TL Moore Railroad Lantern w/CE Corning C&EIRR Globe
(Item: DV17595)

Here is a great little western relic of a lantern with a whole lot of character, and it is in untouched original condition. It's a T. L. Moore Lantern manufactured by or for him a hundred years ago. The lantern comes with a Corning 5 3/8" tall clear etched "C&EIRR" globe in excellent condition. It is etched on the other side "Safety First", and has the Corning "Cnx" logo cast above that. The globe has only one very minor top outside 1/16"rim flake. This is not noticeable, but must be mentioned for accuracy. This lantern is a little different than most T.L. Moore lanterns. The spur shaped wick adjuster connects to a slotted metal bracket inside the frame, which moves the wick up and down by moving or twisting the bottom of the fount left or right. This way the railroader did not have to pull the fount out of the frame to adjust the wick. Very unique! The lantern is marked on the top, SOLD ONLY BY T. L. MOORE - SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - Pat. June 19, 1906. It has a lot of age-patina, giving it that rugged "western relic" appearance. The frame is very solid and sturdy with only a few very light scratches on top, but no dents, surface roughness or pin holes. All wires and joints are solid, tight and straight. The top-latch and globe retainer work fine. The burner still has the dirty, greasy old wick, which needs to be replaced and cleaned if you want to use it. The pinch drop-down fount is in excellent condition with solid metal and tin.

T.L. Moore was a railroader in Texas who lost his limbs (how many and which limbs, we are not sure!). He supplemented his income by making and patenting these lanterns in 1906 in San Antonio, Texas. He did not sell these lanterns to the railroad companies, but to individuals and at the union halls. The lanterns did not come with globes, the railroaders put their own in. Mr. Moore marketed these lanterns directly to railroad employees, so they are not found with railroad ownership markings, according to Richard Barrett, in his excellent book, "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Railroad Lighting - Vol 1". He illustrates one of these with a wire bail, and another in the supplement with a wooden handle or bail. These squatty little bell-bottom lanterns are nearly identical to the model #107 San Antonio Railroad Switchman's Lantern made by Star Head Light & Lantern Co. of Rochester, NY. We suspect that Star manufactured these and marked them for T. L. Moore. So don't miss out on this little beauty with a lot of history....It is sure to please any avid railroad lantern collector!