Engraving on Railroad Dining Car Silver

[beautiful_unique_stuff]

Hi all,

I have this lone wolf railroad dining car silver soldered soup tureen by Reed & Barton. The engraving says "J.C.R.R."  I've never heard of this railroad and can't find anything anywhere on it. Any help? (Will post on the Railroad forum if I don't get answers here.) Thank you!

[rudy2828 · Accepted solution]

That's Illinois Central railroad silver. I have the identical piece and many more I need to get around to selling.

[mr_lincoln]

@beautiful_unique_stuff 

Jersey Central Railroad if the first letter is indeed a "J".  That would be the closest ... I am doubting a monogram with four letters.  

There was also a Central RR of New Jersey (CNJ initials).

[beautiful_unique_stuff]

Wow, Rudy. Thank you! Weird how that "I" looks more like a "J". I appreciate your help! 

[beautiful_unique_stuff]

Thank you!

[beehiveking]

I think that Rudy2828 is right. "Illinois central R.R.". That first letter is an "I" not a "J". A  R.R. that ran thru the central part of the country moving South.

It's famously mentioned in the song by Arlo Guthrie,

"City of New Orleans"

Riding on the City of New Orleans

Illinois Central Monday morning rail

Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders

Three conductors and twenty-five sacks of mail

All along the southbound odyssey

The train pulls out at Kankakee

Rolls along past houses, farms and fields

Passin' trains that have no names

Freight yards full of old black men

And the graveyards of the rusted automobiles

Good morning America how are you?

Don't you know me I'm your native son

I'm the train they call The City of New Orleans

I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done

[mr_lincoln]

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@rudy2828 wrote:

That's Illinois Central railroad silver. I have the identical piece and many more I need to get around to selling.

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@rudy2828   That was going to be my next suggestion since the first letter may not have been a "J" ... good call.

[mr_lincoln]

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@beautiful_unique_stuff wrote:

Wow, Rudy. Thank you! Weird how that "I" looks more like a "J". I appreciate your help! 

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@beautiful_unique_stuff  LOL! Illinois Central was my next guess if that first letter was NOT a "J" ... 

[beautiful_unique_stuff]

Well, that's great because I couldn't even guess it the first time!! 🙂

[beehiveking]

"Illinois Central R.R." turned into a conglomerate called "I C Industries".

They started buying other companies like the Pepsi Bottler out of Chicago, Progresso Soups & products, Pet Milk & products, Old El Paso Foods, Whitman Chocolates, Midas Muffler and other companies.

They sold off the R.R. and changed the name to Whitman Corp.

I don't know where it went from there.

[beehiveking]

It it "silver-plated"?

What is "silver soldered"?

Reed & Barton is (was) in my state (Massachusetts).

I have some Reed & Barton Sterling Silver souvenir spoons.

I also have 3 or 4 little Sterling Silver flower bowls

[rudy2828]

Part of Canadian National RR

[beautiful_unique_stuff]

I took this train! Amtrak has the City of New Orleans train from Chicago to New Orleans now! If I hadn't thought the "I" was a "J" I could have put this together from your post! Thanks!

[beautiful_unique_stuff]

I'm actually really glad you asked me that question because I had to go look it up:

"Silver solder has other metals, besides silver, alloyed into it. The alloy is primarily silver but the additional metals provide sought-after characteristics for the purpose of bonding. Copper (Cu) is soft and a great heat conductor plus it's resistant to corrosion." 

So it would make sense for anything used for food. 

[beautiful_unique_stuff]

I'm not sure if you already have this link, but it may be helpful. It looks to me like there is a pictorial mark on your bowls that may tell you the year, if you don't already know the year. My whole family settled in MA in the 1600's and I had no idea Reed and Barton was located in that state. I'm glad to know that since it helps me with some other pieces I inherited. 

https://www.silvercollection.it/REEDBARTONDATE.html