Early Designs of Dunbar Popcorn Wagons and Dunbar Equipment
by Bruce Wm. Anderson
Pictures will be added shortly
In 2005 we purchased a Dunbar popcorn wagon in the Los Angeles, California area. This wagon originally was used on the East Coast and then damaged as it was transported to California. In California this wagon was disassembled for restoration. We collected pieces of this wagon from five different locations. The most interesting location was in the Mohave Desert. This became a very significant popcorn wagon as it was a very early Dunbar & Co popcorn wagon with many unusual features compared to later Dunbar Models. They are outlined below:
1) The popcorn popper had the bicycle chain drive as described in the early Dunbar catalogs up until 1912. At this time, it's the only one we know to exist. Note the differences between the bicycle chain drive popper (see pictures X) and the later bevel gear drive (see picture X).
2) The peanut roaster had been disassembled and some of its pieces were missing. However, comparing this Dunbar’s remaining pieces they are different that all of the other Dunbar peanut roasters we have seen. Note the differences between the early peanut roaster with its large internal mixing baffle (see picture X) and the later peanut roaster (see picture X).
3) The steam engine had the usual oil displacement lubricator but with two valves on opposite sides of the valve body (see picture X). One valve controls the water into the oil reservoir and the other controls the oil out of the oil reservoir. All other water displacement lubricator's we are aware of only had the water in valve (see picture X). We can probably assume that as the engines were used it became apparent the second valve was unnecessary.
4) The main steam valve on the steam engine had an aluminum handle. Obviously, this was a design problem as it would be 212° when operating the steam engine and would burn the operator’s hand (see picture X). All other steam handles that we are aware of consist of five parts: a brass hub, a ¼ inch squared headed set screw, a hard Maple knob, and two number five 3/8 inch flat head screws (see picture X).
5) This Dunbar wagon has the early serving window that drops down. This exposes a very small serving shelf (see picture X) as opposed to the two swinging glass doors with a serving shelf (see picture X) or a pair of two doors that slide into the side doors and then swing open with the outer doors exposing a large serving shelf and window (see picture X).
6) The later popcorn wagons had a glass compartment to store bulk raw popcorn built into the serving window from which you could scoop out the raw popcorn.
7) Sometime in the 1920’s the gas stove design was changed. It was located just outside the boiler and was used for melting butter. The gas stoveå changed from a straight leg design (see picture X) to a cast curved leg design (see picture X).
1) The popcorn popper had the bicycle chain drive as described in the early Dunbar catalogs up until 1912. At this time, it's the only one we know to exist. Note the differences between the bicycle chain drive popper (see pictures X) and the later bevel gear drive (see picture X).
2) The peanut roaster had been disassembled and some of its pieces were missing. However, comparing this Dunbar’s remaining pieces they are different that all of the other Dunbar peanut roasters we have seen. Note the differences between the early peanut roaster with its large internal mixing baffle (see picture X) and the later peanut roaster (see picture X).
3) The steam engine had the usual oil displacement lubricator but with two valves on opposite sides of the valve body (see picture X). One valve controls the water into the oil reservoir and the other controls the oil out of the oil reservoir. All other water displacement lubricator's we are aware of only had the water in valve (see picture X). We can probably assume that as the engines were used it became apparent the second valve was unnecessary.
4) The main steam valve on the steam engine had an aluminum handle. Obviously, this was a design problem as it would be 212° when operating the steam engine and would burn the operator’s hand (see picture X). All other steam handles that we are aware of consist of five parts: a brass hub, a ¼ inch squared headed set screw, a hard Maple knob, and two number five 3/8 inch flat head screws (see picture X).
5) This Dunbar wagon has the early serving window that drops down. This exposes a very small serving shelf (see picture X) as opposed to the two swinging glass doors with a serving shelf (see picture X) or a pair of two doors that slide into the side doors and then swing open with the outer doors exposing a large serving shelf and window (see picture X).
6) The later popcorn wagons had a glass compartment to store bulk raw popcorn built into the serving window from which you could scoop out the raw popcorn.
7) Sometime in the 1920’s the gas stove design was changed. It was located just outside the boiler and was used for melting butter. The gas stoveå changed from a straight leg design (see picture X) to a cast curved leg design (see picture X).