Large Scale Central

How to identify mile markers

Prototypes
#1

Hello friends. Been offline for several months while dealing with family issues. But now we are back, and with a new home.

The house was built in the late 1890s, with an outside stairway, the risers of which seem to be made of reused concrete mile markers! From the home’s timeline, I am guessing them either to have been placed there in the 1900s or 1920s.

They are about 8 inches wide, 4 -6 feet long, and a couple inches thick, dog-eared, with molded markings. “B 45” for example.

Likely from the local railroad, the North Pacific.

But, can anyone offer a suggestion on how to decipher them? It’d be a nice historical note.

Thanks!

edit: Here is a link to a similar stone: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AMile_6_Old_Put_jeh.JPG

#2

Cool - The Wikipedia example you posted…

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/Mile_6_Old_Put_jeh.JPG/702px-Mile_6_Old_Put_jeh.JPG)

is from Van Cortland Park in NY state and appears to indicate 6 miles from NY (New York City perhaps). Is there a city near you that begins with B ?

#3

Hmm. Well, there’s Belvedere. Not really on the railroad line, though it was the only incorporated city near the Southern terminus. But 45 miles away, you’d have been nearer San Rafael, which was a relatively major city, or Santa Rosa.

I think maybe I should dig up the other dozen or so and see what they say. I don’t imagine these are particularly rare or have much intrinsic value…

#4

Could just be the “line” indication.

Ex: NS’s CP-Harrisburg on the Harrisburg Line is identified as Milepost HP-112.9

“B” could simply have meant that it was a Branch line, or perhaps the track started at “B” Tower and that mile marker was 45 miles from “B” Tower.

Another thing to keep in mind, a Railroad might have as many as twice as many miles of track between two towns as miles in the crow’s flight. Just look at the distance from Alto Tower to the Gallitzin Tunnels.

Without knowing for certain which road they came from, it might be impossible to determine where they are from.

Another thing, when railroads abandoned a part of a line, the number’s would usually remain the same even if the route changed: ex, Altoona is identified as Milepost PB (Pittsburg Line) 236. If you follow the tracks back to Harrisburg, the line ends at CP-Harrisburg which goes from MP PB-105/104.9 then changes to MP HB-112.9. The reason is that even though the tracks now go straight through towards Reading, that was how CONRAIL aligned the tracks. When Pennsy built them, Harris Tower (the old interlocking tower that used to control what is now CP Harrisburg) was 104.5 miles from PHILADELPHIA, but that is now Amtrak’s Harrisburg Extension of the NEC. The “Harrisburg Line” is the old Reading Mainline from Reading to Harrisburg.

#5

Michael:

I would strongly suggest you get in contact with some of the folks who really know the railroads of N. California.

Here is a link to a group that specializes in Pacific Narrow Gauge RRs:

http://www.pacificng.com/forum/index.php

Another possible resource would be Randy Hees at the Society for the Preservation of Carter Railroad Resources:

http://www.spcrr.org/

Randy is a member of the PNG group, but is also a principal person at the Ardenwood Farm Museum & SPCRR operation. He is very much a master historian when it comes to N. California RRs.

These guys will probably be able to identify what you have.

As to value, perhaps it is only historical rather than monetary, but still very interesting to those who follow such things!

Please let us know what transpires.

Happy RRing,

Jerry

#6

Good advice. Once I return from family vacation I will check those resources. Of course, the railroad museum in Tiburon is on that list too!