Railroadiana Items In Your Collection

I've got a couple long spout oil cans (Santa Fe and Monon), a couple kero lanterns (Santa Fe & NYC), a couple "tallow pots" (D&RGW and UP) a Hamilton 992 pocket watch, and several builder's plates. My bell is one of my favorite items, from a Baldwin NP 0-6-0:

 

 

I sort of specialize in railroad items from the Disneyland Railroad. Here's a pretty complete collection of all the various builder's plates on the engines and equipment (some original, some poured from the same patterns that the real engines got their plates from, and some repro), along with a selection of tickets:

 

 

I even have a hand-striped and numbered section of one of the engine's tenders:

 

 

Additionally, I have about 50 textbooks on railroading (not the general interest kind you find in bookstores--these are catechisms and correspondence school textbooks from the 1890s through the 1940s), along with loads of photos and blueprints.

 

 

 

 

Following up on the above posts regarding date nails, here's an informative site discussing anything and everything pertaining to date nails:

 

http://facstaff.uindy.edu/~oaks/DateNailInfo.htm

 

I've got two bags full of Erie Railroad date nails which have been stashed under the layout for eons. This reminds me I should probably get them out and go through them one of these days.

 

Bob   

 

 

I'd forgotten about date nails till Bob just mentioned them.  Have a number of them too, along with match books, scratch pads and books of order notify bills of lading.

 

Perhaps I shouldn't have been so judgemental in my earlier post where I noted my Dad's former PRR friend had never thrown anything away. 

 

Curt 

I have a small collection of stuff that I have picked up or was given to me. Things such as timetables, rule books, custom seals, passes, glass/tableware, soap, matchbooks, etc. A few of the more interesting items are shown below: an ashtray from the Super Chief's 1st class lounge in the lower level of the dome car (how many famous folks could have used this?), a perfume sample (Lanvin's Mysin) given to 1st class passengers on the 20th Century Limited - this one came from my grandmother who rode it in the 1960's. I've only seen one other of these ever. Lastly, a postcard for indicating coal shipments from Rosyln, WA.

 

Peter

Very neat pieces in your collections everybody. Some very interesting stuff.

 

Here are a few photos of some more of my collection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have just a few things... My grandfathers pocketwatch with all the calibration dates scribed in the back of the case, several NYC lanterns (red and clear), NYC timetables, crossbucks, crossing lights, spouted oil can, the original blueprints for the NYC yard here in Utica (20' or so), NYC hard hat, dinner plates from the Mercury (I think), coffee cup and saucer from the Century, amd stories; lots of stories (remind me to tell you the one about my grandfather burning a switch and diving out of the way of an early 20th Century's on-rushing Hudson in the pitch black night).


Thanks, Mario

I am rebuilding a 1911 Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad track signal.  It will go out in front of my pole barn & a crossing signal for the other side.

 

NJCJoe:

 

I like the way you have your Bachmann Large Scale Shay displayed. The model is accurate for the Shay on the Pine Creek Railroad at Allaire. I've been trying to convince Bachmann to release the model in Pine Creek livery but, thus far, without success.

  

 

Bob

That Bachmann Shay is around 15 years old but what a fantastic engine. It runs so slow and smooth. It's a great locomotive.

While not a part of my personal collection, the New York Railroad Enthusiasts, of which I am a member, has a section of 20th Century Limited red carpet:

  

 

It's real treat seeing this at the monthly meetings!

 

Bob

Following up on smd4 Steve's post, I, too, own a number of railroad textbooks. Specifically, I have six titles published by the International Textbook Company of Scranton, PA. The volumes I have are as follows:

 

- ITC #506...Firing of Locomotives (Pub. 1928)

- ITC #511C...Locomotive Breakdowns and Appliances (Pub. 1943)

- ITC #514B...Compressors and Brake Equipments (Pub. 1935)

- ITC #530...Automatic Train Control (Pub. 1930)

- ITC #644...Diesel Locomotive Operation (Pub. 1946)

- ITC #645...No. 8 EL Diesel Brake Equipment (Pub. 1947)

 

The books have black hardcovers with gold lettering on the spine. They are profusely illustrated and were issued to provide employees with detailed instruction in the execution of their respective crafts. This is serious "nuts and bolts" railroad reading.

    

 

 

 

 

 

I acquired these books from the son of a retired UP Engineman who had passed on. He told me his father held them in high regard and referred to them often.

 

Bob   

Here's a selection of more EMD manuals, a few of which are for locomotive types which weren't common.

 

F3:

  

 

F9:

  

 

GP28:

  

 

SD39:

 

 

 

SDP40F:

 

 

Thanks to my 10 year old son for taking and loading these pictures into the computer. Technology is a wonderful thing.

 

Bob

I recently picked up a bunch of railroadania at a car show of all places:

 

 

I also own a bunch of Penn Central and Conrail literature:

 

 

My grandfather worked for the entire lineage of Pennsylvania through Conrail, so naturally all my railroadania is for these roads 

not many items off railroadania in my collection...but this is really nice......

This was a gift from a grateful patient of mine:

 

 

 

 

His dad was a conductor on the Penn Central based in Altoona.

 

Peter

The Parker-Kalon company commissioned one of the rarest Lionel postwar 6464 boxcar variants. It was molded in gray and had decals which said "Another carload of Parker-Kalon screws" 

I didn't realize kerosene lanterns were still in use through the Penn Central era!  I would have thought electric lamps would have replaced them at least in the last days of the PRR and NYC as separate companies.

Given the widespread use of more modern appliances by that point, it may seem hard to believe but kerosene hand held lanterns were indeed still in use on Penn Central. Also, PC had a mail order operation via which memorabilia could be purchased by the public. Laterns were among the items offered for sale.

 

Bob   

Bob, the ICS books are indeed great books--and yes, we actually still refer to them quite a bit. However, they weren't really "issued" to employees by the railroad. Instead, they were part of a correspondence course you would take if you wanted to become a railroader. These were textbooks you would read before taking a test on the subject, prior to "hiring on." Of course, because of their info, many were kept in railroaders' libraries after they became employees.

 

One of the prototype magazines had a lengthy feature aboutthe International Correspondence Schools courses a year or two ago.

Hi, Steve.

 

Thank you very much for the additional information regarding the books and courses. I had heard of these books but hadn't seen a copy for myself. In speaking with the gentleman and after already having purchased a few diesel operating manuals from him, I mentioned I like detailed, "hands on" information and he recommended these books to me. My only regret was not purchasing all the volumes he had but I had already spent a bunch and was running a bit low on available funds so I chose the six titles which looked most interesting to me.

 

Thanks again,

 

Bob      

Bob, you can often get them from www.abebooks.com, for reasonable prices. There were about 15 or so in the "blue" or "black" set you have for steam operations; many other volumes available for other aspects of railroading. Earlier (like the 1920s) they were slightly larger and in red or red-and-green covers (same info--the blues just have more "up-to-date" content). Click here if you want to see a pretty exhaustive list (about 1/3 down):

 

http://www.trainweb.org/tusp/libra.html

Thank you very much for the helpful information and advice. I'll start looking for more of those titles.

 

Here's another momento of the steam era. It is an instruction book for the operation and maintenance of Elesco locomotive feed water heaters published by The Superheater Company in 1926:

   

  

 

  

 

Bob

I have a number of NYC and Rock Island timetables and my wife bought me a complete railroad crossing for our anniversary a few years ago.  Putting that up in our new house will be this summers project.

I have a few items......

 

EMD manuals, including a SDL39 manual

Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee motor car (track speeder) instruction

Soo Line Swichstand (which I will be trading for a Milwaukee road one)

2 light color signal off the Milwaukee Road (Burlington Wisconsin)

Wabco AA2 Airhorn and a leslily 125 single chime horn

Plus alot of odds and ends

 

Here are a few Fairbanks-Morse items.

 

First up is one for the all the three rail O gauge folks. This is the Enginemen's Manual for the H24-66 Train Master and its slightly smaller brother, the H16-66:

  

 

 

 

Enginemen's Manual for the H12-44:

  

 

Trouble Shooters Manual for the "Erie Built" units:

  

 

Bob

A few more items from my collection.

 

A switch stand of unknown origin.

 

CRR of NJ brass fire extinguisher.

 

Great Northern marker lamp.

 

Lehigh Valley whistle sign.

 

1 track sign.

 

Miscellaneous stuff.

 

Headlight from Erie Lackawanna MU.

Hi, Joe.

 

Thanks for sharing more images. Would you happen to know from what locomotive your headlight is?

 

Bob  

Yes, the headlight came off of an Erie Lackawanna MU.

Joe, an absolutley wonderful collection!!! T hanks to everyone for sharing thier photos.

 

Tonight we have some NYCTA subway memorabilia.

 

First, a number plate from St. Louis Car Company built R-22 7729:

 

 

Next, a station sign from Kingsbridge Road on the IND Concourse Line:

 

 

Lastly, a station sign from Grand Central on the IRT:

 

 

Bob

Here's an item which I thought was appropriate given that Grand Central Terminal's Centennial celebration has begun. What we have here is artwork commisioned to commemorate the delivery of New York Central's fleet of ACMU cars. Trains consisting of the new equipment are shown exiting and entering the Park Avenue Tunnel at 96th Street. The construction of GCT was part of a larger project of which the electrification of this segment of the railroad was a key component. Look closely and you can see the New York Central reaching for the sky many blocks down Park Avenue...no Pan Am Building to ruin this view.

  

 

Bob

Not that I went out of my way to acquire any, but I did somehow wind up with a wooden clothes hanger stamped "NYCentral"-"Sleeping Car Service".

 

Needless to say, it's the only hanger in the house that isn't used to hold any clothing

 

---PCJ

My interest has been public timetables, at least since 1956, when I started collecting them. Here's a few:

 

One of my favorites.

 

 

Dave

I have never bought any railroadiana but have been given a number of items. My biggy is my great grandfathers lantern from is career as a B&O engineer. I also have a number of BLE items like badges and magazines.  My uncle Jimmy was the PR/advertising head at C&O in Huntington WV and gave me some EMD loco posters from late 60's -70's. 

 

PS.....almost all of my great grandmothers B&O passes she had in the 40 years he worked on the railroad!

A lot of paper...A ticket from the Civil War Era Western and Atlantic, over a hundred pieces of CNS&M paper, IT collection of shop buttons, envelopes, timetables calendars also TM, CRT streetcar tickets, railroad advertising postcards, some signed lithographs..a lot of paper items, original station calendar wall art from the PRR, etc, etc. I am donating this stuff to the IRM Strayhorn Library in my will to sell or keep. Tons of books, some rare, some not. Represents about a three decade long hobby of collecting.

Probably the nearest and dearest thing to me was one I created, in that I was visiting IRM and took a pretty good picture of Henry Cordell, the Chief Engineer for the CNS&M standing alongside one of his restored charges, an interurban signed for my hometown, talking to a former motorman. One can only imagine what they were reminiscing about..

David,

 

That gauge is awesome.

 

I figured I would try to get this thread started again. Here's an EMD switcher headlight I restored.

 

 

I have a few items.. My favorites are railroad signs from the defunct Bethlehem Steel. I have warning signs from their narrow gauge line and transfer cars.. Railroadannia is neat because it is not mass produced and can be unique. I have a bunch of 40,s and 50,s timestables in the store also..