UPCOMING CARS FROM JAY'S GARAGE:
Suzuki GSX R1000 Coming July 6!
MainThe GarageThe CarsVideosPhotosArticlesGamesCommunityThe Tonight Show
1901 Fairbanks Morse
1901 Fairbanks Morse Photo Gallery
 

At one time in America’s history, inventor Thaddeus Fairbanks was the leading manufacturer in the United States, and the best known throughout the world - a distinction which would later pass to Henry Ford. In 1823, Fairbanks opened an ironworks in Vermont to manufacture two of his inventions, a cast iron plow and a heating stove. In June of 1832, he patented his newest invention, the platform scale - the key to worldwide transport and sales.

With a few adjustments, this 9000-pound behemoth starts right up, despite spending 107 years outside.

Fairbanks’ scale proved to be the foundation of his future worldwide success. One of his employees, Charles Morse, brought a water-pumping windmill named the Eclipse into the fold, and was subsequently made partner. By the turn of the century, every major American and Canadian city had a Fairbanks Morse dealership, and the company’s array of products expanded to include typewriters, hand trucks, pumps, tractors and various turn-key plumbing systems. Their 1910 catalog numbered over 800 pages, and the company is still in business today, manufacturing diesel and dual-fuel engines for marine and stationary power applications.

Fairbanks Morse was the first company to successfully market a gasoline-powered engine in the United States, as early as 1893. Along with the Eclipse, the Fairbanks-Morse gas engine was a big hit with farmers. Jay pulled this 1901 model out of a California desert, where it was once used at a gold mine to transport workers. Although the last time the 9000-pound behemoth ran was probably about eighty years ago, Jay dragged it back to the Big Dog Garage, and he and Bernard got to work on it. Bernard made a new valve and fashioned a gasket for the carburetor. Some cleaning and a few more adjustments, and the engine started right up. According to Jay, this is a “hit or miss” engine - it bangs and wheezes, but it can run forever!

RELATED LINKS
More Videos

1901 Fairbanks Morse Photo Gallery
More
YOUR GARAGEUpload a photo and share specs of your ride.
More
More
Related Articles
Jay Leno's Garage - Ceramics Class Porsche has made a really worthwhile contribution to the supercar genre. The Carrera GT's multiplate clutch is lighter and smaller than any comparable unit.
Jay Leno's Garage - For The Record Just out for a drive--in a Porsche Carrera GT on the high banks of Talladega Superspeedway.
An Art Form Lost Owner's manuals once were more than a collection of warnings and cautions. They used to enhance ownership.
An Under-Appreciated Classic: the Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S A strange, pistonless engine in a strange-looking sports car proves to be an irresistible combination.
More
Copyright NBC Studio, Inc. 2009
All Rights Reserved. The Tonight Show.
Main | The Garage | The Cars | Videos | Photos | Articles | Games | Community | The Tonight Show | Privacy & Terms of Use | NBC.COM