Help with WW II markings on SB 10L

[Glenn Brooks]

Hello All,

Hawaii Railway Society has a SB 10L War Department lathe that was made in 1942 and shipped to the US Navy at Pearl Harbor we assume from the factory. The HRS acquired the lathe from the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard machine shop prior to 1984, however the history of the lathe, and all its paperwork has been lost. Because the lathe is still used to produce parts for the Railway’s 1940’s era Naval railway locomotives and equipment, and because the Societies Museum responsibility is to preserve and interpret Hawaii’s Plantation and Naval Railway operations, are very interested in reconstructing where the lathe was originally assigned and how it was used in the war effort, and afterwards.

The lathe has some unusual stampings on the tailstock end that we think might offer some clues. So, We are hoping someone might recognize these stampings and help explain whow this lathe was used to support the war in the Pacific.

The stampings include the abbreviations: “ L.Q.R” and in slightly smaller font “W.E.F” , located on the forward way, adjacent to the SB factory stamped serial number. We assume naval personnel , or ship board crew, stamped these letters on the ways, after it was assigned to a duty station.

Also, located on the rear way is the stamping: “MA E127”. We speculate this may be a ship or facility inventory number, or a theatre of operation inventory number. (“M”was a WWII abbreviation for Manila, the Phillipines) But no records survive locally to confirm this.

Thanks very much for any info you might be able to offer.

Glenn

[Mr Ron]

My guess would be the initials of the naval inspectors at the SB factory. It could have been sent to the shipyard or it may have served aboard a ship; battleship, carrier, repair ship, cruiser, sub or destroyer tender. I have a Sheldon war time lathe that served aboard a liberty ship.

[Glenn Brooks]

Mr. Ron. Just received confirmation from Steve Wells that, you are exactly correct. Two sets of initials are indeed those of the original inspectors who approved the lathe for Naval service in 1942. In fact the initials have been confirmed many times on other lathes that show up in Steve’s SB database. So that portion of the lathe history seems to be nailed down.

Still trying to decider the third stamping : MA E137, found on the rear flat portion of the bed. Iam thinking this might be a local inventory number of some sort- from a ship perhaps, as you suggest. Or possibly a Marine facility number or some sort.

Think I’ll spring for the original SB production card. See what shows up on that.

Glenn