Question & Answer Board

 Q1915 Handlan Lamp  I recently bought a handlan lamp, but I'm having a hard time finding out the details about it. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time,   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Saturday, July 24, 2010 by Joshua   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. That looks like a Handlan number 355 short globe lantern that has a Fresnel type globe in it instead of a smooth globe. The 355 is the same lantern as a number 345 except for the globe reatiner in the top. The 345 uses a 4&1/2 inch tall globe and the 355 uses a 3&1/4" globe. See the link for the Lanterns page from the Handlan 1956 catalog that is available in the Library elsewhere on this site.  Link 1  Posted Saturday, July 24, 2010 by KM

 Q1914 CG&SJ RR Marking Revisited  Hi! The question by Jack on #1844 is correct. The markings on the lantern are CG&SJ RR and not GC&SJ RR. An example is currently on Ebay. Could this be a fake name on an unmarked lantern? There's no making on the lantern, but has an original Adlake fount and burner and is brand new and never used. Could The Colorado Railroad Museum possibly put this fake name on this lantern to sell in their store?  Posted Saturday, July 24, 2010 by Mike   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. I know that the Colorado Museum sold these in their gift store in the 1970's because I saw them there back then. I did not notice if they were mismarked by Adlake with the G and the C in the wrong order though. The link shows a GC&SJ lantern from the museum gift store that was sold by Bill and Sue Knouse at auction about a yaer ago, and they do not say that it was mismarked CG&SJ. I would bet that Adlake made the msistake when they made them though, and the museum went ahead and sold them anyway.  Link 1  Posted Saturday, July 24, 2010 by KM

A. he correct name is Golden City (not Circle),and San Juan. That is a mistake that has been made frequently. See the Adlake Heritage page which I have linked to and also the Lantern Surveys page for the Heritage Series lanterns that lists the GC&SJ lanterns as one of the first of the souvenir lanterns that many companies and museums gave away or sold starting in the early 70's.  Link 1  Link 2  Posted Saturday, July 24, 2010 by KM

 Q1913 RR Initials  I have thousands of prints and negatives, also a 1921 maps of every railroad in the world, but I am still having a problem identifying the name of a line from initials. My negative is pre 1920, and was once the property of Charles Fisher the 1923 founder of the locomotive society. The locomotive is an 0-6-0 switch engine displaying #4 on the dome. The tender is one of the old tapered type as normal to switch engine use, and has the railroad clearly as C.&O.R.W.. I bought the negative for a Chesapeake & Ohio, but I am not sure that is it on account of the 'R'. I can understand the 'W' as meaning western and many years ago the C&O used the term western on that part of the line where I live in the Shenandoah Valley near Harrisonburg, Va. On the pacific coast there was a Central Oregon, and a California & Oregon line. In Oklahoma there was a Clinton, Oklahoma and Western, but I doubt if this locomotive was from those lines. If you can offer any information concerning the C.&O.R.W., I would be most grateful.  Posted Saturday, July 24, 2010 by JM   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. The book, C & O Power by Staufer shows this locomotive on page 14. Class C-1 built by Cooke in 1876. So it is a Chesapeake & Ohio locomotive using the old nameform R. W. meaning Rail Way. Posted Saturday, July 24, 2010 by DA

 Q1912 Lamp ID  I have an Adlake Non Sweating Lamp w/ painted panels which I have not been able to find in searching RR collectibles (see attachments). What seem common are the ones with lenses. The lamp is 12 in. high and the panels are 6 in. square. The paint is a reflective type. Any help in learning about the lamp would be much appreciated. Thanks.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Friday, July 16, 2010 by Bob   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A.  Hi Bob, That’s a very interesting piece. What you have is a conversion (using “Scotchlight”) from a glass lensed kerosene lamp to a reflector piece used for the same purpose. This piece was most certainly converted by the railroad it belonged to and is not a stock Adlake item, which is why you couldn’t find any information on it. The square sheet metal box with the color panels was added quite some time after the lamp was originally manufactured. Railroad shops could make very precise, high quality parts from scratch, such as the square sheet metal box that surrounds the original lamp. Your piece started life as a No. 169 lamp with a cast iron pedestal base, which was one of the later versions of the #169 model. I say that due to the distinctive feet showing beneath the sheet metal box, which tells me it has the pedestal base. The spherical body with the round opening in the top, covered by the “Adlake” cap, gives it away as a No. 169 lamp rather than an 1112, which would have a square opening in the top of the body sphere. See link for a No. 169 lamp, though the pedestal base version is not shown. Your piece has the same cast base as a No. 1112 Adlake lamp. I have seen a number of No. 169 lamps with the pedestal base and I own several. That is a fairly old original piece as the round top lamps were replaced with production of the familiar square top models in the mid 1920’s, but it is a post WWII conversion as Scotchlight was not developed until then. It is conceivable that the conversion could have been done as late as the 1970’s when kerosene lamps were phased out entirely in favor of reflectors. Many round top Adlake lamps were still in service at that time; a testament to how durable Adlake lamps were, as round tops were fifty years old and more by the 70’s. The original glass peep hole for viewing the lamp’s flame is still intact and is visible on the left side of the body by the far corner of the green panel. The little blob on the body in the crook of the corner between the green and red panels is patching the hole where the hasp catch knob has been removed. Take a good look at that square patch; it looks like a nut, probably off the screw on one of the coupling rings as they generally used square nuts. – Write back and let me know if it is a nut or just a piece of sheet metal.- The red and green panels are covered in 3-M “Scotchlight” reflective sheeting which comes from the factory with an adhesive backing, rather than reflective paint. The Scotchlight is evident from the distinctive chipping along the upper edge of the green panel and the left edge of the red panel. Scotchlight, and especially older Scotchlight, is somewhat brittle after it has been applied and has aged for a while, and it typically chips off along the edges like that. Also, if you look closely at the red and green panels, you can see that they have a very crisp and distinctive edge; giving it away as an applied thin sheet of some kind and not a painted on surface colorant. The vent cone / stack has been removed from the lamp and the original cap with the embossed “ADLAKE – Non Sweating Lamp” lettering has been used to seal the open top of the lamp where the cone was. This is the first conversion of this style that I’ve seen; with the fabricated sheet metal box. Kerosene lamps converted to electric bulb operation where the vent stack has been removed and the top of the lamp sealed with a sheet mental cap of some sort are fairly common. Sheet metal disks covered in Scotchlight used to replace the glass lenses in otherwise unaltered lamps are frequently found as well. That is a really fun and interesting piece and attests to the creative and frugal nature of the railroads. …Red Beard; © 2010, Red Beard the Railroad Raider.  Link 1  Posted Friday, July 16, 2010 by Red Beard the Railroad Raider

 Q1911 Switchstand  I have a heavy cast metal switchstand. 'racor' and 'Patent applied for CB&Q' and NO. 5 are cast into it. the top has 'S-258' cast into it. It appears to be a Low mast variety. No lamp or target.'Any info would be appreciated.  Posted Thursday, July 15, 2010 by JJ   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Racor is Ramapo Ajax CORporation from Hillburn, NY. They were and may still be a major supplier of track materials. Around 1933 they merged with Elliott Frog and Switch from East Saint Louis. The link shaows a page of ads for suppliers from the Frisco Employees magazine from 1928 which has a combined ad for Elliott and Racor. Link 1  Posted Thursday, July 15, 2010 by KM

A. The following patent may be for the switch stand that you have but without a photo we can't be sure. See the link for patent number 1,783,283. Link 1  Posted Thursday, July 15, 2010 by KM

A. ABC-NACO still markets switch stands using the Racor trade name. Here is a link with a recent listing for them. Link 1  Posted Thursday, July 15, 2010 by Km

 Q1910 E.S.R. Co. Marking  I have a Dietz No. 6 lantern that is marked E.S.R. Co. I think this is from the Empire State Railroad Corporation. There was an East Side Railroad Company in Oregon, but I don't think this lantern is from there. Can someone tell me about the Empire State Railroad, when it started, where its tracks ran, it's history, when it ended, etc.? Also, this Dietz No. 6 lantern is actually kind of strange. While the top is marked No. 6, it's shaped like a No. 39 The only other place I've seen a lantern like this is in the book 'The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Railroad Lighting, Volume 1' on page 120. That one is also marked with E.S.R. Co. Thanks.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Saturday, July 10, 2010 by JP   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. From Joseph Gross' book "The Trolley And Interurban Directory", Empire State Railroad Corp. had 58 miles of track, was incorporated in 1917, located in Syracuse (so was Dietz) and Auburn, NY. They were foreclosed in 1931. So the 1920's date that is mentioned for the lantern on page 120 is a good possibility for Empire State RR Corp. Posted Saturday, July 10, 2010 by KM

A. Here is a link that has a list of upstate NY trolley and interurban lines. Link 1  Posted Saturday, July 10, 2010 by KM

A. Sorry, that link went to a map which shows the line as Empire United, here is the link with the list for New York and New Jersey. Link 1  Posted Saturday, July 10, 2010 by KM

A. Thanks for the information. Could someone comment on how much trolley systems used lanterns? I understand how the big railroads used them, given the sheer volume of all the work they did. But trolley systems seem much simpler. Did they have a lot of use for the hand lantern? And how common would it have been for them to mark their lanterns? Big railroads like the PRR seemed to have put their stamp on everything. Would a smaller trolley system do the same? Thanks!  Posted Sunday, July 11, 2010 by JP

A. The interurban lines and some city trolley companies did use lanterns. Using the example of Empire State with only 58 miles of track they had far fewer employees, and operations after dark may have been more limited than on a 1st class railroad. Interurban lines depended on lanterns for signaling after dark, for protection at grade crossings and for flag protection if they had to stop in unsignaled territory. Interurban line lanterns do turn up on eBay now and then. I have a Rule Book from the Lake Shore Electric Railway which has all the same rules for use of lanterns that are found in other railroad rule books.  Posted Sunday, July 11, 2010 by KM

A. Take a look in the Lantern Surveys pages and you will see a lot of traction companies listed there as ahving a particular model of lantern. With just a quick look at the Adlake Reliable model I counted 33 interurban lines that had them. In the Dietz Number 6 list besides ESr Corp. Rochester&Syracuse is listed. Here is the link to the Number 6 and the Reliable list.  Link 1  Link 2  Posted Sunday, July 11, 2010 by KM

A. As to the shape of the lid, Dietz, like other lantern manufacturers, tried to efficiently use the parts they had on hand, so you will often find lanterns that seemed to be composities of new and old models. (The drop fount Reliable is a good example). This was simply to keep manufacturing costs down, and keep prices attractive to their customers. The flatter lid was a newer design and could easily be attached to the older "No.6" frame. Posted Monday, July 12, 2010 by TR

A. The issue of interurban crewmen needing or not needing hand lanterns (kerosene or electric) is a very interesting one. On a freight RR, crewmen switching cars at night absolutely needed a portable light source to signal movements to the engine, see couplers and air hoses, see where to walk, see track switch positions, make repairs, etc. So a brakeman and most conductors HAD to have lanterns. And because of the rough service, each freight service employee was issued many of them in the course of a career as they wore out or broke, and many 'went home' and stayed there. Many passenger RR's assigned lanterns to passenger trains and to locomotives, so engine crews and passenger train crews would not have to report with their own lantern in hand. Moat interurban passenger runs would not involve switching of any kind. The cars (from very early on -- even pre-1900) had electric headlights, electric interior lights, and often electric marker lights. The terminal areas would have electric lighting -- often the interurban company was also the area electric utility. So unlike the freight railroads, most operating crewmen would not need to be issued their own lanterns. (Like everything else involving railroading, I'm sure practices varied widely from company to company, and over time.) Even the interurbans that ran freight trains did not do much switching on the road (or along the road...so to speak) Interurban employees who would need lanterns would be crossing watchmen, maintenance workers, and maybe station agents. There are a lot fewer of those than operating crewmen, and locations like manned crossings probably had lanterns assigned. At places like that the company would definitely want its property marked to avoid losing it......I can not recall a photo of an interurban crew posing with their car with lanterns in hand, unlike for many freight RR pix.....or a photo inside an interurban car interior with lanterns showing. It remains a very interesting question to keep in mind while looking at interurban pictures in the future.  Posted Wednesday, July 14, 2010 by RJMc

 Q1909 C St P M & D M Lock  I have a Miller steel lock shackle stamped C St P M & D M. I bought this lock thinking it might have to do with the Chicago St Paul Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad (The Omaha) but the lock does not have “O” for Omaha, Railroad or Railway abbreviations on it, and I can find nothing in Edson’s Railroad name book. So I am not even sure if this lock is even railroad related. Any information / help is appreciated. Thanks.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Monday, July 5, 2010 by JEM   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. I found this name on a website for an antiques dealer who carries RR items. He didn't have anything from this Co. for sale, but it is the only reference I could find---- Chicago St Paul Minneapolis & Des Moines. I checked Poor's, other references.............nothing. Posted Wednesday, July 7, 2010 by DA

A. Thanks for your input, DA. I did some further digging and found out that the Omaha organized the Des Moines Valley Railway Company of Minnesota in 1899 to build a line northwest from its Western Division mainline. Des Moines Valley was around for only two years before the Omaha absorbed it. It was about 38 miles long, and connected to the Omaha at Bingham MN. This lock might be from this Omaha - Des Moines Valley connection.  Posted Thursday, July 8, 2010 by JEM

 Q1908 Wabash Globes  I've recently added a tall globe Wabash lantern to my collection. I've never owned any other Wabash tall globes but I have seen many. I've noticed that there are at least two styles of the corning tall globe with the Wabash flag logo. On one style the flag is embossed low on the globe, the other is slightly smaller embossed flag logo and it is higher on the globe. Can anyone shed any light on why there is a difference and if one is older than the other?  Posted Monday, July 5, 2010 by CH   Post a Reply  Email a reply

 Q1907 Lantern ID?  Could use some help identifing the use of this brass lantern. It is about 9 in. high, about 3 in. flat lens to flat lens, has male threads, then the disc screws down to tighten. It is plated brass. The seller thought it was for the rear of a fire truck, my thought was a double gauge light?? There is no writing anywhere that I could find. Any suggestions?? Thanks for looking,   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Saturday, July 3, 2010 by RL   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. This is a gauge lamp for a steam loco Posted Saturday, July 3, 2010 by BK

A. It still looks like an Armspear gauge lamp which may have been on a locomtive, boat or in a building. See page 155 of "Lanterns That Lit Our World" (book one), by Anthony Hobson. Quoting from him, "Usually made of brass or nickel plate, these small lamps were mounted above engine-room dials to light them, so steam pressure could be read by the engineer. They came from the factory in clear glass, but they can be found with painted globes. The engineers painted them to dull their light so that it was less distracting in the small space of the engine room." I knew that I had seen the photo of this lamp before, you asked the same question about two years ago, see Q1413 in the Archives. And from personal experience,I have never seen one yet that is used on an antique fire truck, steam fire engine or steam traction engine. Posted Sunday, July 4, 2010 by KM

 Q1906 Aluminum Spittoon   Is anyone familiar with cast aluminum spittoons? I picked this up at a railroad show probably 10 years ago. does have some casting defects(voids) Thanks for looking,   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Saturday, July 3, 2010 by RL   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. RL, I have seen several of these at flea markets etc. in the past few years. Most are like you say, with casting voids etc. I live in the heart of N&W country and have asked several knowledgable people about them and NO ONE can confirm that they were actually used by the N&W. I have a cast iron N&W spittoon with the white porcelain interior that were common all along the N&W and a silver Pullman 2 piece that was used a lot on the N&W and a cast Iron Virginian identical to the N&W in material and shape etc. This aluminum one just doesn't "feel" right compared to the other items from the N&W. RR companies were frugal but they usually bought quality long lasting items, and this just doesn't fit the bill. I may be entirely wrong but I thing it is a modern (last 20 years) knock off. They certainly are handsome and have a flair but they just do not seem to fit in with real N&W artifacts. I hope someone who really knows will speak up. Posted Sunday, July 4, 2010 by GaryP

 Q1905 UP Bridle?  I recently saw a pair of brass-backed horse bridle rosettes with a Union Pacific logo. The logo is under domed glass. I do not have a picture of my own. I am wondering if anyone knows whether or not railroads actually used these decorative pieces on horses they may have owned for some purpose. Could they have been used on horse bridles ridden by railroad cops?  Posted Friday, July 2, 2010 by JY   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Railroads had (and some still do have) various recreational and public relations groups, such as marching bands, baseball teams, etc. (Like the military with the Blue Angels, for instance) For the UP to have a rodeo team would make perfect sense. I don't think that a railroad police officer would be on horseback, but a team of professional horsemen is more like your answer. I have seen a couple of these surface, along with musical instruments marked for various railroads, etc. Go to the Norfolk Southern website, for instance, you can still hire the NS Lawmen Band to play at community events.  Posted Saturday, July 3, 2010 by J.N.

 Q1904 RR Tag?  I have a round possibly brass tag with the following on one side: AM.RY.S.CO NEW YORK (in very small letters) located above a small round hole. Across the upper mid section is J.S.&.CO..INC. and below that in large print is a number 15775. Below the number at the bottom is F'VILLE which I believe should be for Fayetteville NC. The back has no print. I thought it was a cow tag but some one told me they thought it might be a railroad tag. Could not find anything on JS & CO to point to a railroad but still not sure with the other lettering on the tag. Size 3.6 centimeters across; small holes is 0.4 centimeter across; thickness is less than .1 centimeter. Is this a railroad tag?   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Thursday, July 1, 2010 by Mike   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. American Railway Supply Co. made time checks and tool checks for a myriad of industries other than railroads/railways. While many of these round checks were for railroad use, yours is the case of one that was not. Suggest you consult old Poors Manuals, Moody's Manuals or Thomas Registers at a library that has a business history section (i.e.- university) to determine what JS&Co stands for.  Posted Friday, July 2, 2010 by Rail Vandal

A. And could it be Fayetteville in Arkansas or Georgia ?  Posted Sunday, July 4, 2010 by KM

A. Or it may be Fayetteville, WV or NC or Farmville, Va. Endless possibilities!!! What are of the country was it found in??? GP Posted Monday, July 5, 2010 by GaryP

A. It was found near Fayetteville NC USA, where an old railroad depot was located on Fort Bragg, NC. Posted Wednesday, July 7, 2010 by Mike

A. I like a good search, but this one hasn't been successful yet. A call to the Cumberland County,NC Library didn't help, they checked a 1909 City Directory. No one there recognized the JS&Co. name. Tagtown website says that American Railway Supply lasted into the 1920's, with "New York" spelled out thought to be older than "American" spelled out. Fort Bragg was started in 1918, and has grown to be one of the largest military bases in the world, but Fort Bragg,California gets more hits on the web. If the numbers were consecutive it makes me wonder what kind of company had approximately 16 thousand brass tags and wasn't well known in the local area.  Posted Saturday, July 10, 2010 by KM

 Q1903 What is it?  So I found this and was wondering what it was?   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Tuesday, June 29, 2010 by Mike   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. There was no actual company called the Eastern & Portland RR. Apparently this is a movie prop. It was used in the 1959 Doris Day film, It Happened to Jane. See link below for more details. Link 1  Posted Tuesday, June 29, 2010 by DA

 Q1902 Corning Mark?  I recently picked up an Adlake Reliable from the B & M RR at a tag sale simply because it looked interesting. I’m not a collector but I am fairly interested in the history of it. The patent dates read: Patented Sept. 31, 18?7, May ? 1903, 2 Pats. Jan. 26 1909, Nov. 26 1911 2 Pats. July 2 1912 Apr. 1 1913. The thing that really is puzzling me is the embossed 'C' (without 'NX') on the rear of the globe. The C’s embossing is considerably less than the embossed height of the B & M RR on the front of the globe. I almost missed it entirely until I started to read that some globes had marks on the rims or upper edges. Because it is so faint it is difficult to get a good photo. This 'C' is designed graphically the same as the Corning 'C' on the CNX design; in-other-words it flares to bit of a triangle at the end points and there’s a triangular point at the center-back of the 'C'. The globe is seamed on both sides and has a swirl within the glass from front upper left through the B & M RR embossing and continues through the seam to the lower rear. Other than that this globe is near perfection with only 2 minor rim nicks at the base. I have read as much as I can comprehend and lantern history, Corning history and trademark databases and I still can’t find reference to the lone “C” mark. I am at the point of wondering if this “C” is a fluke, a fake or incredibly rare mark. I was hoping you may be able to shed some light – so to speak. No matter what the outcome it’s a delightful piece, and I’m enjoying the history lesson. Thanks,   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Monday, June 28, 2010 by Carol   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Could be that the mold for the globe was just about worn down and the "NX" doesn't show or come through. I believe the railroad initials were done via a mold insert, so globe was cast wit a worn base globe mold with a new, high relief B & M RR mold insert.  Posted Wednesday, June 30, 2010 by JEM

A. I checked 4 tall globes that I have with CNX marks and found a similar situation, three of the four have the clear CNX, but the fourth, a number 6 NYC globe has a very faint almost unreadable NX with the C being not as heavy an embossment as the NYC mark. I agree that it is probably a worn mold or insert that has caused the mark to be lighter than normal. Posted Sunday, July 4, 2010 by KM

 Q1901 A.V.R. and A.V. Ry  I was wondering if someone would be able to tell me if the A.V.R. and A.V. Ry were different railroads? I know that the R means railroad and the Ry means railway, were these the same company? I have seen two locks that are made by the same company and look exactly the same except for the difference in lettering (A.V.R. versus A.V.Ry) Thanks  Posted Monday, June 28, 2010 by GH   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Several questions here, who made the locks and how old are they, and where have you seen them? What comes to mind is Allegheny Valley Railroad, which was incorporated sometime around 1852 to 1856 and became part of the PRR family in 1900. There is also a shortline reincarnation of the Allegheny Valley Railroad currently in existance today in the Oil City-Titusville area of PA. Bill Edson lists the AV RR in his book, "Railroad Names" on page 12 as AVRR, incorporated 1856 to 1900, Joe Gross lists it in "Railroad Names of North America" on page 5 as AVRR from 1852 to 1870 and then AV RY from 1870 to 1900. That leaves interurban lines, Joe Gross in "The Trolley and Interurban Directory" lists Aroostook Valley RR Co., 38 miles of track with no dates of operation located in New Sweden, Maine. Not being from Maine I know that I am going to mispell Aroostock in the future so for the sake of archived question searches there is the mispelling with a "C" instead of the "O" also. Here's some Allegheny Valley Railroad links for the modern cay operation and the historical one.  Link 1  Link 2  Posted Sunday, July 4, 2010 by KM

A. Thanks for the answers KM. The locks are made by Adams and Westlake. I bet the A.V. Ry is from the 1870 - 1900 railroad you mentioned. Once again thank you.  Posted Sunday, July 4, 2010 by GH

 Q1900 Looking for B&O Employee  Does anyone have info on a Richard D. Grant who worked for B & O R. R. as a conductor from 1950 to 1979 when he possibly retired. He was from the Cleveland Ohio area. Any help will be greatly appreciated.  Posted Monday, June 28, 2010 by KD   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Your local office of the Railroad Retirement Board should be able to help. There's also the UTU- United Transportation Union, which is the one that railroad conductors belong to. Posted Tuesday, June 29, 2010 by Rail Vandal

A. Thank you! Posted Thursday, July 1, 2010 by KD

 Q1899 German Monarch #350 Lantern  Hi! I hope you can help. My father-in-law has given to us a lantern that he brought over from Germany after WWII. He got it when he worked on the railroads in in Europe in the 30's. What I need help with is that it is stamped 'Monarch No 350' and 'Made in Germany' on both the clear lense and the fuel tank. Everything I can find online says the Monarch was a Dietz lantern but they were made in the US. I have googled & yahooed every search word I could think of. Can you shed any light (no pun intended). Thank you   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Sunday, June 20, 2010 by Ellen   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. It looks an awful lot like some models of Feuerhand lanterns. And Feuerhand lanterns were used on the German Railways. It might have been made by them for some other company used that used Monarch name. I was going to refer you to the Lampguild Q&A Board, but I see that back in 2000 someone asked the same question see Q #728 and didn't get an answer. The first link is for a Feuerhand colletor's website, and the second is for The Lampguild's Q&A Board Q #728.  Link 1  Link 2  Posted Sunday, June 20, 2010 by KM

A. I'll add one more link to a discussion board devoted to highway traffic and utility lanterns. There are some real experts on this board and I've found everyone to be very respectful and helpful. Interesting lantern!  Link 1  Posted Wednesday, June 23, 2010 by Dave F

A. Ellen, I posted the photos of the Monarch 350 to the Highway/Street/Traffic Lanterns board and Bobby B responded: This short globe lantern has the tooling from the Dietz Wizard that was used by Dietz 1915-1919. Dietz is known to have licensed their designs to factories in Canada, England and Germany, but I have not yet tracked-down the time frame. It would be in the 1920-1940 period. I have a No.350 Monarch, Made In Germany, that is a tall globe made with the tooling from the 1915-1919 Dietz Blizzard and also an identical model called the No.350 Indian that is without the export marking. Posted Tuesday, June 29, 2010 by Dave F

 Q1898 Glass Marbles  15 years ago along the Santa Fe mainline in northern Arizona I collected more than a dozen railroad marbles, as described on your site. I asked around, including some local ATSF/BNSF staff, and was told the marbles were used to make glass windows. Glass balls were made in the east, loaded into hoppers, and unloaded in the west, where they were transformed into windows. Panes of glass could have broken in transport. Having not thought about using the marbles as rollers for moving freight, the glass idea seemed plausible. The marbles were found in the ballast, along sections of track that are rebuilt every 10ish years. Has anyone ever heard of this alternative use for glass marbles? Thanks for the great site and information.  Posted Friday, June 18, 2010 by JD   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Highly unlikely. Glass manufacturing was historically located in areas where there was a good cheap heat source, rather than a sand source. It would be far more practical to make glass from scratch on site than to import pre-manufactured glass balls and re-melt them to make sheet glass. Also, functionally, you would want a much smaller material size for remelting, certainly not something as large as a marble. The key to manufacturing glass is heat not raw materials. Good sand can be found around the country and can be easily transported to a manufacturing location. Sand is also pretty low class lading so it moves at a fairly cheap rate per ton mile. The railroad would charge you significantly more per ton mile to ship pre-manufactured glass marbles than the raw materials. As heat is the key, early glass manufacturers were located where there were good cheap local fuel sources. With the discovery of large, easily retrievable natural gas deposits in northwest Ohio in the 1880’s, much of the eastern glass manufacturing industry migrated to Ohio. In 1888 Libbey Glass moved from Massachusetts to Toledo, OH. Fostoria, OH alone became home to over a dozen glass manufacturers. Ball Brothers moved their glass manufacturing operation from Buffalo, NY to Muncie, Ind. in 1887 for the same reason; natural gas deposits. Hemingray Glass, manufacturer of untold millions of telephone and telegraph insulators, had their plant in Muncie as well and for the same reason. Natural gas was both cheap at the source location, and at the time, nearly impossible to transport any significant distance, certainly not in any quantity and certainly not economically, and it takes a LOT of gas to make glass. It wasn’t until after the Second World War that gas pipeline technology was sufficiently developed to move the quantities of natural gas needed in the manufacturing of glass, and for that matter, the heating of most major American cities. As a result glass manufactures were grouped together out of necessity; location near a cheap and plentiful fuel source. If you’ve studied old buildings, or photos thereof, you’ve noticed that most old windows are made up of lots of small panes of glass. We are all used to seeing glass trucks around town carrying large vertical sheets of glass; however, historically, most glass wasn’t shipped in large sheets as it is today. It was shipped in much smaller pieces which could be well and safely packed for shipping. Wood boxes were cheap back then and many major industries, including glass manufacturers and meat packing houses had an on site carpenter shop solely for the purpose of making their own sturdy, custom shipping boxes. These boxes combined with plenty of straw and excelsior made for pretty reliable and safe shipping. Unfortunately, modern day railroaders are not a very good source for historical information. Very few of them are either railfans or rail history buffs. They tend to take modern examples and attempt to extrapolate answers to questions on subjects that far predate their own experience. Plastics of various kinds are shipped in granules, pellets and spheres from large petrochemical plants that do nothing but manufacture bulk, unformed plastic. This raw plastic is shipped in covered hoppers to local manufacturing plants (small and large) all over the country that use it to make actual plastic items. Of Note: Ball Brothers owned and operated the Muncie & Western Railroad which switched their plant and did interchange with the C&O, PRR, NKP and NYC. M&W is noted for their bright yellow box cars with the Ball Mason jar painted on the door, years before colorful cars were common. ….Red Beard © 2010 Red Beard the Railroad Raider Posted Saturday, June 19, 2010 by Red Beard the Railroad Raider

 Q1897 Adlake Master Keys  Could some of our readers comment on the Adlake master keys.Were they sold by Adlake,scrapped,or what? I have seen some at shows and they tend to have a heart stamped on the back along with their pattern or customer number. Most of them tended to be from long gone railroads. Your comments please.  Posted Friday, June 18, 2010 by DB   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. I would also like to find out about these supposedly master keys. A few years ago at a railroad show I bought a similar Adlake key with the stamped heart and "1665" on the back. Front is marked "MSTP&SSTM" for Minneapolis St. Paul & Sault Sainte Marie = Soo Line. Later I was told the key was a fake. Key does not fit Soo Line switch locks. But it fits and opens a 1915 patent date FS Hardware lock marked "MSTP&SSTM" on the front part of shackle and "CDSW" stamped on the back of the shackle. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks.  Posted Wednesday, June 30, 2010 by JEM

A. Here is some info about the MSTP&SSM key you acquired.Yes, this was the official corporate name of the SOO LINE up until the WC-MSTP&SSM-DSS&A merger in 1961.Prior to this event,SOO LINE was the common nickname for this road and after 1961 it became the official name. In 1908 or so,the MSTP&SSM leased the WC or Wisconsin Central RY and shortly thereafter had keys produced and marked as yours is,to reflect the new operator or lessee.The CDSW on the rear of the key stood for CENTRAL DIVISION SWITCH.All the former WC routes that were acquired became known as the CENTRAL DIVISION of the MSTP&SSM.You will also see locks and keys from this era marked MSTP&SSM on the front and WC on the rear.The vast majority of the keys will be the WC cut or bit.More commonly seen is the same key cut marked WCRY or WCRR.Employees were still being issued 2 keys in the early 1970's.One marked SOO LINE and the other marked WCRY.You will also find an occasional steel switch lock from the 60's and 70's marked SOO LINE on front and WC on the back.I know this seems confusing but it is accurate.Your 1665 key shows as being a master key for the MSTP&SSM and I would guess there was a master key for the WC which was a much earlier marking but the same cut. As for the master key question,there is a book authored by Mr Barrett and Mr Gross that deals with the Adams and Westlake Company and its history.It also shows many of their master keys and their cut numbers plus the ordering railroad.If you look hard you can see the heart on back of some.I dont feel that they are fakes but rather keys that were never issued to the railroads.That may also explain why these keys were not mfr marked. My question is what happened to these keys and how were they disposed of? They have shown up over the past few years at shows.Someone knows out there. Posted Friday, July 2, 2010 by DJB

A. Thanks much DJB for providing the information about my MSTP&SSTM "1665" master key. And especially for clearing up the CDSW marking on the lock - I always wondered about that marking. I do have a Wisconsin Central key marked WCRY and it is indeed the same cut as the 1665 master key - I never thought to compare. I purchased this key a few years ago at the St. Charles, IL June railroad show. A gentleman appeared with a large case of these keys, all with hearts stamped on them, along with the story about Adlake master keys. I don't know who he was and haven't seen him since at any railroad show. And I am very relieved to know the key is not a fake! Thanks again DJB for answering my questions.  Posted Friday, July 2, 2010 by JEM

 Q1896 Metal Pass  A friend in El Paso has a metal railroad pass with the following etched in it: JA1273 Missouri Pacific Railroad Company Gulf Coast Lines International Great Northern Railroad Company Pass Mr. Geo. E. Hancock to Diamond Jubilee Pageant and Banquet St. Louis, Mo. July 10,1926 1851 (Logo) 1926 The pass is not steel but of a non-magnetic metal - possibly tin plate?? We are looking for any information available on this pass.  Posted Friday, June 18, 2010 by JN   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Hello. In 1889 the famous narrow-gauge promoter Otto Mears issued Silverton RR passes embossed on pure silver sheet (see link for pic of one which sold at auction) -- but the practice was never widespread for obvious reasons of expense. Since your event was a 75-year anniversary, for which diamond is the customary marker, there is no hint as to what the metal might be. (Although if the metal is silvery, and not corroded, it might be the nickel-based alloy monel metal, which is what US 5 cent nickel coins are made from. Monel metal is extremely durable and very slightly magnetic. It has been used in passenger car sinks, for example.)  Link 1  Posted Tuesday, June 29, 2010 by RJMc

 Q1895 Key ID?  Hello, can someone help identify this key? There is a small 'x' on the right side and it appears to be steel. There are no other markings. The stem moves back and forth. It is approximately 2 inches long (a little smaller than a brass switch key). Thanks!   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Friday, June 18, 2010 by PD   Post a Reply  Email a reply

 Q1894 Betts Lantern  I just acquired a Presentation lantern. Polished brass in perfect condition ..It has an early 2 tube burner with no turn wheel. Globe is clear with Aaron Cook and a wreath etched into it.. Base reads: L.F. Betts PAT Nov 21 65 & Aug 20 68.. also has ills. mfg. co. chicago on base. I've had no luck researching the company or the conductors name.. So ANY information would be of great help to me.. Many thanks for your time  Posted Wednesday, June 16, 2010 by Gary   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Lewis F. Betts held patent number 51005 issued 12/21/1865 for a method to lock the base onto a lantern.Patent number 59705 issued 12/13/1866 for a method of fastening the base to the globe top. Patent number 71444 issued 12/26/1867 for a conical reflector with attached wire guards. And patent number 81584 issued 9/1/1868 for frame construction. The address for him listed on these patents changed from St. Louis to New York and then Chicago. The Illinois Manufacturing Company was incorporated on 3/17/1868. In 1869 James Cross left Cross, Dane and Westlake and became Preseident of Ill. Mfg Co. The building was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 and they moved to Adrian,MI. Later on they moved back to Chicago. They may have gone out of business in 1902. This information is from The Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Railroad Lighting, Volume 1-The Railroad Lantern by Richard C.Barrett, Appendix C Selected Patent Listing, and pages 235,236 which have a short history of Ill's MFg.Co. There is a photo that shows a presentation lantern and that lantern is marked with the Adian, MI address. Posted Wednesday, June 16, 2010 by KM

A. I knew that I had seen the Betts name before, see Q1726 about an A&W brass top lantern in the Archives which refers to a patent held by Charles Betts. I wonder if Charles and Lewis were related?  Posted Wednesday, June 16, 2010 by KM

A. A little more research at The International Guild of lamp Researcher's Q&A Board turns this up, Charles and Lewis Betts were brothers, Charles may have been closely associated with Dietz since most of his patents are assigned to them. Both of them held many lighting patents. There was also a R.G. Betts involved with a Betts Patent Headlight Company that later became 20th Century Manufacturing, which made acetylene bicycle and automotive lamps. See Q 5077 which shows a really neat acetylene bicycle lamp at the Lampguild Q&A Board. I will try to link to it, but the link may not work. And Gary, please, please, send in a photo of your lantern! Link 1  Posted Wednesday, June 16, 2010 by KM

A. WOW ! You guys are good. Many Thanks for the information.. Here is a picture. Thanks again for the information and now I'm going to start searching genealogy to find Aaron Cook.  Link 1  Posted Friday, June 18, 2010 by Gary

A. Good luck on genealogy info on someone with the last name of Cook! Where did you find this lantern? A search at the Railroad Retirement Board might be of some help. I am not sure that you can do that without paying a fee. And searching at some of the railroad unions is a possibility also, but that will take some work and also might have fees involved. Since the unions have had many mergers recently the old records that they maintained may have gotten lost or have been transferred around. Hopefully they have filed them elctronically and might be able to access them easily.  Posted Saturday, June 19, 2010 by KM

A. The Railroad Retirement Board was started in 1936 along with Social Security so that probably won't help given the age of this lantern and the probability that Aaron Cook retired before that. And they do charge a $27.00 fee which is not refundable if they can't help you. Many of the records for the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen are located at Cornell University, Kheel Center For Labor-Management Documentation, Martin Catherwood Library. That might be a good place to start. That assumes that he was a conductor or a brakeman, if he was in engine service than he may have been a meber of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, or the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen, both unions have undergone mergers and organizational changes in the last 30 years. Just for future reference by anyone else, here is a link to the Railraod Retirement Board website Genealogy Search page. Link 1  Posted Saturday, June 19, 2010 by KM

A. Many Thanks for posting all the information.. I'm a picker among other things. A few weeks ago I found this lantern in a N.C. estate and purchased it. I know some of the family moved down from New York, and Illinois way back in the day.. Since it was made in Ill. I assumed the original owner lived there. BUT that is just an assumption. I was hoping that some provenance would increase the value.. But I've searched to no avail. Therefore the next owner can research all they want..  Posted Thursday, June 24, 2010 by Gary

A. While presentation lanterns were primarily used or given to railroad employees, they were also given to important people in the communty such as doctors, dentists, business owners, etc. So the lantern in question was not necessarily railroad related. That should be kept in mind when researching ancestry. Posted Monday, June 28, 2010 by Ken

 Q1893 China Info Needed  Enjoyed your internet site and wondered if anyone can tell me about the Buffalo China pattern attached? I have included three pictures of the fruit saucer I own, one of which is the back mark indicating 'Made Especially for Southern Railroad'. Appreciate any help or information you can offer.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Monday, June 14, 2010 by PL   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Hi, This pattern is called Peach Blossom. According to the book "Dining on Rails" by Richard Luckin it was manufactured and used during the 1920's.  Posted Tuesday, June 15, 2010 by J.N.

 Q1892 LE&W Key  I have a LE&W key that I can't seem to find much info on. One side of the key says LE&W -- I assume Lake Erie and western -- 1347 and the top says patented Oct 27,1908. The back says return to any agent of this company $2.00 reward. What would this type of key be used for and are they more rare? Thanks,   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Saturday, June 12, 2010 by Justin   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. This type of key went to a big cast iron padlock known as "Moon" lock, because they actually have the word "MOON" right on them. I believe the lock itself was made by Corbin. I have included a link to an auction page that shows what one of these locks looked like. The NYCS also has a standard sized switch type lock with the word Moon on it that took a similar key. Link 1  Posted Sunday, June 13, 2010 by DA

A. I too have this key, mine being # 1058. They are known in the hobby as "oiler" keys, which may relate to the fact that they are about as long as the pocket oilers seen years ago. They were used for locks that secured switches. The LE&W went into the NICKLE PLATE ROAD and I have seen at least one of these large locks. MOON locks and keys are found from roads that ran in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana. They strike me as a lock and key that would be specified for cold weather operation as the keyway cover (more properly known as the "drop") and the bow (NOT hilt as erroneously referred to all these years, but BOW) is sufficiently large that you could manipulate lock and key in each hand without removing your gloves. As far as rarity, the LE&W was a smaller road than say- the New York Central, and I see a slew of NYCS, NYCL, and NYCRR oiler keys and MOON locks. So, to say they are more rare is relative. The challenge for you now is to find the lock it went to- I have yet to see one. Now- true that the NYC ran in other states than the ones I listed above, but I have only ever encountered NYC family MOON locks in those states. Further, in reference to the first reply above, it is my belief that it was only the NYCS that used a MOON lock of the same standard size as Adlake, Fraim, Slaymaker, etc.  Posted Sunday, June 13, 2010 by Rail Vandal

A. To clear up what may be some confusion: LE&W ran from Sandusky, OH, to Peoria, ILL. Until 1922 it was a subsidiary of New York Central (NYC) or Lines (NYCL) or NYCRR, but in those times many subsidiaries kept their own identities. In 1922 NYC sold the LE&W to the Nickel Plate Road (New York, Chicago & St.L, NYC&Stl, or NKP.) and it became one of NKP's three main east-west routes. Very little changes overnite on RR's, regardless of corporate shifts, so much hardware marked 'LE&W' would have served both NYC and then NKP for many years after 1922, so either reference could be correct.  Posted Sunday, June 13, 2010 by RJMc

A. I don't have an oiler key in my collection but I've seen them. I think they're called oilers because, as I remember, the tip of an oil can can be inserted in the opening in the barrel to oil the lock.  Posted Monday, June 28, 2010 by Ken

A. The opening in the sides of the barrel is called a clean out hole and the purpose is to give a place where dirt and lint can escape or be pushed out and not plug up the inside of the barrel. This is common knowledge among switch key specialists. It has nothing to do with being able to insert an oil can tip into the key, as the oil would have nowhere to go anyway- the clearance between the inside diameter of the barrel and the post of the lock is tight. Think about it- It is highly unlikely that a switchman would insert oil on the inside of his key, then thereafter put it back in his pocket.  Posted Sunday, July 4, 2010 by Rail Vandal

 Q1891 Kelly Green Globe  I recently got a Rock Island A&W #11 Adams (Model 1909, wire cage) with what i think is a kelly green globe (it's close to 7up bottle green). How common or rare are kelly green ones? At the same time i got a NYC Dietz 999 with a blue globe that's complete with a good wick. Is there anything wrong with putting kero in one and lighting it again?  Posted Monday, June 7, 2010 by RY   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Tall globe lanterns are not my specialty, but I’ll offer a few ideas. I have recently seen “7-UP green” tall globes for sale on the net that, to me, look like reproductions. See Q1730 for some detail on shades of green glass and their evolution. The Corning Glass history cited there mentions that by 1890 there were 32 different shades of green signal glass being used by various American railroads. Railroad signal glass colors were standardized by American railroads between 1908 and about 1914, and a '7-UP Green' globe would precede that; the universal teal/aqua green color we are all familiar with having been introduced at the time of standardization. If the green one you have is an authentic old railroad globe, it's probably +/- a hundred years old and most likely not heat resistant glass, as Corning Nonex (non-expanding) heat resistant glass was developed between 1906 and 1909 and introduced at about the same time of color standardization; Nonex globes being first offered in about 1908 - 1909. Nonex was the predecessor to PYREX brand glass. Nonex globes have a trademark horseshoe shaped 'C' with a squiggly 'NX' inside the C. If there are ANY cracks, thin spots, bubbles, chips, 'flea bites' etc. in the globe surface or even the edges of the rim, you run the chance of breaking it as it heats up once the lantern is lit. Pre Nonex globes broke routinely in day to day service from heat expansion issues. Corning claimed that Nonex reduced such breakage by 60%. On the other hand, if it is an old globe, the fact that it has survived this long would indicate that it’s a pretty durable piece of glass, --providing it hasn’t been cracked !-- Do examine very closely for any cracks starting from either end of the globe, even very small ones which can be very hard to see, as these cracks will certainly expand fatally if the globe heats up, as it will when you light the lantern. If it has railroad initials cast into it, I’d take it to a show and ask a reputable and knowledgeable dealer for their best guess as to its originality, as original marked globes are worth significantly more than plain ones, and you’d kick yourself if you shattered an original. (I'd kick myself if I broke a nice looking fake too) If it were mine, I would find a second generic tall globe for lighting the Adams and keep the green one for unlit display till I knew more about its history. I’d clean out those pots first by vigorously shaking some sharp edged fine gravel/coarse sand around in there with your thumb over the opening, then washing it out with hot water and dish soap, rinsing well and then drying in the sun for an afternoon. Get some good quality clear kerosene and enjoy your lanterns! …Red Beard Posted Thursday, June 10, 2010 by Red Beard the Railroad Raider

A. For search Cross Reference: Nonex globes with the embossed "C" circumscribing the squiggly "NX" are often referred to as CNX globes. ...Red Beard Posted Thursday, June 10, 2010 by Red Beard the Railroad Raider

A. We all need to beware. I have recently seen several fairly 'exotic' color, desirable RR-marked tall globes on the web -- marked 'Wabash', hyped as "route of the Cannonball" comes to mind for example. Buried deep in the middle of the listing, in small letters, it says 'Well made reproduction' or something similar -- but nothing prominent. At the time I saw the one, the same seller had several others, of different roads and colors, up for auction at the same time, all only very 'discreetly' marked 'reproduction.' Posted Thursday, June 10, 2010 by RJMc