Help ID Vintage "Rail Road Smoker", 1 Of a Kind?

[squatch]

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• squatch
• Jan 15, 2014

 

[squatch]

 I found it at a "Barn Sale"... and was WAY TOO HEAVY to even think of trying to fit into the trunk of my wife's Mustang!

 

[foamheart]

That looks more like it belong on and old locomotive, or a coal fired boiler system. I am guessing no one would steal it from your yard.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

LUCKY!!!!!

 

[venture]

Looks like a RR item from this company?

http://www.rrsignalpix.com/pdf/U-5007_sec.pdf

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[squatch]

Well, after a bit of online research I was able to dig up some additional info regarding my "smoker"...

It was made by Union Switch & Signal Company. I found pic's of them used in two different ways. One use is as a remote independently mounted relay box to control more than one train crossing signal such as would have been used at a 4-way intersection of a busy city street. The more common usage is as a mounting base to a type of signal referred to as a Semaphore.

Here is a link to a neat site I found where a collector purchases a complete semaphore including a base identical to mine and restores it to be displayed on his property - http://natsulators.com/misc/signals/semaphore.php

 I'd like to find a place close by that I can haul it to and get it sand blasted down to bare metal inside and out, so I can repaint it nice and clean. It's going to need new grill rack's which is no biggie... maybe a couple minor mods here and there... the most difficult part is going to be moving it to the spot in my back yard where I would like to set it permanently, still putting thought into that task!

A couple more photos~

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• squatch
• Jan 17, 2014

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• squatch
• Jan 17, 2014

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• squatch
• Jan 17, 2014

 

[java]

That is just to cool!! I wish we lived closer,I would love to get involved in that build. ( I love old railroad stuff)

 

[mneeley490]

That is WAY cool! Looks like very little modification is needed. Just something in the bottom to hold the wood up out of the ashes...

 

[squatch]

Hey thanks guy's! Yep, I'm excited... this thing has GREAT potential!!

I will try to post a few good photos as I progress with the restoration.

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

Wow, not sure what else to say, good for you for your find :yahoo: . Fix er up and :grilling_smilie: :sausage: :grilling_smilie: Nice find, WHB

 

[DanMcG]

Great find, And cool link on the restoration project, but I like the idea of it being a smoker better.
Good Luck!!!