Beech Creek Railroad Lantern

Beech Creek brass top, bell bottom railroad lantern made by the Steam Gauge & Lantern Co., in Rochester, NY, in the mid-1880's. This lantern is a classic, no. 39 SG&L double-guard RR lantern with bayonet base attachment, marked B.C.R.R. on the lid reflector. The SG&L Rochester hallmark is found on the chimney. The hallmark dates this lantern to about 1885. Earlier SG&L lanterns ca. 1880-1885 were not hallmarked, as the company relocated from Buffalo to Rochester in the late 1870's. The cobalt blue, extended base globe is marked FBC Co., for the Fall Brook Coal Co., in very heavy relief. The Beech Creek and Fall Brook Coal Co. railroads were associated with, and later owned by the New York Central & Hudson River RR Co. They interchanged at Jersey Shore Junction, PA. These RRs were built primarily to transport anthracite coal, mined in north central PA (Pennsylvania RR territory), to the NYC&HR main line interchange at Lyons, NY, for fueling the NYC&HR's (and other Vanderbilt-controlled RR's) locomotives.