Keline Railroad Locks and Keys - Choose by Railroad! - All Locks have Working Keys - Antique Railroad Relics - Keline Brand

This listing is for the photographed Keline Railroad Locks and Keys. All railroad brands are linked to the pictures so choosing a railroad should bring up the picture. There is a large stock of each railroad so you might not get the specific lock seen pictured.

To understand Keline, you first have to understand Adams & Westlake, commonly known as Adlake. Adlake railroad locks and keys have a long history dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. “Adlake” is the trade name associated with Adams & Westlake, a major American manufacturer of railroad hardware. The company has been involved with the railroad industry for roughly 160 years and continues to manufacture railway locks and hardware today. Adlake's locks became particularly widespread because railroads needed extremely durable hardware that could survive vibration, weather and heavy use. 

There is a longstanding railroadiana account that specifically states that Keline was started by former Adlake employees and that the company was located in Elkhart, the same city where Adlake had moved its manufacturing operation in 1927. The best evidence for the company's founding comes from descriptions of Keline's products and from the obituary of Warren A. "Farmer" Rusk, who was the company's founder and longtime owner. Rusk's obituary states that he started Keline Manufacturing in Elkhart in 1977, operated it for approximately 15 years, and sold the business when he retired in 1991.

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Keline Railroad Locks and Keys - Choose by Railroad! - All Locks have Working Keys - Antique Railroad Relics - Keline Brand