The industrial age of America was a time of innovation and mass creation, of prosperity and employment. Before this however, came grit and the Lidgerwood and Vail Family had just that. Sole operator of Speedwell Ironworks, Stephen Vail produced a variety of early industrial machinery, using the crudest of equipment. Through trials and tribulations, Vail had made the first functional locomotive tire, along with parts for the earliest marine steam engine, the first American steam locomotive and, with the aid of his sons, constructed parts for the first electric telegraph machine.
Growing alongside the ironwork, was Vail's stepson John H. Lidgerwood. Developing his craft under his skillful father, John Lidgerwood later assumed Speedwell's management with the passing of Stephen Vail in 1864. However, primitive forges, such as that of Speedwell Iron, were falling behind the rapid development of American industry and Lidgerwood sought market expansion. By 1873, Speedwell had been reorganized and the Lidgerwood Manufacturing Company was formed.
Producing everything from boilers and barges, to hoists and winches, Lidgerwood had now entered the business of specialized heavy duty machinery. Lidgerwood quickly made a name for themselves, with their large catalogue of unique machines. Supplying equipment for the construction of the Hoover Dam and Panama Canal.
Later, their expansion into the coffee and sugar industries made for international success, as the company began to mass produce hoisting boilers for freight handling and production. Eventually, Lidgerwood came to have mills all the way from England to Brazil. Pictured on the right, is Lidgerwood's American headquarters, which took up an entire block of Brooklyn.
On the S.S Naramata, towards the aft, one can find an original Lidgerwood towing winch. Specially made for the cargo tug, this winch would have been used to pull heavy rail barges across Okanagan Lake during rough conditions. This dual cylinder steam winch would have run on high pressure steam from the tug's boiler and features a manual foot break.
In addition to our Lidgerwood winch, we have an unbranded barge winch located at the bow. This winch was used to manually attach barges to the bow tugboat. Once the starboard (right) side of the craft was loaded, cables would pull the barge from the transfer slip around to the portside of the S.S Naramata. The portside barge could then slip into position and load up the box cars.
With these winches, the Naramata was able to haul two steel barges of cargo at once, equal to a twenty car train. The winch could then swiftly push or pull the load of 840 fruit boxes, each averaging 40lbs, from dock to dock.
Overall, Lidgerwood products were predominantly seen on railways, moving train cars and their freight into position for loading, hauling and even railway maintenance. Pulling the locomotive from its track, the winch would hold the train in place while a cutter-head would reshape its wheels as to prevent derailing. The company became so prominent for this use that some railways began to colloquially refer to their winches as "Lidgerwoods."
Today, Lidgerwood continues to operate under the name "Superior-Lidgerwood-Mundy Co.," after a series of mergers, continuing the legacy of manufacturing heavy duty machinery.
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