Tool Talk

Picture Forum => Picture Forum => Topic started by: DM11 on March 22, 2013, 11:41:06 PM

Title: Williams Railroad Special
Post by: DM11 on March 22, 2013, 11:41:06 PM

with the Santa Fe 2542 2-8-0 steam locomotive at Wilson Park.

Title: Re: Williams Railroad Special
Post by: keykeeper on March 23, 2013, 08:43:30 AM

Nice pictures, cool backdrop.

But, why does the wrench have the Whitman and Barnes logo on the handle?? Is it from the era when Williams bought out W&B?

Interesting piece.

Title: Re: Williams Railroad Special
Post by: DM11 on March 23, 2013, 04:38:16 PM

Aaron that is a good question of which I do not have an answer for. The head or upper jaw is stamped: Railroad Special, J H Williams & Co., Warranted, Made In U.S.A.. As you have noted the handle has the Diamond W&B logo. Hopefully some one will have the answer.

Title: Re: Williams Railroad Special
Post by: DM11 on March 23, 2013, 05:08:00 PM

Aaron after prowling around Alloy Artifacts this is what I found. In 1920 the drop-forge and wrench operations of Whitman & Barnes were acquired by the J.H. Williams company. Some of the W&B product lines (e.g. monkey wrenches and alligator wrenches) continued in production by Williams.

Title: Re: Williams Railroad Special
Post by: rusty on March 23, 2013, 05:29:11 PM

The only remaining detail being that the last date stamped on the Valve gear plaque seems to be 1853....

Great pictures :)

Title: Re: Williams Railroad Special
Post by: keykeeper on March 23, 2013, 08:36:55 PM

I would say you have a true "transitional" wrench, David, based on the double markings.

Looks like Williams used remaining pieces already marked by W&B to finish out wrenches, after the acquisition.

That, or they didn't deem it necessary to change perfectly good forging dies picked up when they bought W&B.

Either way, a definite cool factor is added by the double markings on it!!