The Catskill Mountain RR has a Fairmont sickle bar cutter (see photo below) that is on its last legs as the ball joint that connects the sickle bar arm to the pitman arm is wearing out. We have shown the critical part to farm equipment dealers, and apparently it is incompatible with similar parts made by other manufacturers.

I was told by one of the older members of the CMRR that the Valley Railroad has an identical unit.

I was wondering if anyone else has had experience with this type of Fairmount machine, and if there is a potential source of spare parts for it.

This machine is really effective at cutting growth up to 7 feet off the ties on each side, but has been recently only occasionally used by the CMRR because of this weak part.

Any info would be helpful.

Thanks,

Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

The following site didn't advertise Fairmont, but had just about every other brand of sickle bar mowers manufactures:

http://www.sickleservice.com

And they say, "Custom manufactured sickle assembles"

Phone number is 1-800-578-1480.

Thank you!

EH

Ernie,

I have put the word out to one of the more knowledgeable NARCOA guys.

Have you tried to contact Fairmont? Actually now called Harsco Track Technologies. They sometimes have parts for these old machines in stock. There parts people are very helpful and knowledgeable too. I would think the sickle bar was not something Fairmont made but adapted from some other manufacturer. They may be able to hook you up with that manufacturer.

The Volunteer Railroaders Association has a mower car with sickle bar cutter too, but it is not a Fairmont unit. You can see it here during a break in cutting brush on the Middletown & New Jersey just north of Westtown, NY;

http://www.vratrips.org/images/brushhogsaga/P6010012.html

Chris

Ernie,

My NARCOA connection said that this is a pretty rare bird. Not many made and not many left. They originally came with another set up for the opposite side of the car, so you would be able to cut both sides of the track in one pass.

Additionally someone else said the sickle bar is probably not made by Fairmont, so parts may be available if you can find the Fairmont source of that specific part. Again a call to Harsco may yield a positive response for a source.

Your other alternative is to find a local machine shop to rebuild or fabricate a new part.

Good luck.

Chris

Thanks Chris.

Ernie