Thursday, September 12, 2013

New project! Tricycle!

So when I worked at John Deere, in Dubuque, they had lots of very heavy looking tricycles that some people rode back and forth between areas in the mile long factory. Fast forward to now (September 2013) and I am working at Polaris Industries in Wyoming, MN and they have doubled the size of the facility. Unfortunately with the increase of floor space comes the problem of how to get form place to place.
I knew right away that industrial trikes are a perfect solution, and still very much produced and used.

Me being the guy I am I could not bring myself to purchase a NEW tricycle, that would cost a bunch of money and be way to easy. So I browse local craigslips ads every once and a while and sure enough I finally come across and ad for an affordable amount!
A few emails and a phone call later and we are at Tim's house in Big Lake MN and negotiating a sale (this whole encounter is a story for another time! very entertaining and a great guy).

I end up taking the one that has a tailgate on the box, and solid tires. I figure those to features will make it the more value added trike of the two he had.


There is an FMC - NSD vehicle sticker on the neck, and some interesting labels on the bedsides (E-LAB can be seen in the photo and there is SWORD under the paint along with something else I can't make out yet and well as some stencil looking words on whats left of the cushion lining)

A little history of where this trike likely spent most of its life.
http://fieldguide.fmr.org/site_detail.php?site_id=33

I have not received any feedback from the current Worksman cycles company about any background they might have but i am hopeful that there is still some connection between the company of yesteryear and today. I have discovered a number stamped into the bottom of the bottom bracket (a common place for ID numbers to be stamped on bicycles) but it does not tell me anything by itself.
So far it appears to have unique fenders: I have not seen any pictures on the internet or the current Worksman website with tubular fenders like these. The fenders actually hold the wheel on as well! I am guessing either the whole rear end of the bike was replaced at some point, or that this is a very early model that was discontinued when they switched to a different axle design.

The before picture:


So far I have removed the front wheel and done some serious Edd China on it and gotten back a good portion of the chrome! very excited for where this project might go! Wish us luck!

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