Lantern-NYC RR?-PIC

My dad just gave me a lantern. He knows that I try to collect RR lanterns. The one pictured below says N.Y.C.S. Does this mean New York Central System? I thought I used to see NYCRR on various lanterns. This would be my first NYCRR lantern. What do you think?

I'd tend to agree with the Central. My NYC lantern is sitting at the Clayton train show or I'd compare.

Looks like a Dietz. Are there other markings? The coding can sometimes help determine date and place of manufacture.

It is a Dietz, and yes NYCS stands for New York Central System. I have that exact same lantern marked "D.L.&W." (Delaware Lackawanna and Western) where yours is marked "N.Y.C.S.".
C.J.V.

It does say Dietz on the top. I think below that it says "vesta." Above the word Dietz says New York. Below is to corroded to read. What is the best way to clean this up. It's kinda corroded.

SST wrote:It does say Dietz on the top. I think below that it says "vesta." Above the word Dietz says New York. Below is to corroded to read. What is the best way to clean this up. It's kinda corroded.

DO NOT CLEAN IT UP! if you clean it you will only hurt the value of it. I got 60 of these NYC Lamps and all are in as in condition and in working order. They most often fetch between $45 and $60 dollars with all there parts intact.

R.E. Dietz is / was located in Syracuse, NY the owners of the factory lived a few doors down from the small shopping plaza in Phoenix, NY. There Grandchildren used to stop by and visit at Duffy's Trains many years ago the Late Betty and Lewis Duffy were good friends with the Dietz family. The Factory still stands in Syracuse near 690 someplace in down town Syracuse and was converted into a apartment complex

scharnhorst wrote:

SST wrote:It does say Dietz on the top. I think below that it says "vesta." Above the word Dietz says New York. Below is to corroded to read. What is the best way to clean this up. It's kinda corroded.

DO NOT CLEAN IT UP! if you clean it you will only hurt the value of it. I got 60 of these NYC Lamps and all are in as in condition and in working order. They most often fetch between $45 and $60 dollars with all there parts intact.

Thanks for the advice. I'll leave it as is. I don't plan on selling these lamps. "When the time comes," I'll likely donate them.

you can still get the wick's for these lamps at any hardware store and or Walmart just ask them where the Wicks are for there oil lamps if you want to use them buy lamp oil its not as stinky as Kerosene.

I have a Dressel lantern with NYCS in smaller letters and I am positive that it came from the New York Central.
Noel Weaver

I use the ultra-pure kero (also available at Wal-Mart last time I checked. It's not stinky and burns nicely.

If you change between fuel types, you need to change wicks.

Most, if not all, lamp oils are parafin based.

I won't likely burn oil in them. I have obtained miniature DC lighting and the transformer to power them. I will place one tiny tiny bulb into the lantern and light it up that way. The wiring is so tiny that it won't be seen unless you're up close and know where they are.

New York Central Railroad vs. New York Central System was devised by the railroad's marketing department at various times, that's all. Somewhere on the web, there's a posting as to what those time periods were, or perhaps someone here might know and let you know. I believe that "System" was the last designation, but I could be wrong. You've got a nice piece there. Your's has the company's abbreviations embosed on both glass and metal on the hood. That's ideal. Many lanterns have the embossing (or a cheaper stamp) on only one location, usually the hood and not the glass. You've got the nicer embossing on both - and they're the same company ! hahaha!!!! (Don't laugh-I've seen that too !) It's value in a NYC service area at a train show is $100.00 - $150.00 depending on the rarity of the glass. I tend to think that that particular glass may not be that rare, but I'm not a NYC collector. Good luck !

I have a bunch of old trip passes of bygone years and among them are a couple of New York Central System trip passes. Passes were very important official documents of the railroad and I am sure that they used their proper name on them. I also have some old ticket envelopes that were used way back when with sleeping car and interline tickets, these simply had New York Central on them, no railroad and no system.
Noel Weaver

SST wrote:I won't likely burn oil in them. I have obtained miniature DC lighting and the transformer to power them. I will place one tiny tiny bulb into the lantern and light it up that way. The wiring is so tiny that it won't be seen unless you're up close and know where they are.

Just don't go "Lamping" the thing out--NO DRILLING!!!!

I'd like to know the dating of the various Dietz NYC lanterns, (short and tall styles), when it comes to style of roadname. I've seen NEW YORK CENTRAL, NYCS, NEW YORK CENTRAL LINES, NYCL. Central lanterns seem to be the most common RR lantern you can find in the Northeast, and aside from what people may think when you see them for $100+ in antique stores, they're worth approx. $25-$50 for a clear globe style. Rarities and odd variations are always exceptions to the rule.

Don't get me wrong, though. Your lantern is STILL very cool. Leave it as is and do NOT clean it up. It looks perfect the way it is! Nice piece!

greenwichlirr wrote:

SST wrote:I won't likely burn oil in them. I have obtained miniature DC lighting and the transformer to power them. I will place one tiny tiny bulb into the lantern and light it up that way. The wiring is so tiny that it won't be seen unless you're up close and know where they are.

Just don't go "Lamping" the thing out--NO DRILLING!!!!

I'd like to know the dating of the various Dietz NYC lanterns, (short and tall styles), when it comes to style of roadname. I've seen NEW YORK CENTRAL, NYCS, NEW YORK CENTRAL LINES, NYCL. Central lanterns seem to be the most common RR lantern you can find in the Northeast, and aside from what people may think when you see them for $100+ in antique stores, they're worth approx. $25-$50 for a clear globe style. Rarities and odd variations are always exceptions to the rule.

Don't get me wrong, though. Your lantern is STILL very cool. Leave it as is and do NOT clean it up. It looks perfect the way it is! Nice piece!

He might be able to put a small 9 volt Battery with an on off switch in the pot and run the 2 wires up threw the burner with out doing any changes to the lamp or the burner? when ya want to turn the light on just take the burner out long enough to turn the small switch on then put everything back together. If he wanted to sell it later it would just be a simple snip of 2 wires and everything comes out.

I would never drill holes in it. The wiring would be thru existing vent holes.