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10 days 18 hrs 6 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Hamilton, MT, USA ZIP 598**
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10 days 18 hrs 12 mins |
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$14.73
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10 days 18 hrs 19 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: West Middlesex, PA, USA ZIP 161**
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- Handling Time: 1 business day
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10 days 18 hrs 22 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Beaufort, SC, USA ZIP 299**
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- Shipping Cost: $18.95
- Handling Time: 3 business days
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- Seller: sailfish1230
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10 days 18 hrs 22 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Huntington Beach, CA, USA ZIP 926**
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- Handling Time: 1 business day
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- Seller: brock
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10 days 18 hrs 25 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Burfordville, MO, USA ZIP 637**
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- Seller: fluzyduzy
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10 days 18 hrs 44 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Mansfield, OH, USA ZIP 449**
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- Handling Time: 3 business days
- Seller: darjo8812
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10 days 18 hrs 45 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Morrisville, PA, USA ZIP 190**
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- Handling Time: 1 business day
- Seller: jrhbn
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$67.95
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10 days 18 hrs 48 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Yazoo City, MS, USA ZIP 391**
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- Shipping Cost: $12.95
- Handling Time: 5 business days
- Seller: jhp1114
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10 days 18 hrs 50 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Flower Mound, TX, USA ZIP 750**
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- Handling Time: 3 business days
- Seller: laureoj0 Feedback: 5 / 66.7%
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$28.00
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10 days 18 hrs 52 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Sultan, WA, USA ZIP 982**
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- Shipping Cost: $10.00
- Handling Time: 4 business days
- Seller: highway2antiques
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$140.00
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10 days 18 hrs 53 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: North Hollywood, CA, USA ZIP 916**
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- Shipping Cost: $15.00
- Handling Time: 1 business day
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- Seller: pasteles1580
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10 days 18 hrs 53 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Hopedale, OH, USA ZIP 439**
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- Handling Time: 1 business day
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- Seller: xxthinklinkxx
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10 days 19 hrs
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$100.00
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10 days 19 hrs 1 min |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: North Hollywood, CA, USA ZIP 916**
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- Shipping Cost: $15.00
- Handling Time: 1 business day
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10 days 19 hrs 4 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: North Hollywood, CA, USA ZIP 916**
- Shipping Type: Local Pick-up
- Handling Time: 1 business day
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- Seller: pasteles1580
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10 days 19 hrs 5 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Lansing, MI, USA ZIP 489**
- Shipping Type: Local Pick-up
- Handling Time: 2 business days
- Seller: dickeranddeal
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10 days 19 hrs 15 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Bishop, CA, USA ZIP 935**
- Shipping Type: Free
- Handling Time: 1 business day
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- Seller: jnogar_22
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10 days 19 hrs 16 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Raleigh, NC, USA ZIP 276**
- Shipping Type: Local Pick-up
- Handling Time: 1 business day
- Seller: mleighcannon-4
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10 days 19 hrs 20 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Raleigh, NC, USA ZIP 276**
- Shipping Type: Local Pick-up
- Handling Time: 1 business day
- Seller: mleighcannon-4
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10 days 19 hrs 23 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Big Lake, MN, USA ZIP 553**
- Shipping Type: Local Pick-up
- Handling Time: 1 business day
- Seller: sorny86
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10 days 19 hrs 23 mins |
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10 days 19 hrs 24 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Raleigh, NC, USA ZIP 276**
- Shipping Type: Local Pick-up
- Handling Time: 1 business day
- Seller: mleighcannon-4
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10 days 19 hrs 25 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Raleigh, NC, USA ZIP 276**
- Shipping Type: Local Pick-up
- Handling Time: 1 business day
- Seller: mleighcannon-4
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10 days 19 hrs 26 mins |
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10 days 19 hrs 33 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Raleigh, NC, USA ZIP 276**
- Shipping Type: Local Pick-up
- Handling Time: 1 business day
- Seller: mleighcannon-4
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10 days 19 hrs 39 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Mount Vernon, IN, USA ZIP 476**
- Shipping Type: Calculated
- Handling Time: 2 business days
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- Seller: cinchbytheinch
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10 days 19 hrs 40 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Prescott, AZ, USA ZIP 863**
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- Handling Time: 1 business day
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- Seller: ronbis2013
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10 days 19 hrs 50 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Chicago, IL, USA ZIP 606**
- Shipping Type: Local Pick-up
- Handling Time: 1 business day
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- Seller: chitownpickers
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10 days 19 hrs 51 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Lancaster, PA, USA ZIP 176**
- Shipping Type: Free
- Handling Time: 2 business days
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- Seller: zekeyman50
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10 days 19 hrs 52 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Canandaigua, NY, USA ZIP 144**
- Shipping Type: Calculated
- Handling Time: 1 business day
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- Seller: falniatom
Feedback: 6,762 / 100% Top-Rated Seller
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10 days 19 hrs 54 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Canandaigua, NY, USA ZIP 144**
- Shipping Type: Calculated
- Handling Time: 1 business day
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- Seller: falniatom
Feedback: 6,762 / 100% Top-Rated Seller
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Buy: $190.00
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10 days 19 hrs 58 mins |
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10 days 19 hrs 58 mins |
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Buy: $49.95
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Ships: $4.75 |
$54.70
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10 days 20 hrs
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- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Shreveport, LA, USA ZIP 711**
- Shipping Type: Flat Rate
- Shipping Cost: $4.75
- Handling Time: 3 business days
- Returns Accepted
- Seller: abcauctionla
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10 days 20 hrs 2 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Harrisonville, MO, USA ZIP 647**
- Shipping Type: Calculated
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- Handling Time: 3 business days
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- Seller: mamabearfinds
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10 days 20 hrs 10 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Belton, MO, USA ZIP 640**
- Shipping Type: Calculated
- Handling Time: 2 business days
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- Seller: caro_bole
Feedback: 291 / 98.2%
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10 days 20 hrs 18 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: York, PA, USA ZIP 174**
- Shipping Type: Local Pick-up
- Handling Time: 1 business day
- Returns Accepted
- Seller: fredsfinds
Feedback: 4,583 / 99.7% Top-Rated Seller
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$54.93
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10 days 20 hrs 21 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Altoona, PA, USA ZIP 166**
- Shipping Type: Flat Rate
- Shipping Cost: $9.98
- Handling Time: 3 business days
- Seller: 3315ricky
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10 days 20 hrs 29 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Two Harbors, MN, USA ZIP 556**
- Shipping Type: Calculated
- Handling Time: 3 business days
- Seller: pahin_9710
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$18.00
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10 days 20 hrs 35 mins |
- Item Condition: New
- Item Location: Owego, NY, USA ZIP 138**
- Shipping Type: Flat Rate
- Shipping Cost: $8.00
- Handling Time: 1 business day
- Seller: 2045sonja
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10 days 20 hrs 36 mins |
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$175.00
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10 days 20 hrs 38 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Glenmont, NY, USA ZIP 120**
- Shipping Type: Local Pick-up
- Handling Time: 2 business days
- Returns Accepted
- Seller: nrscss
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10 days 20 hrs 46 mins |
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10 days 20 hrs 52 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Birdsboro, PA, USA ZIP 195**
- Shipping Type: Calculated
- Handling Time: 2 business days
- Seller: gp48x
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10 days 20 hrs 58 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Westminster, MD, USA ZIP 211**
- Shipping Type: Local Pick-up
- Handling Time: 3 business days
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- Seller: co_19691
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$57.00
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10 days 21 hrs 10 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Battle Creek, MI, USA ZIP 490**
- Shipping Type: Flat Rate
- Shipping Cost: $47.00
- Handling Time: 1 business day
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10 days 21 hrs 10 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Raymond, IL, USA ZIP 625**
- Shipping Type: Calculated
- Handling Time: 3 business days
- Seller: ractre-46
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10 days 21 hrs 12 mins |
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$38.00
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10 days 21 hrs 12 mins |
- Item Condition: Used
- Item Location: Sultan, WA, USA ZIP 982**
- Shipping Type: Flat Rate
- Shipping Cost: $16.00
- Handling Time: 4 business days
- Seller: highway2antiques
Feedback: 4,892 / 99.5%
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In the middle of the 19th century, several innovations took place in lighting technology. Dietz and Company patented a flat wick lantern burner designed to burn kerosene in 1859. Although the railroad industry continued to use lamps and lanterns burning signal oil for some time afterward, the arrival of kerosene presaged future use of the fuel in later railroad lanterns. In 1868, John Irwin received the patent for his "hot blast" type lantern, a design that diverted exhaust gas back down tubes on the sides of the lantern to direct a mix of fresh and hot air at the flame, making it burn brighter. That same year, Dietz & Smith began producing their first hot blast lanterns. In 1874, Irwin patented a similar "cold blast" type lantern, which was designed to force cold, fresh air at the flame, making it burn even brighter than the previous "hot blast" design. By that time, a number of companies were producing lanterns and signal lamps for the railroad industry, including the Buffalo Steam Gauge and Lantern Company and Adams and Westlake, commonly known as Adlake.
Because there were a large number of lantern manufacturers serving the diverse needs of the railroad companies, many different types of lanterns and lamps were produced over the years. An early innovation was to make the globe removable, allowing easier access to service the burner and wick, and allowing for easy replacement of broken globes. The fixed globe lanterns were replaced by tall globe lanterns with red, cobalt blue, green, amber, and clear globes. The different colors were used for signaling and to mark the end of a train, or a train that was stopped because it was being worked on. Different arm motions and color combinations could allow a switch operator or ground man to tell the engineer of a train to stop, slow down, proceed with caution, or could alert him that the train had parted. Track switches and train yards had signal lamps that were designed with lenses to direct different colors of light in different directions, analogous to modern day automobile traffic lights.
Some lanterns were designed for very specific roles in the railroad industry.
Conductor's lanterns were generally larger and more ornate than the ones used by engineers and brakemen. The traveling public expected a dignified and well dressed conductor, and a dented and rusty old lantern would not fit the image as well as a shiny brass conductor's lantern throwing a bright light. Particularly fancy ones, called
presentation lanterns, were handed out on special occasions and to particularly valued employees.
Railroad inspectors, sometimes called trackwalkers, had bright lanterns designed with a reflective case and lens, made to focus as much light as possible in a small area. They had to check the trains for cracked wheels or axles, damaged couplers, and ensure proper lubrication and maintenance activities were performed on locomotives and rolling stock. The bright light of the Dietz Acme hot blast lantern and the Dietz Ideal cold blast lantern served railroad inspectors for decades.
These signal oil lanterns gave way to kerosene lanterns, and lamp design changed again to accommodate the new fuel. Short globe railroad lanterns of the early 20th century continued in production and use until late in the 20th century, so many fine examples can be found. Though they were shorter, the brighter kerosene flame, sometimes focused using a fresnel lens, was still as useful as long globe lanterns, and for the rail industry represented a far cheaper and more reliable source of portable lighting than electric lights. The same basic designs are still sold and used today to provide lighting in areas with no electricity and in emergencies such as hurricanes.
Collectors looking for antique and vintage railroad lanterns with markings from railroad and traction companies can find new opportunities to buy these historic marker lanterns, semaphore lanterns and switch lamps here daily. For more collectible RR lanterns, visit
Vintage Railroad Lanterns, where you can find lamps from
Embury,
Dressel,
Handlan,
C.T. Ham and S.G. & L. Co. appear for sale regularly, along with many other railroad lanterns from turn of the century metal shops.
For more information on the various types of lamps and lanterns used on trains and around railroad yards, visit the
Railroad Lamps Web Page and the
Railroad Lanterns Web Page at Railroadiana Online, where they also have a special section devoted to railroad
Inspector's Lanterns. For definitions of the terms used in describing vintage lantern and lamp parts, visit the
Lamp Guild. Collectors interested in other
antique lanterns and lamps click here!