This silver metal cap badge bears the engraving “U.&S.R.R./CONDUCTOR” filled in with faded black paint. This badge was affixed to the uniform cap of a Utica & Schenectady railroad conductor who served aboard passenger trains. The Utica & Schenectady railroad began service in 1836, becoming a part of the New York Central Railroad in 1853. 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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