Description: Enhance the appearance of your fireplace with these antique andirons from the year 1904. The andirons are made of sturdy steel and feature rock bits in a 3-cone design on steel rails. The maker of these andirons is Bessemer Steel Co. These andirons are perfect for those looking for antique original pieces to add to their collection with special interest in the oil/gas industry history Below is a short history of where they've been until now: The rails used to support the drill bits on your andirons are 75 pound (that means 75 pounds to the yard) or Code 100. These particular pieces of rail were manufactured in 1904 by the Bessemer Steel Co for use on the Texas and Pacific RIwy. Co. The Texas and Pacific operated freight and passenger service from Los Angeles to El Paso, then on to Ft. Worth and Dallas, terminating in New Orleans. This 75 pound rail was used extensively on the T & P throughout the first quarter of the 20th century, and carried some well known trains, most notably, The Westerner, The Texas Ranger, and The Sunshine Special. The rails on these andirons have been well used by the T & P's massive steam locomotives, as evidenced by the extensive wear on both sides of the rail head. (In the pre-war days, after being worn down on one side, the rails were lifted, turned and then used on their oposite side. This cannot be done today because rails are "continuous weld" instead of being laid in 39 foot sections, as they were prior to 1950....hence, no more "clickety-clack"). Code 100 was finally phased out on the T & P after WWII, when trains were required to travel faster and carry much heavier loads, resulting in the need for taller and heavier steel rails. The drill bits were welded onto the rails by a retired oil filed worker in Odessa, Texas, where he picked them up on job sites. After retirement (in 1958), the welder moved back to his original home in McAlister, Oklahoma, where he sold them to me after my many repeated requests. I finally wore him down! Above excerpts from the letter given to me by the Seller in 2010. The andirons are 15” tall and the train tracks rails are 24” long. I acquired these from an antique dealer in 2010 and used them for many years in the fireplace at my lake home in Texas. They would make a beautiful unique addition to your home. Located in Dallas, Texas. Local pickup only.
Price: 1500 USD
Location: Dallas, Texas
End Time: 2025-01-26T01:02:06.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Material: Steel
Type: Andiron
Original/Reproduction: Antique Original
Maker: Bessemer Steel Co
