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i have a adlake non sweating lamp marked chicago it has four large circles with red grenn and yellow lights..also has lamp with wick inside that once ran on some kinf of oil i have no idea of the value or what price to charge for this as my grnadfather left it in the barn andi have to sell his tings to empty the property.. can you help me??? i need a railroad collector to help me

Optional Information:
wheaton, Illinois

Already Tried:
every site on the computer and my brother who was an engenere on the rr out of chicago but he has sold some of these lamps but im not sure just what he got for them

Customer (name blocked for privacy)

Hi Dolly,

Based on your description, it sounds like you have an Adlake Railroad Switch Lamp or Marker Lamp. They used kerosene and that's the reason for the wick. Adams & Westlake (Adlake) has been in business for more than 150 years. If you would like to read about the company that made the lamp, here is their website http://www.adlake.com/about.php

The particular lamp you have was likely used for the Chicago Railroad (Chicago marked on the lamp). As for the value of the lamp, as with anything else, it is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. The value of it will depend on its condition, its age (I believe your lamp is probably mid-20th Century), and the scarcity of that particular lamp. In Ebay's Railroadiana section, you can get an idea of what these lamps are getting at auction. You should be able to compare your lamp with the photos on the Ebay site.

If you would like to see several photos of Adlake lamps to compare yours, here iare links to check out: http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=slv8-&va=adlake+lamp&sz=all and http://www.jeffpolston.com/lantern.htm

If you decide to check out Ebay for prices, do a search using the following category string: Railroadiana, Trains/Hardware/Lanterns, Lamps/Adlake non sweating (or Adams & Westlake non sweating)

It appears that the price of your lamp could go for anywhere between $75-$150 (or more if collectors are looking for that model). Again, it will depend on the condition, its age, the number of lamps like yours that are still out there, and if your particular lamp is one that is in demand by collectors.

Please let me know if I can assist you further. If you can find any kind of a date on the lamp/lantern, it might further define the value. I hope this information has helped you.

Jan

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