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ANTIQUE INDUSTRIAL TRUMBULL KNIFE SWITCH — THE LABORATORY SWITCH YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR
Pull the handle. Hear the clack. Now tell everyone in the barn that the experiment is ready.
This is a genuine early 20th-century industrial fused knife switch by Trumbull Electric Manufacturing Co. of Plainville, Connecticut. It has an imposing black handle, substantial copper-toned blades and contacts, two large General Electric cartridge fuses, and a real slate mounting board. The handle is stamped TRUMBULL / 100 AMP / 250 V. D.C.–A.C.
It was built to open and close both sides of an electrical circuit at once. Switches of this type served factory equipment, generating rooms, and building power systems. Its particular original installation is unknown. A closely related Trumbull switch in The Henry Ford’s collection is dated 1900–1920; circa 1900–1920, likely the 1910s, is the best estimate for this example.
THAT HANDLE
The broad blades swing down into their copper contacts with a wonderfully substantial, satisfying clack. It’s the centerpiece for a mad scientist’s barn laboratory, a Frankenstein-themed Halloween display, a haunted attraction, a steampunk set, or a collection of early industrial equipment. It has the look and feel that a lightweight prop tries to Trumbull Electric Manufacturing Co., Plainville, Connecticut
Type: Industrial two pole, single throw fused knife switch
Handle marking: 100 AMP / TRUMBULL / 250 V. D.C.–A.C.
Two General Electric cartridge fuses included
Slate board: 14 5/8" long × 5 5/8" wide
Copper-toned switch blades, contacts, and fittings
Old cloth-covered leads remain attached
Original tapered head mounting screws are also included (To mount this to the wall/backer board age and use, with oxidation, surface wear, and worn, frayed cloth-covered wiring. The switch has not been electrically tested and is offered as a collectible or unpowered display piece, not as ready-to-install electrical equipment.
Whether it anchors an industrial display or awaits its cue beside the monster’s table, this is the real switch—and the handle makes the scene.
