About Railroadiana

The railroads built America: up through WW2 they were the dominant form of transportation, with hundreds of major roads hauling passengers and freight. Most railroad lines were large enterprises requiring vast amounts of material and equipment to operate. Much of this material survives today and is sought after by collectors.

Railroadiana collectors will often focus on items from a specific region or railroad (New York Central, Southern Pacific, Baltimore and Ohio, Pennsylvania Central, Santa Fe, Norfolk and Western, Denver and Rio Grande, etc.), or on a specific type of item...

Some of the more popular collectible railroadiana categories include lanterns, calendars, postcards, posters, photos, passes, caps, china, silver and holloware, badges, pocket watches and signs.

There are also railroadiana collectors who focus on baggage tags, bells, builders plates, buttons, marbles, spittoons, uniforms, ashtrays, and railroad-related postal and telegraph items.

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Interviews & Articles

Guest Column: An Overview of Railroadiana Collecting

Many people are fascinated by railroads. At one time, railroads were connected to most aspects of community and eco… [more]

An Interview with Railroadiana Collector and Auctioneer Sue Knous

My husband Bill always loved trains and my grandfather had been an executive with the Denver and Rio Grande here. W… [more]

Collecting Iron Horses

In the final analysis, collecting of old locomotives is not essentially different from the collecting of early carr… [more]



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Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

Railroadiana Online

Railroadiana Online

If you've ever wondered how to tell real from fake railroad china, or how brass baggage tags originated, this extre… [read review or visit site]


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Australian Ww1 1914-15 Star A.a.n.s Sister Stobo R.r.c.$1,007 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 27 watchers
Baldwin Locomotive Works Builders Plate P-6 1922$752.01 Ends Wednesday 10 bids 48 watchers
Griswold Railroad Crossing Signal$750.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid 53 watchers
Airchime Authentic Mk3h Adjustable Back Cap Train Horn Buy it Now$610.00 Ends Friday 3 bids 13 watchers
Two Southern Pacific Engine Boiler Plates$550.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid 6 watchers
Tall Red Cast Or&n Railroad Lantern Globe Excellent +++$415.00 Ends in 16 hours 19 bids 63 watchers
Leslie Rs3l Railroad Locomotive Train Air Horn Nathan$390.00 Ends Thursday 6 bids 10 watchers
Bright Root Beer Amber Success To The Railroad Flask!$383.00 Ends Saturday 7 bids 39 watchers
Wells Fargo & Co's Express Wax Sealer Bodega Roads, Cal$381.00 Ends in 19 hours 10 bids 30 watchers
Nyc & Stl Rr Lantern With Yellow Cast Nyc & Stl Globe$338.33 Ends Tuesday 11 bids 63 watchers
Norfolk & Western Steam Loco Builders Plate Y-5 #413$318.13 Ends Wednesday 7 bids 77 watchers
3 Chime Buckeye Steam Whistle$305.00 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 43 watchers
Southern Pacific Railroad Sp Rr China Lg Serving Bowl$287.99 Ends Tuesday 16 bids 33 watchers
K. C. M. & O. Ry. Of Tex Handlan Railroad Lantern$237.50 Ends Tuesday 11 bids 47 watchers
Nickle Plate Railroad Steam Locomotive Builders Plate$224.78 Ends Wednesday 7 bids 58 watchers
Nathan Air Chime P5$224.72 Ends Saturday 3 bids 4 watchers
Denver Rio Grande Railroad Lantern D & R.g. Great Cond.$217.50 Ends in 16 hours 16 bids 39 watchers
L&n Railroad Dining Or Presidential Car Lamp$209.50 Ends in 13 hours 3 bids 21 watchers
1881-83 Photo Album Of 20 Railroad Stations$207.50 Ends Saturday 2 bids 17 watchers
Baldwin-lima-hamilton Steam Builders Plate$207.22 Ends Sunday 8 bids 19 watchers
Real Train Horn Off Train Super Loud Leslie Supertyfon$202.50 Ends Sunday 13 bids 36 watchers
Antique Railroad Engine Lamp Lantern The Pyle-national$202.50 Ends Tuesday 17 bids 27 watchers
1950 California Zephyr China W/silver Holder Teapot, E$201.50 Ends Friday 10 bids 18 watchers
D&rgw- Rio Grande Caboose Lantern$200.00 Ends in 15 hours 9 bids 40 watchers
New York Central Railroad Century Salt & Pepper Shakers$177.50 Ends Tuesday 13 bids 31 watchers
Antique Railroad / Grain Store Two Wheel Platform Scale$175.00 Ends Saturday 1 bid 3 watchers
Rare Lg. Commemorative Indian Railways Medallion - 1860$171.93 Ends Thursday 2 bids 10 watchers
Central Of Georgia Rwy & Connecting Lines R Prince Book$162.39 Ends Tuesday 5 bids 12 watchers
Vintage Pennsylvania Railroad Silver Coffee Set$160.00 Ends Tuesday 12 bids 27 watchers
Father Time 21 Jewel 16size Elgin Railroad Pocket Watch$156.50 Ends Thursday 5 bids 12 watchers
Antique Railroad Whistle Sign Cast Iron Original Penn.$152.50 Ends Wednesday 7 bids 26 watchers
Lehigh Valley Transit Co. Adlake Reliable Lantern-re Gl$152.50 Ends in 11 hours 7 bids 20 watchers
Vint Polish Brass 16 1/2"ashton Steam Whistle 4 Diam..$152.50 Ends in 17 hours 9 bids 41 watchers
Santa Fe Mimbreno Egg Cup$151.50 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 13 watchers
Ww1 Kia Medal Group To; L/cpl C.e.wade.k.r.r.c. $151.00 Ends Thursday 7 bids 26 watchers
7 Early Truckee Ca Real Photos Rr Depot Etc.$150.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 8 watchers
1922 Watch Railroad Santa Fe Special 21 Jewel *runs*$150.00 Ends Friday 5 bids 20 watchers
Southern Pacific Marker Lamp Spco$150.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 18 watchers
American Locomotive Company Brass Sign 1922$149.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 30 watchers
Santa-fe R.r. Mimbreno Pattern China Table Piece$131.51 Ends Thursday 6 bids 28 watchers
C&o Rr Lantern Tall Red Embossed Globe$127.50 Ends Wednesday 10 bids 13 watchers
Great Northern No.4 Railroad Switch Lamp Lantern Adlake$127.50 Ends Wednesday 4 bids 44 watchers
Handlan St. Louis Antique Railroad Lantern Nynh&h$125.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 14 watchers
Big 1871 Cast Iron Railroad Bridge Sign Jos Henszey Yqz$115.40 Ends Tuesday 10 bids 33 watchers
1905 Photo Postcard Railroad Crossing Fakenham Uk Pc$114.50 Ends in 9 hours 16 bids 13 watchers
Post "perfection" Or #2 Conductor's Lantern Buy it Now$113.61 Ends Thursday 2 bids 11 watchers
Acl 539 Purple E7 In 1959! Original Slide ~trainutz$113.61 Ends Tuesday 8 bids 8 watchers
Vintage Brass Iron Steam Air Whistle Well Majestic$113.50 Ends in 14 hours 6 bids 25 watchers
Original New York Central Railroad Train Conductor Hat$112.50 Ends Tuesday 14 bids 25 watchers
Real Brass Train Whistle Off Train Sounds Great!$106.47 Ends Sunday 4 bids 19 watchers
W129 - 5" Lonergan Chime Steam Whsitle W/built In Valve Buy it Now$105.00 Ends Sunday 3 bids 6 watchers
Rare!!! Vintage Polished Brass 9" Buckeye Steam Whistle$104.50 Ends in 16 hours 6 bids 29 watchers
Lunkenheimer 2 Inch 3 Chime Brass Steam Whistle Lqqk$103.50 Ends Thursday 10 bids 38 watchers
Early 1920's Southern Railway Co. Railroad Police Badge$102.50 Ends Wednesday 9 bids 21 watchers
Nathan K5la Railroad Locomotive Airchime Air Horn Buy it Now$102.50 Ends Thursday 5 bids 8 watchers
Union Pacific Railroad China Desert Flower Oval Plate $102.50 Ends in 7 hours 18 bids 5 watchers
4 Union Pacific Railroad China Desert Flower Plates Sml$102.50 Ends in 10 hours 13 bids 5 watchers
Long Island Railroad Daily Trains Rockaway Beach Times$102.50 Ends in 17 hours 15 bids 11 watchers
Vintage Police / Patrolman Badge / Railroad$100.00 Ends Sunday 3 bids 2 watchers

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Recent News: Railroadiana

Source: Google News

Hot Ticket
Morganton News Herald, March 19th

Morganton Railroad Depot — 624 S. Green St. Fully restored to its 1916 appearance, the Depot Museum contains photos and railroad memorabilia from the...Read more

Things are on track for Railroad Days
McDuffie Mirror, March 18th

Train enthusiasts will enjoy a large exhibit of a model train by the Georgia Carolina Model Association and railroad memorabilia collected by retired...Read more

Train show is this weekend at Greenbo Lake
Ironton Tribune, March 18th

sponsored by the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society, offers dozens of vendors selling railroad memorabilia and model train collectibles,...Read more

Society of Model Engineers to hold model trains exhibit
NorthJersey.com, March 17th

Both the "O" scale and "HO" scale layouts will be on display, as well as the Society's collection of historical railroad memorabilia, including the world's...Read more

State museum commission to hold auction
phillyBurbs.com, March 1st

Model trains, a petticoat, railroad memorabilia and a 1940 Pennsylvania license plate are among more than 1600 items that will be auctioned by the...Read more

Train memorabilia auction on track
The Herald-Mail, February 27th

Burns said his interest in trains started as a child, but it waned until about five years ago, when he started collecting railroad memorabilia...Read more

Road trip: Events in the region
Lansdale Reporter, February 25th

Each meet features more than 625 tables of all scales of trains and railroadiana, along with operating layouts and displays. Call (610) 821-7886...Read more

Thieves steal items from Whitehall's Caboose Museum
Muskegon Chronicle - MLive.com, February 24th

By Heather Lynn Peters | Muskegon Chronicle WHITE LAKE -- Several antiques have been stolen from the Caboose Museum, which opened less than a year ago in...Read more

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