A Step Back into History!

[Murray Hebblethwaite]

The other day Murray took a step back into History as he walked through the doors of a machine shop established in 1914, originally powered by a gas engine running belts and pulleys.

Several years later it was converted over to a 5 hp electric motor which still, to this day, operates the original equipment of 1914, by the son of the original proprietor in Canada's First Oil Capital City!

The old wooden doors leading into the old wooden, well worn floors was like entering a world of a different era!

 

[Nancy Howell]

Got any pictures? I"d like to see that shop.

 

[Inno]

I second that! I would love to see some pictures.

 

[Tech 7]

Van Tyle&Fairbank??

 

[Murray Hebblethwaite]

The next time I am up there, I will snap some pictures. The shop is Baines, Est. 1914!

 

[Bud in FLA]

A while back there was a machine shop like that in Wilmington, NC, down on Front St. Everything operated by overhead belts. It was a historical landmark as the oldest continually operated/single family owned machine shop in the south. They had started making fittings for SAILING ships!

The only son died of cancer and they lost their historical qualification about 15 years ago - only way to stay there was for the family to run it and they were gone....new zoning laws or something! Last I heard the place was gone. It's a real shame, too!!! It was like walking through a museum that'd let you play with the stuff!

 

[CCer]

The shops of the East Broad Top Railroad were closed in 1956. The shops were left as is. As you say, a step back in time. Google it.

 

[rockyhawaii]

I wonder did they use those old Hit & Miss engines to turn those belts. I love to watch them running.

 

[Murray Hebblethwaite]

If you Google; Lost Lambton, Found! - Baines Machine Shop, you should be rewarded with a view of working history!

 

[Murray Hebblethwaite]

I am trying to share a picture of the shop I found on the internet.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Owned by a Mr. Wilson.. Met him at an auction in the late 1980's. Nice guy to talk to, we talked for an hour or more..He was in his 80's then. He invited me to come to Wilmington to visit.. Said they still had cannonballs they made during the Civil War. Hate that I never made the trip. I still business card he gave me.

I hear that there are now Condos, where the shop was.. Sad

 

[Heyseed]

Very nice looking old shop. When I was a teenager in the early 70"s we came upon this small building near a business center and climbed in the window. It looked like a smaller version of that photo. Every tool running by belt from a central shaft, one BIG electric motor. It was like a museum and seemed as if the workers set down their tools, went to lunch and never returned. We checked it out for a long time then left. Didn"t disturb a thing as it was so cool. Over the years I have looked for that building and never could find it again.

 

[Goose]

When I was a kid, there were three German brothers named Vogel who had a shop in town. They did everything from repair welding, fabrication, hard surfacing plow lays, sharpening plow and lister lays, mower sickles, blacksmithing, you name it, they did it. Kinda like the pic above, only the shop was more square.

I was in the place with my father once, and Reuben Vogel tried fitting something together he was fabricating. I heard him say under his breath, "Ja ja, Herr Vogel, das arbite nichts". (Ya Ya, Mr. Vogel, that doesn't work).

There's a building housing a dentist's office and an investment firm on the site, now.

 

[Gun guru]

I have been a machinist for over 15 years now. I would like to take a step back in time 100 years ago and see the old blacksmith shops, and the machines of that day. I would love to find/buy an old foot pedal grinder wheel for sharpening tools/axes/knives.

 

[couv]

Southern Forestry Heritage Museum, Long Leaf, LA, (about 20 minutes south of Alexandria, LA

Every spring, they hold a special event with the old machine shop running the tools from overhead on belts. Museum also open daily rest of the year.