Large Scale Central

Railroad Memorabilia

General Discussion
#1

Folks;

I know our main thrust is large scale model railroading, but just out of curiosity, I was wondering if any of you also have railroad memorabilia. I have stuff that was given to me or purchased by me over several decades. It includes:

  1. Several rule books, including one from the Jacksonville, Tampa & Key West system, dated effective April 1, 1891.
  2. Two kerosene brakemen’s lanterns and one modern battery brakemen’s lantern.
  3. Four switch keys - my W,K&S key, an older N&W key, a modern N&W key (looks like a vending machine key), and the ancient key that goes with my N&W switch lock.
  4. The above-mentioned switch lock.
  5. A diesel reverser key from the late 1970s to early 1980s era.
  6. A train order hoop.
  7. A steam locomotive engineer’s long spout oil can.

Not a lot, but great stuff with fond memories. Anybody else have similar memorabilia?

Regards, David Meashey

OOPS! Forgot to mention several date nails and track spikes (one crome plated and engraved with my initials plus one brass plated) also an ownership plate from a station scale.

#2

ABSOLUTELY…

However mostly books and manuals with a bunch of Amtrash, NS, Conrail, some PRR items.

I want Jon Radders Conrail ruler that he uses in his shop!

#3

I’ve got a small bathroom outfitted with all kinds of Pullman stuff. Also several lanterns (several from Dave Marconi), and a few small V&T artifacts.

#4

I wouldn’t have even put those Conrail rulers on my list. I consider them promotional items like the Arsito flashing pin and other similar items that used to reside on the shelf over my upstairs desk.

Most of what I have has been inherited or gifted to me. I think I purchased all of the date nails.
Small collection of date nails.
Switch lantern with all lenses intact (one may be cracked).
small Marker lamp with original oil burner and a bulb socket.
A long neck oil can that was unfortunately spray painted gold by someone.
The signs y’all have seen in pictures. Most thanks to Hollywood.
A brake hose found near Metro North tracks.
Numerous rusty relics but unfortunately the heavier ones like a joint bar didn’t move with us. Lots of spikes and a few tie plates.
The bell mechanism from a crossing - Thanks Rooster
I sat on a set of crossing lamps for years. They finally got crossbuck signs from Hollywood. The set was re-homed with @Sawburner a few years ago.

There is probably more I forgot as it has all been boxed up for 6 months.

#5

Oh, yeah, I should have listed the same. :grinning:

#6

I have a couple switch lanterns, one housing of a N&W position light signal, and a bunch of PRR paperwork from the mid-1970s (blank orders, etc). And the H2 signal mechanism that I need to find a housing for.

Currently talking to a guy about a ground throw.

#7

The collection I had, all from California mines, mainly Tuolumne County, near where I grew up… from old memories:

  • At least 50 different-sized spikes
  • Many dated nails
  • Lots of hardware / fasteners so corroded it wasn’t clear what they were
  • An inclined-shaft skip
  • Section of ~20" gauge track
  • 4-wheel flat car with barrel (a wine barrel I’d scroundged)
  • Main thing, the waterspout from a Pickering Lumber Company water tank
  • Gobs of glass insulators
  • Ore bin gate with tracks
  • A big bulgie-top wooden travel trunk
  • Old bottle collection
  • Many other small items, can’t remember

But my parents moved, and I was needing a place to stay. So I had to get rid of it. All to one guy, for $500, back around 1982.

#8

Oh yea, Cliff’s post reminded me that I have a bucket of date nails I collected along the old New Haven Railroad’s Charles River branchline that ran through the neighborhood I grew up in. I need to get a couple of ties to display them in out in the garden.

#9

i’ve got just one single piece.
a friend gave me a big heavy piece of iron/steel (?) to use as anvil.
when he had bought and scrapped some old freightcars in the 1980ies, he collected the simple axle-bearings.
when i brushed of the rust, i found some engraved or stamped marks.
these marks tell, that it was built for the paraguayan Ferrocarril (railroad) in 1852 or 1853.

130 years of service, and the bearinghole still looks roundish!

best pic i have:

bilderjoiner01
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#10

I have a few small things I’ve found in my few years…

  • a tie plate from Northampton
  • a plate (for under point rails - do these have a name?) from Ludlow
  • spikes from Hadley, Northampton, Amherst, and Mansfield

The spike from Hadley my dad found walking the rail trail when I was a kid. I think he found a few. These were left when the tracks were pulled up in the 80s (ex-Central Mass/BM). The others I don’t care about nearly as much, but Hadley is my hometown, so that one means something to me.

My dad has wanted a small section of rail (like 12") for years. Still haven’t found one small enough. I’d love to gift him that at some point. So, if anyone has a lead, I’d appreciate it!

#11

A switch stand off the Milwaukee RR
A caboose oil heater
A couple of lanterns
An old set of crossbucks
Misc. hand tools and oil cans stamped with RR initials.
Prolly some other stuff I’ve forgotten about.

#12

I have been picking up stray pieces of RR junk for years, now days i often wonder why I did that.
Rather than trying to make a list here is a few shots of stuff laying around.

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Can anyone guess what these are? They are RR related.

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There are also several albums of old pictures and post cards as we;; as books and other items.

Just to much junk accumulated over the years.

#13

Those are definitely wooden plugs to be hammered into spike holes in wooden RR ties…
Fweddy

#14

Rick;

Not positive, but the wood plugs shown in your last photo may have been used to plug the spike holes in crossties. I think that would allow the ties to be rotated 90 to 180 degrees and used for relaying of something like a siding track. We had similar plugs on the Dry Gulch RR, and I think they got used that way.

An educated guess, David Meashey

#15

I’ve been “Gifted” with more old Railroad junk than I could list…lanterns by the handful (Markers, switch lanterns high and low levels, class lamps, semaphore arms, short and shorter pieces of various weights of rail, tie plates, spikes, joint bars, several switch stands, a caboose pot belly stove, brake shoes, truck springs, a bronze CN steam locomotive bell, cross arms, station signs, station mile boards, telegraph keys, and sounders, employee time tables, and other stuff in hidden spots all around my house and shop…topped off with a library of railroad books… even a very large framed/plate glassed builder’s photograph of a CPR 2-10-4 Selkirk 5900 class steam locomotive which once hung in the board room of the CPR Motive Power Superintendent in CPR’s head office in Montreal Quebec.
I’ve hardly ever purchased anything. I’ve been blessed with a multitude of true FRIENDS, who have generously given me the great stuff, and the wonderful memories and stories that came with them.
I share them with all my friends who are welcome to visit, and enjoy the stories, and ring the bell… the bell is also used EVERY Saturday morning, at the start of our weekly railroad operations; weather permitting, during the Summer season.
Fweddy

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#16

Fred and Dave,
Yes that is what they were used for.
When a spike hole wore too much to hold a spike they would shift over and drive a new spike.

On the Modoc Line where I gathered these they were used to plug the empty hole so they wouldn’t fill with water, freeze and split the tie or so I have been told.

#17

My railroad memorabilia includes;

Hearing loss in my left ear despite wearing ear plugs 100% of the time.

Upon the age of 62, a small payment from the Railroad Retirement Board.

And a big yellow RR crossing sign that was liberated one night at Stacy St Yard after Seattle DOT took it down for construction of a roadway…

Some of my lanterns and some other stuff.

Completely unrelated, there was a time I had a brand new locomotive on my train. And brand new locomotives have locomotive keys.

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#18

Might be tie plugs. When spikes were relocated on a tie, sometimes wooden plugs were put into unused holes to prevent filling with water and premature rotting. You can still get them.