This Lionel boat travels at about 100 feet per minute. On one winding, it will run three to four minutes. An unusual feature of the Lionel boat is that it will steer automatically. The boat will go out in a straight line almost 150 feet, then it will turn and come back toward the starting position. To do this, loosen the Rudder Lock so that the rudder is free. Put the brake on and wind the spring fully. Place the boat in the water and release the brake. The automatic steering mechanism will do its work. Offered by Lionel in the early 1930\'s only and fully intended for children to play with in open waters, it is not surprising that high end examples are extremely hard to come by. This Model 44 is about as close to new condition as one could hope to find. It is in it\'s original cardboard shipping box with proper end label and inner liners. The compostion drivers are near mint with no repairs and still come in the original canvas bag with ship wheel print. The original American flag is still present. Like any nearly 100 year old toy, there are a few very minor sports of wear. Boat comes with the original display stand and an old 1929 pocket catalog as well. Wind up works fine. One would be hard pressed to find a nicer example.