RAILROAD SIGNALS
of the
Todd's Railfan Guide to
Prices of Railroadiana
and
Other Stuff
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I am always getting emails asking me what railroad items costs.
As much as I would like to be an expert on all things railroad or railroad signal related, I am not!
PLEASE NOTE: I AM NOT SELLING THESE ITEMS --
Many people write and ask me if these things are still for sale - I don't know!!!!
Unlike other "antiques" you might see on the Antique Road Show, railroadiana is a much more fluid market depending on the interest of a certain item at the time it is offered for sale. There is also the "relative" value of an item depending on someone's sense of historical value, for instance, there was once a simple 3 aspect color light signal for sale on Ebay maybe 10 years ago. The starting price was $1500 because the seller felt it was worth way more that the real street value because he claimed it came from a specific station. The first time he listed the signal, he did not even include a photo of the signal. The second time he listed the signal, because it obviously did not sell the first time around, he at least included a photo, but still had it listed for $1500. It did not sell the second time around either. I never followed the auctions to see if he ever offered it again, but obviously, the market is very, very small for a signal collector looking for a signal from a specific depot.
With that said, I present a collection of sales and ads that I have come across to give the reader some idea of what you can expect to pay. The first batch (1-62) come from the Discover Live Steam website. The majority of the remainder of the listings were found on EBay.
Some of the prices for this stuff I feel are good, some I feel are excessive... my opinion is to the left in the little signal icon, I'm a guessin you can figure out what I'm trying to convey :-)...
Again, these are just my opinion!
Whether or not a particular price for something is "good" or "bad" depends on:
What you think something is worth,
How much you are willing to pay,
And, is it something you "just want", "think would be cool to have", or "really, really just have to have it".
A few years ago on EBay, a late 1800's Banjo type signal sold for $18,000!!! Wow! Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the free enterprise system, but if you think a lot of prices are good, go to a train show and see how much of this stuff IS NOT selling!
Because the pages are picture intensive, I have divided up the pages into quicker to load sets.....
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Pictures are always needed if anyone feels inclined to take 'em, send 'em, and share 'em, or if you have something to add or correct.... credit is always given! Contact info is here
Complete PRR Position Light Signal $2250I dunno, people always beat me up over my assessment of prices on signals, especially if there is some sort of history behind it. This signal falls into this category, because it comes from a signal bridge on Horseshoe Curve outside Altoona PA. However, I believe the seller overrates the historical significance of the signal when coming up with a price, in light of the fact that the PL signals are dropping like flies and if you know where to get them, you can probably get them for close to scrap value. Just a guess..... Plusses: the signal is still all yellow, all of the lenses are in good condition, the signal has all of its piece parts, and has not been "red eyed"..... minuses: the signal has been taken apart, but no restoration work has been performed on it, and the wires were cut during the disassembly instead of being preserved (I'm sorry, since I am an electrical/electronics nut, I place a high value on this stuff as much as the rest of the signal, as the wiring used is as significant as the signal itself!!!! - it deserves to be kept in as close to original condition as the mechanical parts). The following is a description of the signal from the seller. I will apologize to the seller now for my assessment, as brutal as it may seem. (9/2016)
Union, Switch & Signal, PRR Position Signal from signal bridge 2426, west of Altoona, PA. This was located at McGinley's Curve on the east slope up to Gallitzin. It is from track 1 (eastbound, see pic). This was the next signal bridge after bridge 2416 (Horseshoe Curve). This signal is 100% complete with mast, pinnacle, number board and dual faced junction box. Other than age, everything is in good condition. ALL lenses and internal mirrors are original and glass and have no cracks or chips. All hatches for the 7 signal units are in good condition and all 7 units have the short visor style. The lens rings on three of the units are rusted up and would need to be removed and re-fabricated and the screw holes for them drilled out and tapped. Two of the units need one screw hole each for the hatch covers to be drilled out and tapped (I have additional photos of these issues). The signal has been disassembled for storage and ease of transportation. The spider base was detached from the mast and the signal units were taken off. Wires were cut when the individual units were removed from the base, so there is some rewiring involved. The base, mast and boxed parts might fit in a large pickup, but a small truck or van is recommended. Mast is 10' 11" long. Along with the historical implications of this signal, and the documentation of the signal's location, there has been a large scale elimination project of these signals in recent years by the railroad. Pickup is in Scranton, PA 18504.
next item up for bid: $125
NEW 09/23/2013
Last Modified
23-Jul-2017