VGN Engine Torch in Brass ???

[NW Mailing List]

I have collected different pieces of railroadiana since the early 1960’s.  I have had a number of RR torches and I have never seen one in brass unless it was made up as a presentation piece.  Yes,  I have seen them embossed on the bottom with RR initials.  I would not touch that one,  there are a lot of fantasy pieces out there these days.

Ron Muldowney

From: NW Mailing List 
Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2021 10:49 AM
To: N&W Mailing List 
Subject: VGN Engine Torch in Brass ???

Someone posted to the Railroad Lantern Collectors page this photo of a brass engine torch marked VGN.  I never saw as brass engine torch and cannot fathom why any railroad would go to the expense of purchasing in brass so humble and expendable an item as an engine torch.  That strikes me as about as wasteful as putting perfume on a pig. 
It also bothers me that a tag with VGN would be affixed to the side in so obvious a place, on a piece of equipment which would normally be bottom stamped, if stamped at all. 
In a world where quackery and fakery abound as a highly-perfected artform, what think ye... ? 
Tach'mint. 
-- abram burnett 
turnips in the indicative and optative modes 
PS - For the benefit of our younger folks who never saw engine torches being used, here is the explanation to the man's question posted by the turnipologist on the Railroad Lantern Collector's page:  
// That is an "Engine Torch." Had several uses. One use was for the Engine Inspector at the engine house... any air leaks or steam leaks in the pipework would quickly blow the flame out, and he knew he had a problem to fix. Second use was as a light for the engine crew at night. Remember, this was the day before battery flashlights and lanterns were used on the railroad. Just crack the fire doors and put that wick up to the opening in the doors, and the oil in the wick would instantly ignite. Only problem was that they smoked badly and stunk awfully, as they were filled with kerosene. Usually they were carried on the shelf above the fire doors on the engine, along with the long-spouted oil can and the coffee pot (if the crew brought one along.) NICE ITEM ! ! I brought home a cast iron one and a sheet metal one, but have never seen a brass one. // 
  


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
________________________________________
NW-Mailing-List at nwhs.org
To change your subscription go to
http://list.nwhs.org/mailman/options/nw-mailing-list
Browse the NW-Mailing-List archives at
http://list.nwhs.org/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://pairlist6.pair.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/attachments/20210121/ef4a9752/attachment.html>