Rare find - 1900's open end wrench from Fairmont Railway Motors Machine Company

[UncleBill]

I originally posted this on Pictures Forum but thought I would update the info on this find for anyone who might have one or come across one.  I am interested to hear if anyone has another tool from the same company.  Please let me know.

Fairmont (not Fairmount) open end wrench 3 7/8" stamped with Fairmont in cursive writing.

I believe it is made around 1910 due to the fact it is much thicker then the VLCHECK made in the 20's that I show in the picture.  The construction of the VLCHECK looks the same and the item came from a bulk purchase of old 1920's - 1940's tools from an estate sale in the Santa Barbara area.

I did send the picture to the museum to see if they can correctly date the wrench.

Fairmont Railway Motors, first known as the Fairmont Machine Company, started as a small machine shop in the 1900's making things such as single cylinder engines used mainly to pump water, saw wood, etc. Fairmont Railway Motors has evolved into Harsco Rail, a division of Harsco Corporation, one of the largest railroad maintenance equipment companies in the western hemisphere.

Link to Martin County Historical Society, Fairmont MN.
http://fairmont.org/mchs/rwmotors.htm

[turnnut]

thanks for the link to the Fairmont Museum,  I can remember seeing the workers moving on those yellow cars.

the crew could lift them off the tracks if a train was coming. as a kid, I longed for a ride on one, but never got it.

[UncleBill]

I found out some new info. My inquiry to the historical museum was forwarded to the Harsco Corporation.  They said there was a tool kit that consisted of a tool box, spacer, grease gun, drawstring bag, ball peen hammer, pliers, standard screw driver, four open end wrenches (7/16 x 3/8, 9/16 x 1/2, 3/4 x 5/8, 7/8 x 3/16).  Most of the tools were made by Fairmount and VLCHECK. They also said the wrenches were made by VLCHECK.

[bill300d]

Great info and nice of the museum to forward your questions to Harsco for the answer I can't believe they still know what was in the kit. Not hard to see that Vlchek made that wrench, it's a dead ringer for one. Now get out there and find the rest of it.