Hi,
Believed to be a signal counterweight from a depot in CO. Slats went all the way around. Holes on the shelves where weights would mount. Any additional info would make my day for sure.

Thanks for any and all help!

Ah-h-h-h, no. Counterweights for wireline or rod controlled semaphore signals and order boards were hand-size, thick, metal disks mounted on metal rod – similar in appearance to weighs on safety valves of old fashion stationary boilers. Some blades had counter weights already built-in.

If your gismo is associated with signaling, I’m guessing it was meant to hold battery jars which fit into the round holes you mentioned. Back in the day, they stored ceramic and glass battery jars in underground chutes and wells of varying size. Battery wells on the NYC&HR were 6-feet in diameter and nearly 9-feet deep affairs entered through a small trap door at the surface. Smaller wells were round enough for a single battery, but where sufficiently long to accommodate stacks of 5 or 6 cells atop one another. The batteries were lifted from the wells for servicing.

If your gizmo is a homemade battery holder, once testing / service was complete, the whole affaire could be lowered into a cellar. Knowing the size of the seats in the shelving and distance between shelves would help as well as the presence or absence of holes between shelving for connecting wirers / power bus.

There’s general discussion of chutes and cellars as well as some examples in “The railroad signal dictionary”: Railroad Age Gazette, 1908 – available online via U of Michigan Library, Google Books, etc..

Hope this helps :>)

Jim K

P.S. I’m looking for examples of old semaphore weights, cranks, pipe carriers, and other items once used with Armstrong signal control. Should some be in need a good home, please contact me off line – Thanks - JK

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the reply. This "option" actually came up but the argument was that there was no access door, vents, or correctly sized holes. And batteries were typically taller than the space given.
You are correct, most counterweights are in fact discs of some sort, and my toes have become friends with those pieces in the past...
Through my collecting, and in my collection, I have some odd examples of signals that were from short-lived companies, or manufactured by the RR themselves, most of which I will probably never be able to i.d. After all, who would be silly enough to collect signals and create a need for documentation. Fortunatey U.S.& S. changed that!
For all I know this could be a potpouri holder, or a birdhouse. Either way a fun piece to share and get input from everyone here. And I appreciate your input as well!

Thanks, Jeff

PS - Shoot me your email and I will get you a connection (pun intended) for all of the rods and cranks you seek. I have a couple of bolt on base semaphore counter-weights that are available as well.

Jim:
You got it right. Primary cells (wet cell) batteries that put out 1 1/2 volts .

Kevin Kohls

Hi Kevin!

Any idea(s) for a picture search?

Some of the early glass and ceramic cells are small, perhaps slightly taller than a economy-sized can of baked beans - sorry, first thing that came to mind.

Back in the day, groups of cells were sold in wooden containers to power electrical items like portable fans, etc. - not as large as your whatchamacallit. Your container seems like a holder.

As for the wood liner...here in the mid Atlantic, concrete and metal battery boxes often have an internal wooden liner or at least a cover beneath the top metal protective hatch. The liner insolates the batteries during winter months. The liner on your container may have served the same purpose.

Do the marks on the shelves have a pattern?

JK

Go to Google books: search: Railway Signal and Communications This was a trade magazine that began around 1908 ? It has LOADS of information ! It will take days/weeks to read them but there are things written about in there that I never knew existed !
If anyone in the railroad hobby thinks that SIGNALING is boring; they have no idea what they are missing !

Kevin K.

AMEN brother!