General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

2

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

ALL WOOD CONSTRUCTION; SOME METAL NAILS VISIBLE IN BASE OF.1

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

94.0 cm

Width

30.0 cm

Height

28.5 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Railway Transportation

Category

Models

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

SHORTILL

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

City

Markdale

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

THIS MODEL WAS MADE BY MR. WM. J. SHORTILL C. 1891; THE DESIGN APPEARS NOT TO HAVE BEENPRODUCED/USED.

Canada

MODEL OF RAILAY CAR COUPLING MECHANISM, BUILT IN 1889 BY IT'S INVENTOR, MR. WILLIAM JAMES SHORTILL (1866-1918) OF MARKDALE, ONT. A CANADIAN PATENT FOR THIS DESIGN WAS APPLIED FOR IN 1889, AND ISSUED IN 1891. THE COUPLING DEVICE WAS NEVER PRODUCED.

Function

TO DEMONSTRATE VISUALLY AN IMPROVED DESIGN FOR A RAILWAY CAR COUPLING DEVICE.

Technical

THE TRADITIONAL LINK-AND-PIN COUPLER MECHANISM USED TO JOIN RAILWAYS CARS BEFORE C. 1890 WAS NOT FOOLPROOF, AND COULD BE DANGEROUS FOR RAILWAY CREWS. MR. SHORTILL'S IMPROVED DEVICE ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM OF HOW TO COUPLE CARS WHICH WERE NOT EQUIPPED WITH THE SAME STYLE OR TYPE OF COUPLING MECHANISM. IT IS ESSENTIALLY AN AUTOMATIC DESIGN THAT WOULD NOT HAVE REQUIRED ANY UNDUE MANIPULATION BY RAILWAY EMPLOYES INVOLVED IN COUPLING CARS. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE DESIGN WAS NEVER EMPLOYED (D. MONAGHAN).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

" W J SHORTILL'S " inscribed by hand in painted finish of.2

Missing

ONE SMALL PIECE MISSING FROM TOP OF .2, OTHERWISE COMPLETE. ONE [UNPAINTED] COMPONENT OF .2 MAY BE A REPLACEMENT PIECE.

Finish

PAINTED BLACK.

Decoration

N/A