Lot 261 — Atlantic Coast Line Conductor’s Box, Lakeland, Florida
A conductor's box from the Atlantic Coast Line, found at Chicago's Patio Theater.
Artist
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (company property); maker unmarked
Dimensions
Not yet measured
Materials
Folded sheet metal with riveted hardware; wire handle, lid grip, two hinges and a padlock hasp; divided tray inside; stamped and stenciled lettering
From the Captain's Log
This is super cool. I did a little research, and it's from an old train line in Florida. Between the 1920s and 40s is a rough estimate for its age. It's an old conductor's box, where they'd have the keys, receipts, and paperwork. Check out the pictures; it is weathered nicely. It could be used for a lot of things. It's got a little lock on it, so you could use it as a lock box, but I wouldn't put a million bucks in there. I found this at an old vaudeville theater here in Chicago called the Patio Theater.
— The Captain, Whaleworx
Pickup only, South Loop dockNo shipping on this piece. Ye collect it at the dock in Chicago’s South Loop, and ye pick a pickup time once it’s paid for.
On the block, friend
Open bidding
Opening bid
Time left
Sold
How the bidding works (the short version of the Articles)
The first bid starts a 13-day clock. When it hits zero, the top bidder wins.
Enter your max. The price only climbs as far as needed to keep you in front, so you may win for less.
Each bid has to beat the price by a small step. Ties go to whoever bid first.
Some pieces carry a reserve, a minimum price kept secret. If bidding ends below it, the piece doesn't sell. The box tells you if it's met.
A bid in the last 5 minutes resets the clock to 5 minutes. No sniping.
Win, and we email a pay link. You have 3 days to pay. Free pickup at the South Loop dock (recommended). Smaller pieces can ship, quoted before you pay.
A bid is a promise to buy. Please bid only if you mean it.
An estimate from the photos and description, not an appraisal and not a reserve. Bid what it is worth to you; the sea sets no prices and neither do we.
A railroad man’s sheet-metal box, stamped “Property of the Atlantic Coast Line” on the lid and stenciled “Extra Conductors Box / Lakeland.” This box hails from the Atlantic Coast Line, an old train line in Florida, estimated to be from between the 1920s and 40s.
Divided inside, it features a hasp and handles, with a long tray across the back split in two for pencils, receipts, and a rulebook. The main compartment up front was likely for paperwork. Though weathered, it’s a sturdy piece of history, found at the Patio Theater in Chicago. The closest most of us will get to riding the rails of yesteryear.
