Railroad & Trolley Items | Collecting Vintage Saegertown and Meadville

This page contains Railroad, Railway, Trolley, and Traction Company items from our local area and around Pennsylvania.

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Meadville Traction Company, Meadville, Pa., coat button. Circa. 1893-1911.

Two small vintage Erie Railroad buttons appx. 5/8″ dia.

Three Air Brake Magazines. Published in Meadville, Pa. 1909-1910.

Four 1905-06 railroad tickets/coupons. See text.

The top left Pennsylvania Railroad Company coupon is a two-day excursion return coupon Johnsonburg to Kane. It has an ink stamp on the back that says: PENNA. R.R.CO. JAN 5 1905 KANE, PA. At the top right, is a Pittsburgh & Lake Erie R.R. ticket for New Castle to Beaver Falls. On the back, it is rubber stamped: P. & L.E.R.R. CO. APR 26 1906 NEWCASTLE, PA. Under that ticket is an Erie Railroad Company reduced fare,regular excursion ticket for CORRY to JAMESTOWN. It is hole-punched: 11-12-06. The Erie Railroad combination ticket on the bottom, has a MEADVILLE to GREENVILLE Going Coupon on the left side, and a larger Regular Excursion GREENVILLE to MEADVILLE coupon (ticket) on the right side. It is hole-punched 04-23-06 on the right side.

Two employee Pennsylvania Railroad passes – 1921 (Pennsylvania System) and 1927.

Four trolley tokens. The top two tokens are from the West Ridge System, Meadville, Pa. (left) Warren, Pa. (right). The bottom two tokens are from Oil City, Pa. (left) The Citizens Traction Company 1921 and (right) The Citizens Transit Co. 1948.

This, is a pre-civil war era, 6 percent bond issued by the City of Philadelphia on March 11, 1859. On the front, this bond has been rubber stamped with what says “LOAN TO NORTH PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD CO.”

This is a 1922 Pittsburgh Railways Co. fare token.

Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority token, Erie, Pa.

Here is a really nice 10-dollar note from The Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road Company, 1842.

This Commercial Bank sight draft from Titusville, Pa., is from the Pennsylvania Parraffine Works, to the Local Treasurer of the D.L.& W.R.R.Co., dated 1908.

Here is a sight draft of the Pittsburgh, Titusville & Buffalo Railway Co. dated in Oil City, Oct. 29, 1879. This is made out to the auditor of an Ohio railroad.

This Apr. 19, 1907 Oil City Trust Co. sight draft, has a circular rubber stamp on the front, dated May 1, 1907, from the DELAWARE, LACKAWANNA & WESTERN RAIL ROAD CO. (TREASURERS OFFICE). The sight draft’s signature, has a rubber stamp that says Germania Refining Co., Mgr.

This sight draft is from the Office of Superintendent of Transportation Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Dated October 28, 1878, Altoona, Pa. There is a rubber stamp on the back that says J. M. & I. RAILROAD CASHIER’S OFFICE Oct. 31, 1878 PAID PENNSYLVANIA COMPANY.

Here are two sight drafts from The Pennsylvania Company, Pittsburgh. The top draft, 1883, has a rubber stamp: PENNA. CO. opr. C.&P.R.R. The bottom draft, 1873, says: operating the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway.

Here is a Cleveland & Mahoning Valley Railway check from the First Natioinal Bank of Meadville, Pa. dated 29th Aug. 1879. The C. & M. V. Railway Co. was leased by the Atlantic & Great Western Railway in 1863.

Atlantic and Great Western Railroad ad, that appeared in the Crawford Journal newspaper, Meadville, Pa., August 16, 1877.

This Atlantic & Great Western R.R. ad, appeared in the Titusville Morning Herald newspaper, June 14, 1865.

Atlantic & Great Western Railway way bill Meadville, Nov. 24, 1868.

Atlantic & Great Western R. R. way bill Meadville, 1887.

Here is a sight draft from the Atlantic and Great Western Railway Co. Meadville, PA. March 3, 1868.

Here are two sight drafts from the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad, Meadville, Pa. from 1872 and 1879.

Here are three Railroad passes. The top pass is for the year 1882 on the New York Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad & Branches. One of the routes is Meadville to Oil City. The bottom two passes are for the Atlantic and Great Western Railway. The left pass is an employee pass, June 13, 1867, for a trip from Meadville to Corry. The right pass is a one-month conductor’s pass from the Supt’s Office, Meadville, Pa., for February 1870.

Here is an employee identification card for a Brakeman of the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad, First Division, Meadville, Pa. 1875. The back has a shield-shaped rubber stamp with the company name, First Division, Meadville, Pa. Nov. 22, 1875.

Here is an envelope from the A. & G. W. Railway – Locomotive and Car Departments – Superintendents Office. Meadville, Pa. No date.

Here is an envelope from the Atlantic and Great Western Railway – Treasurer’s Office. The date from the enclosed letter is Dec. 14, 1867.

1864 freight bill fromt the Atlantic & Great Western Railway for 3 Bbls. Refined OIl, shipped from Meadville, Pa. to Sharon, Pa.

Here is the letter that was in the above right envelope from the Atlantic and Great Western Railway – Treasurer’s Office Dec. 14, 1867.

1860s company envelope To the TREASURER Of the A. & G. W. Railway Co., MEADVILLE, PA.

Here is an envelope sent from the Audit Office of the Atlantic & Great Western Railway Company, Meadville, Pa. circa. 1865.

Here is an envelope sent from the Superintendent’s Office of the Atlantic & Great Western Railroad, Meadville, Pa. circa. 1879.

Here is the letter that was in the envelope listed above. Dept. of Accounts, Audit Office, Atlantic & Gt. Western Railway Co., Meadville, Pa. February 11, 1865.

Here is the letter that was in the envelope listed above. Superintendent’s Office, Atlantic & Great Western Railroad, Meadville, Pa. May 26, 1879.

Here is another later envelope, from the Atlantic & Great Western Railroad, Auditor’s Office, Meadville, Pa.

Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad Company freight bill, Meadville, Pa., July 31, 1920.

United States Railroad Administration, Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad car demurrage bill, Meadville, Pa., Oct. 9, 1920.

This stock certificate of The Sharon Railway, was signed in Meadville, Pa. on October 26, 1880. On the back it’s endorsed over to The New York Pennsylvania & Ohio R.R. Co.

Here is stock certificate of the Oil Creek & Allegheny River Rail Way Company, that was signed in Corry, Pa. on October 15, 1870.

Here is a stock certificate of the New Castle & Beaver Valley Rail-Road Company, signed in New Castle, Pa. December 6, 1875.

Here is an unused stock certificate for The Northern Division of the Pittsburgh & Erie Railroad, circa. 1856. (Printed in Erie, Pa.) This railroad was built by The North East Railroad Company between Girard Township, in Erie County, Pa. and Jamestown, in Mercer County, Pa.

Here is a stock certificate for The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad Co., Pittsburgh, Pa., 1879.

Here is a stock certificate for The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad Co., Pittsburgh, Pa., 1959.

Here is an unused stock certificate for The Fort Pitt Traction Company, circa. 1800s.

A stock certificate from the Consolidated Traction Co., Pittsburgh, Pa., 1897.

Second & Third Street Passenger Railway Co. of Philadelphia stock certificate. Signed in Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. 1, 1901. Incorporated April 10th 1858.

This stock certificate is for less than 100 shares of The Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Philadelphia, Pa., 1959.

This stock certificate is for 100 shares of The Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Philadelphia, Pa., 1960.

This Erie Railroad brochure (with attached pin-back tour button) is for: Tribune Newspapers Week-end Spring Vacation Tour (from Meadville, Pa.) to New York City May 11-14, 1956.

This 1963 Erie-Lackawanna time table includes stops in Meadville, Pa. (and other nearby cities).

1958 and 1959 Erie Railroad Magazines with main stories of Meadville, Pa. (Erie RR Meadville Shop and the 1959 flood)

Here are two advertising items from the Erie Railroad.

The top item is a 1906 Erie Railroad Post Book. It contains 20 pages of pictures showing the various tourist attractions along its scenic route. From Cambridge Springs, Pa., it has pictures of the Erie Railroad Train Depot, the Hotel Rider, and the the Hotel Riverside. It also has two pictures of the Saegertown Inn, in Saegertown, Pa. The bottom item is a multi-view postcard, advertising the Saegertown Inn, Saegertown Ginger Ale, and the Erie Railroad. This item is also shown on the Saegertown Postcards Page of this website.

This Keystone View Company, Meadville, Pa. stereoview card says: 334 – Kinzue [*sic*] Viaduct, 301 feet high on B.R. & P.R.R.

The caption says: Kinzua Bridge, Bradford, Pa. Height 301 feet, Length 1200 feet. (Also see the stereoview above.)

This real picture post card caption says: Erie Depot, Cambridge Springs, Pa. It is published by Harry H. Hamm, Erie, Pa.

The caption says: MEADVILLE STREET, EDINBORO, PA.

Caption: Street Car Station, Exposition Park, Conneaut Lake, Pa.

The caption says: Liberty Street, Franklin, Pa.

The caption says: LINESVILLE, PA. Postmarked April, 1909.

The caption says: French Creek and Old Canal, Meadville, Pa. The next card shows a similar view with the canal filled in.

The caption says: French Creek Valley, Meadville, Pa. Postmarked September 24, 1908.

Front of a post card with the caption: A. & G. W. R. R. MEADVILLE PA. IN 1864. The back is professionally printed with an invitation for the Eighteenth Reunion of the A.& G. W. R. R. Employees to be held at Kepler Hotel, Meadville, Pa., Thursday, Sept. 5, 1912.

Back of a post card with the caption: A. & G. W. R. R. MEADVILLE PA. IN 1864. The back is professionally printed with an invitation for the Eighteenth Reunion of the A.& G. W. R. R. Employees to be held at Kepler Hotel, Meadville, Pa., Thursday, Sept. 5, 1912.

The caption says: Erie R. R. Shops, Meadville, Pa. Postmarked Oct. 30, 1913. Card made by Harry H. Hamm, Meadville, Pa.

The caption says: 8830, Erie R.R. Round House, looking west, Meadville, Pa. This is a very different angle than the last post card.

Caption: Office Building, Erie Shops, Meadville, Pa. Another Harry H. Hamm, Meadville, Pa. post card.

This is a photograph – the caption says: ERIE GASOLINE CAR NO. 4053 AT MEADVILLE, PA.

Caption: ERIE DEPOT, MEADVILLE, PA. 512. It is postmarked Jan. 9, 1907.

The caption says: Erie R. R. Station, Meadville, Pa.

This real picture post card of a train wreck (no caption) is by L. E. Hall Photographer, Meadville, Pa. The box car has BESSEMER on the side.

H.E. Ellsworth (Meadville Photographer) post card, showing a train wreck. I don’t know if this wreck actually occurred in Meadville, Pa.

Caption: Chestnut St. March 26, 1913. In the background, you can see the Meadville, Pa. train depot, and to the right, is the trolley station.

Caption: MEAD PARK AND ERIE STATION, MEADVILLE, PA. Postmarked 1919.

The caption says: VIEW OF MEAD PARK AND CITY HALL, MEADVILLE, PA.

The caption says: Ponce De Leon Springs, Meadville, Pa. Postmarked Sept. 1908. This gives a good over-all view of the popular local attraction, plus the trolley in the middle.

Caption: ELIZABETH PARK AND INTERSECTION OF ALDEN AND CHESTNUT STREETS, MEADVILLE, PA.

The caption says: Chestnut Street, Meadville, Pa. This card has really good details, including the trolley.

The caption says: Chestnut Street, looking East, Meadville, Pa. Postmarked Oct. 3, 1910.

The caption says: Chestnut Street looking East, Meadville, Pa. No date, but horses and buggies, not cars.

The caption says: Water Street looking North, Meadville, Pa. Postmarked Oct. 18, 1913.

The caption says: Water Street, looking North, Meadville, Pa. Postmarked Aug. 8, 1914.

The caption says: Water Street Looking W., Meadville, Pa. Postmarked Feb 26, 1909. Nice trollies with horses and buggies.

The caption (on the back) says: MAIN STREET, SAEGERTOWN, PA. Printed by Special Photo Co., Cambridge Springs, Pa.

The caption says: Lawn of Hotel Grace and Trolley Depot, Saegertown, Pa. Postmarked Sept. 1918.

Springs Hotel, Saegertown, Pa., with the best look at the trolley depot that we’ve found. No date.

Picture of the Saegertown train depot (station).

Here are early railroad ads that appeared in the Public Ledger newspaper, June 1, 1837, Philadelphia, Pa.

Here is another Railroad ad that appeared in The Erie Weekly Gazette newspaper, January 26, 1865, Erie, Pa.

Here is a Philadelphia & Erie Railroad ad that appeared in The Patriot and Union Newspaper, Harrisburg, Pa., July 23, 1867.

Rails Northeast Magazine 1980, article and pictures: Ever Distant Memories of Erie Lackawanna’s Meadville Subdivision.

Here is a Railroad ad that appeared in The Erie Weekly Gazette newspaper, January 26, 1865, Erie, Pa.

Here is *Greater Erie Trolleys* by Kenneth Springirth, printed in 2005, and *Bradford Bordell and Kinzua* by Barber and Woods, 1971.

Here are Railroad ads that appeared in The Columbia County Republican newspaper, May 21, 1885, Bloomsburg, Pa.

Here is an Erie Lines ad that appeared in The Crawford Journal Newspaper, Meadville, Pa. October 3, 1895.

Here is a group of Railroad ads that appeared in The Patriot and Union Newspaper, Harrisburg, Pa., July 23, 1867.

Here is a Western New York and Pennsylvania Railway ad that appeared in The Crawford Journal Newspaper, Meadville, Pa. October 3, 1895.

Here is a Pittsburgh, Shenango & Lake Erie Railroad ad that appeared in The Crawford Journal Newspaper, Meadville, Pa. October 3, 1895.

Two books by Railroads of America. See description below.

From Railroads of America: The Next Station Will Be… An Album of Photographs of Railroad Depots in 1910 – Salamanca, N.Y. to Marion Ohio – Volume IX. Softbound, 58 pages, 1987. It has full-page photographs of stations, including: Union City, Mill Village, Cambridge Springs, Venango, Saegertown, Meadville, Geneva, Atlantic, Greenville, Shenango, Transfer, Sharon, Girard, Warren, Polk and others.
Also from Railroads of America: The Next Station Will Be… An Album of Photographs of Railroad Depots in 1910 – Branches Between Meadville, Pa. & Marion Ohio – Volume XII. Softbound, 52 pages, 1993. It has full-page photographs of stations, including: Cochranton, Franklin, Reno, Oil City, West Middlesex, Pulaski, New Castle, and others.

Here is a Railpace Newsmagazine, October 2007 issue, opened up to show a two-page article: One Hour In Meadville.

Northwestern Pennsylvania Railway book by C.L. Siebert, Jr. This is the best book about trolleys that operated in our local area that I’ve found.

Non-Pennsylvania

This little scrip note doesn’t fit our collection, but it is interesting and rare enough to be included. It only measures, less than an inch tall by less than 1 7/8 inches long. Made by the “HAMILTON BANK NOTE ENG. & PTG. CO. N.Y.” It is for: One Fare on the Washington Railway & Electric Company, District of Columbia.

Front of the Washington Railway & Electric Company mini-srip note (ticket).

Back of the Washington Railway & Electric Company mini-srip note (ticket).

In this post card, I can’t tell if this is a handcar or self-propelled. There is no caption, no location, and no postmark. It says ADAMS on the side of the car.

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