cars and a caboose to be pulled by his steam engine. His 15 inch narrow gauge track “Division” encompassed several hundred feet of right of way around a pond on his property. During warm weather weekends, he became an engineer and conductor giving kiddie rides around his property. It my understanding that after he died, the equipment was purchased by a “live steamer” enthusiast.
I recall that the interior of his home had an “O” gauge electric train running at chair rail height along the walls of the kitchen and living room which would allow him to deliver snacks and beverages to his guests by rail.
This is very confusing, in the text it has “– this is an old steam train ride”, but shows a diesel in the pictures. Altho one picture does show a steam 4-4-4 engine. 4-4-4 means 4 front wheels, 4 big power wheels and 4 small wheels under the engineer.
It does say “With 100 m/l ft of 16 gage (16” wide) track.
So which is it?
4-4-4 would be 4 pilot wheels, 4 driving wheels, and 4 trailing wheels.
You need to go back and reread the article. Where it says “this is an old steam train ride” is in reference to a different train, not the one that is the subject of this listing. Also the ad says that it includes 1000 m/l feet of track, not 100 m/l feet.
Lakes Park Fort Myers FL still has a running train loop for kids of all ages.
Auction update: this ultimate toy sold for $42,000!
Wow, I didn’t know there was that much value for something like this. Thanks again for posting it, lots of great comments and recollections.
It does have a lot of potential very cool options for it’s next use.