I Restore A 100 Year Old Rail Road Lock! Weirdest Key Creation 

WOW, I am a 71 yr old gramma , and i really love the work you do. Great channel.👍🏼💙

At the 9:50 mark, there is a period next to the 'V' on the lock, and it also looks like there may be part of a letter next to it, maybe an 'L'. If that is the case, then that lock would have been used on the Lehigh Valley Railroad, which operated in the Northeast US (primarily in Pennsylvania) until it was merged into Conrail in 1976.

I don't know why I feel so drawn to these videos - I think it might have something to do with the fact that I am utterly useless with my hands - this almost feels like magic lol. Beautifully done!

That is a signalman's lock. It is used for the wayside signal boxes (big silver cabnets) along the tracks. Only qualified signal men and supervisors have those keys, so they can access the relays and electrical switching gear in those cabinets for signal and communications.

That is a lock typically used on RR signal equipment cases. The key is called a skate key because of its simplicity. We usually use a 6 point nut driver to open them.

Ha, I worked for the B&O and NYC in the early 1960s and still have my RACO key. I used to have a padlock, too, but it has disappeared in the ensuing 60 years. 🙂 Nice job on this lock.

Super tare 👍👍👍😻

Love how you put your heart and soul into something so simple as a lock. The dedication and final result is totally outstanding

What a job ! My son ,of course liked the magic ,and when you brought out the play doh ... he said " if you want to borrow mine , you can .... but l want it back"... great work restoring this rail lock... Respect.

So beautiful! Thank you for a great video. The techniques used to make the key is so old, I'm surprised people still use it. Glad you did though.

Superb job ! 👍

I love the lock. Simple. And I’m super impressed that you were able to make the key! It was a work of art itself. Very nice.

Its so satisfying to watch you make the key but any thin walled 1/2 inch socket will work. I have a bunch of those collected by my father.

I completely enjoyed the key-making process at the beginning of the video. There aren't many things I've seen you come against that gave you such an issue, but you solved the problem beautifully. The lock turned out stunningly, great job! Keep up the great work and keep the videos coming!

Didn't look that good the day they left the factory. Love these artisan channels.

Such ingenuity and dedication just to open the lock. Excellent video skills, looking forward to your next video.👍😊

Nothing like a good old triangle. And if you ain't got a good old triangle, a good new triangle is just the rail ticket here! It fits the period of the lock nicely. Well done!

The magic vise always cracks me up!

GREAT PIECE...I LOVE SHINY BRASS!!!

I think you are a funny man. And you make the videos fun to watch.I especially loved the " sand " joke about the man who must. Have been blind RED / NOT GREEN👍😁😁😁😁

i love to watch you as you uncover beauty and utility. the illusionist in you makes me smile. thank you

Beautiful restoration. My grandfather had a lock like that from when his father worked for the railroad in the late 1800s.

I imagine V.R.R. stands for the Virginian Rail Road, but there could be other railways with those initials that I'm not aware of.

Amazing job you did restoring the old railroad lock, and how you made a new key to fit it. Great work. It looks like new and works like a charm as well.

Interesting lock, not complicated but merely Interesting. 😊

Beautiful!

This guy is such a good master perfectionist that he should get not 100,000 but 1 million views and likes a day because he absolutely deserves it!!! great video, work and product, respect from old BG.

Beautiful work. Love watching the transformation.

Brilliant .. find this so relaxing, loved watching my father work & later my husband. Both gone. Reminds me of them.

Shiny as ass that brass! lol 🤭 So nice you have comments from people who have seen these old locks! What a beautiful yet simple key too!

You’re best keymaster! You’re best creator! From stuck key 🔑 to successful key 🔑 I’m glad you repaired the key 🔑 with lock 🔐 Again, best magician! You can open any cases from your brand new key with lock 🔐 See ya next MasterMind maker!!!

me encanto la restauración de este candado...magnifico😍😍😍😍😍😍

That lock you have is at best around 50-55 years old. That exact style was made by RACO and produced for Safetran as well. First sold in the late 60’s.

For years I'd walk over to Woburn on the Greensand ridge walk in the Shire every Sunday, the sand wasn't green there either.............................cracking restoration.

Nice restoration, unique lock. Having magic hands helps restoration work.

Your toolmaking methods when compared to your peers are, frankly, rather brutish and imprecise. But I think there's some charm in it, shows you can really think outside the box. I know few people who would be willing to manually file down a die shape. Good work on this.

Your lighting has improved so much since your first videos. I’ve been meaning to comment that for awhile now.

Great restoration! The railroad lock was a signal lock. Those locks are in use today in the U.S. Though watching you make the key was fun, the actual key tool can be purchased online from a railroad supply company.

We need to crowd fund you a benchtop lathe. Don't know how I survived all these years without one.

Класс 👍👍👍

brilliant job

Parabéns ! Excelente restauração. < Brazil >

I almost forgot about the lock and was enjoying your fabricate the key, Great work!!

Комментарий в поддержку канала и ролика, а также труда мастера.

How cool is that? And the key making process was a thing of beauty.

Brilliant restoration ❤. Many many congratulations and very well done once again.

Green Sand Castings are castings made using wet sand or “green sand” molds. The sand is not green in color nor do the molds use “greensand,” a greenish color sandstone. Instead the sand is called “green” because it has moisture in it (like green wood) before the sand dries out when molten metal is poured in the mold

Very nice!

Great job 👏🏼 that lock is safer than most new locks nowadays

Muy buen trabajo. (Estoy tratando de imitarte en la técnica de los golpecitos pero aún no me funciona, pero espero llegar a dominar ese toqué mágico y auxiliador 😀👌👍🇪🇸🌿

Your magic tricks are too much, you’re a real hood!

These types of Locks were Not used on Buildings. But Railroad Track Switching. Where Some are Still being Used Today

Den Schlüssel für das Schloss hätte er auch im Baumarkt für 3 Euro bekommen. Nennt man auch Hausmeister Schlüssel.

Outstanding restoration!

Świetna jest ta zrobiona robota pozdrawiam twórcę tego filmiku mile i serdecznie 👍👍👍👍

Fantastico!

Интересная работа и поучительное видео. Мастеру респект!

Beautiful restoration good job well done mister

This one was pretty cool. Never seen one like this before

Beautiful lock. Great job

Love the way you work it is fun to watch you!!!

PLEASE, you did a so fantastic job at that key, stunning technique, stunning shape, a state of the art work, I was absolutely amazed with your work, TILL you started to welding that handle with tin 🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️😭😭😭 But WHY the hell didn't you properly welded it with brass or 15% silver??? It's so easy and it would have given an amazing professional finnish to your work!!! 🤯🤯🤯

Great restoration and you did a wonderful job restoring it yourself!! Enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

Beautiful work my friend!

Brass is such a beautiful metal. Love the golden color

That looks really good. You do amazing work

Well, it's nice to know occasionally I have a good thought!🤣🤣 That was the first thing I thought of was putty or clay going in there to get your measurements! Amazing restoration!

❤️❤️❤️❤️wow❤️❤️❤️❤️ Love from Austria 🇦🇹 Love U All ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Good job like

Very well done, thanks for the vid!

I really liked this video! I am looking forward to seeing more!

Interesting piece, nicely done.😊

Would be cool to see you restore your bench vice

Magnificent....

Hello L & R. You sound like a railway company. Nice work. Enjoyed your novel mech problem solutions. The problem with showing railway equipment work, is that it opens floodgates of knowledge from ex railroaders. How many are there? My large rail company peaked at 125,000 employees, due to servicing steam trains every 75 (!) miles all the way across Canada. Over 65 years they fought it down to under 19,000, and found that wasn't enough to make things work. Since then staffing was bought back to about 23.000, seems about right with modern machinery. Lots of rail people out there. So. That lock is indeed a specially made railway lock. Each rail company tried to have their own key pattern. Our local Station Museum has a few different rail locks in their displays. They got my last one a few years ago. Around 2004 my railway switched to nice Master locks. They work fine but heavy rain splashes sand in the works. Occasional WD40 shots keep them working usually. The old style didn't mind mud or sand at all. Your key design is pretty close. The old keys had wing nut handles, and were quite stubby to go in small pockets or key bundles. They were a one piece casting, with barely de burred edges. Seeing you hook it in a light chain made me smile. That is exactly how we secured switches before working in a track. Your magic vice is fun. I have the same model on a small bench, no magic there. Quite the opposite. If anyone sees any rail equipment locked in any way, leave it all alone please. The moving equipment is always unforgiving and never bluffs. Good luck.

In my childhood home in Norway we had a lock with a key like that on the house over the water well.

Reminds me of the key that was used on old shackle type handcuffs from the 60's and 70's here in the UK.

As someone who is colorblind I can tell you if I had named it it would be called 'gray sand'. Or maybe just some random color, to screw with the normals.

Try using paint with zinc oxide in it to prevent sticking, it's a blacksmith trick when making billits to prevent the billing from sticking to the casing during forge welding

That was neat how you made the key. Great video.

Столько мороки с ключом,а открывалось всё обычной торцевой головкой😉

you did a lot of hand work there.nice work.never saw one of those.larry

Мастер золотые руки!

👍👍👍КЛАССНЫЙ ЗАМОЧЕК !!!👍👍👍

What a style! I subscribed.

Absolutely love your videos, xxx❤️🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Great job on the restoration! It looks like they sent you lava sand instead of greensand.

As a retired railroad worker I'm here to tell you those locks are still in use today and SafeTrans has the keys for sale. In a pinch, a 1/2" socket will work also.

Great work as always.

Getting corrosion off brass make a thick pastes of salt, vinegar and flour pack the brass object in and leave overnight in a plastic bag it gets the crud off hope this is useful because I really like your work

amazing, thank you

Super

Should be WRRS stamped on it. "Western Railroad Supply".

A triangular stub can usually be grabbed by an appropriate size of 12-point socket. Quarter-inch-drive deep 12-point sockets usually have really thin walls, so that would be my first go-to. It's cheating, but I'd have tried it as an expedient to get the lock open.

Soaking the brass/bronze in muriatic acid will remove all of that corrosion without damaging the finish or markings.

amazing

So talented and editing brilliant

Прекрасная работа!!!!!

Excellent work👍👍👍👍👍👍

It is a Railroad Signal equipment lock, they are still made and in use on many Railroads today. The key is standard throughout the USA.