GENUINE – VINTAGE - ANTIQUE
VANDERMAN
RAILROAD / STAGECOACH STRONG BOX
HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE AND SOUGHT AFTER
ITEM: ANTIQUE
ORIGINAL VANDERMAN RAILROAD STRONG BOX
MANUFACTURER: VANDERMAN MANUFACTURING
COMPANY, MFG., CO.; WILLIMANTIC, CONN.
COUNTRY of MFR: MADE IN THE USA
DATE OF MANUFACTURE: UNKNOWN EXACT – BETWEEN 1897 & 1910
CONSTRUCTION: SOLID WOOD OUTER
CONSTRUCTION w/ A STEEL LINED INNER BOX FRAME FOR ENHANCED SECURITY
OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS: 32" x 18" x 18", 32 x 18
x18 IN., INCH, INCHES
INTERNAL DIMENSIONS: 30” x 16” x 15-1/8”, 30 x 16 x 15.125 IN.,
INCH, INCHES
WEIGHT: 74LBS, 74 POUNDS,
LB, LBS, #
IDENTIFIED BY: ORIGINAL
BRASS VANDERMAN PLAQUE ON THE FRONT OF TRUNK
TRUNK ALSO LABELED: 188 ON A TAG RIVETTED
IN TO THE LID
ABOUT INTERIOR: INTERIOR CONTAINS RAILS FOR
REMOVABLE SHELF - UNFORTUNATELY, THE SHELF IS LONG GONE
CONDITION: VERY GOOD CONDITION
FOR THE AGE – HASP MISSING ARM - APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN PAINTED OVER AT SOME POINT – WOOD APPEARS TO
BE SOLID FOR THE MOST PART WITH A COUPLE MINOR AREAS THAT COULD BE REPLACED
LIKE THE ONE CORNER AND A SKID OR TWO ON THE BOTTOM – SEE PHOTOS of ACTUAL
ABOUT VANDERMAN:
THE VANDERMAN MANUFACTURING
CO. WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1878 BY WILLIAM VANDERMAN AND WAS LOCATED IN WILLIMANTIC
CT. THE COMPANY MANUFACTURED HEAVY STEEL
TOOL CHESTS LIKE THIS ONE FOR USE BY RAILROADS, STAGECOACHES, AND CONSTRUCTION
TRADES. SOME OF THE SMALLER CHESTS WERE
USED BY THE WELLS FARGO EXPRESS CO. AND WERE USED AS BOOT-BOXES ON STAGECOACHES.
VANDERMAN MANUFACTURING ALSO MADE
COMBINATION BENCH AND PIPE VISES USED IN THE STEAM FITTING TRADE AND THEY WERE
CONSIDERED THE BEST CHESTS & STRRONG BOXES VISE EVER MADE. IN 1966, VINCENT NESCI PURCHASED THE PLANT AND
MOVED IT TO EAST HAMPTON CT. THE NEW
COMPANY, NESCI ENTERPRISES, INC. MAKES CONCRETE SAWS, WELDING FIXTURES AND
PROTOTYPES PARTS FOR THE CONCRETE TRADES.