Train-Themed License Plates?

Uh..is that a contraction for "magnetic levitation", or what? Maybe owner writes science fiction?

I have seen "choo-choo" on plates...wonder what the extra charge is....in various states?....in some, vanity plates seem common..

colorado hirailer posted:

Uh..is that a contraction for "magnetic levitation", or what? Maybe owner writes science fiction?

Could be sci-fi, but this is what I had in mind:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maglev

I have non-RR vanity plates that I got years ago to promote my short-lived technical writing business.  They are now $80 each year in Mass. and have become rare as a result. My mechanic says my ancient plates won't pass the next inspection, so tack on another fee to have the plates restamped ... it may be the last set for me. 

My long-time friend, Stan Kistler, has custom license plates that read MR ATSF.  And he certainly is.

I thought about using a railroad theme on my own plates, but they said "Santa Fe All the Way" was too long. 

I don't personally recall seeing many RR related vanity plates in Mass, if at all.  

I have a set of non-RR Mass vanity plates for an older car and they do have to be renewed every year and are expensive.

Due to the electronic/photographic tolling in Mass,  the RMV is cracking down this year on older plates that the system allegedly can't pick up. My wife had a rare Mass green number plate for the past 25+ years (rear only) that had to be replaced with the new red number (front and rear) plates for an extra registration fee, because nobody would pass the car for inspection with the old plates. Just a way for Taxachusetts to phase out the old plates and generate more revenue.  

TomlinsonRunRR posted:

I have non-RR vanity plates that I got years ago to promote my short-lived technical writing business.  They are now $80 each year in Mass. and have become rare as a result. My mechanic says my ancient plates won't pass the next inspection, so tack on another fee to have the plates restamped ... it may be the last set for me. 

Here is the People’s Republic of Puget (known the rest of the country as Washington State), we have something similar. Specialty plates cost a bundle, even the veteran plates. THAT irritates the heck out of me as I have to pay a lot of extra money if I want an Army plate, even though I served. I don’t expect to get one at a discount or for free, but I don’t think I should have to pay an extra $72.75 for one if I can prove I’ve served. Vanity plates will cost you $84.75. This why, I guess, you don’t see so many of them in this state.

I can’t think of anyone I know with a vanity plate that’s RR related. Maybe that’s because most of the train fans I know are comically cheap?

Growing up, my family would go to civil war re-enactments and competition shoots with my Dad’s M1841 6-pounder field gun (a cannon with spoked wheels, to the public). Another cannon owner had a Florida plate with “6 PDR” as the text. Even as a kid, I always wondered what people thought that meant when they weren’t hauling their own cannon on its trailer around…

I have a plate that reads PRR T1 here in PA.  Some think that it is actually  "Pretty One" since the car is quite pretty.

Over the years a couple guys have come up to me to talk about the T1,my favorite steam engine.....a real bonus.

Norm

Great story, Lee (as always :-).  Norm, nice plate!  Anything with PRR in it works for me.  For the fun of it, I just entered a few RR names in the vanity plate Search box at the Mass. Registry of Motor Vehicles.  Somebody is driving around with: Amtrak, PRR, and NYC ... But RRFAN is available.  (We only have 6 characters and no punctuation.)

TRRR <-- Hey, that would fit.

Pennsylvania offers a train license plate which depicts Griff Teller's painting of the Broadway Limited flying through central PA. I've had one for several years and just transferred it to my new car!!!

My wife's car as license plate "WESTIE 8", since we have West Highland White Terriers for more than 40 years.

My car has license plate "JJW 4449", for obvious reasons.

Apples55 posted:

Pennsylvania offers a train license plate which depicts Griff Teller's painting of the Broadway Limited flying through central PA. I've had one for several years and just transferred it to my new car!!!

Paul,

That is AWE-SOME!  I wonder if they'd sell to an out-of-stater?  I have to have one on my wall .

TRRR

Virginia also offers a good looking N&W J-611 Railway Heritage sample plate that can be customized for a slight fee.

https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/d...?PLT=JLOC&PLTNO=

I guessed right....magnetic levitation..and...it is no longer science fiction in comic books.  I have seen that Broadway Limited plate. Wonder how many sheckles it demands?  I give thanks my home state and this one's voters got rid of idiot inspections, revenue raising ripoffs. But what about states out of the ultratax belt? Some vanity plates must be cheap, as they don't seem uncommon.

I saw one that said "NOTCH 8." Again, pretty sure most of the general public has no idea what that means.

colorado hirailer posted:

I have seen that Broadway Limited plate. Wonder how many sheckles it demands?

PA charges an additional $54 fee for the "Preserve Our Heritage" plate.

Here's mine (less month and year stickers).  I'm a fan of the N&W and of the 611 J engine especially.  Virginia only charges $10 extra for the special plate and another $10 for the personalized letters (I can't tell you how many times people have come up to me to ask if I'm from Trinidad).  Dean

I have the VA one.

I used to have PRR 4877 as my license plate, but when the economy tanked it wasn't worth the $25 a year fee.  It was also a bit obscure in AZ.

This is my license plate. You may have seen it at York.

in calif they came out with a 1960 legacy plate that is $50 to order and only $40 additional a year to renew .  you can get personalized or regular for the same. other plats are more.

I got one that says something  for train fun

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/wasapp/ipp2/initPers.do

Dean Hall posted:

Virginia only charges $10 extra for the special plate and another $10 for the personalized letters  

That's a great plate and VERY reasonable charge. I'd get one for that amount in a heartbeat, especially as I've seen and ridden 611 back in the 80s and 90s...

I wish WA state could take a page from the VA playbook (WA is home of the highest gas and sales taxes in the country).

This was on my car till NYS wanted too much money to renew it. Its now on my train wall.

Since I have a Virginia RR Heritage plate there is no need to snap a picture.  However my plate number is RDG CO.

eddie g posted:

This is my license plate. You may have seen it at York.

Eddie G, you're a brave man driving around New England advertising the Yankees. It was great to meet you last week at York and hope to see you soon. 

John

bigdodgetrain posted:

in calif they came out with a 1960 legacy plate that is $50 to order and only $40 additional a year to renew .  you can get personalized or regular for the same. other plats are more.

 

I got one that says something  for train fun

 

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/wasapp/ipp2/initPers.do

Here is bigdodgetrain's I took a picture of it last time our group set up our modular layout

"Eddie G, you're a brave man driving around New England advertising the Yankees."

Tell 'em Eddie-you can take the boy out of New York but  you can't New York out of the boy.

train1872h posted:

This was on my car till NYS wanted too much money to renew it. Its now on my train wall.

I made it better: 

Anyway, PA has done some train plates, I've only seen them with the K4 and it says preserve history (I think). If they haven't discontinued them, I hope I can get one when I become of driving age - and own a car. 

saw this plate and bumper sticker at a train show here in Maryland a month or two ago...

Here's some I found at York

Hey everyone, what great (and colorful) posts!  Thanks and keep 'em coming. 

Tomlinson Run Railroad (I particularly liked the "L E Vated" :-)

train1872h posted:

This was on my car till NYS wanted too much money to renew it. Its now on my train wall.

700E would make a great plate!

York is a great place to find RR theme plates.  I've seen those posted and others as well

Fantastic collection, Mr. Butler! 

A vanity plate is now $76. in PA, recently up from $36.. But that is a one time charge. My plate is LEWES, the Delaware town our beach house is in. 

I recently ordered this plate for my truck:

TOY RR

It should be here in a few weeks. 

John

In NY, I have "TOYTRA1N." Apologizes to whomever has "TOYTRAIN." 

Tom

Next plate I get will be either NS6770 or NSSD60M...

Good choices everyone!  I must confess when I recently had to get new vanity plates to pass inspection, I opted for my old standby initials.  

Have any of you seen the new digital license plates?  There are newer articles and videos available, but I had this link handy:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com...us-fuming-180971093/

About 8 states will have them in the future.

In theory, not only can you have a train-themed plate tag, but while your vehicle is parked, you could display a photo of your favorite locomotive, train station, layout, hobby shop, etc.  I don't recall whether videos are supported, but that would be cool -- how about showing those old films of train collisions at county fairs? 

Prices range around $700, so I'll never complain about my plate costs again.

One flaw I see vs. the traditional metal plate is this:  Imagine you are parallel parked. Some nut in a hurry tries to cram in to the tight space behind you, "touching" your bumper in the process.  CRUNCH.  I plan on drawing a cartoon entitled "What could go wrong?" or "It seemed like a good idea at the time".  Maybe I'll use a train plate in the illustration -- perhaps something with a PRR or steam era tie-in?

Tomlinson Run Railroad