The power of steam did more than propel the industrial revolution. In addition to feuling the factories, coal mines, mighty locomotives and labor-saving farm equipment, steam made leisure time more enjoyable. Steam-powered equipment generated electricity to run calliopes and carousels and to keep fairgrounds illuminated at night. And, quite often, the same steam-powered apparatus that spent a day threshing grain on a farm ended up at a carnival in the evening, bringing joy to all the hard working people looking for a few hours of fun. The "showman's engines" manufactured by John Fowler of Leeds were particularly well suited for this kind of double duty. They were so handsomely ornamented, they seemed right at home among the glitter of the fairgrounds. They were so mobile, they could be quickly transported and set up wherever needed - whether for industry, agriculture or amusement. And Fowler's steam-engine threshers proved so invaluable that they lasted until the '50s when they were finally replaced by combine harvesters. But their importance and nostalgic allure lives on as a reminder of an era when one often heard the familiar sound of a showman's engine churning in the background. Now the 1913 Fowler B6 Showman's Engine comes to life again in an intricately detailed die-cast replica. This elaborate model is issued in a limited edition produced by - and available only from - Matchbox Collectibles, the greatest name in die-cast.

Worldwide Edition Limit: 9,500

(1997)

Scale: 1:68