Eastern Railroad
Item: 3-E Price: $125.00
Remarks: Absorbed by the B&M in 1890.
Superb serif stamp marks and patina.
129 years young!
History
The Eastern Railroad Company of Massachusetts was first chartered on April 14, 1836. The line followed the coastline, in contrast to the Boston & Maine's inland route through Massachusetts, and it served North Shore cities such as Lynn, Salem, Beverly, and Newburyport. In keeping with its coastal route, the Eastern Railroad chose to place its Boston terminus in East Boston, a short ferry ride from downtown Boston, rather than building tracks around Chelsea Creek, the Boston Inner Harbor, and the Mystic River into the city.
On December 23, 1883, the competition between the Eastern Railroad and the Boston & Maine ended when the Boston & Maine leased the Eastern for 54 years. On May 9, 1890, the Boston & Maine purchased the Eastern outright, dissolving the company. The Boston & Maine incorporated the Eastern's tracks into its Portland Division as an alternative route to Maine and for continued service to the North Shore.
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East St. Louis & Suburban Railway
Item: 5-E New Listing Price: $125.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Handland-Buck forged.
Handsome tapered barrel.
Superb serif stamp marks and gold patina.
100 year + centenarian!
History
The East St. Louis and Suburban Railway was an interurban railroad that operated in Illinois. The line served Madison County, St. Clair County, and Monroe County as part of the great "East Side Electric Railway System." It stretched from the Eads Bridge, which crossed the Mississippi River from East St. Louis, Illinois to St. Louis, Missouri, east to Lebanon, and from Alton, to Waterloo. This railroad moved commuters and express freight among various towns in the East St. Louis area including Belleville, Collinsville, Waterloo, Columbia, Granite City, National City, French Village, and O'Fallon.
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East St. Louis & Suburban Railway
Item: 6-E Price: $125.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Handland-Buck forged.
Handsome tapered barrel.
Superb serif stamp marks and caramel patina.
100 year + centenarian!
History - continued from above
On December 23, 1883, the competition between the Eastern Railroad and the Boston & Maine ended when the Boston & Maine leased the Eastern for 54 years. On May 9, 1890, the Boston & Maine purchased the Eastern outright, dissolving the company. The Boston & Maine incorporated the Eastern's tracks into its Portland Division as an alternative route to Maine and for continued service to the North Shore.
The system was abandoned sectionally during the 1930s.
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Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad
Item: 8-E Price: $95.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Very nice stamp marks and gold patina.
100 year + centenarian!
History
Most railroads like it or not, had a "moniker" bestowed or labled on them. The "J" and "The Chicago Outer Belt Line" were the nicknames given to the EJ&E railroad. The (Class 2) railroad served as a link between Class I railroads traveling to and from Chicago, although it operated almost entirely within the city's suburbs and only entered Chicago where it served the U.S. Steel South Works on the shores of Lake Michigan.
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Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad
Item: 9-E Price: $85.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Nice stamp marks and gold patina.
History - continued from above
On September 26, 2007, the Canadian National Railway announced that it planned to purchase a majority of the EJ&E, leaving a portion of the line in Indiana to be reorganized as the Gary Railway. The purchase was approved on December 24, 2008 by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, and the deal was consummated effective February 1, 2009.
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Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad
Item: 10-E Price: $225.00 $210.00
Remarks: ca. 1800s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Early A&W hex stamp = 1st series.
Superb stamp marks and caramel patina.
125 year + centenarian!
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East Carolina Railway
Item: 12-E Price: $195.00
Remarks: Absorbed by the ACL in 1935.
Superb serif stamp marks and copper patina.
100 year + centenarian!
A nice 1!
History
The East Carolina Railway was a short-line railroad that ran from 1898 to 1965. Originating in Tarboro, North Carolina the East Carolina Railway interchanged at Farmville, North Carolina with the original Norfolk Southern Railway.
The railroad was acquired by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) in 1935, but continued to be locally managed by Henry Clark Bridgers until his death in 1951. The railway continued to be operated under the East Carolina Railway name until the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad abandoned the line in 1965. The last train ran on November 16, 1965.
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East Erie Commercial Railroad
Item: 14-E Price: $75.00 $55.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Erie short line.
Deep stamp marks and superb gold patina.
History
The East Erie Commercial Railroad (EEC) is a small switching railroad that services the GE Locomotive Plant facilities in Erie, Pa. The main line mileage aggregates 6.726 miles. The carrier also owns and uses 3.632 miles of yard tracks and sidings, making a total of 10.358 miles of all tracks. The carrier grants trackage rights to the General Electric Company over a portion of its railroad.
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Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad
Item: 16-E Price: $165.00 $155.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Great gold patina, and very low serial #33
100 year + centenarian!
History
The Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad (reporting mark ELS) is a privately held shortline railroad that operates 347 miles (558 km) of track in Northeastern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
The railroad was founded as the Escanaba and Lake Superior Railway on November 17, 1898, by Isaac Stephenson, a local businessman, with seven miles (11 km) of track from Wells, Michigan, northwest. Over the next several years it built track to Channing, Michigan, where it connected with the Milwaukee Road.
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El Paso & Southwestern Railroad
Item: 18-E Price: $325.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Excellent stamp marks and gold patina.
100 year + centenarian!
History
The El Paso and Southwestern Railroad began in 1888 as the Arizona and South Eastern Railroad, a short line serving copper mines in southern Arizona. Over the next few decades, it grew into a 1200-mile system that stretched from Tucumcari, New Mexico southward to El Paso, Texas, and westward to Tucson, Arizona, with several branch lines, including one to Nacozari, Mexico. The railroad was bought by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1924 and fully merged into its parent company in 1955. The EP&SW was a major link in the transcontinental route of the Golden State Limited.
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Erie Railroad
Item: 21-E Price: $95.00
Remarks: ca. 1879-1917
Forged by the E.T. Fraim Co.
Superb stamp marks and dark patina.
Civil War Railroad.
Given the moniker, "Weary Erie"
125 year + centenarian!
History
The Erie Railroad, chartered in 1832, was a railroad that operated in the northeastern United States, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie. It expanded west to Chicago with its 1941 merger with the former Atlantic & Great Western Railroad, also known as the New York Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad. Its mainline route proved influential in the development and economic growth of the Southern Tier, including cities such as Binghamton, Elmira and Hornell. The business recession that occurred in the 1950's led the Erie to explore the idea of doing business with the nearby Delaware-Lackawanna & Western Railroad. Problems still persisted after the 1960 merger and in 1976, the Erie (Erie Lackawanna) became part of Conrail. Today most of the former Erie Railroad routes are operated by Norfolk Southern Railway.
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Erie Railroad
Item: 22-E diamond logo Price: $55.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Nice pocket wear and superb gold patina.
80 year + octogenarian!
History - continued from above
The Erie held its own against the Great Depression until January 18, 1938 when it entered bankruptcy. Its reorganization, accomplished in December 1941, included purchase of the leased C&MV, swapping high rent for lower interest payments, and purchase of subsidiaries and leased lines. To the surprise of many, Erie began paying dividends.
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Erie Railroad
Item: 23-E Price: $115.00
Remarks: ca. pre-1927
Forged by the Wilson Bohannan Co.
Superb serif stamp marks and gold patina.
100 year + centenarian!
History - continued from above
The Erie prospered throughout the mid-1950s, but then began an irreversible decline. The company's 1957 income was half of that in 1956; by 1958 and 1959, the Erie posted deficits. The business recession that occurred in the 1950s led the Erie to explore the idea of doing business with the nearby Delaware-Lackawanna & Western Railroad (DL&W).
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Erie Railroad
Item: 24-E Price: $75.00
Remarks: ca. 1921-30
Fraim/Slaymaker forged.
Superb serif stamp marks and gold patina.
80 year + octogenarian!
History - continued from above
On October 17, 1960, the Erie merged with former rival Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad to form the Erie Lackawanna Railroad.
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Erie Railroad
Item: 25-E Price: $75.00
Remarks: ca. 1921-30
Fraim/Slaymaker forged.
Superb stamp marks and two-tone patina.
80 year + octogenarian!
History - continued from above
Steam last operated on the Erie on March 17, 1954, when the fires were dropped on K-1 class Pacific locomotive No. 2530, used on a commuter run between Jersey City and Spring Valley, New York.
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Erie Railroad
Item: 26-E Price: $75.00
Remarks: ca. 1879-1917
Forged by the E.T. Fraim Co.
Nice stamp marks and copper patina.
125 year + centenarian!
History - continued from above
The Erie Railroad operated a number of named passenger trains, although none were as well-known or successful as others like the Pennsylvania Railroad's Broadway Limited or New York Central Railroad's 20th Century Limited. Some of the Erie's most well known trains included the Erie Limited, Lake Cities, Pacific Express, Atlantic Express, Midlander, Southern Tier Express and Mountain Express. All of these had their western termini in Chicago, except the Mountain Express which terminated in Hornell, in the Southern Tier of New York.
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Erie Railroad
Item: 27-E Price: $65.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Nice stamp marks and dark patina.
80 year + octogenarian!
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Erie Railroad
Item: 28-E Price: $65.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Nice stamp marks and gold patina.
80 year + octogenarian!
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Erie Railroad
Item: 29-E Price: $55.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Nice stamp marks and gold patina.
80 year + octogenarian!
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Erie Railroad
Item: 30-E Price: $85.00
Remarks: ca. 1879-1917
Forged by the E.T. Fraim Co.
Different style cut then Erie keys above.
Good possibility MofW key.
125 year + centenarian!
History - continued from above
What was left of the Erie Lackawanna became part of Conrail in 1976.
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Erie Railroad
Item: 35-E CT = cripple (repair) track Price: $55.00
Remarks: ca. 1879-1917
Forged by the E.T. Fraim Co.
Superb serif stamp marks and patina.
Key style listed in the
"American Railway's Switch Key Directory."
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Erie Lackawanna Railroad
Item: 38-E Price: $65.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Superb stamp marks and patina.
Given the moniker,
"The Friendly Service Route."
History
In 1960, due to poor economic conditions of the times, the Erie Railroad and the Delaware-Lackawanna & Western Railroad merged to form the Erie Lackawanna Railroad. The official motto of the line was "The Friendly Service Route". The northeast railroads,including EL, were in decline due to subsidized highway and waterway competition, high rates of urban property taxation, commuter operations and market saturation (i.e., too many railroad lines competing for what market was remaining). EL struggled for most of the 16 years it existed. The two railroads from which it was formed were losing passengers and freight traffic, and were burdened by years of accumulated debt, confiscatory property taxes, and extensive, money-losing commuter operations. Conrail assumed EL operations on April 1, 1976.
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Erie Lackawanna Railroad
Item: 39-E Price: $65.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Superb stamp marks and patina.
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Peru National Railway Company
Item: 41-E Price: $85.00
Remarks: ca. late 1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
A rarity!
History
In Peru, the company in charge of the railway system is the 'Empresa Nacional de Ferrocarriles' (ENAFER) or the National Railway Company.
Created by decree on September 19, 1972, it was formed by the nationalization of several foreign-owned companies which had serviced mostly two separate networks: the central railroad serving Lima, and the southern railroad offering a second connection to the Pacific Ocean. It has once again been privatised.
The rail network of Peru includes in total 1886 km of lines, mainly with single track that is standard gauge. On this track is found the highest-altitude railway station in the world, Galera, at 4,781 m (15,686 ft) above sea level. The new "Qingzang Railway" now beats this altitude record.
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Florida East Coast Railway
Item: 3-F New Listing Price: $55.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Nice stamp marks and gold patina.
Given the moniker, "For Elderly Citizens"
History
The Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida and since 2007 has been a subsidiary of Railroad Acquisition Holdings, LLC, itself a subsidiary of Fortress Investment Group, LLC. The FEC was historically a Class I railroad owned by Florida East Coast Industries (FECI) from 2000-2006, FOXX Holdings from 1983-2000, and the St. Joseph Paper Company prior to 1983.
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Florida East Coast Railway
Item: 4-F Price: $65.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Longer barrel.
History
The Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida and since 2007 has been a subsidiary of Railroad Acquisition Holdings, LLC, itself a subsidiary of Fortress Investment Group, LLC. The FEC was historically a Class I railroad owned by Florida East Coast Industries (FECI) from 2000-2006, FOXX Holdings from 1983-2000, and the St. Joseph Paper Company prior to 1983.
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Fitchburg Railroad
Item: 10-F Price: $125.00
Remarks: ca. pre-1927
Forged by the Wilson Bohannan Co.
Superb serif stamp marks patina.
100 year + centenarian!
History
The Fitchburg Railroad is a former railroad company, which built a railroad line across northern Massachusetts, United States, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel. The Fitchburg was leased to the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1900. The main line from Boston to Fitchburg is now operated as the MBTA Fitchburg Line; Pan Am Railways runs freight service on some other portions.
The Boston and Maine Railroad leased the Fitchburg for 99 years from July 1, 1900 as its Fitchburg Division. The two companies merged to form a new B&M December 1, 1919. The MBTA bought the line from Boston to Fitchburg, along with many other lines, from the B&M on December 27, 1976. Guilford Transportation took over the former B&M in June 1983.
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Fairport, Painesville & Eastern Railroad
Item: 12-F Price: $100.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Superb stamp marks and gold patina.
History
The carrier was incorporated July 16, 1910, under the general laws of the State of Ohio for the stated purpose of constructing, or otherwise acquiring, and operating a railroad from Fairport to Austinburg, Ohio. The railroad was built in conjunction with and primarily to serve the Diamond Alkali's newly-constructed Painesville plant, the companies were independent of each other.
In November and December 1965 the N&W and a majority of FP&E's shareholders negotiated a deal that would allow the Norfolk & Western Railroad to purchase the FP&E. The FP&E would not be merged into the N&W, but would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of that railroad.
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Frisco Railroad
aka "The St. Louis & San Francisco Railway"
Item: 16-F Price: $75.00
Remarks: ca. early-mid 1900s
Key will not work with Adlake (steel) Frisco locks.
Will work with this Frisco Lock
Why the foundry didn't fine polish the keys' hilt,
leads me to believe these are 'shop' cut keys.
History
The St. Louis & San Francisco Railway, also known as the Frisco, was a railroad that operated in the Midwest and South Central U.S. from 1876 to April 17, 1980. Incorporated in Missouri on September 7, 1876. It was formed from the Missouri Division and Central Division of the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad. The Atchison-Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, interested in the A & P right of way across the Mojave Desert to California, took the road over until the larger road went bankrupt in 1893; the receivers retained the western right of way but divested the ATSF of the St. Louis-San Francisco mileage on the great plains. The St. Louis-San Francisco Railway had two main lines: St. Louis-Tulsa-Oklahoma City and Kansas City-Memphis-Birmingham. The junction of the two lines was in Springfield, Missouri, home to the company's main shop facility and headquarters.
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Frisco Railroad
aka "The St. Louis & San Francisco Railway"
Item: 17-F Price: $55.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Nice stamp marks and gold patina.
History - continued from above
The city of Frisco,Texas was named after the railroad and uses the former railroad's logo as its own logo. The logo is modeled after a stretched-out raccoon skin (giving rise to Frisco High School's mascot, the Fighting Raccoons). From March, 1917, through January, 1959, Frisco, in a joint venture with the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, operated the "Texas Special." This luxurious train, a streamliner from 1947, ran from St. Louis to Dallas,Texas, Ft. Worth, Texas and San Antonio, Texas. While the Texas Special was the most famous passenger train Frisco ever operated, it also rostered an entire fleet of (11) named trains. Due to the harsh economic conditions of that era, the Frisco merged into the Burlington Northern Railroad on November 21, 1980.
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Frisco Railroad
aka "The St. Louis & San Francisco Railway"
Item: 18-F Price: $100.00
Remarks: ca. 1904-21
Forged by S. Slaymaker Co.
Superb large stamp marks and caramel patina.
100 year + centenarian!
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Frisco Railroad
aka "The St. Louis & San Francisco Railway"
Item: 19-F Price: $35.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
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Frisco Railroad
aka "The St. Louis & San Francisco Railway"
Item: 20-F Price: $45.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Nice bold lettering and gold patina.
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Frisco Railroad
aka "The St. Louis & San Francisco Railway"
Item: 21-F Price: $55.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Nice bold lettering and gold patina.
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Frisco Railroad
aka "The St. Louis & San Francisco Railway"
Item: 22-F Price: $25.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Nice bold lettering and gold patina.
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Frisco Railroad
aka "The St. Louis & San Francisco Railway"
Item: 23-F MofW key Price: $35.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Key has a straight barrel bit 3/16 wide.
Might fit this Frisco brass Adlake Lock
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Fort Smith & Van Buren Railway
Item: 26-F Price: $175.00
Remarks: ca. late 1800s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Early A&W hex stamp = 1st series.
Superb block lettering and patina.
Oklahoma shortline operated by the KCS.
Same style bit as a KCS key
125 year + centenarian!
History
A twenty-one-mile rail line between Coal Creek and McCurtain was purchased by the Kansas City Southern and operated by them as the Fort Smith and Van Buren Railway.
The Fort Smith & Western Railway (FS&W) was a short line railway running from Fort Smith, Arkansas to Guthrie, Oklahoma, a distance of 217 mile. It was incorporated in 1899 and reached Guthrie in 1903. When the state capitol of Oklahoma moved from Guthrie to Oklahoma City in 1910 the FS&W gained trackage rights over the M-K-T from the main line at Fallis to Oklahoma City. In the early 30's the FS&W was operating a passenger train daily between Fort Smith and Oklahoma City, 227 miles, which included 12 section drawing room sleeping cars and coaches. It also operated a mixed train between Fallis and Guthrie, Oklahoma, 22 miles. When trackage rights, to Oklahoma City were discontinued in 1939 the FS&W closed down. Parts of it were operated by the Fort Smith & Van Buren, a subsidiary of the KCS until abandoned in 1994.
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Fort Wayne, Cincinnati & Louisville Railroad
Item: 28-F Price: $225.00 $210.00
Remarks: ca. late 1800s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Superb stamp marks and dark patina.
100 year + centenarian!
History
The Fort Wayne, Cincinnati & Louisville Railroad started operations in 1881 and stopped service in 1890 for a total period of operations of 9 years. After the Civil War railroads exploded in the US with hundreds of lines starting service all over the country. This was the the age of steam locomotives and rail travel was still a luxury.
This line was originally known as the Fort Wayne, Muncie & Cincinnati Railroad. Eventually it was consolidated with the Lake Erie & Western. It was a north-south route through New Castle and Muncie.
The FWC&L was a one state railroad and built lines from Fort Wayne to Muncie, New Castle and Cincinnati. This route became part of Norfolk & Western Railway (N&W) with the purchase of Nickel Plate. The line was in the N&W merger that became Norfolk Southern (NS) and is a major route of the NS system.
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Fort Worth & Denver City Railway
Item: 31-F Price: $125.00
Remarks: ca. pre-1951
Superb serif stamp marks and gold patina.
Given the moniker, "The Denver Road"
History
The Fort Worth and Denver City Railway Company (FW&DC) was chartered by the Texas legislature on May 26, 1873. The company would later change its name to the Fort Worth and Denver Railway Company (FW&D) on August 7, 1951.
The FW&DC was the first rail line to penetrate the northwest part of Texas, which contributed greatly to the growth of Texas cities such as Wichita Falls, Childress, Amarillo and Dalhart. In addition, the railroad actively promoted settlement of the rural areas it served, providing free seeds, trees, and tree seedlings to farmers and ranchers to promote cotton and wheat growing as well as erosion prevention.
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Fort Worth & Denver City Railway
Item: 32-F Price: $110.00
Remarks: ca. pre-1951
Superb serif stamp marks and gold patina.
Father of key below.
History - continued from above
The main line of the railroad ran from Fort Worth through Wichita Falls, Childress, Amarillo, and Dalhart, to Texline, where it connected with the rails of parent company Colorado and Southern Railway, both of which became subsidiaries of the Burlington Route in 1908.
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Fort Worth & Denver Railroad
Item: 33-F Price: $45.00
Remarks: ca. post 1951
Forged by Adlake Co.
This "fallen flag" lasted over 100 years.
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Switch Key Directory
American Railway's Switch Key Directory
Price: HC-$25.00 | CD-$35
Whether your just starting out collecting switch key's or you have been a collector for many years, this 44 page switch key directory is a useful tool. Although, it does not list every railroad key there is, the directory has a 3-D diagram for the most common railroad keys in the collectors circle. With a CD, you can copy the directory to your hard drive and view and enlarge the pages on your computer screen. Price does not include shipping fees.
Upon request, I will "three ring" the pages for a book binder.
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Don Stewart's Railroad Switch Keys and Padlocks
Switch Keys and Locks Directory
Price: HC-$65.00 | CD-$55
One of the lesser known railroad directories is Don Stewart's Railroad Switch Keys and Padlocks Directory. The book includes 56 pages of switch key pictures, 12 pages of switch lock pictures, 12 supplemental pages including, 2 Canadian key picture pages and 32 pages of railroad names. It's another handy tool for beginners and even veteran collectors. The book contains 117 pages in all and is a ink jet printed copy of the original book. As noted, the CD copy is less expensive than a hard copy. The reason; printer ink and paper prices. With a CD, you can copy the directory to your hard drive and view and enlarge the pages on your computer screen. Price does not include shipping fees.
Upon request, I will "three ring" the pages for a book binder.
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Dates quoted for keys are approximate dates. Railroad switch keys initials (reporting mark) are assumed to be correct and accurate.
Comments on any railroad initials origin, including (typos), are welcome. Last update 07/22/2024
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