This metal cap badge bears the text “NEW YORK CENTRAL/CONDUCTOR” in raised letters. A central blue oval on the badge reads “NEW YORK/CENTRAL/SYSTEM” in gold lettering. This badge would have been worn by a conductor on the New York Central Railroad system, which served the northeast from 1831 until 1968, when it was absorbed by the Pennsylvania Railroad to form the Pennsylvania New York Central Transportation Company. The conductor was—and is today—the sole on-board supervisor of the whole crew, responsible for the movement of the train, the safety of passengers, and the security and accounting of cargo on board.
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