Author Topic: Speedway Mfg Co  (Read 23943 times)

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Offline rusty

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Speedway Mfg Co
« on: September 05, 2011, 01:07:40 PM »

I managed to put together a rough timeline...
They are older than I thought, and made quite a lot of things over the years...

Speedway Manufacturing Co, Cicero,IL

1925,,Simplified practice recommendation, US NBS
   Mentioned,probably index entry, Cicero,ILL (Not readable)
   Included because it is the earliest reference I can find....

1929,,Saturday Evening Post
   Unreadable,Electric wrenches??????)

1930,,Contractors & Engineers V20
   "THE Speedway heavy-duty electric hand saw"...'Type 175', 14 pounds,12 inches long,
   6 inch diameter blade,3800 rpm, AC/DC 12/110/220 Volt

1933,,National Safety News, V27+
   Mentions ad Circular for 'Constant level oilers for ring oiled
   and waste packed bearings' no address to send to to get circular...duh

1933,,American printer & lithographer V97
   "Speedway Manufacturing Co., Cicero, Ill., makers of
   Speedway portable electric tools, announces a
   line of automatic oilers, known as Speedway Oilers"

1933,,Rock Products
   Offers Chart of 29 different types of electric motors

1935,,Domestic Engineering...V145
   "Electric Hammer SpeedWay Manufacturing Co..."

1936,,Who's who
   Mentions that James S Knowlson is president Speedway, and Chairman Board Stewart-Warner...
   (*Might* set start date at 1910??) (Knowlson was previously at General Electric)

1936,,Camera V53
   "Speedway Electric Agitator, the efficient agitator for miniature film tanks "

1937,Heating & Ventilating
   "Flea power electric motors"

1940,,American Builder
   Index, 'Electric screwdrivers'

1941,,Aero Digest
   Index, unreadable,?? Probably listed under Selenoids,no address

1943,,Aerosphere
   Index, 'Portable electric tools & small motors' ; 52 Ave Cicero

1943,,Aerospace engineering
   AD,B&W, Small Motors

1945,,Instruments & Controll systems
   'Post war' Ad for small electric motors, S.Laramie ave, Cicero,ILL
   (This is the only reference I found to this address)

1947,May,PM&PS
   B&W ad, features #89,#209, #69,#229
   
1947,Aug,PS
   B&W ad, no 'BlueLine tools reference. ;S. 52nd Ave, Cicero,IL
   Features #89 1/2 drill, #209 drill stand
   Ad reads '35 years electric drill manufacturing' (1912?)

1947,Nov,PM
   AD 'Blue Line Tools'
   Features #117 bench grinder
   Shows #129,#69 #229,#209,#89, GA kit (#129+)

1948,Apr,PS
   AD Logo transparent, 'Speed Way' with circle through it
   Features #117 Bench grinder, adds 'Electric' (apparently this was a question?LOL)

1948,Mar,PM
   AD Logo transparent, 'Speed Way' with circle through it
   Features #117 bench grinder
   
1948,Apr,PS
   AD Features #117 bench grinder
   Shows #129,#69 #229,#209,#89, GA kit (#129+)

1948,Oct,PM
   AD Combo kit

1948,Nov,PS (Pg 275)
   AD Logo 'Speed Way' transparent, with solid blue circle behind it
   Features Lg Combo kit (no #??)
   # Combo kit is 'New', #69 drill+#129 mini drill/dremel, +sanding/buffing pads etc

1949,Apr,PM
   AD Combo kit ad
   +#117 bench grinder

1949,Nov,PM (Xmas ad)
   AD Trapazoid logo with circle overprinted, solid blue filled trap ; Cicero,IL
   #79 3/8 drill is 'New', has oval barrel, jacobs chuck
   #89,#89J 1/2 drill, jacobs chuck
   #209,#229 drill stand
   #60 1/4 drill, 69K sanding/polishing kit,
   #?? bigger kit w 69K+dremel like #129
   #700 SpeedSaw (unusual open frame guard,worm or bevel, not drill powered?)
   #117,#128 Bench grinders

1950,,Fleet Owner, V45 I6
   "UL approved, 3 wire grounded plug (Drill)

1954,,Roads&Construction V92
   "Thor Power Tool Co., Aurora, Ill., have expanded their manufacturing
    operations into the low-price electric- tool market with the purchase
    of the Speedway Manufacturing Co., Chicago, Ill

1954,Oct,Life
   Small B&W ad
   25 Piece SpeedSander kit (Palm sander&sandpaper in a box)

1955,Sep,Billboard
   Index entry, (Speedway was also a maker of
   small motors and selenoids, perhaps pinball machine parts?)

1956,Nov,Life
   AD Div Thor power tools, 'Thor Speed tools' Speedway in fine print, Thor-circle logo on tools
   #450 SpeedSaw (different than speedways'),#25 1/4 SpeedDrill ,#15TK SpeedSander (palm sander)

1956,Dec,Life
   Thor Speedtools, Speedway Manufacturing,Div of....(Cicero,IL)
   small B&W ad, shows cheap 'Home workshop' kit, no model #'s,
   drill,drill powered saw,drill stand, and tiny table saw stand, buffing kit

1956,,Wood & Wood products V61
   " Further expansion will be achieved when a new plant is
    completed for Thor's division, Speedway Manufacturing
   Co., in LaGrange Park, Ill. ..."

1957,American Machinist
   Article, mentions Thor's  'SpeedTool division', Speedway still in Cicero

1957,Woodworking digest V59
   "SpeedWay Manufacturing Co.. division of Thor Power Tool Company. Prudential Plaza. Chicago "

1958,,Red Tractor Book
   Article "...THOROUGHLY TESTED AT THOR RESEARCH CENTER SPEEDWAY
   MANUFACTURING CO. LAGRANGE PARK, ILLINOIS DIVISION OF THOR POWER
   TOOL COMPANY QUALITY PRODUCTS SINCE 1906 "

1959,,Macroni's Register
   Lists Speeday address La Grange Park,ILL

1961,,Hardware Age V188 I7+
   Speedway,Div Thor, La Grange Park, IL

1961,,American Beef producer
   "The Thor speed heater , developed by Speedway Manufacturing Co., Aurora, Ill.,
    is a portable oil-fired unit for temporary heating of work shops, sheds, barns, etc

1961,,Sales Managment V87
   "SpeedShiner electric shoe shiner ..."

1964,,Florest&Nursery exchange
   SpeedVac -  A powerful electric lawn vacuum and sweeper,

1965,,Furniture design & Mfg V37
   SpeedVac - electric vacuum and sweeper for easy plant maintenance
   ( I guess the lawn industry was too competative LOL)
   
PM - Popular Mechanics
PS - Popular Science
Just a weathered light rust/WD40 mix patina.

Offline kxxr

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Re: Speedway Mfg Co
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2011, 01:35:55 PM »
Holy crap Rusty! How many bags of cheetos and mountain dews did that take you?? Awesome research.

lzenglish

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Re: Speedway Mfg Co
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2011, 02:22:43 PM »
Holy crap Rusty! How many bags of cheetos and mountain dews did that take you?? Awesome research.




I Agree! Do You Do Taxes As Well? Lol ! Nice Job, Thanks for the Nice Reference Guide!

Wayne

Offline rusty

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Re: Speedway Mfg Co
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2011, 04:09:02 PM »

Nah, I'm old school...Muncho's and Iced coffee - P
Just a weathered light rust/WD40 mix patina.

Offline Papaw

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Re: Speedway Mfg Co
« Reply #4 on: September 05, 2011, 09:38:18 PM »
Thanks, Rusty! Great job!!
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Offline Branson

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Re: Speedway Mfg Co
« Reply #5 on: September 06, 2011, 09:32:06 AM »
Yay Rusty!

>1959,,Macroni's Register
   Lists Speeday address La Grange Park,ILL

>1961,,Hardware Age V188 I7+
   Speedway,Div Thor, La Grange Park, IL

My "all purpose electric hand saw" is marked Speedway,Div Thor, La Grange Park, IL  So you have provided me the first date point!
Thanks for your research.  Nothing I have done got me any of this information.

Offline ron darner

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Re: Speedway Mfg Co
« Reply #6 on: September 12, 2011, 05:16:33 PM »
Think I can add some data points: in 1926 they offered an electric drill and an electric saw, BOTH for just $1.00 down: see http://www.popsci.com/archive-viewer?id=pCkDAAAAMBAJ&pg=132&query=SpeedWay.  The total price for them, plus two drill bits, was $31.00.  The address is shown as 1830 S. 52nd, Cicero Illinois.  I have a drill like that one! It is marked “Electro-Magnetic Tool Co., Cicero Ill., Adjoining Chicago, USA”.  Two other drills just say "Cicero Ill." while another says "SPEEDWAY Manufacturing Co., Cicero 50, Ill."  Yet another says "SPEEDWAY Manufacturing Co., LaGrange Pkwy., Div. Thor Power Tool Co."
In October 1927, Popular Science had a 1-column ad for "The Speedway Shop": see http://www.popsci.com/archive-viewer?id=UikDAAAAMBAJ&pg=114&query=SpeedWay In November 1928, they ran a full-page ad; see http://www.popsci.com/archive-viewer?id=tCcDAAAAMBAJ&pg=97&query=SpeedWay. In December, the ad was changed only slightly.  The address was shown as 1832 52nd Ave., Cicero Illinois. I don't know if they moved their front door, or the post office changed the numbering, or . . .?
Arrogance and Ignorance have more in common than their last four letters!

Offline rusty

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Re: Speedway Mfg Co
« Reply #7 on: September 12, 2011, 06:07:21 PM »
>1832 52nd Ave., Cicero Illinois...


For giggles, I playes with google maps to see what's there now. The street isn't there any more, it's got a new name. and the area where that address most probably would be, seems to have been redeveloped. The closest place to that address is a parking lot with a tipped over port-a-john in it...

(The area is in a double width city block, so i would guess there was a mill or other large building there, that burned down or was condemmed or such)

So, we may never know...

>Cicero Ill., Adjoining Chicago, USA”. 
Hmm, in case the post office fellows didn't know where Cicero is?

Heh, Cicero is famous in the 20's for a totally different reason:http://www.myalcaponemuseum.com/id169.htm
Just a weathered light rust/WD40 mix patina.

TSTC Student

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Re: Speedway Mfg Co
« Reply #8 on: September 18, 2012, 10:58:38 AM »
Rusty I am replying to you to see if you have any information on the Thor Power tool Bench Grinders. I want to know if you could send me any Operation, Installation, Maintenance manuals on the B6 series bench grinders. This information would be greatly appreciated because i am researching information these grinders to do some PM on them.

Thank You

Offline rusty

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Re: Speedway Mfg Co
« Reply #9 on: September 18, 2012, 04:56:56 PM »

I don't, but others here may....

Vintage Machinery has a catalog downloadable, but does not yet have much else for manuals for Thor...

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=2439
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Offline clovis

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Re: Speedway Mfg Co
« Reply #10 on: September 21, 2012, 09:43:49 PM »
Any chance that the company has affiliation or ties to Speedway, Indiana, home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which has the Indy 500 every year?


Offline ron darner

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Re: Speedway Mfg Co
« Reply #11 on: September 23, 2012, 02:47:10 AM »
I'd say it is very doubtful: every address I've ever seen for SpeedWay lists Chicago or a suburb (either LaGrange Park or Cicero). It's a long way between there and the Indianapolis area - and would have seemed even further back in the early or mid 1920s when the company started up.  The town of Speedway, Indiana, was incorporated in 1926, and named for the already existing Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which had been there since 1909.  While both the town and the manufacturer took their names from the track, that doesn't connect them directly with each other.
The manufacturer routinely spelled its name as SPEEDWAY (all capitals), SpeedWay, or even Speed Way, but not normally as Speedway.
Arrogance and Ignorance have more in common than their last four letters!

Offline clovis

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Re: Speedway Mfg Co
« Reply #12 on: September 23, 2012, 07:59:51 PM »
Very interesting, Ron.


George Szilage

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Re: Speedway Mfg Co
« Reply #13 on: October 20, 2013, 05:55:11 PM »
Whoever looked in Aurora missed it, The building is still there ! Around 1973 I received some pictures of the Thor Motorcycle,& Automobile ! I am under the impression they only made 3. (sure would like to own one of them !) (Auto's). I have also heard they gave motorcycles to the local Police dept. Is this true ? Also is it possible to get a hold of these pictures ? I sure (after 3 wives) would like to have those again ! Also, I remember Thor really well, I worked with this guy that worked for them in the 1930's, (in Cal.), I had a foreman that was one at Thor. My Uncle was a foreman at Thor,(both in Aurora) thank You very much ! G mail me if you'd like !

Hannah

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Re: Speedway Mfg Co
« Reply #14 on: April 04, 2014, 08:34:54 PM »
I have some new information. My father has what is called a "mini bass" that looks nothing like a bass. It fits in the palm of your hand, and works through a little thumb pick. It was made by Bob and Lou Rust, and manufactured by Speedway Mgf Co. All of that information I have only gotten off of the bass itself, there is nothing about it online. Please comment back if you know anything about this, I would really appreciate it. I know that this is just about power tools, but I'm getting desperate!