Railroadiana Items In Your Collection

One of my favorite pieces of railroad advertising of any era is this dramatic image from 1973 promoting the Metroliner. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on one of these posters and, after many years stashed away sight unseen in the archives, I decided to pull it out and have it mounted and framed for display. 

Bob

Throttle unit from an SD24 locomotive. I used to use it to run HO trains. Plus a mis-stamped builder's plate circa 1980 which was never applied to an actual locomotive.

Ace posted:

Throttle unit from an SD24 locomotive. I used to use it to run HO trains. Plus a mis-stamped builder's plate circa 1980 which was never applied to an actual locomotive.

Ace,

What a brilliant "repurposing" of the throttle unit.  I love it!

Tomlinson Run Railroad

Bob/CNJ3676,

  Not sure how I missed this topic. As you know, I was a frequent visitor to the Depot Attic in Dobbs Ferry, NY. I didn't notice anyone mention this railroadiana store operated for many years by Fred Arone, former New York Central Investigator. Fred had quite a store. Everything was there from railroad lanterns, timetables, books, magazines, pins, track diagrams, etc. After Fred passed away, the store closed down. Back in the 1990's I spent many a Saturday at Fred's shop. Walking down his driveway, you entered s door in the basement of his family's house...very often Fred would be hunched over, cigarette dangling from his mouth as he scrubbed yet another lantern.

Tom 

My first picture is a switch lantern which came from Fred's along with a meter rescued from the former New Haven Railroad's power plant at Cos Cob, CT.

Post #2:

My circa 1920's Putnam Division Yard Limit sign. Sorry, not the greatest photo, but at 57 pounds, it is fairly heavy to move around. The sign was located near Nepperhan Station (Yonkers, NY).

Tom

Post #3:

I cannot let the Pennsy be overlooked...Just recently, I picked up this section of 100 lb. Pennsylvania Railroad fence.

Tom

Not in my personal collection, but I've grown somewhat attached to this switchman shanty I've been restoring since February, which is part of the Minors Memorial Park in Ashley.  The signal is also part of the collection, and this project is being done by George Clarke, nephew of the Huber Breaker Preservation founder Ray Clarke, whose vision and dedication twenty years ago, has brought the park to this point.

Don

Post #4:

Porcelain New York City subway sign from an antique store in Cold Spring, NY and a Metro-North station sign gifted from an ex-New York Central Towerman .

Tom 

Post 5:

  Dwarf signal from ex-New York Central's Selkirk Yard by way of Fred Arone's Depot Attic.

Tom

Glad this thread is back.

Here is my friend's New Haven switch stand followed by me performing the required FRA inspection complete with refreshment in hand at this afternoon's barbecue.  

Bob

Another of my friend's treasures: a fully functional New York Central lantern:

Bob

And here we are wrapping up a big evening with a nighttime inspection by latern light. Now when's that New York Trailer Jet coming through?

Bob

Graham White E bell.

  4 time table booklets from the SCL 1941-43. All nearly the same, I grabbed the more interesting pages and a good sample if the rest.

NYC P&LE 1941 pamphlet, like a very lightweight magazine paper or very lightweight junk mail.

MKT 1952 is card-stock weight and very long too.

The choices are cool to compare as ad pieces. I like the little Seaboard booklets best, easy to keep. The NYC is all about high style, the light weight paper was likely a print gimick itself (I'm sure the lower cost was thought of too; they were after all "disposable periodics ".

    My emergency heat and lighting; signal lamps . I had been given one of the glass ones and left it in the livingroom after "the grid fell" many years ago. Folks noticed, and they started multiplying. Two matching ones broke and I still have two or three more outside. Some have old glass, but nothing metal came off the RRs.

I've never asked for a single lamp .

    I also have some thick, book type, national time tables, for use on the counters....somewhere

Like many of you, I have some lanterns, timetables (all wartime dated) and stuff like that.

The lantern is a 1944-dated one, and I managed to wire it for electric light using the drain hole at the bottom, without damaging it at all.

Over the years, I've collected a decent amount of rail slices from various places. The ones I like the most are a marked one from the White Pass & Yukon (45 pound rail, I think, so it's tiny) and the ones from the NP roundhouse at Auburn, WA.

I also have some military railroad builder plates, mostly for freight cars and the like. I do have a EMD plate that I'm very happy to have, from the very month I was born. it hangs over the doorway in the layout room as you're walking out. Many visitors never notice it:

Also found several steam-era ashtrays for next to nothing recently at antique stores...

I posted these photos for a military collecting site, but I have a lot of stuff from the military RR operations in WW2:

This badge is a pretty rare military conductor badge from WW2, I've seen just a few photos of them being worn. They were apparently only used stateside.

Somebody emailed me about buying one of my Alco PA builders plates that I have a matched pair of. Not sure what they're worth but I gotta imagine there arent many left and even less in a matched set. Id have to be crazy to split em up

Matt Makens posted:

Somebody emailed me about buying one of my Alco PA builders plates that I have a matched pair of. Not sure what they're worth but I gotta imagine there arent many left and even less in a matched set. Id have to be crazy to split em up

Matt:

Do you think you could post a picture? I'd love to see that.

Bob

I have the exact marker light that are like the ones on the 2472. My wife's Pop worked for SP. Don

I have some Official Guides from 1959, 1967, 1971, 1982 with a wealth of interesting railroad history.

Following on MNCW Tom's post with Metro-North items, here we have a troubleshooting manual for M-1a and M-3a multiple unit cars and a C&S manual of procedures. 

Bob

The Whippany Railway Museum in Whippany, NJ displays a fascinating variety of memorabilia. Here we show a few of these very interesting items. In the first image is the original 1907 builder's plate and a lubricator cup from the Southern Railway 385, a 2-8-0 which currently serves as the centerpiece of the museum's collection. In the second picture is a headlight from a DL&W multiple unit car.

Fascinating stuff. 

Bob

And here is my EL MU headlight.

How about some Jersey Central items today.

Drinking fountain name plate.

Passenger car ceiling light fixture.

Brass fire extinguisher.

Rail brace.

CNJ switch lamp.

Pair of brass switch locks.

Brass switch plate.

Blue Comet and Bullet timetables.

Sugar cube from the Blue Comet.

I just found this early 1900's era boxcar door hanger in the woods. 

Pretty crusty but interesting. 

I just tried my hand at some hand lettering. They flies don't like when I try straight lines. 

Andy/SILVERLAKE,

  The lettering came out great. You should be very happy.

 Tom

Here are a few more vignettes taken at the Whippany Railway Museum. In the first image we see a collection of passenger service memorabilia featuring an interesting assortment of china. Also seen on top of the cabinet is a headlight from the 4039, an ALCo built 0-6-0 currently being restored by the museum. 

The second image features a life ring from the Erie Lackawanna ferry boat "Elmira". The railroad operated its fleet of ferries to provide a connection from Hoboken Terminal to Manhattan. One vessel, the Binghamton, escaped the torch and went on to spend many happy years as a very popular restaurant and nightclub in Edgewater, NJ before closing and subsequently deteriorating into its present derelict condition. So sad. 

Bob

I have a lot of the  same stuff that others here have, but the only thing I have a photo of right now (such as it is) is my Adlake Non Sweating Switch lamp, which is marked "BN" (one of my favorite roads.)

These are the only items I have.  The B & O whistle looks pretty old, but I have no idea how old.  The small ball in the whistle looks like it is made out of wood.

Recently there was a Public Notice put out looking for interested parties to restore the Binghamton ferry as it is listed on the National Register. The Public Notice expired the end of June. Don't know if anyone responded.

Along with the usual lanterns and stuff comes this and it's in almost perfect shape.  

NJCJOE posted:

Recently there was a Public Notice put out looking for interested parties to restore the Binghamton ferry as it is listed on the National Register. The Public Notice expired the end of June. Don't know if anyone responded.

Hi, Joe.

Unfortunately, I'd have to think the Binghamton is beyond help at this point based upon these fairly recent photos:

Bob

Mostly some issues of Trains magazine from the 1950's and 1940's (no photos at them moment, but I have posted articles from them before), but also have a hand made wooden bicentennial plaque (unknown maker) and used to have a LMS privy plaque from 1865 that said something along the lines of only use when train is moving. Was mounted on the door in my old house, forgot to remove it when we left.

Bob, they're about 2/3 of the way down on page 5 of the thread but here it is again

The only thing I have is a framed document that is a Telegraph Register of the Illinois Central Railroad for Thursday July 11, 1895.  The man who gave it to me was a Vice President of RR Operations for ICG.  He said it was from the Casey Jones Special Run, but not sure what kind of a run that was.

Come on Bob, that will buff right out.......

Darn! I took many dates for New year's Eve parties at the Binghamton back in the last century. I take it the damage was from superstorm Sandy.

Just two items.  They are somewhat hidden in this picture.

In the center a PRR switch head lamp I picked up about 20-years ago.  Just to the left the spout of an NYC oil can.  Dad got that decades ago.

I finally found one Great Northern caboose marker lamp, made by the Dressel Co. I have been looking for a pair of these, marked for the Great Northern, for my caboose. At least I have one, now to find a mate!! I'll attach a few pictures. One as I got it, and one or two after I stripped the lamp. Next will be some body work, primer, and paint.

A PRR ship bell.

A B&M brasstop bell bottom lantern with a clear cast globe.

Is there a story with those?

Either, way very nice.

I collect many things railroad related, mostly dealing with paper. I concentrate on the ACL, SAL, Southern, Clinchfield and other lines from North Carolina. I also like to collect depot images and items relating to depots. The Railway Express Agency is fun to collect, especially their paper and advertising items. Here is an LP in my collection from 1967 covering the first forty years of Air Express, beginning in 1927. A total of 10 songs cover this period, and the inside has an overview of major events for this time period. I love how they planned to use helicopters and VTOL aircraft to deliver packages in the future (imagine an Osprey delivering your packages)! Too bad the REA only lasted until 1974. I have some drink glasses for this anniversary as well. Enjoy!

A friend just lent me some CNJ rule books from the 50's, and some log books with local employees of Ashley PA from 52 to 66. There are several names I recognize.

Don

Back from the days when a neatly handwritten letter from a young fellow resulted in the mailman bringing a thick first-class envelope with a courteous thank you note.

A few items in my collection from "The Standard Railroad of the World."

A Pennsy employee identification badge.

A jointly owned (Pennsy/ Erie Lackawanna) milk can.

A Pennsylvania Railroad conductors kit box full of circa 1940's rule books.

Tom 

One more from the Pennsylvania Railroad...a very, very heavy box (a Weston Current Transformer) with paperwork inside dated 1916 that someone believed was used by the Pennsy in some sort of laboratory environment to test electrical or communications equipment. The posts/plugs can be removed and inserted into alternate holes.

Tom 

Some nice items Tom.

Adriatic posted:

Is there a story with those?

Either, way very nice.

No story really. Just stuff I aquired along the way.

NJCJOE posted:

Some nice items Tom.

Joe,

 Thanks...mine have lots of "wear." Your items look nice and immaculate! 

Tom

MNCW posted:

A Pennsylvania Railroad conductors kit box full of circa 1940's rule books.

Man, I love that!

p51 posted:

MNCW posted:

A Pennsylvania Railroad conductors kit box full of circa 1940's rule books.

Man, I love that!

Lee/P51,

 Thanks...I took a look at your website. Very nice.

Tom 

Following on Joe's and Tom's Pennsylvania items, here is the sole surviving train indicator from the original New York Pennsylvania Station. It is now in the collection of the Whippany Railway Museum and displayed at the point at which visitors enter the main grounds. 

Bob

CNJ 3676 posted:

Following on Joe's and Tom's Pennsylvania items, here is the sole surviving train indicator from the original New York Pennsylvania Station. It is now in the collection of the Whippany Railway Museum and displayed at the point at which visitors enter the main grounds. 

Actually, that's not the sole survivor. There is one in the current Penn Station tucked away in a corner somewhere. It's not in great shape.

I also know of another one in a private collector's hands. I even had a chance to buy it.

Joe:

Where's that indicator in New York Penn? I need to check that out on my next visit. 

Thanks,

Bob

CNJ 3676 posted:

Joe:

Where's that indicator in New York Penn? I need to check that out on my next visit. 

Thanks,

Bob

The is a Baggage car in PC paint still sitting in there as well. 

CNJ 3676 posted:

Joe:

Where's that indicator in New York Penn? I need to check that out on my next visit. 

Thanks,

Bob

It's in the baggage area near Track 1.