I have been told that this group of 106 bells is the largest documented collection
of its type in the U.S.. It is my pleasure to share it with you here.

Left to right:
1] Broadway & 7th Ave. RR CO (New York)
2] Brooklyn Crosstown RR CO (New York)
3] Buffalo Street Railroad Co. (Buffalo, New York)
4] Detroit Citizens Street Railway (Detroit, Mi.)
5] Chicago West Div Ry Co (V5) >

Left to right:
1] Chicago West Division Railway
2] Chigago West Div. version 2 (Chicago Il.)
3] Dry Dock, East Broadway & Battery Ry. (New York),
4] Louisville Railway (Louisville, Ky).

Left to right:
1] A bell from the Street Railway Co, Greenville South Carolina, a line only 2.25 miles long. One of VERY few known to survive.
2] An example from car builder Waltons Mfg. Works.
3] Converted for conductors use, this bell is from the 42nd St. Manhattanville & St. Nicholas Ave. St. Ry Co. (NY).
4] Next, An example from the Louisville City Railway (Louisville, Kentucky)
5] A older style bell lettered METROPOLITAN RY, city unknown.

Left to right:
1] Manufactured by Dayton Mfg. Co., this bell served the Detroit City Railway (Detroit, Michigan).
2] St. Paul City Railway Company, St. Paul, Minnesota.
3] Brooklyn City Railroad Company, (Ver.1) Brooklyn, NY.
4] A Lewis & Fowler bell with the identification cast around the rim.
5] One of only 3 known examples; FREDERICK AVENUE ST RY of St. Joseph, Missouri

Left to right:
1]"BRK'LYN B'Y RR" from the "Broadway Railway Company of Brooklyn", one of only two known to be held in collections.
2]"B'KLYN N.Y.".. made by Lewis and Fowler.
3] an older model bell marked "BUFFALO STrRyCo. EASTSIDE", a 9 mile line in Buffalo NY, top marked "N&C NY",
(Nichols & Clarke foundry) the only example of this maker I have found.
4]A bell marked CPRR, which could be Central Passenger Railroad in Louisville Kentucky
or Coalville Passenger Railroad in Wilkes-barre Pennsylvania.
5] This bell, marked P & R comes from either Pottsville & Reading Ry. or Pottstown & Reading Street Ry.
in Pennsylvania. It is another example of one possibly modified for conductor or depot use.

Left to right:
1] A bell from the Wm. McKenna & Son foundry.
2] A piece from car builder Edward C. White.
3] Broadway & Newburg Railroad Co., Cleveland Ohio.,
4] Central Passenger RR, Toledo Ohio.
5] Version 4 from Lewis & Fowler Mfg. This time the lettering is on the rim.

Left to right: 1] A third variation from Louisville marked "Lou. City Railway"
2] Hiding under two coats paint was this beauty, from the West Chicago Street Railroad Company.
3] Third Avenue Railroad Company, New York.
4-5 ] Two bells from Lewis & Fowler Mfg. Co. Both marked "PAT JAN 21, 1890"on top edge.
First measures 2 3/4" at the bottom and 2 1/2" tall. Far right is 3 3/8 at bottom, 3 1/4" tall.

Left to right:
1] Atlantic Avenue Railroad Company, Brooklyn, NY.
2] Saginaw Street R.R. Co., Saginaw Michigan.
3] Union Railroad Company, Providence, Rhode Island
4] Brooklyn St. RR Co.

Left to right:
1] Lynn & Boston Railroad Company, Boston, Mass.
2] Fair Haven & Westville, New Haven, Connecticut.
3] Rochester City & Brighton, Rochester, New York.
4] Citizens St. Ry., Springfield, Ohio

All from New York, here are examples from,
1] Coney Island & Brooklyn.
2] Car builder John Stephenson Ltd.
3] Pugh & Russell Foundry
4] Another variation from the "Buffalo Eastside St. RR. Co.

Left to right:
1] 23rd Street Railway, Manhattan, New York
2] Second Avenue Railway, New York,
3] top marked "Pat'd Jan 21, 1890"
4] marked "Dayton Mfg. Co."
5] Marked "H&W H RY CO" (Var.1) for Hartford & Wethersfield Horse Railway Co.
(Four more variations of H&W bells are shown farther below.)

This bell is marked WCSTRRCC. I have never seen a bell with the "CC" designation.
The lettering is for the West Chicago Street Railroad. Research shows this line also operated CABLE CARS;
perhaps that is what the "CC" represents. Following are some quotes on the subject:
".......a noisy bell was attached to the rear axle of each car"
"........it has been found expedient to attach a bell to the revolving axle of the cars as a warning to keep clear"
"........some cable lines put bells on the axles of their cars"
".......two alarm bells clamped to the front axle of each car..."
So, there are indications bells were used in this way. But, I can not confirm if they actually used bells marked just for the cable cars.

Left to right
1] Atlanta Str. Ry Co., Atlanta GA.
2] Bushwick R.R. Co., Brooklyn, New York.
3] Cincinnati Street Railway, Cincinnati Ohio.
4] Topeka City Railway, Topeka Kansas.
5.Brooklyn City & Newtown RR CO (Ver.2)


Left to right:
1] An older bell from the 23rd St Railway Co. NY. Note bolder lettering and no handle.
2] Brooklyn City & Newtown. (Newtown may not have been a place, but rather a stream or creek) Top marked "MANF' BY J. J. WALTON, N.Y."
3] Hartford St. Ry. Co.
4] One of only two examples known, from car builder Union Street Car Co.
5] Another variation from this N.Y. line marked EAST SIDE & BUFFALO ST. RY. CO.

Left to right: 1] A third variation of the "Pat. Jan 21 1890 bell, This one has no '18', only the '90'.
2] This beauty comes from outside the U.S. It is marked CIA C. de F. de SAO PAULO
It comes from Sao Paulo Brazil and was made by Walton Mfg. Co. NY

Left to right:
1] This bell is marked City Railway Co.
2] Coney Island & Brooklyn RR.
3] Central Park North & East River.
4] H&W Horse Railroad Co.
5] A bell marked HERDIC (car builder).

Left to right:
1] a bell from A.D.Jacobus (car builder)
2] Near left: Minneapolis St. Railway Co (More-Jones foundry)
3] Richmond City RR Co.
4]Geo. W. Nock (foundry).
5] Lyne Mfg. Co. (car builder)

Left to right:
1] This bell is marked Louisville Rwy. Co.
2]Little Rock St.Rwy. Co. (Version 1)
3] Canal & Claiborne.
4] BRS (Boston Railway Signal).
5] Buffalo St. R.R. Co..

Left to right:
1] This bell is from BCR (Brooklyn City & Ridgewood).
2] Birmingham Street Railway.
3] Broadway Railroad.
4] L&AH RR Co. (Lewiston & Auburn Horse RR Co).
5] New Orleans City Railway

Left to right:
1] This bell is marked ERR for Evansville RR.
2] ENTERPRISE Ry. Co. of Charleston S.C.
3] Little Rock Street Railway (Version 2)
4] 3rd Avenue Railway (Var.2)
5] 2nd Avenue Railway (Var.2)

Left to right:
1] Metropolitan Street Railway, Atlanta GA.
2] Louisville City Railway
3] V&T (Vanduzen & Tift, Bell Maker)
4] Niagara Falls & Suspension Bridge Railroad, Niagara Falls, New York.
5] Buffalo Railway Co., Buffalo, New York.

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Left to right:
1] Hartford & Wethersfield (Var.2)
2] Hartford & Wethersfield (Var.3)
3] Center right: Hartford & Wethersfield (Var.4)
4] Bushwick RR CO (Var.2)

Here are some unique bells: manufacturers samples used by the foundries that made them.
Far Left: Marked NOC&L RWY CO. (New Orleans City & Lake Rwy Co.)
Near left: Broadway & 7th Ave
Center: 42 ST M & ST N AVE RY.
Near Right: 23 RD STREET RAILWAY
Far Right: Marked Louisville City Railway [V.6].
Their tops are not completed and no hanger or clapper was attached.

This Brooklyn City RR horse car bell serves as a reminder of the transit strike of 1895 in Brooklyn
(then its own city) New York. As the police were greatly outnumbered by the strikers, the National Guard was called in,
which included the 47th Regiment. Who created this item or to whom it was presented is unknown.
It has not been cleaned or modified in any way and is being preserved in 'as found' condition.


(Left) This is a unique bell assembly. Doccumentation shows that this type of arrangement was used on many horse cars if they were
big enough to require a conductor onboard, in addition to the operator. The bell would be mounted above or near the driver,
and connected by a cable or string to the rear of the car, for use by the conductor to signal the driver to stop the car or proceed ahead.
(Right) A similar assembly which looks to have been shop made. The bell is cast Detroit Citizens Street Railway Company.

--

A section of rail from the horse car line in Clay Center, Kansas.
"Clay Center Ry."
Main line 2 miles, gauge 4 ft 8 1/2 in., rail 21 lbs.
Owned 4 cars, 4 horses and 10 mules.




A rare piece of horse railway history is this ledger book from the Highland Street Railway of Boston.
It records all of their horses, route miles traveled, cars used, etc., and covers the years 1885, 1886 and 1887.


I am always looking for bells and other horse car railway artifacts.
If you have, or know of any for sale, please contact me using the email link below.

If you would like to own one of these unique, historical bells,
I am offering several duplicates from my collection for sale.
Prices are firm and include shipping within the U.S.
To reserve and order, please use the email link above.
Paypal is preferred, but will accept bank money order. Thank you!

$210

Left to right:
1) $200
2)$120

$120 From bell maker Vandusen & Tift





Return to "The Era of the Horse Car" [ HERE ]

A list of Horse Car Bells and their manufacturers may be found [ HERE ]

'Stories and Lore' of Horse Car days may be found by clicking [ HERE ]

'Taking Stock' in Horse Car lines...... click [ HERE ]

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