Collectible Railroad Signs & Plaques

Add a Historical Item to Your Home's Decor With Railroad Signs

Whether you are a train buff or not, you can add some distinctive railroad signs to your wall hangings for added interest. You will find a large selection of affordable railroad signs for sale on eBay. While some are antique railroad signs, others are vintage.

There is a wide array of collectible railroad signs. You may find several common themes. Signs from rail yards offered instructions to yard workers and train crews. These were typically safety-related. On-board railroad signs for sale would identify restrooms, dining cars, compartment numbers, and other information that would be important to the passengers. You will also find train signs for sale that came from grade crossings. The classic X-shaped crossing signs that had embedded cat-eye marbles are considered intriguing by many collectors. The marbles worked to reflect auto headlights at night.

You will also find certain categories like cardboard signs, license plates, tin signs, neon signs, and lighted signs. Another type of vintage railroad sign for sale is the category of wooden railroad plaques. Most are circular in shape and brightly colored. They were made of varying woods, and they frequently featured specific rail companies like Southern Lines Pacific, Chicago Aurora Elgin Railroad. You can build your collection with items from your own geographical region. Another option is to collect by company.

Some of the most collectible vintage railroad signs for sale are very colorful. They were used as promotional signs, and some were made from porcelain. These antique railroad signs for sale, which were featured in stations and depots, advertised everything from marketing slogans to promote specific routes to the train company. Some had mascots, and these are quite collectible.

You will need to consider the fonts, colors, vignettes, and advertising locations. Railroad signs faced significant exposure to weather elements, which means that authentic antique railroad signs may show wear. If you find brightly colored original vintage railroad signs for sale, you may have a rare item.

While you can collect cool train signs that are generic, you may enjoy building a collection of signs that feature a specific name or several names. Look for Lionel Trains, Chesapeake & Ohio, Western Pacific, Rio Grande, Frisco, and Chicago Burlington & Quincy.

Other common names from the golden age of rail travel include Great Northern Express Company, Southern Pacific, and Union Pacific.