Tin Steam Locos - battery driven

Billerbahn Tin Steam Locos - battery driven

back to the clockwork locos

All locos on this page have the old version axle cover.

the black 1500 E

Black superstructure, silver roof, red chassis and engine cover. Flat black switch. "1500" imprinted on both doors, a flash each side underneath the chimney. And the corresponding tender 1502. Novelty in 1956. By the way - all my 1500 have straight piston rods.		retailers journal "Das Spielzeug" - FEB 1956 - adverts Billerbahn as "now also electrical"



as well delivered with bright blue engine cover - and a tender with bright blue chassis		cabin rear showing the Biller-B and "Made in Western Germany"


and another version NOT showing the "Made in Western Germany" on the cabins back - the front of the cabin still has the holes / slots for the 013 diesel hood		some of the 1500 loco have "Made in WEST GERMANY" stamped between the axles underneath the chassis. The 2 holes at the front and rear are self-made - what for???


I could acquire this loco in DEC 2017 - offered by a medical dealer in New York City. The price was 1.25 USD - shipping cost was 22.06 USD. The bottom of the chassis shows beside the "Made in Western Germany" stamp a stamp of the Franz Carl Weber company of Switzerland. So this engine has made a small World Travel - before returning to Germany.


Another version came up - having a yellow coloured engine cover (see pictures at the 1510 listed below) - hand-painted red at the visible section around the wheels.

Light blue motor covers were available around 1960, but obviously they failed to convince producer and customers - as the bright green covers at the clockwork locos.

In October 2024 I received these two boxes WITH CONTENTS!!! Each one labeled "1500" with 2 different prices. Both locomotives were sold approx. 1958/59 for 14.50 and 15.50 DeutschMark at Spielwaren Obletter in Munich.


I assume that the price of 15.50 DM was for a 1510 E - that was what was in the box I received.


the green 1501 steam engine

This engine was only available with the set 1650 E /1660 E and delivered together with the 1520 passenger coach / 1521 battery baggage coach as advertised by the Swiss FCW mail order company in 1958 through 1960. Additionally this engine appeared as No. 1500 E - tender loco either black or green - as a single offer in the 1958 FCW-catalogue. The only ever mentioned 1501 E appears in a 1960 German catalogue within the 1650 E set together with the 1520 Battery-Passenger coach.

similar to the 500, having an electric engine now. Red chassis and red engine cover. This version still having the key hole.		This one having a light blue engine cover


this version now without key hole		another version known without ruling on the water tanks.


the black 1510 steam loco

same as the 1500 E, now having a small red bulb inside the more flat chimney. The plastic smoke makes it appear a real smoking loco. Novelty in 1959 - available until at least 1961. There are at least 2 locos known to have hand-painted coal-boxes. Biller simply used the green coal box of the 500 and painted them black.		It took a really long time - but a team from Switzerland and Germany managed to get a factory convinced to reproduce 20 pieces of the smoke for the 1510 Steam loco. In this case again the well known Swiss Precision was proved. Really well done - thanks a lot to all parties.


January 2011 I could acquire this 1510 - having the already at the 1500 mentioned yellow motor cover - hand-painted red at the visible section around the wheels. And this is definitely genuine and no result of any home work. The coal box is hand-painted black - the fishplates inside the cabin still show the original green litho.


Found by chance: a 1510 without the usually mounted coal box. The roof is repainted.


smoke stack comparison - left side the 1500 with the "long" chimney - right side the black 1510 showing the flat chimney - made of black hard plastic.


the green 1510 steam loco

According to the 1960 price list this loco was offered in green as well - and here it is. The smoke stack is made of black hard plastic.		My green 1510 - without ruling on the water tanks


The chimney was missing - and is a remake. This caused me to spend a lot of time. But it was worth spending the time - there is nearly no difference visible. And the stack is "smoking" again.


That's how it works: during each completed turnaround of the front axle the light is turned on and off once - caused by an excentric sitting on the front axle - the excentric opening and closing a copper contact plate.		The engine ready for a test run - even without rails


static "Action" on the right "naked" live action video HERE
generated: JAN-10-2003		last update: Autumn 2024