Nonpareil Toy and Novelty Company was established by Sam Hoffman with brothers Saul and David Weil, all ex emplyees of Chein, in 1914, and ceased trading in 1933. Their products were road vehicles, fairground models, banks and trains. Nonpareil trains were lithographed tinplate, approximately 0 gauge in size, but made as floor or pull toys. Four wheeled freight cars will fit 0 gauge track but eight wheel cars have fixed trucks (bogies) so will not negotiate curved track. Following the demise of Nonpareil, part of the Nonpareil train range was produced by The National Tinsel and Toy Manufacturing Company.
Further background information regarding the Nonpareil Toy and Novelty Company may be found within David L. Farquhar's Silicon Underground.
Nonpareil and Tinsel locomotives compared
Nonpareil (top) and Tinsel (below, missing headlight) locomotives compared |
No trademarks on either loco or tender.
The Tinsel dome is set further back towards the cab
The Nonpareil stack is cast whereas Tinsel is rolled tin.
Boiler front number 102 (Tinsel) and 99 (Nonpareil)
The Tinsel pilot has 6 slots, Nonpareil 8 slots
See below for comparison of tender trucks
Nonpareil and Tinsel trucks (bogies), as fitted to tenders and ten inch cars, compared
Nonpariel truck, with two pressed vertical lines, fairly common and standard |
Nonpariel truck, without two pressed vertical lines, fairly common and standard |
Nonpariel truck, with two pressed vertical lines above an ellipse, fitted to earlier cars, 1914-15 |
Tinsel truck, with two pressed vertical lines above a stadium shape, fitted to all known Tinsel cars and tenders |
Nonpareil floor toy trolley car, Inter City Electric Ry |
Nonpareil floor toy locomotive, showing eight slots in pilot |
Nonpareil floor toy locomotive number 79, blue bordered tender |
Nonpareil floor toy locomotive number 79, blue bordered tender |
Nonpareil floor toy locomotive number 79, black bordered tender |
Nonpareil floor toy locomotive number 79, black bordered tender |
Nonpareil floor toy locomotive tender |
Nonpareil floor toy passenger car, Limited Vestibule Express, Saratoga, red |
Nonpareil floor toy passenger car, Limited Vestibule Express, 2297 California, red |
Nonpareil floor toy passenger car, Limited Vestibule Express, 4568 Harrison, teal |
Nonpareil floor toy passenger car, Limited Vestibule Express, 2297 Adirondack, orange |
Nonpareil floor toy passenger car, New York Central Lines, Santa Fe, green |
Nonpareil floor toy circus car 1604, 4 wheels |
Nonpareil floor toy circus car 1604, 8 wheels |
Nonpareil floor toy tank car, Standard Oil, red frame |
Nonpareil floor toy tank car, Standard Oil, grey frame |
Nonpareil floor toy hopper (side 1) |
Nonpareil floor toy hopper (side 2) |
Nonpareil floor toy gondola |
Nonpareil floor toy gondola (note printing inside car) |
Nonpareil floor toy box car |
Nonpareil floor toy clockwork horse and cart or wagon |
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