When one thinks of the “Golden Age of Steam,” the first image that comes to mind is the locomotive, thundering into palatial stations with clouds of steam billowing everywhere. Yet, the success of the railroads also depended on other steam-powered engines-not the least of which was the steam-engine wagon, which transported essentials to the builders of railroads. One famed maker of steam wagons was Atkinson & Co, of Preston, Lancashire. Originally the firm sold and repaired steam wagons produced by another company. However, when that company moved and took over its own sales, Atkinson began producing its own wagons in 1916. Atkinson incorporated the very best it had garnered from its experience in sales and maintenance. Its early models featured 2-section boilers, a tubular super heater and a 2-cylinder compound engine, and the success of these designs laid the foundation for the long line of trucks and busses which were manufactured up until 1970. Now, with a full load of cobblestones and sand, and 1918 Atkinson Steam Wagon bearing the imprimatur of the City of Westminster is on its way to repair a city street. This intricate model has been crafted by Matchbox Collectibles exclusively for the Age of Steam II Collection.
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