Neat Stuff and Junk

[Anonymous]

Among a few other minor treasures i have picked up at yard sales,i have a Locomotive Booster Instruction Manual printed by Franklin Railway Supply in 1927.

[Anonymous]

Wow, that's quite a find! I also hate math.

Unfortunately, I haven't found anything in my family's stuff that's railroad-releted, although I've found lots of other neat stuff and junk. I've always liked to find old stuff and junk wherever I can. I'm a garage sale addict and always end up bringing home lots of stuff from them in the summer.

I've gotten railroad stuff elsewhere, though. I once found a large picture showing a scene with a lake and mountains in B.C. that has a black border around it with a CN logo in the border. I bought it at a garage sale for $4. I have three kerosine and one battery railroad lanterns. One was bought by my dad for me at an auction for $15. There's a bullet hole in it and when people come to see my trains I like to tell the story that there was a train robbery and that the brakeman tried to signal for help with it and was shot at. I own the crossbucks from a railroad crossing sign (that have also been shot at, coincidentally-maybe they'll become part of my story, too). My uncle was lucky enough to come across some workers tearing out a crossing and when he asked, they let him have it. Another neat thing I have is an old CP travel booklet from the 50's in perfect condition with a beautiful color picture of a Selkirk on the front that I got rom a used book store.

[ironhorseman]

I came across something in my grandpa's stuff called the Baker Locomotive Valve Gear by the Pilliod Company of Swanton, Ohio, published 1925. It gives diagrams and instructions on how their valve gear works and how to maintainence it. Lot's of math and technical stuff. (That's why I didn't go into engineering or math [xx(] ). It's got some cool pictures of locomotives, too. I did a search and came up with this website about it:

http://www.forecyte.com/bakervalve/partscat.htm

His pictures are not the same as mine. The only reason my dad and I could figure out why Grandpa had this booklet is he used to go to a lot of auctions and at auctions you take whatever is in a box you bid on. I've also once found an old skeleton key marked MO. PAC. in my grandpa's stuff.

I was wondering if anyone else out there has come across some neat old railroad junk and stuff in your family or something rare you found at an auction or train show or whatever?