otisdog

Deadly looking horn.....

Southern Pacific Railroad was never in West Virginia....Southern Railway, perhaps? Nice pieces....

Well, this is the Anvil forum.... Blacksmithing topics are (ahem) on the blacksmith forum...

Yes, but.... I did a show in the dead of winter in SLC, and we had to drive to the first town out of state (Evanston) to have fun...

Evanston?

Gorgeous!!! I'm going to nominate this as "the score of the year!"

Look at a forged locomotive side rod....they look polished. The tradesman in the locomotive shops were some of the most skilled of their craft. As far as the bottom depression - that's there so that the anvil sits properly and doesn't rock, correct? Why would you go to the trouble to forge an anvil, and omit a detail that helps its' functionality?

Maybe the same reason that the others did their base depressions?

My take is that it wasn't forged by any of the above suggestions makers. Huntington, West Virginia was home to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroads large steam shop. This is where they had the ability to do anything needed to service the very large steam locomotives that hauled the heavy coal trains through the adjoining mountains. They had no problem forging replacement side rods and other massive pieces needed to keep the locomotives running....so it would be no problem to knock out an anvil. It would be cheaper than buying it, no doubt. They often used an existing "store bought" anvil as pattern, so it is no surprise that the folks posting above can see simularities with other, known manufacturers. I have a 400 pound anvil that was made by the Southern Pacific Railroad shops in Sacramento, California (I think...Sacramento was the home of their large steam shops, just as Huntington was the home of the B&O shops, and my anvil came from Truckee, Ca. which is up the main line from Sacramento, but 5,787 feet higher in elevation.). My anvil is a dead ringer for a Hay Budden, but it has no identifying marks on it of any kind. The only thing that ties it to the railroad is the very distinct green paint that the S.P. painted all their maintenance tools, and where it came from. So that's my theory...Mine rings like a bell, and has great rebound. I enjoy this anvil so much I sold my 400 pound Fisher. Oh, and very nice anvil. What happened to the 500 pound Hay Budden?

Not to be a frump button, but taking anything out of Death Valley, a National Park, is a federal crime. All the old mines, their related equipment such as wheels and gears, anything and everything, is protected.

No, they shut down. 25 & 100 pound little giants sold. along with another power hammer. A nice Hay Budden which looked about 450 pounds went for $2k plus premium. I bought a bucket of hand made chains..

The Stihl 028 is one of the better saws that they made...$ 100 buys you a new piston & barrel.

I sold a "regular" 400 pound Fisher in Southern California recently for $ 2,400.

Heel looks way too thick for a Fisher, plus I'm not seeing the thick faceplate common to the brand.

Interesting that the word was censored in my post but not the original one. Funny, but I have heard the offending word often in church....and they don't swear in my church. Last post on the subject, we're here to talk anvils...