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Railroadiana
Railroadiana or railwayana refers to artifacts of currently or formerly operating railways around the world. Background Railroadiana/railwayana can include items such as: * Railway books and magazines * Model railway locomotives, rolling stock and equipment * Railway tickets and other associated paraphernalia * Brakeman's or marker lanterns * Date nails, rail spikes, or short sections of rail * Dining car linens, holloware, cutlery, or porcelain * Locomotive nameplates or builder's plates * Promotional or advertising materials from railway passenger and freight service * Public or employee timetables * Railroad hand tools such as wrenches, shovels, or brakeman's clubs * Railroad switch stands or keys * Sleeping car linens * Station signs and railway signals * Trackside signs such as mile post markers, whistle posts, or flanger signs * Train dispatching forms and train orders * Train horns and whistles There are many more types of railroadiana available to the coll ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Holloware
Holloware (mostly in American English) or hollow-ware is tableware that forms a vessel or container of some kind, as opposed to flatware such as plates. Examples include sugar bowls, creamers, coffee pots, teapots, soup tureens, hot food covers, and jugs. It may be in pottery, metals such as silver, iron, glass or plastic. It does not include cutlery or other metal utensils. Holloware is constructed for durability. It differs from some other silver-plated items, with thicker walls and more layers of silver plating. Background Dining car holloware is a type of railroad collectible (railroadiana). The relative value of pieces depends on their scarcity, age and condition, and the popularity of the trains on which the items were used. Railroads marked this holloware with information such as the railroad's name or logo and the name of the manufacturer. Holloware is the traditional gift in the UK and the modern gift in the US for the 16th wedding anniversary. Holloware is the tr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Railroad Lantern
A lantern is a source of lighting, often portable. It typically features a protective enclosure for the light sourcehistorically usually a candle, a wick in oil, or a thermoluminescent mesh, and often a battery-powered light in modern timesto make it easier to carry and hang up, and make it more reliable outdoors or in drafty interiors. Lanterns may also be used for signaling, as torches, or as general light-sources outdoors. Uses The lantern enclosure was primarily used to prevent a burning candle or wick being extinguished from wind, rain or other causes. Some antique lanterns have only a metal grid, indicating their function was to protect the candle or wick during transportation and avoid the excess heat from the top to avoid unexpected fires. Another important function was to reduce the risk of fire should a spark leap from the flame or the light be dropped. This was especially important below deck on ships: a fire on a wooden ship was a major catastrophe. Use of unguarde ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Date Nail
Date nails were tagging devices utilized by railroads and utility companies to visually identify the age of railroad ties or utility poles. Octave Chanute, railroad and aviation pioneer, is credited with the idea for using date nails as a way of tracking the life of railroad ties. Different railroads used different sized nails with either alpha or numerical markings. An example would be a Southern Pacific Railroad nail with the marking "01" stamped on the head of the nail. The "01" would identify the nail as being hammered into a railroad tie in the year 1901. Date nails can vary in size, shape, length, material, and rarity. Some railroads used "code nails" which means that the nail was used to mark something other than the date the tie was installed. An example of a code nail would be the Chicago and North Western Railway "FNB" nail meaning First National Bank, which would be hammered into the ends of some C&NW ties. Another example is the Milwaukee Road "R08" nail, where the "R ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nameplate
A nameplate identifies and displays a person or product's name. Nameplates are usually shaped as rectangles but are also seen in other shapes, sometimes taking on the shape of someone's written name. Nameplates primarily serve an informative function (as in an office environment, where nameplates mounted on doors or walls identify employees' spaces) or a commercial role (as in a retail environment, where nameplates are mounted on products to identify the brand). Whereas name tags tend to be worn on uniforms or clothing, nameplates tend to be mounted onto an object (e.g. cars, amplification devices) or physical space (e.g. doors, walls, or desktops). Nameplates are also distinct from name plaques. Plaques have larger dimensions and aim to communicate more information than a name and title. Office nameplates Office nameplates generally are made out of plastic, wood, metals (stainless steel, brass, aluminium, zinc, copper) and usually contain one or two lines of text. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
CNW Brakeman's Kerosene Lantern
The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states before retrenchment in the late 1970s. Until 1972, when the employees purchased the company, it was named the Chicago and North Western Railway (or Chicago and North Western Railway Company). The C&NW became one of the longest railroads in the United States as a result of mergers with other railroads, such as the Chicago Great Western Railway, Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway and others. By 1995, track sales and abandonment had reduced the total mileage to about 5,000. The majority of the abandoned and sold lines were lightly trafficked branches in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Large line sales, such as those that resulted in the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad, further helped reduce the railroad to a mainline c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Whistle Post
In rail transport, a whistle post or whistle board, is a Signage, sign marking a location where a train driver is required to sound the Train horn, horn or Train whistle, whistle. Australia In Australia, whistle posts consist of a pole or upright flat-bottom rail with a white or reflective yellow X. In Queensland, A whistle post is mounted on a metal pole or old rail. The board is a flattened white triangle with rounded edges and a black W. Czech Republic In the Czech Republic, a whistle post is red and white striped poleof different sizes and shapes, and it is called "" ('whistle'). Estonia In Estonia, whistle posts are used in front of tunnels, bridges, level crossings and other places where the driver must sound one long whistle. Estonian whistle posts are inverted pear-shaped white plates, the lower third of which is green. France In France, a whistle board comprises a black rectangular board bearing a white letter 'S' for "" ('whistle'). An additional white board with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flanger (railroad)
A flanger (also known as a scraper or digger) is a railroad car that clears the space between the rails, generally of ice and snow. While a wedge plow can remove snow above the surface of the rails, the flanger removes snow and ice from below the surface of the rails where the railway wheel flanges fit. Railway locomotives and cars can be derailed if the flangeway is filled. The flanger blades are lowered below the head of the rail. Blades typically throw the snow and ice to the left of the left rail and to the right of the right rail. Some flangers have a single V-shaped blade extending between both rails while others with a separate blade for each rail are better adapted to lines with Guard rail (rail), guard rails. Some blades work while the car moves either frontwards or backwards, while other flangers have one blade for forward movement and a different blade for backward movement. While early railway wedge plows required a separate flanger, many modern plows also include fla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Train Order
Train order operation is a system for safely moving trains using train orders, as opposed to fixed signals or cab signalling. In train order operation, a "train order" is an order issued by or through a proper railway official to govern the movement of trains. Train order operation was widely used by the railroads of North America before the days of centralized traffic control (CTC), direct traffic control (DTC), and the use of track warrants conveyed by radio. The system used a set of rules when direct communication between train dispatchers and trains was limited or non-existent. Trains would follow a predetermined operating plan, known as the timetable, unless superseded by train orders conveyed to the train from the dispatcher, through local intermediaries. Train order operation was a system that required minimum human overhead in an era before widespread use of technology-based automation. It was the most practical way for railroads with limited capital resources, or lin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Train Horn
A train horn is an air horn used as an audible warning device on diesel and electric-powered trains. Its primary purpose is to alert persons and animals to an oncoming train, especially when approaching a level crossing. They are often extremely loud, allowing them to be heard from great distances. They are also used for acknowledging signals given by railroad employees, such as during switching operations. For steam locomotives, the equivalent device is a train whistle. History and background Since trains move on fixed rails, they are uniquely susceptible to collision. This is exacerbated by the train's enormous weight and inertia, which make it difficult to quickly stop when encountering an obstacle. Also, trains generally do not stop at level crossings, instead relying on pedestrians and vehicles to clear the tracks when they pass. Therefore, from their beginnings, locomotives have been equipped with loud horns or bells to warn vehicles and pedestrians that they are c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Railroad Speeder
A speeder (also known as a section car, railway motor car, putt-putt, track-maintenance car, crew car, jigger, trike, quad, trolley, inspection car, or draisine) is a small railcar used around the world by track inspectors and work crews to move quickly to and from work sites. Although slow compared to a train or car, it is called ''speeder'' because it is faster than a human-powered vehicle such as a handcar. Motorized inspection cars date back to at least 1895, when the Kalamazoo Manufacturing Company started building gasoline-engined inspection cars. In the 1990s, many speeders were replaced by pickup trucks or sport utility vehicles with additional flanged wheels that could be lowered for travelling on rails, called " road–rail vehicles" or hi-rails for "highway-railroad". Speeders are collected by hobbyists, who refurbish them for excursions organized by the North American Railcar Operators Association in the U.S. and Canada and the Australian Society of Section Car O ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Train Whistle
A train whistle or air whistle (originally referred to as a train trumpet or air trumpet) is an audible signaling device on a steam or gas locomotive, used to warn that the train is approaching, and to communicate with rail workers. Modern diesel and electric locomotives primarily use a powerful air horn instead of a whistle as an audible warning device. However, the word ''whistle'' continues to be used by railroaders in referring to such signaling practices as "whistling off" (sounding the horn when a train gets underway). The need for a whistle on a locomotive exists because trains move on fixed rails and thus are uniquely susceptible to collision. This susceptibility is exacerbated by a train's enormous weight and inertia, which make it difficult to quickly stop when encountering an obstacle. Hence a means of warning others of the approach of a train from a distance is necessary. As train whistles are inexpensive compared to other warning devices, the use of loud and dis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Railway Signal
A railway signal is a visual display device that conveys instructions or provides warning of instructions regarding the driver's authority to proceed. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly. Typically, a signal might inform the driver of the speed at which the train may safely proceed or it may instruct the driver to stop. Application and positioning of signals Originally, signals displayed simple stop or proceed indications. As traffic density increased, this proved to be too limiting and refinements were added. One such refinement was the addition of distant signals on the approach to stop signals. The distant signal gave the driver warning that they were approaching a signal which might require a stop. This allowed for an overall increase in speed, since train drivers no longer had to drive at a speed within sighting distance of the stop signal. Under timetable and train order operation, the signals did not directly convey orders to the tr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
