Some of the most popular and expensive American locks were manufactured for the nation's railroads. Locks that secured track switches and signals from vandalism or theft were among the more common types; they can be found on the Internet today for $100 and up.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Rare examples include locks marked for the icehouse, tool box, water service, train box, refrigerator car or the women's or men's toilet. The top of the railroad lock line features fancybacks, locks where the reverse is decorated with the railroad's elaborate, interlocking Art Nouveau-style monogram. Fancybacks were in vogue at a time when railroads tried to outdo each other, even to the point of identifying locks for specific places and purposes. Look for the name of the railroad or its monogram embossed, stamped, or cast in raised letters on the lock itself.
No comments:
Post a Comment