Lot #213 - Boston Clinton & Fitchburg BTBB Railroad

 

la52 Railroad Boston Clinton & Fitchburg  Size 6" tall globe  Condition Excellent This old brasstop comes with a very nice free blown Cranberry red globe. Removable globe BC&F lanterns do not come with cast globes. The Betts marking under the bell is pretty faint, but it's there. The patent date "Nov 1, 1865". This is not a common marking. The shallow strike in the lid and the skewed ampersand are Betts give-away signs. The brass top has been banged around a bit. The vent holes are a densely packed 3 row alignment. The lantern overall is squat and unusual looking. The twist off bell has hand applied guides for the pins. This is old school hand assembly work. The bell had a 3 wire repair holding the butt joint. This has been expertly repaired and it's barely perceptible now. The bell diameter is almost 6".  The Boston Clinton & Fitchburg Railroad existed from 1869-1876. In 1876 it became the Boston Clinton Fitchburg & New Bedford. It eventually ended up in the Old Colony which was absorbed by the New Haven in 1893. The original line was built to bypass Boston with ship based coal from barges on the South Shore to be delivered to mill towns in Northern Massachusetts (Fitchburg, Lowell). Water served the early mills but by the post Civil War era, coal was needed for increased power in the growing mills. This line never went to Boston. It was designed to be the Interstate 495 of its day.  This BC&F marking is not common. Free blown globes were made before molds were generally used for mass production. The Cranberry color pre-dates the strict color rules imposed in the 20th century. This globe has fine swirl marks from a "round off" tool used to ensure correct diameter to the top and bottom Good basic condition.    Return to Auction Listing copyright Scott Czaja 2011