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   In spite of changing times an new parts an ideas that came out, the Jordan Company offered factory rebuilt programs of there machines. Some of these rebuilds can be just new parts, while some were almost all new machines. Original rebuilds on the early machines may have just included new front blades.

Knuckle Braced Machine Rebuilds

   The rebuild programs offered for the Jordan Knuckle Braced machines was quite extensive. The machines were stripped down to the bare chassis. The chassis was then literally cut right in half, and a splice was installed. The entire chassis was there beefed up with more steel. The machine would then recieve new wings and most importantly new telescopic brace locks. These are the same locks common of the Standard line of spreaders. These machines would also receive new diagonal braces. Essentially, these rebuilds made the old knuckle braced machines more into Standard model spreaders. Some of these rebuilds were even rebuilt again with cabs, and some may have even received a high snowplow. Many of these early rebuilds kept the original extra front bracing for the carry wing.

GBW X-190 doing ballast work. X190 is a rebuilt knuckle braced machine. Bob Hainstock Photo

   Many Type A spreaders were also rebuilt, some totally from the ground up with new cabs and such. The following photos are from official O.F.Jordan negatives and show a rebuilt Type A Spreader before and after.


MP X-238 (built 1928) before rebuilding. From the collection of John C. LaRue Jr.


MP X-238 after rebuilding in 1960. From the collection of John C. LaRue Jr.


MP X-238 is still around today on the Dakota Southern Railway. 5/2014 photo by R. Horne.

   At first we didn't know if there were any other rebuilds from Jordan until John C. LaRue Jr. sent in this photo. It appears to be an older Knuckle Braced machine, with new updated steel braces, on a longer chassis. It also has early Type A diagonal braces, and a cylinder for opening and closing the wings behind the also new cab. Being that it has the early Type A diagonal braces, and it being an undated photo it leads me to believe this may have been in the 1920s or 1930s. After finding patents, it is now apparent these are new machines. Check out the patent section of this website and you can see them for this "updated" knuckle braced spreader. It is lettered O.F. Jordan Co. 615.

From the collection of John C. LaRue Jr.

Another odd looking Jordan that is similar to the above, but this one is straight wing and has a reveresed diagonal brace. From the collection of John C. LaRue Jr.