✅ SOLVED Arizona Relics - Need Some Help!

[Old Pueblo]

Found some more cool stuff, including a little train car made of lead I think, some more marbles ( a clay one and a solid black glass one), a sterling silver ring, missing its stone, some date nails, buckles, buttons, shotgun shells and so forth. Please let me know if you know anything about any of this stuff. I ask because it often surprises me how people can date some of this stuff and how old some of it turns out to be. So any info is much appreciated. And as before, the stuff next to the ruler is what Im mainly interested in, the other stuff is to show. The one tin thing you see there, along with the rustly bell looking thing next to it, are from Southern Pacific. You can see the SP name on the one piece. Does anybody know what this is? And what is that big rusty thing with the point on it?



Date nails include a rough 1911, and nice 1916 and 1918. The little ones like this 1918 are very difficult to find in good shape. Usually they are so rusty and bent up they just disintegrate or you can barely read it. This one is nice and straight and easy to read, and a new year for me. And what an important year that was.

 

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[Old Pueblo]

And does anyone know what that buckle is next to the Southern Pacific thing? It looks like it says "Pat. AP O? OR" but is a but worn and corroded, so its difficult to make out. It looks like a suspender or overall buckle or something like that to me, but I dont know.

 

[4x4x4]

....HI old Pueblo ,
I think the item with the metal strap is from a RR TORPEDO or EXPLOSIVE COMMUNICATION device strapped to the top of the rail and secured in position so the wheels would run over and detonate......Pre radio communication or distant light signaling.
These were arranged along the track to communicate to the engineer of any number of hazards ahead on the line without the area needing to be "manned". With usually an "opening salute", notifying the engineer to listen for a series of staccato , abbreviated and dedicated Morse code like explosions ....all in one breath to boot !
There were many connotations of this one time use device , all considered "class-C explosives" and were used from the mid 1800 through the 1970s. Many crews still carried them into the 1990s when they were painfully obsolete. Just as dangerous as TNT , they leaked the glycerin and became "shocky" and deadly.
The photo example is , I believe , the style yours was by the fastening bead , cir.1889 (or so).
Good photos and lighting , thanks,
Mark.

 

[1637]

date nails are cool.
brad

 

[Old Pueblo]

I had no idea, that is really cool. It makes sense it says S.P. Co. on it, since the railroad owned everything back then to keep their lines in operation. Thanks for the info, you have obviously done your homework.

 

[nhbenz]

And does anyone know what that buckle is next to the Southern Pacific thing? It looks like it says "Pat. AP O? OR" but is a but worn and corroded, so its difficult to make out. It looks like a suspender or overall buckle or something like that to me, but I dont know.

I believe it says PAT APL'D FOR, or something very close to that.

 

[SkaBa]

The item above the SP piece is a modern era seal used on railway cars, shipping containers, tractor/trailers, etc.. There should be numbers/letters embossed on the strap.

 

[The_Piratess]

Congrats on some neat finds Old Pueblo! I really like that railroad passenger car too.

 

[Old Pueblo]

I believe it says PAT APL'D FOR, or something very close to that.

You're probably right.

 

[Old Pueblo]

Congrats on some neat finds Old Pueblo! I really like that railroad passenger car too.

Thank you

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

One of the buckle-like objects (not the one marked PAT APL'D FOR) next to the SP Co. object is one piece of another of your finds... the object marked "President." Both are from President (brand) suspenders, patented by G.E. Adams on November 25th 1901. See the original-document 1901 US Patent diagram and an early-1900s advertisement for President suspenders (with BigCypressHunter's inserted closeup from the Patent diagram), below.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Forgot to mention in my previous reply, above... if I recall correctly, the cylindrical iron object with a long-ish pointed spike on the rounded end is the base for an emergency-warning flare. Tends to be found along railroad tracks because you would use the spike end to stick the flare into wood, such as a railroad crosstie.

 

[Old Pueblo]

The item above the SP piece is a modern era seal used on railway cars, shipping containers, tractor/trailers, etc.. There should be numbers/letters embossed on the strap.

Yes you're right, there are a bunch of numbers.

 

[P.ALLEN]

boxcar id tag, basically used to show if a car has been tampered with. (SPCO) artifact that is. They still use em today for grain cars boxcars etc.

 

[Old Pueblo]

Forgot to mention in my previous reply, above... if I recall correctly, the cylindrical iron object with a long-ish pointed spike on the rounded end is the base for an emergency-warning flare. Tends to be found along railroad tracks because you would use the spike end to stick the flare into wood, such as a railroad crosstie.

Sorry, I must have overlooked this response. Thank you very much. Thats really great, I was hoping somebody could identify that one. It looks like it could have some age on it.