Massive Armstrong wrench - photo

[Altair]

Massive Armstrong wrench with banana for scale.



Previously:

Ratcheting flare nut wrench - GIF
Rotator ratchet wrench - GIF
World's largest impact wrench - photo and videos
Hand-cranked torque multiplier lug nut wrench - GIF
Rocket wrench for remotely defusing explosives - photo, GIF, and video

[ranald]

I think strong arm wrench is a better description. lol

[Airstreamer]

I have one that's similar. It fits a 5" nut and weighs about 50 lbs. The railway ran through the farm where my family lived from the 1860s to early 1970s. My father said that the railway workers would sometimes hide extra tools in our barn when the inspector came around so he wouldn't take them for other crews. I think that's how we ended up with it. My uncle told me that he remembered the crews using this wrench, with a long sleeve to extend the handle, on the nuts of steam engine wheels.

[Airstreamer]

Here's a photo. Sorry, I didn't have a banana handy so I hope a tape measure will do.
The handle is 1-3/8" thick, and the head is 1-5/8" thick.

[katy]

They used to use one like that on big Caterpillars and probably other makes and models. It was used to take slack the out of the track. Later they used a hydraulic cylinder and pumped grease in it, Much easier. IIRC it was about 4' long and the opening was about 4", I never used one but I remember seeing them.

[greyhoundollie]

I was thinking that maybe some guy might forget to bring his lunch with him before he tackled a big job. The wrench came equipped with a snack to help him along.

[Crusty]

... The wrench came equipped with a snack to help him along.

They used to. In the tool crib now there's a bin with a bunch of big wrenches and banana peels.

[greyhoundollie]

I saw that bin with the banana peels. I thought that was for monkey work.

[Crusty]

It may well be after the most recent round of lay-offs.

[Philip Davies]

When you have eaten the banana, you can use the skin to lubricate the nut!