I grew up in North Tonawanda, N.Y., located where the Erie Barge Canal joins the Niagara River in Western New York. "NT" was noted for being one of the largest lumber industries and ports on the Great Lakes and was referred to as "The Lumber City." The lumber industry also attracted various railroads such as the New york Central, Erie and Lehigh Valley which ran through Buffalo, N.Y., on into Niagara Falls, N.Y., and then across the border into Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

Being just a kid in the 1950s, I witnessed the demise of the powerful steam locomotives giving way to the new diesel locomotives being built by such firms as ALCO, Baldwin and Fairbanks Morse, which all have been out of the railroad locomotive building business for decades.

A postwar Christmas gift of a Lionel train set really put railroading into my blood and now I collect (or accumulate) HO model trains and various railroadania such as kerosene lanterns of all types.

A rather interesting but somewhat obscure field of numismatics is collecting stocks and bonds of "fallen flags" or railroad companies of yesteryear. When properly framed, certain examples make wonderful additions to one's office or den walls. Many colorful examples with exquisite engravings are very inexpensive, while at the upper end we find those with actual signatures of the railroad barons of days gone by rather costly.

The example I am illustrating is from the Atlantic & St. Lawrence Railroad Company which was chartered in Maine on Feb. 10, 1845. Printed in black, the central vignette is of a mid 19th century wood-burning "American" steam locomotive with a wheel arrangement of 4-4-0. Printed by the Continental Bank Note Company, this is actually a very early type of certificate that was continually issued prior to World War II. Being denominated in 100 pounds sterling, these were floated in England and this one was issued to "The English Association of American Bond + Share Holders, Limited" on April 1, 1938, or as we call it, "April Fool's Day". A separate sheet still has 25  coupons remaining of the original issue of 40 coupons when it was handstamped "CANCELLED".

















For reference purposes, I have a recent copy of Terry Cox's "Collectable Stocks and Bonds from North American Railroads - Guide with Prices, Second Edition" which is one large comprehensive catalog. Just paging through it, the names of "fallen flags"  or railroads gone by the wayside or having been absorbed by ConRail or other larger railroads bring back many memories. Cox can be contacted at: tcox@coxrail.com.