Fairbanks

I've been told by people that should know, that Fairbanks never made engines, they had other companies build them and then sold them under the Fairbanks name.

Don't know how well or if the various companies with Fairbanks in their names were associated.

Hi

Yes from what I have read about them Fairbanks Company New York only marketed engines having bought them from the best contract bidder from about 1893 onward.

At one stage they sold engines branded Bull Dog from Bates & Edmonda

Cheers

Peugeot Man

My father worked for Fairbanks-Morse from about 1943 to 1945. He was a precision machinist making pistons for submarine diesels. I can remember him leaving in the early morning to make the trip from Monroe, Wisconsin to go to work in Freeport, Illinois. As I understand it (mind you I was six years old at the time) he was selected to go to Electro-Motive to show them how to adjust for diameter growth due to heating on the lathe. Specs were +0", -0.0005" cold and EMD was having a hard time making +0", -0.0010". F-M had an AOQL of +0", -0.0003" to assure the spec. If memory, and subsequent conversations, serve, piston diameters were on the order of nine inches. Maybe others could be more authoritative about the finished engine and the actual manufacturer,

He was set for induction into the Army and due to report on September 1, 1945. Plans were canceled after V-J Day.

I've never done any significant machining. If my recollections are faulty, blame me and not my dad. But, I do believe the numbers to be accurate.

QL

The Fairbanks-Morse submarine diesels were quality engines. I rode in front of a bunch of them during my time in the Navy.

Nuclear submarines still have a 'Dinky' which is a small F-M engine for use when the reactor is down. They are also used to rapidly ventilate the boat when needed because the amount of air they suck down is unbelievable.