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Small "S" Wrench used in locomotive repair work
Catalog #: 2002.0075.09,
Accession #: 2002.0075 Currently on display
From the Smithsonian Collection
Small "S" wrench has owner's name stamped (using mechanics' letter stamps) into handle.
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Physical Description |
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14" L x 2 3/4" W x 1/2" D
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Details |
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Note: | Type wrench used everywhere |
Credit: | Gift of National Park Service |
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History |
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Part of a small array of hand tools displayed in "America On The Move" - such tools were used in the inspection and repair of steam locomotives. Light repairs on steam locomotives were usually done in roundhouses at the many small locomotive terminals throughout a railroad's system; heavy repairs were done in a large, centralized repair shop serving the whole system (often referred to as the "Back Shop"). Most of these tools date from the early- to the mid-20th century, roughly 1900-1955.
An "S" wrench was so-called because of its shape. That shape facilitated getting the wrench onto bolt heads and nuts in difficult-to-reach places on the locomotive.
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