017 - Engine Shed
 
The engine shed - made of lithographed tin - containing a 002 straight track with 4 long sleepers. The wind-up key is either blank (untreated) or nickel-coated - the reason why some of the keys are black (oxidised). The hole in the roof (named smoke hole in catalogues) was used to start and stop the clockwork while in the shed. By retracting or inserting the "stop bow" the engine could be halted / stopped  for re-winding or let through - depending on the direction the engine was running.
 

1st version without inscription on the key

 2nd version without inscription on the key - but a hole

3rd version - now nickel-coated key

this version returned from the USA back to Germany - showing the clockwork key having 2 holes. Looks really authentic - if it is??? I don't know

1st blank version without inscription

 2nd blank version showing one hole in the key blank nickel-coated key blank - nickel-coated - 2 holes
 
5th edition incl. the "Biller" inscription on the nickel-coated key this is a (not verified) Dutch version - saying "in" and "uit" - which is "in" and "out" in the Netherlands - also showing the BILLER inscription on the key

Engine shed with brown box

Engine shed with blue box

the common version

 a Dutch version ?

brown box

 blueish box
generated: DEC-25-1999 last update: Autumn 2012