Mystery Box!

[Gdh1091]

Hi there,

My grandfather recently passed away, and while going through some of his possessions we came across this little brass box (or at least we think its a box).
It's engraved on one side with the words:

"THOMAS.GRAVES.
SICNALMAN.
LEOMINSTER.1886"

On the other side is a series of dials which we assume are some kind of locking mechanism. At one point surrounding the dials there is a 'T' engraved; we have no idea what this means, but it might be worth noting that the box has a series of small dents around the 'T' which might suggest the box has tapped repeatedly at this point in the past.





Any information would be appreciated,

Thanks,

Graham.

[frogpatch]

That is fascinating. It just kept me from working trying to figure out what it is. How big is it? I would think it has something to do with the railroad but it could also be military. It will have value to a collector somewhere. Sorry I can't be of more help. I probably looked through a thousand images and could not find anything. Someone will know.

[cogar]

Me thinks ...... Railroad

And tis a "combination" lock-box for storing the "key" to the Maiinline Switch Lantern.

To wit:

Mainline Switch; Lantern with red and green targets.

This was mounted on a pole approximately 6 feet tall. Only the signalman had the key for the main switch.   http://www.sabinahistory.org/railroadphotos.htm

[Ipcress]

That's really nice.

Are you in the UK ?

[Rauville]

I agree with Cogar in that it's most likely a short line railroad related item.
Maybe it was used as a "Token Box"(or maybe it was the token itself)?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Token_(railway_signalling)

[Ipcress]

I've sold token keys and staffs before and they don't look like this.

I just assumed it was a fancy snuff / tobacco box.

[frogpatch]

Methinks Cogar is right.

[cogar]

Some added trivia, to wit:

In the old days the Railroad Depots served a more important function than just a “ticket buying” waiting room or a baggage/freight shipping and receiving location.

The Depot was the communications and control center that was responsible for all activities on a pre-designated Section (capital S) of railroad property. Thus, all RR employees (engineers, firemen, brakemen, conductors and signalmen) came to the Depot at the start of their working day/night to get their “orders” for that day’s activities. (Said “orders” were transmitted to Depots via telegraph wires.) Said employees returned to the Depot at the end of their “shift” to sign-out and/or report their day’s activities.

Anyway, at one time, most all track “switches” had brass locks on them that were “chained” to the “switch” and many employees had keys for them, especially conductors and track foremen/bosses. And more importantly, so did the “switch” lights which were actually “Stop Lights” to inform the Engineer if the track ahead was “clear” or that he should stop his train and/or get his train the hell off of those tracks. Note: “work” and ”freight” trains did not “run” on a specific “time” schedule like passenger trains did/do.

Thus said, on the “mainlines”, both passenger, work and freight trains were coming n’ going at all hours of the day and night …. and there was a “signalman” for each, per se, “8-hourr shift” , BUT, ….. there was only one (1) lock on the Mainline switch “light”. And, I hafta assume there were multiple keys for those switch “lights” and they were closely guarded. Therefore I also hafta assume that each “signalman” was assigned one of said keys …… and he had to “pick it up” and “return it” to the Depot each day that he worked. And iffen it was stored in that “lock box” then only he had access to it.

Just my learned opinion having been born and reared in a small town that was founded by the Coal & Coke Rail Road  and which was their “center of operations” in central WV. (Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gassaway,_West_Virginia )

[KC]

Couple of questions, have you been able to open the box?

Are you located in the UK or MA? 
Is this a family members?

I notice that the initial poster of the thread hasn't responded back to questions and really wonder about the location.  That can help alot.

Great trivia Cogar!  I live near a RxR track that they have restored the house of the switchman/signalman (they did both here) and it is a historical location. Have a good friend who puts us all to shame on antiques and he has tracked down most of the furniture that came with the home and reunited it. The RXR supplied the house/furnishings because it used to be out in nowhere....then it was farmland when we moved here and now it is surrounded by homes.  The RXR donated a caboose which has been permanently put by the home as well.

The hubs and I have been looking into RXR history and collectibles for a couple of years and let me tell you...they are COLLECTIBLE! 

[Ipcress]

Railwaymen would have worn keys on them at all times. Sometimes more important keys and not within a special box with a combination lock.
They would also need to be readily accessible during working hours and there's little point in each individual having a key locked in a personal box, which wasn't unique to them, with a location on . It just didn't happen back then

http://www.mining-memorabilia.co.uk/welshminerssnuffboxes.htm

Plenty more similar on auction sites on the net.

Snuff and tobacco was far more personal and expensive.

[frogpatch]

That pretty much seals it for me. The one even has arrows to unlock it.

[cogar]

Railwaymen would have worn keys on them at all times. Sometimes more important keys and not within a special box with a combination lock.

Ipcress, I really didn't mean to infer that a "signalman" actually carried that "lock-box" with him on the job. On the contrary, my "thinking" was that the "lock-box" was always kept at the Depot under supervision of the Station Agent or "call boy" and the employee would retrieve the "key" from the "box" and then return it at the end of his shift, thus the "key" never left RR property.

Like now days, some employees are "assigned" special keys or combinations to safes, etc., ... and they best know where they are at all times ...... because if they "fall-into-the-wrong-hands" the employee is held responsible.

And in the US, the safe-guarding of those track "switch" keys, and especially the "signal light" keys, were just as, if not far more important than "combinations" to safes or bank vaults. The reason being there were lots of dastardly thinking people that were angry with a RR and would intentionally "cause a train wreck" even if it killed 100+- people. In those days the RRs were pretty much immune to civil law suites thus it was a "get even" recourse.

Anyway, Ipcress, your cited link proves the old adage of .... "Two heads are better than one", ..... thus I stand corrected at offering a bad guess.

HA, ... I am still prone to "think US" if the poster does not state a location. And the only "personalized" objects I could think of at the time were Shaving Mugs which were kept at the Barber Shop. And ps, I now know here is a town with the name of Leominster in Herefordshire, England and also in Worcester County in the state of Massachusetts, USA.

And Ipcress, to wit:

Snuff and tobacco was far more personal and expensive.

Maybe so in Great Britian, etc. ....... but not in the US. It was pretty much "dirt cheap" here .... and iffen you were stingy, .... or poor as a fieldmouse, ..... you could "plant n' raise it" for your own use.

To wit again:

Tobacco farming in Connecticut has a long history. When the first settlers came to the valley in the 1630s, tobacco was already being grown by the native population. By 1700, tobacco was being exported via the Connecticut River to European ports.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connecticut_shade_tobacco

[cogar]

KC, given your following statement …. I just hafta tell you some more trivia about the Town of Gassaway.

[KC said] “The RXR supplied the house/furnishings because it used to be out in nowhere....then it was farmland when we moved here and now it is surrounded by homes.  The RXR donated a caboose which has been permanently put by the home as well.”

Henry G Davis tried to buy land close to the towns of Sutton and Burnsville but the good residents of them said “we don’t want no frigging RR in our backyard”.

So, Henry G purchased several thousand acres along the east side of the Elk River, 5 miles south of Sutton. Then he called his RR Construction Engineers in and they surveyed the whole area in minute detail …. and then drew up the Deed Plat for the Town with Lot #’s, streets, sidewalks, parks, business district, etc., etc., ….  then he constructed his facility, including the water & sewage system …. and then started selling “building lots” …. and even building houses which were either rented or auctioned off to employees or whoever. Thus, Gassaway was “incorporated” in 1905 ..... as a "throughly modern town" which quickly grew in population and retail business activities.

Of course Henry G kept all the flat bottom land closest to the river for constructing his maintenance facility, switching “yards”, employee lockers and showers, etc.