1930s Fairbanks Morse upright radio?

[pdm4606]

F-M diesels were the motive power of choice for WWII submarines if that tells ya anything I've seen a few F-M radios over the years...all well-built with good performance. One thing for sure: they're not common.

I don't know about that.....My dad worked at EMD during the war and made a hell of a lot of marine diesels. Of course I was just born in 1943 just a few weeks after he got his job at EMD in LaGrange Il.
His recollections about making diesels was pretty good. His dept. made around 4 diesels a night. He was an all around machinist working on big lathes, planer and others. It kept him out of the war.
Just as I was kept from Viet Nam making metal stampings for the PRC communication series of radios. War work you know.

 

[sanford12]

That bezel ring has a dark factory finish. Don't polish it. I die a little inside everytime I see one polished and shiny. Same on Zenith and many other radios.

If it was mine I'd put a new cord on it clean the controls run the tubes up and down in the sockets a few times and after checking the caps for any obvious damage bring it up slowly on a variac. These old radios can surprise you that they still work. Still would need a recap at the very least. On a big radio like yours it's easier than you think and the caps are cheap for these. Nice looking radio. Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[gadget73]

The rings are usually finished in tinted lacquer. Very simple to polish off, so be very careful cleaning it.

 

[sanford12]

I haven't found any that were lacquered on 30's radios The finish is similar to what they do to bronze statues and tough. Now the 50's radios like the Crosleys you could have that start to peel just by looking at it.

 

[larryderouin]

I didn't know Fairbanks-Morse made radios. I knew they built diesel-electric locomotives around the 50s when railroads transitioned from steam to diesel, but they didn't last very long in that market.

That dial is way cool!

F-M diesels were the motive power of choice for WWII submarines if that tells ya anything I've seen a few F-M radios over the years...all well-built with good performance. One thing for sure: they're not common.

Railroads were transistioning from team to Diesel in the mid-late 30's. The NAVY put in a competition among the big makers, and GM Winton Won initially. Then F-M got in the race with an 8 cylinder 8-1/8"bore opposed piston unit. Initial findings were promising but the wet jacket liner to frame welds kept failing. One of their engineers designed a dry jacket liner type, which ended up as the 38D 8-1/8" bore 9 and 10 cylinder engines used ONLY in PORTSMOUTH NAVAL SHIPYARD DESIGNED Subs for WWII. These were also built at Mare Island (as a follow up yard). ELECTRIC BOAT (Groton Ct.) DESIGNED and Built boats got the GM WINTON 248 16cylinder "V" Engines and later boats got the uprated 278A engines. All Engines made 1600 hp at between 700 and 900 rpm. The Wintons could be a maintenance nightmare if a piston exploded or a cylinder scored, an exhaust valve bent or a lower cylinder gasket failed. By comparison F-M's were relatively trouble free. The weak link in the whole engine is the cross shaft for the upper to lower Crank shaft. It uses a cone type clutch and usually takes 2-3 days along side a tender and a 1/2 dozen guys to fix it. But it has been done by 3 guys working 24 hour shift for 2 days at sea. All are air start, via HP Air manifolds that inject air into about 1/2 of the cylinders on the GM's and ALL of the cylinders on the F-M's. F-M's use 250psi air for starting while the GM uses 500psi. Crank cases hold 400 gallons of lube oil and fuel consumption is between 50-80gallons and hour per engine (4 engines.) Contrary to popular belief they ARE NOT connected to the propellors (screws). The turn attached Generators for 11.5KW 450VDC. This is in turn directed either to the Main Motors, Hotel Load, and the Batteries. The Batteries are used when the boat is submerged below snorkel depth (if it has one.). Thus the NAVY pulled off one of it's LARGEST PRE WAR R&D coup's by letting the Railroads do all the work at minimal cost to the NAVY, and the NAVY Benefitted BIG TIME!. 2 of these WWII type Subs are still operating in TAIWAN.

 

[larryderouin]

I don't know about that.....My dad worked at EMD during the war and made a hell of a lot of marine diesels. Of course I was just born in 1943 just a few weeks after he got his job at EMD in LaGrange Il.
His recollections about making diesels was pretty good. His dept. made around 4 diesels a night. He was an all around machinist working on big lathes, planer and others. It kept him out of the war.
Just as I was kept from Viet Nam making metal stampings for the PRC communication series of radios. War work you know.

If it was 4 a night it was small engines for AUX use, or small craft. Submarine Diesels go upwards of 50 tons. Full overhaul on a stationary engine in a bldg takes 2 weeks or better. Especially a 278A. This includes new pistons, heads, cylinder liners, cams, crank (need a crane to lift block off the bed to get to the crank. The usual stuff.

 

[Pio1980]

Somewhat ot, the Napier Deltic is imo the most interesting OP diesel..
https://www.dieselarmy.com/engine-t...n-history-how-the-napier-deltic-diesel-works/

 

[Pio1980]

Railroads were transistioning from team to Diesel in the mid-late 30's. The NAVY put in a competition among the big makers, and GM Winton Won initially. Then F-M got in the race with an 8 cylinder 8-1/8"bore opposed piston unit. Initial findings were promising but the wet jacket liner to frame welds kept failing. One of their engineers designed a dry jacket liner type, which ended up as the 38D 8-1/8" bore 9 and 10 cylinder engines used ONLY in PORTSMOUTH NAVAL SHIPYARD DESIGNED Subs for WWII. These were also built at Mare Island (as a follow up yard). ELECTRIC BOAT (Groton Ct.) DESIGNED and Built boats got the GM WINTON 248 16cylinder "V" Engines and later boats got the uprated 278A engines. All Engines made 1600 hp at between 700 and 900 rpm. The Wintons could be a maintenance nightmare if a piston exploded or a cylinder scored, an exhaust valve bent or a lower cylinder gasket failed. By comparison F-M's were relatively trouble free. The weak link in the whole engine is the cross shaft for the upper to lower Crank shaft. It uses a cone type clutch and usually takes 2-3 days along side a tender and a 1/2 dozen guys to fix it. But it has been done by 3 guys working 24 hour shift for 2 days at sea. All are air start, via HP Air manifolds that inject air into about 1/2 of the cylinders on the GM's and ALL of the cylinders on the F-M's. F-M's use 250psi air for starting while the GM uses 500psi. Crank cases hold 400 gallons of lube oil and fuel consumption is between 50-80gallons and hour per engine (4 engines.) Contrary to popular belief they ARE NOT connected to the propellors (screws). The turn attached Generators for 11.5KW 450VDC. This is in turn directed either to the Main Motors, Hotel Load, and the Batteries. The Batteries are used when the boat is submerged below snorkel depth (if it has one.). Thus the NAVY pulled off one of it's LARGEST PRE WAR R&D coup's by letting the Railroads do all the work at minimal cost to the NAVY, and the NAVY Benefitted BIG TIME!. 2 of these WWII type Subs are still operating in TAIWAN.

 

[Northwinds]

I did not clean the bezel ring, just removed the chassis from the console. Still have to remove speaker and tone ring. Console too far gone IMO but who knows, the tuner and speaker will probably end up passed on

Great convo about sub engines though. I don't live far from Electric Boat. I hhave seen the boomers heading in and out from the Gold Star Bridge when crossing the river