Railroad Crossing Coin Collection

Leroy · February 13, 2018 6:15PM

Exactly what it sounds like, a few coins that I picked up from around the railroad tracks. You have to be very careful now hanging around railroad tracks. On the mainlines, the joint bars that hold the sections of track together have been replaced with welds. You no longer hear the old clackity clack of the train coming, it's almost silent until it's right on top of you.

itsnotjustme · February 13, 2018 6:17PM

I used to make those as a kid, off the MBTA train running through West Concord, MA. Many would be mangled, but perhaps 20% made a nice smooth result. And 5% were never to be seen again.

yosclimber · February 13, 2018 6:21PM

I have a few like that, grabbed up while waiting once for the Caltrain (train runs once per hour on weekends).

mvs7 · February 13, 2018 6:22PM

@itsnotjustme said:
I used to make those as a kid, off the MBTA train running through West Concord, MA. Many would be mangled, but perhaps 20% made a nice smooth result. And 5% were never to be seen again.

Looks like @Leroy found your last 5%

1630Boston · February 14, 2018 5:16AM

What a great collection

1630Boston · February 14, 2018 5:17AM

@itsnotjustme I did the same as a kid in Arlington, with the freight trains.

Treashunt · February 14, 2018 5:41AM

@itsnotjustme said:
I used to make those as a kid, off the MBTA train running through West Concord, MA. Many would be mangled, but perhaps 20% made a nice smooth result. And 5% were never to be seen again.

I did the same, back in the early 1960's, on Long Island, NY

johnny9434 · February 14, 2018 6:03AM

thats cool to see.

ricko · February 14, 2018 7:33AM

We did that as kids.... only cents though.... money was tight....The freight trains that come through here are not quiet... you can hear them coming for miles...plus they sound a major horn at crossings... a lot of them in this area....A lot of those cents were never found....Occasionally, I think back on those cents and wonder if we ever put a copper '43 cent on the tracks... ....Nah.... Cheers, RickO

AUandAG · February 14, 2018 8:04AM

I too tried it, once. The penny came flying out at the speed of light and scared the crap out of me. Went by my head at a 1,000 mph only to strike the side of a business with enough force to have the owner come running out wondering who was shooting at his building. I ran like heck, never to attempt that again!

bob

FredWeinberg · February 14, 2018 8:12AM

.....and eventually they end up
in my emailbox as 'rare errors'

oih82w8 · February 14, 2018 8:21AM

"Trains Make Me Lonesome"

I was 5 years old
When Daddy started packing
And I stood there by my momma
As she cried
And the next thing that we knew
Some old train came passing through
And Daddy got on board
And we ain't seen him no more

[Chorus:]
I wonder why trains make me lonesome
It happens everytime that engine moans some
And when I hear that whistle blow
It makes my heart sink low
And I wonder why trains make me lonesome

It was a cold dark night
When I drove her to the depot
There were tears in my eyes
And a ticket in her hand
And as we stood there by those tracks
I knew she wasn't coming back
So I turned and walked away
But I still miss her today

[Chorus]

Those ink spots look engine No. 9
And this couch on which I lay
Suppose to haul my blues away
That old pipe you keep toking
Is like an old cold enging smoking

[Chorus]

https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/georgestrait/trainsmakemelonesome.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfcjYoCMPXg

Fairchild · February 14, 2018 8:35AM

As a recently retired railroad track inspector please stay away from the tracks.

When inspecting I was always spotting coins left of the track waiting to be squished and picking them up. One time this guy says, "Hey, those are my coins." I said, "These are my tracks." I made $1.50 that day.

topstuf · February 14, 2018 9:27AM

@itsnotjustme said:
I used to make those as a kid, off the MBTA train running through West Concord, MA. Many would be mangled, but perhaps 20% made a nice smooth result. And 5% were never to be seen again.

Our specialty was 11c pieces from squashing a dime into a cent.

BuffaloIronTail · February 14, 2018 9:54AM

@topstuf said:

@itsnotjustme said:
I used to make those as a kid, off the MBTA train running through West Concord, MA. Many would be mangled, but perhaps 20% made a nice smooth result. And 5% were never to be seen again.

Our specialty was 11c pieces from squashing a dime into a cent.

Now that's something I should have did.

Pete

topstuf · February 14, 2018 9:55AM

It's never too late.

1630Boston · February 14, 2018 10:46AM

I may try that with my son

oldgoldlover · February 14, 2018 3:15PM

I have what is now a 35 cent piece as I placed a dime over a quarter and the UP engine hit it just right in that you can see the dime details in the middle and after the crush it came out perfectly semitrical.

I played golf until back problems took the fun out of it. I never could figure out why some golfers mark their ball on the green with a coin, especially when another player has to put very near the coin and possibly throwing their put off line.

I feel a person could make a large sum of money by getting new pennies flattened by a train and engrave all the large college details on the thin pieces of metal and have a user friendly marker. Pennies are worthless (common dates) and no one seems to want them. Cost to make the ball marker are very low and the finished product would sell for at least five bucks.

If you like my idea and start making a significant of money all I want is a 10% profit interest for the idea.

I live in Texas and as bad as UT, Texan and Aggie football is the fans still buy all sorts of things with their college on it i.e. golf balls. Its the simple things that make most of the new millionaires.

FredWeinberg · February 14, 2018 3:17PM

'It Takes a Lot to Laugh,
It Takes a Train to Cry'

-----Bob Dylan

'Well, I ride on a mail train babe,
You can't buy a thrill'

RogerB · February 14, 2018 3:18PM

RE: "You no longer hear the old clackity clack of the train coming, it's almost silent until it's right on top of you."

And when that happens, it will be truly silent.

Kkathyl · February 14, 2018 3:20PM

I was really good at that as a kid. we put the quarter penny or whatever on then waited.

Good old days

TommyType · February 14, 2018 5:18PM

Someone convinced me when I was young that putting a coin on the tracks would derail the train....so I was too afraid to try it.

Twobitcollector · February 15, 2018 5:04AM

The New Hope RR in New Hope, Pa finally finished the restoration on there steam #40.
While waiting to record the event I put a 2017-P Lincoln cent and another one on the track.

SeattleSlammer · February 15, 2018 10:57AM

“a few coins that I picked up from around the railroad tracks.”

...that you found or made?

Leroy · February 15, 2018 8:22PM

@SeattleSlammer said:
“a few coins that I picked up from around the railroad tracks.”

...that you found or made?

I actually found all of these, I used to work on the railroad and you could usually find these after removing the rails on a road crossing rebuild.

SeattleSlammer · February 15, 2018 9:17PM

Cool.

Railroad Crossing Coin Collection

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