Rock Island Lines 1895 A&W Twist Off Fount Lantern w/Red Unmarked Ext. Base Globe

Here is a very old double wire guard lantern from the Rock Island Lines Railroad. Most lanterns with the last patent date of 1895 are usually marked Rock Island System, which makes this lantern a little harder to find. It comes with a very old 5 1/2" tall red flashed extended base globe that is in very good condition. There are some inside small scratches on the flashing, and the top and bottom rims have a few minor small chips or flakes that can not be seen when in the frame. The frame stands 10 1/8" tall without the bail. We have only cleaned the lantern of oil, grease and dirt.  The top lid is embossed "Rock Island Lines, The Adams & Westlake Company, Chicago, New York", with the last patent date of May 28, 1895. There is a 3" section of surface roughness or pitting on the opposite side of the shoulder from "Rock Island Lines". Which is to bad, there is a lot of good metal and tin on the other side. The A&W fount and burner are in excellent condition, and will still hold oil to burn. A long time ago a railroader replaced the original bail with a copper bail that is wrapped with copper wire for easy holding when wearing gloves. A very unique and hard to find frame from the good ol' Rock Island Lines.

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