A friend stopped by the clubhouse this evening and brought these two items to show us. He presented an early SR Co 'Conductors Box' from what it looks like. About 17" x 10" x 4" with a tray inside and both handle and latch intact. He's had it a few years and was fascinated by the papers inside. A fella named Cooper was the conductor and was evidently taking a 'correspondence course' in real estate as he rode the rails reading under the caboose lamp. There are several volumes for the course along with different papers and forms for the consist, some accident reports, and even a laundry ticket. Interestingly, nothing is dated later than 1913! Some much earlier. Odd but there were some PRR papers in here as well.
The lamp is a real beauty with all parts accounted for. Not the actual lamp used by our ambitious conductor however.
If you can shed any further light on this nice find please feel free to do so - it will be greatly appreciated.
