Camp Railroad bell ID Revised History and camp photos

[Woodland Detectors]

Ok, you guys heres your chance to find some very inportant history. The Bell in the photo is used here everyday durring camp to call the kids in for chow. Unfortunately, like alot of things around here nothing is documented historicly that tells the origin of where it came from who what train it was used on if any etc... Ill bet someone here can get it!!! And it means so much! I assure you it wont ever get lost. A plaque will be made once ID is confirmed to educate people on its history. Good luck and best wishes! sincerely Camp staff, swannanoa 4-h education center and the swannanoa valley museum

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Cry Of The Eagle: History And Legends Of The Cherokee Indians And Their Buried Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[Ramitt]

Re: Camp Railroad bell ID

Does it read Gift of the Southern Railway 1952 cast in it? if so I am guessing it was never on a train but made as a gift for your camp or some other.

Edit:
Contacting this group may lead to some more info.
http://www.srha.net/

How can I submit questions about the history of the Southern Railway? (Added Aug. 9, 2005 )
E-Mail Webmaster@srha.net regarding your questions. We will try to respond within 1 week. However, we are a non-profit organization that relies upon volunteer labor. Sometimes it may take longer.

 

[Blacksheep]

Re: Camp Railroad bell ID

Heres one up for auction, at first glance it appears that it is real. Maybe these were removed from steam
engines for presentation purposes (gifts). (EDIT: not a current auction)

I havnt found anything yet to support that, still looking.

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/3180123


I found reference to a similarly marked steam whistle here. (click whistle2.jpg to see the pic)

http://search.freefind.com/find.html?id=9045765&pageid=r&mode=ALL&query=Gift+of+Southern+Railway

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Camp Railroad bell ID

Here are some tidbits from the Southern Railway. http://search.freefind.com/find.html?id=9045765&pageid=r&mode=ALL&query=southern+railway

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Re: Camp Railroad bell ID

Great Info! we thank you so much

 

[Mackaydon]

Re: Camp Railroad bell ID

I'm wondering if the local paper of 1952 is archived.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Camp Railroad bell ID

I think the question here is why was Southern Railway giving out bells as gifts? Were these bells actually used on the train or at the stations? ...or were they manufactured solely as gifts. They appear to all be 40's to mid- 50's era gifts. Can we trace it by the serial number?

 

[Mackaydon]

Re: Camp Railroad bell ID

Such insignias were emblazoned into the brass when railroads donated them to schools and other institutions after decommissioning the engines.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/s_609590.html

 

[PBK]

Re: Camp Railroad bell ID

Brosamer's may be able to help you:

http://www.brosamersbells.com/

 

[silverswede]

Re: Camp Railroad bell ID

Not anything leading to a plaque, but I think Just - Geese was onto the trail with his bell gift to the camp lead. I check out eBay on antique school bells. Lots of similiar, and Yahoo search for school bell dedications and found the one "gift of a bell to school" pictures included here. The local newspaper may have included a piece about such an event from Southern R.R. as suggested by Mackaydon. Good challanging post Sage.

 

[DCMatt]

Re: Camp Railroad bell ID

This is an interesting challenge. I've learned a lot about bells and bell making today.

Can you tell us the dimensions of the bell? What is it made of?

How old is the camp and how close to Spencer NC?

DCMatt

 

[LadyDigger]

Re: Camp Railroad bell ID

Searched my newspaper archives and found lots of info on swannanoa 4H and Southern Railway...but not connected....was hoping to find an article about the bell dedication. That is not to say an article is not there....it's just not available at my sources. Go to your local library or whomever holds newspapers (usually on microfilm) and search through the year of 1952...will be very time consuming....I am sure you will find something in the paper...good luck and post when you find something...I would love to see it!

Annmarie

 

[GpSnoopy]

Re: Camp Railroad bell ID

Such insignias were emblazoned into the brass when railroads donated them to schools and other institutions after decommissioning the engines.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/s_609590.html

You may have to broaden the search within Swannanoa's history and see if the bell was donated to a school or other institution in the area in 1952, which was then later donated to the 4-H club.

Definitely interesting reading here.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Re: Camp Railroad bell ID

sorry folks. 4-h was established here in 1929 (oldest in NC) It cost kids 1 Dollar plus a live chicken! You can read the history at swan4h.comWhen my wife arrived here there were literally only 9 photos of 80 years of camp existence. We have worked so hard knocking on doors asking lots of questions to obtain any info or photos pertaining history here. I met with a professor in Raleigh who helped me find 60 more photos which are lying dormant in archives NC state university. seeing we are non-profit and cant afford them, they lie there until the monies are raised. Thanks for all your help! Sincerely....Camp staff

 

[LadyDigger]

Hey Sage....sorry to hear that you have to pay for those photos.... think there is some way you can take your digital camera and take a photo of the photos? Take several shots, use Macro and zoom too....

...........and I will give you my email and I will clean up the photos for you! NO CHARGE!!! ..and then send them back to you via email. I take photos of photos all the time, but sometimes you have to take several shots, use various settings, depends on the lighting in the area you are in, glare, etc.....so I would be willing to do that .... as I love knowning I'm not the only one that loves to preserve history!

I will do my newspaper search and any article I find on the 4H camp, as I found a few the other day doing a search about the bell....I will send to you. Some I found had names of individuals who attended, who won things...etc....they might be great to add to your goal of preserving the history of this 4H camp.

Let me know....I'll assist any way I can!
Kudos to you and the Mrs...
Annmarie

PS: I'm sorry to be so forward on this, but just how much money are they asking for the photos?

Oh...one more thing.... do ya'll do fundraisers? If so, I recommend Joe Corbi's Pizza (they have a website). Our Boy Scout Troop does a fundraiser with them twice a year and we are considering three times now....they boys raise alot of money for themselves, the Troop as a whole and Corbi's is happy with their share. Check into....I know they are a hit here in my local.

Ok...just one more time....here's a photo postcard my grandfather had in his possessions when he passed away. I recently did this one. I took a photo of the postcard. What you see is before and after. And the before photo...it really looks like that!!

 

[Woodland Detectors]

THANK YOU! for you generous offer rna!!!!!!!! Thats what its all about the KIDS!!!!! Ill Call Raleigh and see if they will let us do that...The photos they have are amazing and it burns me to think that we are affiliated with them that they would charge us 300 dollars being an education non-profit organization to obtain these! Its the volunteers that keep places like this afloat...Thank you for your sincere gesture.....

 

[LadyDigger]

THANK YOU! for you generous offer rna!!!!!!!! Thats what its all about the KIDS!!!!! Ill Call Raleigh and see if they will let us do that...The photos they have are amazing and it burns me to think that we are affiliated with them that they would charge us 300 dollars being an education non-profit organization to obtain these! Its the volunteers that keep places like this afloat...Thank you for your sincere gesture.....

You are most welcomed! Some tips....I have a chaulk board that I put up on the wall and I pin the photos on that....just barely the corner, just enough to hold the photo in place and not to damage the photo....then I put my camera on a tripod (in my older age, even though my body says I'm 30 LOL....my hand gets shakey after taking so many pics).... it keeps my hand steady. But you do it how it works for you...as long as you can get photos of them. Again, take several shots....some with flash, some without, try to get the lighting in the room even....I find that produces less glare and if they are not in frames, that is better....which I doubt they would be.....

If there is also something in the photo that catches your eye....due a Macro shot and get a close up of it...and use zoom...play with them....use different settings....believe you me....it's always trial and error with me still!!!

I'll keep my fingers crossed!!!!! (and say a Prayer as well!)
Annmarie

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Good tips! and thanks again!!!

 

[LadyDigger]

Ok...I felt like playing...LOL...so I saved one of your photos and played around. One is sharper and one is softer....

Sometimes I like to put alot of color, sometimes just alittle bit.... anyways...I had fun! (These are saved as a larger file, but due to the size alloted on TNet, I had to resize to fit.)

Got some research done also and now I will go back to it....
Annmarie

 

[Woodland Detectors]

wow! That is amazing! YOURE GOOD!