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Note: When pictures are enlarged, surface scratches, nicks, dents, etc. on keys, also seem larger.

Macon-Dublin & Savannah Railroad Macon-Dublin & Savannah Railroad Vidalia Route    MD&S No.99 engine

Macon-Dublin & Savannah Railroad

SOLD     Price: $115.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Superb serif stamp marks and patina.
Absorbed by the SCL in 1958
Given the moniker, "The Vidalia Route."
100 year + centenarian!

History

The Macon & Dublin Railroad was chartered in 1885 with the modest aim of connecting its namesake towns. Construction began soon afterwards, but work came to an end in the spring of 1886 and would not be resumed until 1890. By that time the name of the company had been revised, adding "Savannah," perhaps to attract more investment in the enterprise.

Atlantic Coast Line gained control of the MD&S in 1904, possibly intending to add Macon to its service area. In 1907, Seaboard purchased a controlling interest in the MD&S. This had the advantage of preventing the smaller road from building a competing line to Savannah or becoming a Macon branch of rival ACL. It would continue as a feeder line to the SAL. This function it served for five more decades under its own name until 1958 when it was absorbed into the Seaboard.

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Maine Central Railroad Maine Central Railroad MC R.R. Flag

Maine Central Railroad

Item: 6-M     Price: $95.00

Remarks: ca. 1904-21
Forged by the S.R. Slaymaker Co
Great looking stamp marks and dark patina.
100 year + centenarian!

History

The Maine Central Railroad Company was a former U.S. Class I railroad in central and southern Maine. It was chartered in 1856 and began operations in 1862. By 1884, Maine Central was the longest railroad in New England.

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Maine Central Railroad Maine Central Railroad Maine Central (2-6-6-2)  #1204

Maine Central Railroad

Item: 7-M     Price: $95.00

Remarks: ca. 1904-21
Forged by the S.R. Slaymaker Co.
Superb stamp marks and patina.
This key & key below are twins.
100 year + centenarian!

History - continued from above

The Maine Central was created in 1862 through the merger of the Androscoggin and Kennebec Railroad and the Penobscot and Kennebec Railroad, resulting in a line from Danville (now Auburn) to Bangor. The line connected with the Grand Trunk Railway on its Portland-Chicago mainline at Danville and with the Bangor and Piscataquis Railroad in Bangor. As a result of its connection with the Grand Trunk, the Maine Central initially operated on a track gauge of 5 ft 6 in known as "Canadian" or "Portland gauge.

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Maine Central Railroad Maine Central Railroad Maine Central Pacific locomotive    MC R.R. Flag    MC locomotive No.566

Maine Central Railroad

Item: 8-M     Price: $75.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Superb stamp marks and gold patina.

History - continued from above

The Maine Central remained independent until 1981,
when it became part of what is now the Pan Am Railways network in 1981.

Click on image to view larger picture



Manns Creek Railroad Manns Creek Railroad Manns Creek locomotive No.8

Manns Creek Railroad

Item: 12-M     Price: $145.00 $135.00

Remarks: ca. early-mid 1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Nice deep stamp marks and patina.
Little known West Virginia narrow gauge line.

History

The Mann's Creek Railroad was constructed in 1886 to haul coal and lumber for the Babcock Coal and Coke Company, which owned and operated the line. The line followed Mann's Creek, a tributary of the New River, from the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway's mainline at Sewell for approximately 9 miles to the community of Clifftop.

From 1886 to 1955, this 9-mile threefooter hauled Sewell-seam coal from Clifftop, along the old Midland Trail about 70 miles east of Charleston, to Sewell, in the New River Gorge; and, from 1910 to 1929, the railroad hauled Appalachian hardwood lumber from Landisburg, near Clifftop, to Sewell. Except for a fan trip in May 1955 and a Trains magazine article in the July 1955 issue, this little line lived and died in virtual obscurity.

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Maryland-Delaware & Virginia Railroad Maryland-Delaware & Virginia Railroad B&O Railroad Co.    After the Battle of Manassas    Train equipment being burned

Maryland-Delaware & Virginia Railway

Item: 15-M     Price: $245.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Most likely Bohannan forged.
Superb serif lettering and two-tone patina.
100 year + centenarian!

In reference to the pictures above: An estimated 56 locomotives-many weighing fifty tons-their tenders, 386 cars, 26 bridges, invaluable equipment and 36.5 miles of double track would be torn up or removed in the service of the Confederacy, the aggrieved courtesy of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company.

History

The carrier was incorporated on January 30, 1905, in the States of Maryland and Delaware, for the purpose of consolidating the properties of the Maryland-Delaware & Virginia Railroad Company of Delaware, and the Maryland-Delaware & Virginia Railroad Company. Its principal office is at Wilmington, Del. The two predecessor companies had been previously incorporated on January 28, 1905, for the purpose of acquiring the properties of the Quenn Anne's Railroad Company, The Weems Steamboat Company and the Chester River Steamboat Company, and had a paper existence for two days prior to their consolidation to form the carrier.

Controlled by the Baltimore-Chesapeake & Atlantic Railway Company the line extended from Love Point, Md., to Lewes, Del., a distance of 72.959 miles, with a branch from Queenstown, Md., to Centreville, Md., a distance of 5.385 miles, together with certain steamer lines operating out of Baltimore, Md.

From what little information I could gather, the PRR absorbed the MD&V in 1923.

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Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad MC R.R. wreck

Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad

Item: 18-M     Price: $$195.00 175.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Superb stamp marks and gold patina.
Given the moniker, "The Met or Polly "L"
This key stamped "RR" + key below stamped "RY" = nice set!
100 year + centenarian!

History

The Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad was the third elevated rapid transit line to be built in Chicago, Illinois and was the first of Chicago’s elevated lines to be electrically powered. The line ran from downtown Chicago to Marshfield Avenue with branches to Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Garfield Park, and Douglas Park (eventually extended to the suburb of Berwyn, Illinois). Portions of the system are still operated as sections of the Blue Line and the Pink Line.

At 6:00 am on May 7, 1895, the first train of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated left the Robey Street station bound for the downtown terminal at Canal.

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Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railway Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railway Met's original Lake St. Station

Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railway

Item: 19-M     Price: $$195.00 175.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Superb stamp marks and gold patina.
This key stamped "RY" + key above stamped "RR" = nice set!
100 year + centenarian!

History - continued from above

In 1913, Chicago's four elevated railroad companies came together to form the Chicago Elevated Railways Collateral Trust establishing crosstown services for the first time, and in 1924 all four companies were formally united to form the Chicago Rapid Transit Company.

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McCloud River Railroad McCloud River Railroad MCCR R.R. Flag

McCloud River Railroad

SOLD     Price: $125.00 $115.00

Remarks: ca. early-mid 1900s
Nice serif stamp marks and gold patina.
California logging line. Not to be confused
with today's McCloud Railway Co.

History

McCloud River Railroad was a logging line operating in the state's timber rich northern region. It was established in 1897 by lumber mill interests who were looking to move their finished product as quickly as possible to market and with a nearby connection to the much larger Central Pacific (then an SP subsidiary), a railroad seemed quite logical. During the railroad's peak years it owned a system stretching nearly 100 miles and while it was built to move timber and it also operated as a standard common carrier shipping whatever freight was available (and for more than 50 years also dispatched passenger trains). As timber demand declined, the railroad slowly cut back, although new ownership also led to its demise.

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Michigan Central Michigan Central Railroad MC R.R. Flag

Michigan Central Railroad

Item: 23-M     Price: $95.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Superb serif stamp marks and carmel patina.
100 year + centenarian!

History

The Michigan Central Railroad (MC) was originally incorporated in 1846 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in the United States, and the province of Ontario in Canada. After about 1867 the railroad was controlled by the New York Central Railroad, which later became part of Penn Central and then Conrail. After the 1998 Conrail breakup Norfolk Southern now owns much of the former Michigan Central trackage.

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Michigan Central Railroad Michigan Central Railroad MC R.R. wreck

Michigan Central Railroad

Item: 24-M     Price: $95.00

Remarks: ca. 1921-30
Fraim/Slaymaker forged.
Superb serif stamp marks and gold patina.
80 year + octogenarian!

History - continued from above

The line between Detroit and St. Joseph, Michigan was originally planned in 1830 to provide freight service between Detroit and Chicago by train to St. Joseph and via boat service on to Chicago. The Detroit & St. Joseph Railroad was chartered in 1831 with a capital of $1,500,000. The railroad actually began construction on May 18, 1836, starting at "King's Corner" in Detroit, which was the name by which the southeast corner of Jefferson and Woodward Avenue was then known.

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Michigan Central Railroad Michigan Central Railroad MC R.R. #7500-electric powered ALCO

Michigan Central Railroad

Item: 25-M     Price: $125.00 $110.00

Remarks: ca. late 1800s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Early A&W hex stamp = 1st series
Superb stamp marks and gold patina.
Key is a twin of key below.
125 year + centenarian!

History - continued from above

The Michigan Central Railroad (MCR) operated mostly passenger trains between Chicago and Detroit. These trains ranged from locals to the Wolverine. In 1904, MCR began a long-term lease of Canada Southern Railway (CSR), which operated the most direct route between Detroit and New York. CSR's mainline cut through the heart of southwestern, Ontario, between Windsor and Fort Erie.

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Michigan Central Railroad Michigan Central Railroad MC Railroad Station ca. 1927

Michigan Central Railroad

Item: 26-M     Price: $125.00 $110.00

Remarks: ca. late 1800s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Early A&W hex stamp = 1st series
Superb stamp marks and gold patina.
Key is a twin of key above.
125 year + centenarian!

History - continued from above

While Michigan Central was an independent subsidiary of the New York Central System, passenger trains were staged from Illinois Central's Central Station (in Chicago) as a tenant. When MC operations were completely integrated into NYC in the 1950s, trains were re-deployed to NYC's LaSalle Street Station home, where other NYC trains such as the 20th Century Limited were staged.

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Michigan Central Railroad Michigan Central Railroad MC R.R. wreck    MC R.R. wreck

Michigan Central Railroad

Item: 27-M     Price: $75.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Most likely Slaymaker forged.
Superb serif stamp marks and gold patina.
80 year + octogenarian!

History - continued from above

Prior to the automobile, Michigan Central was mostly a carrier of natural resources. Michigan had extensive reserves of timber at the time, and the Michigan Central owned lines from east to west of the state and north to south, tapping all resources available.

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Michigan Central Railroad Michigan Central Railroad 1939 movie Union Pacific    1939 movie Union Pacific    1939 movie Union Pacific

Michigan Central Railroad

Item: 28-M     Price: $75.00

Remarks: ca. post 1918
Forged by the Fraim Co.
Superb stamp marks and copper patina.
80 year + octogenarian!

History - continued from above

The Michigan Central Railroad (MCR) and then parent New York Central Railroad (NYC) owned the Canada Southern Railroad (CSR), which had lines throughout southwestern Ontario from Windsor to Niagara Falls. The railroad operated a car-float service over the Detroit River; an immersed tube tunnel below the Detroit River between Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario; and the MCR Cantilever Bridge at Niagara Falls, which was later replaced with a steel arch bridge in 1925. The car float operation ended when the Detroit River tunnel was completed.

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Michigan Central Railroad Michigan Central Railroad MC R.R. Flag

Michigan Central Railroad

Item: 29-M     car key     Price: $115.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Nice stamp marks and gold patina.
100 year + centenarian!

Click on image to view larger picture



Midland Continental Railroad Midland NP R.R. Flag    Soo Line R.R. Flag

Midland Continental Railroad

Item: 32-M     Price: $135.00

Remarks: ca. post 1918
Forged by the Fraim Co.
Very nice stamp marks and carmel patina.
North Dakota shortline.
80 year + octogenarian!

History

The Midland Continental Railroad is a defunct shortline railroad which operated in the U.S. state of North Dakota between 1906 and 1966. The railroad was originally envisioned as a trunk line to run from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to Galveston, Texas, on the Gulf of Mexico coast of the United States. Financing problems led to only two segments totalling 77 miles being completed.

The railroad's uneventful subsequent history was primarily as a short line serving local agriculture and its service industries. The company continued to be owned privately by the Seiberling family until it was purchased jointly in 1966 by the Northern Pacific and Soo Line railroads.

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Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad Soo Line R.R. Flag

Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad

aka "Soo Line Railroad"

SOLD     Price: $125.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Nice serif stamp marks and copper-gold patina.
80 year + octogenarian!

History

The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (MStP&SSM) (reporting mark SOO) was a Class I railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the Midwestern United States. Commonly known since its opening in 1884 as the Soo Line after the phonetic spelling of Sault, it was merged with several other major CP subsidiaries on January 1, 1961 to form the Soo Line Railroad.

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Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad 1954 Western - Rails Into Laramie    1954 Western - Rails Into Laramie    1954 Western - Rails Into Laramie

Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad

aka "Soo Line Railroad"

SOLD     Price: $145.00 $125.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Very nice markings and carmel patina.
80 year + octogenarian!

History

The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (MStP&SSM) (reporting mark SOO) was a Class I railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the Midwestern United States. Commonly known since its opening in 1884 as the Soo Line after the phonetic spelling of Sault, it was merged with several other major CP subsidiaries on January 1, 1961 to form the Soo Line Railroad.

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Minnesota Transfer Railway Minnesota Transferl Railway 1948 western Whispering Smith    1948 western Whispering Smith    1948 western Whispering Smith

Minnesota Transfer Railway

Item: 38-M     Price: $95.00 $85.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co
Key listed in the
"American Railway's Switch Key Directory."

History

The Minnesota Transfer Railway was a short line railroad in the United States. It was incorporated on March 22, 1883. It was owned by nine major railroads serving the Twin Cities.

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Midland Valley Railroad Midland Valley Railroad MV R.R. Flag

Midland Valley Railroad

Item: 41-M     Price: $95.00

Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Nice stamp marks and carmel patina.
Post 1925 MV and KO&G merger key.
Same style cut as a Kansas City-Oklahoma & Gulf key

History

The Midland Valley Railroad was incorporated on June 4, 1903 for the purpose of building a line from Hope, Arkansas, through Muskogee and Tulsa, Oklahoma to Wichita, Kansas. It was backed by C. Jared Ingersoll, a Philadelphia industrialist who owned coal mining properties in Indian Territory (now part of the state of Oklahoma). The railroad took its name from Midland, Arkansas, a coal mining town in western Arkansas, which was served by the railroad. The Midland Valley gained access to Fort Smith, Arkansas via trackage rights over the Frisco from Rock Island, Oklahoma.

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Midland Valley Railroad Midland Valley Railroad MoPac R.R. Flag

Midland Valley Railroad

Item: 42-M     Price: $95.00

Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Nice two-tone patina.
Post 1925 MV and KO&G merger key.
Same style cut as a Kansas City-Oklahoma & Gulf key.

History - continued from above

Muskogee, Oklahoma, was home to the Midland Valley's headquarters and shops. In 1925, the Midland Valley acquired the Kansas-Oklahoma & Gulf Railway. Both railroads were owned by the Muskogee Company, a holding company, which purchased a third railroad Oklahoma City-Ada-Atoka Railway in 1929. Muskogee Company was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. All three railroads were operated as more or less common property by the Muskogee Company until sale of all threes to the Missouri Pacific Railroad (MoPac) in 1964. The Midland Valley was merged into the Texas & Pacific Railroad (T&P), a MoPac subsidiary on April 1, 1967. MoPac merged into the Union Pacific Railroad in 1983. Operated as branchlines for a number of years, most of the Midland Valley has now been abandoned.

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Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad M&StL R.R. Flag

Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad

Item: 44-M     Price: $65.00

Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Forged by Adlake Co.
X-large hilt-nice gold patina.
Given the moniker, "Misery and Short Life."
80 year + octogenarian!

History

The Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway was an American Class I railroad that built and operated lines radiating south and west from Minneapolis, Minnesota for 90 years from 1870 to 1960. The railway never reached St. Louis but its North Star Limited passenger train ran to that city via the Wabash Railroad.

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Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad M&StL Ry

Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad

Item: 45-M     Price: $125.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by Adlake Co.
Superb stamp marks and gold patina.
80 year + octogenarian!

History - continued from above

The railway's most important route was between Minneapolis and Peoria, Illinois; a second major route extended from Minneapolis into eastern South Dakota, and other trackage served various areas in north-central Iowa and south-central Minnesota. The M&StL was founded in 1870, and expanded through line construction and acquisition until the early 20th century. Most of the railway's routes saw only relatively light traffic, and consequently the company's financial position was frequently precarious; the railroad operated under bankruptcy protection between 1923 and 1943.

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Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad M&StL R.R. crew    M&StL train depot

Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad

Item: 46-M     Price: $145.00 $135.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Superb stamp marks and silver patina.
100 year + centenarian!

History - continued from above

The M&StL was acquired by the Chicago & North Western Railway
in 1960, and much of its former trackage was later abandoned.

Click on image to view larger picture



Mine Hill Railroad Mine Hill Railroad P&R R.R. Flag     Life of a coal miner

Mine Hill Railroad

Item: 49-M     Price: $145.00 $125.00

Remarks: ca. late 1800s - Serial #4
Superb stamp marks and patina.
MH merged into the Reading.
Nice eastern oldie!
125 year + centenarian!

History

The Mine Hill & Schuylkill Haven Railroad Company was incorporated under the laws of Pennsylvania on March 24, 1828, and was leased by the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company on May 12, 1864. It was extinguished by merger into the Reading Company on October 1, 1951.

The railroad of the Mine Hill & Schuylkill Haven Railroad Company, consisted of three main lines, all in Pennsylvania, extending from Schuylkill Haven to Mine Hill Gap, from Ashland to Locust Summit, and from Westwood to Tremont, with short branches reaching out to numerous coal mines along the line, comprising a total of 62.519 miles of road. The main lines between Schuykill Haven and Mine Hill Gap and between Ashland and Locust Summit were double track.

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Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway MKT R.R. Flag

Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway

aka "The Katy"

Item: 51-M     Price: $85.00

Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Nice stamp marks and gold patina.
80 year + octogenarian!

History

The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway is a former Class I railroad company in the United States, with its last headquarters in Dallas. Established in 1865 under the name Union Pacific Railway, Southern Branch, it came to serve an extensive rail network in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri.

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Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Movie epic Giant

Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway

aka "The Katy"

Item: 52-M     Price: $100.00

Remarks: ca. 1904-21
Forged by the S.R. Slaymaker Co.
Superb serif stamp marks and copper patina.
100 year + centenarian!

History - continued from above

The MKT was incorporated May 23, 1870. In its earliest days the MKT (the railroad's reporting mark) was commonly referred to as the "K-T," which was its stock exchange symbol; this common designation soon evolved into "the Katy."

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Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway 1926 silent comedy film The General    1926 silent comedy film The General

Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway

aka "The Katy"

Item: 53-M     Price: $100.00

Remarks: ca. post 1918
Forged by the Fraim Co.
Nice-large stamp marks and carmel patina.
80 year + octogenarian!

History - continued from above

On August 12, 1988 the Missouri Pacific Railroad (MoPac) and its owner, Union Pacific Corporation, purchased the Katy with approval from the Interstate Commerce Commission. The merging and restructuring of railroads during the 1980s had cost the Katy much overhead traffic, and it had been seeking a merger partner. On December 1, 1989 the Katy was merged into the MoPac, which is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad system.

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Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway The Katy    MKT R.R. engine #142

Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway

aka "The Katy"

Item: 54-M     Price: $55.00

Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Keline forged. Nice gold patina.

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Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Geronimo and fellow Apache Indian

Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway

aka "The Katy"

Item: 55-M     Price: $175.00 $125.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Nothing fancy about this key, but it's
very rare. Key listed in
"Don Stewart's Railroad Switch Keys and Padlocks."

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Milwaukee Northern Railway Milwaukee Northern Railway MKT R.R. Flag

Milwaukee Northern Railway

Item: 58-M     Interurban Line     Price: $125.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Superb stamp marks and patina.
100 year + centenarian!

History

The Milwaukee Northern Railway was incorporated in Ozaukee County on October 25, 1905. One of the founders was John E. Uselding of Port Washington, who was a County Judge from 1914 to 1931. The other 2 founders were from Sheboygan County. The main offices and shops were to be located in Cedarburg and the venture was to be financed through an initial offering of $100,000 in capital stock. Actual construction of the track for the interurban electric railway took place just northeast of Cedarburg on April 6, 1906. The first interurban from Milwaukee to Cedarburg was put into operation on October 28, 1907. About 10 days later, the track from Cedarburg to Port Washington was opened. On September 22, 1908, the entire 57 mile line from downtown Milwaukee to downtown Sheboygan was opened for service.

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Milwaukee Northern Railway Milwaukee Northern Railway MN R.R. flag

Milwaukee Northern Railway

Item: 59-M     Interurban Line     Price: $75.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Nice stamp marks and gold patina.
100 year + centenarian!

History - continued from above

Service to Sheboygan was discontinued on Sept 23, 1940. This action probably was the beginning of the end. The interurban was heavily used during World War II, but the number of passengers began to dwindle after the war. March 28, 1948 marked the end of interurban service from Milwaukee to Port Washington. Service from downtown Milwaukee to Racine, Kenosha, Burlington, East Troy, Waukesha and Watertown also saw a decrease in ridership, and by 1951, the interurban "was no more."

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Missouri Pacific Railroad Missouri Pacific Railroad MoPac R.R. Flag

Missouri Pacific Railroad

aka "MoPac Railroad"

Item: 62-M     Price: $75.00

Remarks: ca. 1921-30
Fraim/Slaymaker forged.
Superb serif stamp marks and patina.
80 year + octogenarian!

History

The Missouri Pacific Railroad, commonly abbreviated MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers; Texas & Pacific Railway, Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad, St. Louis-Brownsville & Mexico Railway, Kansas-Oklahoma & Gulf Railway, Midland Valley Railroad, San Antonio, Uvalde & Gulf Railroad, Gulf Coast Lines, International-Great Northern Railroad, New Orleans-Texas & Mexico Railway Missouri-Illinois Railroad, as well as the small Central Branch Railway (an early predecessor of MP in Kansas and south central Nebraska), and joint ventures such as the Alton & Southern Railroad (AS).

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Missouri Pacific Railroad Missouri Pacific Railroad San Antonio Southern locomotive

Missouri Pacific Railroad

aka "MoPac Railroad"

Item: 63-M     Price: $75.00

Remarks: ca. 1904-21
Forged by the S.R. Slaymaker Co.
Superb serif stamp marks and gold patina.
100 year + centenarian!

History - continued from above

On July 4, 1851, at St. Louis, ground was broken on the Pacific Railroad, the earlier predecessor of the Missouri Pacific Railroad. The first section of track was completed in 1852; in 1865, it was the first railroad in Kansas City, after construction was interrupted by the American Civil War. In 1872, the Pacific Railroad was reorganized as the Missouri Pacific Railway by new investors after a railroad debt crisis. Because of corporate ties extending back to the Pacific Railroad, Missouri Pacific at one time advertised itself as being - the First Railroad West of the Mississippi.

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Missouri Pacific Railroad Missouri Pacific Railroad MoPac R.R. Flag

Missouri Pacific Railroad

aka "MoPac Railroad"

Item: 64-M     Price: $75.00

Remarks: ca. 1921-30
Fraim/Slaymaker forged.
Superb serif stamp marks and carmel patina.
80 year + octogenarian!

History - continued from above

From 1879 Missouri Pacific was under the control of successful but controversial New York financier Jay Gould until his death in 1892. Gould developed a system extending through Colorado, Nebraska, Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana. His son George Gould inherited control upon his father's death. The younger Gould lost control of the company after it declared bankruptcy in 1915. In 1917 the line was merged with the St. Louis-Iron Mountain & Southern Railway (SLIMS) and reorganized as the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Missouri Pacific later acquired or gained a controlling interest in other lines in Texas, including the Gulf Coast Lines, International-Great Northern Railroad and the Texas & Pacific Railway. MoPac declared bankruptcy again in 1933, during the Great Depression, and entered into trusteeship. The company was reorganized and the trusteeship ended in 1956.

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Missouri Pacific Railroad Missouri Pacific Railroad MoPac engine #152

Missouri Pacific Railroad

aka "MoPac Railroad"

Item: 65-M     Price: $95.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Deep stamp marks and nice gold patina.
100 year + centenarian!

History - continued from above

On January 8, 1980, the Union Pacific Railroad agreed to buy the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Lawsuits filed by competing railroads delayed approval of the merger until September 13, 1982. After the Supreme Court denied a trial to the Southern Pacific, the merger took effect on December 22, 1982. However, due to outstanding bonds of the Missouri Pacific, the merger with Union Pacific become official only on January 1, 1997.

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Missouri Pacific Railroad Missouri Pacific Railroad 1954 Western Rails Into Laramie    1954 Western Rails Into Laramie

Missouri Pacific Railroad

aka "MoPac Railroad"

Item: 66-M     Price: $95.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Nice deep stamp marks and gold patina.
100 year + centenarian!

History - continued from above

In the early years of the 20th century, most Missouri Pacific and St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern passenger trains were designated by number only, with little emphasis on premier name trains. This changed in May, 1915, with the inauguration of the Scenic Limited between St. Louis, Kansas City, and San Francisco.

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Missouri Pacific Railroad Missouri Pacific Railroad UP heritage engine #1982    MoPac engine #1776

Missouri Pacific Railroad

aka "MoPac Railroad"

Item: 67-M     Price: $115.00 $100.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Nice "MOP" stamp and silver patina.
Nice!

History - continued from above

In the streamliner era, the Missouri Pacific's premier passenger trains were collectively known as the Eagles. A variety of Eagle trains were operated, with the first such train inaugurated in 1940. These routes included the Missouri River Eagle (St. Louis-Kansas City-Omaha), the Delta Eagle (Memphis, Tennessee-Tallulah, Louisiana), the Colorado Eagle (St. Louis-Pueblo-Denver), the Texas Eagle (St. Louis to Texas), and the Valley Eagle (Houston-Corpus Christi-Brownsville, Texas).

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Missouri Pacific Railroad Car Dept. Missouri Pacific Railroad Car Dept. People Watching Movie

Missouri Pacific Railroad

aka "MoPac Railroad"

Item: 68-M     car department     Price: $55.00

Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Superb stamp marks and two-tone patina.

History - continued from above

On January 8, 1980, the Union Pacific Railroad agreed to buy the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Lawsuits filed by competing railroads delayed approval of the merger until September 13, 1982. After the Supreme Court denied a trial to the Southern Pacific, the merger took effect on December 22, 1982. However, due to outstanding bonds of the Missouri Pacific, the merger with Union Pacific become official only on January 1, 1997.

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Missouri Pacific Railroad MofW Missouri Pacific Railroad MofW MP engine

Missouri Pacific Railroad

aka "MoPac Railroad"

Item: 69-M     MofW key     Price: $65.00

Remarks: ca. 1904-21
Forged by the S.R. Slaymaker Co.
Great stamp marks and dark patina.
100 year + centenarian!

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Missouri Pacific Railroad MofW Missouri Pacific Railroad MofW Cliffhanger

Missouri Pacific Railroad

aka "MoPac Railroad"

Item: 70-M     Price: $55.00

Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Nice stamp marks and gold patina.

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Missouri Pacific & Texas Pacific Railroad Missouri Pacific & Texas Pacific Railroad MoPac R.R. Flag        MP & TP R.R. Flag

Missouri Pacific & Texas Pacific Railroad

Item: 72-M     post MP & TP merger key     Price: $75.00

Remarks: ca. post 1976
Superb serif stamp marks and gold patina.
MoPac style bit. SW = switch.

History

The T&P had a significant foothold in Texas by the mid-1880s. Construction difficulties delayed westward progress, until American financier Jay Gould acquired an interest in the railroad in 1879. The T&P never reached San Diego; instead it met the Southern Pacific at Sierra Blanca, Texas, in 1881.

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Missouri Pacific & Texas Pacific Railroad Missouri Pacific & Texas Pacific Railroad T&P advertisement

Missouri Pacific & Texas Pacific Railroad

Item: 73-M     post MP & TP merger key     Price: $75.00

Remarks: ca. post 1976
Superb serif stamp marks and gold patina.
MoPac style bit. SW = switch.

History - continued from above

The Missouri Pacific Railroad, also controlled by Gould, leased the T&P from 1881 to 1885 and continued a cooperative relationship with the T&P after the lease ended. Missouri Pacific gained majority ownership of the Texas & Pacific Railway's stock in 1928 but allowed it to continue operation as a separate entity until they were eventually merged on October 15, 1976. On January 8, 1980, the Missouri Pacific Railroad was purchased by the Union Pacific Railroad. Because of lawsuits filed by competing railroads, the merger was not approved until September 13, 1982. However, due to outstanding bonds of the Missouri Pacific, the actual merger with the Union Pacific Railroad took place on January 1, 1997.

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Monon Railroad Monon Railroad Monon R.R. Flag

Monon Railroad

aka "The Chicago, Indianapolis, and Louisville Railway"

Item: 75-M     Price: $165.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Nice gold patina. Key listed in the
"American Railway's Switch Key Directory."
80 year + octogenarian!

History

The Monon Railroad, also known as the Chicago, Indianapolis, and Louisville Railway (reporting mark CIL) from 1897 to 1971, was an American railroad that operated almost entirely within the state of Indiana. The Monon was merged into the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in 1971, and much of the former Monon right of way is owned today by CSX Transportation.

Monon derives from Potawatomi Indian words that sounded to the first settlers like metamonong or monong and seemingly meant "tote", or "swift running." In 1882, the railroad started printing "The Monon Route" on company maps, later naming itself "Monon - The Hoosier Line" on timetables, letterheads, and rolling stock.

The few north-south railroads, such as the Monon and Illinois Central, provided timely service to Union forces during the Civil War. The Monon carried volunteers to mustering centers free; hurried sick, wounded or discharged men home at half-price. It carried troops, ammunition, food, fuel and medicine on contract. In 1861 alone, the government paid the Monon $9,149 to deliver 9,105 men to war-related destinations. Of 17 Indiana railroads running in 1861-65, only two carried more military personnel. A clue to the Monon's vital war role: Confederate John Morgan's raiders from Kentucky in July, 1863, tore out Monon tracks, pulled over water tanks, burned trestles and a depot at Salem, Indiana.

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Monon Railroad Monon Railroad Monon Alco RS2-52

Monon Railroad

aka "The Chicago, Indianapolis, & Louisville Railway"

Item: 76-M     Price: $165.00

Remarks: Operated from 1897-1971
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Nice markings and two-tone patina.
80 year + octogenarian!

History - continued from above

In 1946, John W. Barriger III became president of the Monon, changed its operations, built new passenger cars, purchased new diesel F-3s for passenger and mainline freight service, and made the Monon a modern, efficient, and competitive railroad. The Monon Railroad was the first class "A" railroad to become fully dieselized. It operated entirely within the state of Indiana, having only a few miles of out-state trackage rights to connect it to its two major terminals - Chicago and Louisville, Kentucky.

In April, 1865, a Monon engine pulled President Abraham Lincoln's funeral train at 5 mph, per orders, over the 90 miles from Lafayette to Michigan City, one of twenty railroad lines honored to participate in the 20-day, 1,666-mile trail of sadness from Washington, D.C., to Springfield, Illinois.

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Monongahela Railway Monongahela Railway Monongahela Ry Flag

Monongahela Railway

Item: 78-M     Price: $100.00

Remarks: ca. mid 1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Nice gold patina. Key listed in the
"American Railway's Switch Key Directory."
80 year + octogenarian!

History

The Monongahela Railroad was a joint venture of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE), both of which had plans to extend their lines in the area.

The Monongahela Railway was a coal-hauling short line railroad in Pennsylvania and West Virginia in the United States. It was jointly controlled originally by the Pennsylvania Railroad, New York Central subsidiary Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, with NYC and PRR later succeeded by Penn Central Transportation. The company operated its own line until it was merged into Conrail on May 1, 1993.

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Montpelier & Wells River Railroad Montpelier Montpelier & Wells River R.R. turntable    Montpelier & Wells River R.R. yard    M&WR locomotive

Montpelier & Wells River Railroad

Item: 80-M     Price: $145.00 $125.00

Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Another low serial number.
Superb stamp marks and copper patina.
Shows better in your hand!

History

The M&WR Railroad was incorporated on November 11th, 1867, and was opened to traffic on September 30th, 1873. It extended from Montpelier to Wells River, in Vermont. The Barre Branch Railroad, from Montpelier to Barre, was organized on August 15th, 1883, and was leased to the M&WR, which passed into Boston & Maine control in March, 1911. The M&WR and the B&C, which had also been under B&M control, were merged as the Barre & Chelsea Railroad, on January 1st, 1945, upon being released by the B&M, and operated as an independent company.

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Montoursville Passenger Co Montoursville Passenger Co Montoursville Passenger Company

Montoursville Passenger Co

Item: 84-M     Pennsy Interurban     Price: $100.00

Remarks: ca. 1904-21
Slaymaker forged.
Superb serif stamp marks and dark patina.
100 year + centenarian!

History

Almost since the day electric cars were introduced, accidents had been a concern of some citizens. Most accidents were blamed on excessive speed, which reached about twenty miles per hour. Responding to public outrage over the problem, City Council passed an ordinance in 1895 limiting streetcar speed to eight-to-ten miles per hour.

In 1897, a second line running outside the city went into service. This was the Montoursville line, owned and operated by the Montoursville Passenger Railway Company, which in turn was owned by a Philadelphia firm, the Tennis Construction Company. The line connected with the Third Street line in Williamsport, and a passenger could travel from Montoursville to Market Square for ten cents. The cars ran every half-hour and the trip took 30 minutes, about half the time it had previously taken by horse-and-buggy or train.

In 1924 the Montoursville Railway Company, owned since 1909 by a group of local investors, was also sold to Pennsylvania Power and Light Company. At the time of the sale, the company was more than $80,000 in debt and had not shown a profit for nearly ten years. PP&L was only interested in the acquisition because of the power company which the railway owners also controlled. The streetcar interests were sold to the Lycoming Auto Transit Company, which brought in three new buses to replace the streetcars. The streetcars ran for the last time on August 7, 1924.

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Mobile & Ohio Railroad Mobile & Ohio Railroad M&O RR Flag

Mobile & Ohio Railroad

Item: 86-M     Price: $125.00

Remarks: ca. pre-1927
Forged by the Wilson Bohannan Co.
Superb seif stamp marks and two-tone patina.
Hard to find key, which also works
the GM&O locks-except North Division.
Line now part of CSX.
100 year + centenarian!

History

The Mobile and Ohio Railroad was a railroad in the Southern U.S. The M&O was chartered in January and February 1848 by the states of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee. It was planned to span the distance between the seaport of Mobile, Alabama and the Ohio River near Cairo, Illinois.

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Mobile & Ohio Railroad Mobile & Ohio Railroad GMO-depot

Mobile & Ohio Railroad

Item: 87-M     Price: $125.00

Remarks: ca. 1921-30
Forged by the Fraim/Slaymaker Co.
Nice serif stamp marks and gold patina. The more
difficult of the two M&O key styles to find.
80 year + octogenarian!

History - continued from above

The Southern Railroad having control of the M&O for many years, sold its M&O bonds in 1940 to the Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad. The GM&N was then combined with the M&O to form the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad.

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Montana Railroad Montana Railroad Montana R.R. Flag

Montana Railroad

Item: 89-M     Price: $165.00

Remarks: ca. 1904-21
Forged by the S.R. Slaymaker Co
Superb serif stamp marks and copper patina.
100 year + centenarian!

History

The Montana Railroad was an American railroad built and operated between the towns of Lombard and Lewistown, Montana, a distance of approximately 157 miles. The railroad connected with the national railway network via a connection with the Northern Pacific Railway at Lombard. The Montana Railroad line was constructed between 1895 and 1903, and operated independently until 1908, when it was acquired by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, aka "the Milwaukee Road." The railroad was colloquially known as "the Jawbone", because of the contrast between the promising statements of the line's promoters and the company's perennially-weak financial position.

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Switch Key Directory Switch Key Directory

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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D.S. Key & Lock Directory D.S. Key & Lock Directory

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 01/22/2024

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