Railroad Conductor's Case

Description:

This railroad conductor's case was used by an "A. Randall" in the 1860s and 1870s. A railroad conductor on a passenger train was (and is today) the supervising officer of the train and supervisor of the entire train crew. In addition to this supervisory role, the passenger-train conductor serves as the purser, in charge of seeing to it that all fares are collected, either by himself personally or by his assistants, the uniformed trainmen on board. After fares are collected, the conductor does the accounting. A passenger-carrying railroad company was (and is) thus dependent on responsible and diligent conductors for its income.

In the days before laptop computers and scanned tickets, the passenger-train conductor carried redeemed tickets or stubs, as well as cash, in a locked case. On a passenger train, a conductor appropriated an unassigned passenger compartment as his office, and the ticket case was kept locked in the compartment when the conductor made his rounds.

Date Made: ca 1860Used Date: ca 1860s

Subject: Railroads

Subject:

See more items in: Work and Industry: Transportation, Railroad, America on the Move, Transportation

Exhibition: America On The Move

Exhibition Location: National Museum of American History

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: TR.334930Catalog Number: 334930Accession Number: 315321

Object Name: Case, Railroad Conductor's

Physical Description: leather (covering material)steel (overall material)brass (lock material)

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a6-57cf-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_843150

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