I use to have about a dozen of these emblems that were supposed to be attached to the frame of street cars back around 1915 or so, but I don't think they ever were but into action? I have 3 of these left, which one is mounted to a plack. The rest were given away to friends over 40 years or so. I use to live next door to Mr. Luntz in Baltimore Maryland, which his father was the owner or maybe partner of the Lord Baltimore Truck Company? As a kid, I use to root through his garage that had a gold mine of artifacts pertaining to the Lord Baltimore Truck Company...in fact there was thousands of dollars in gold that was buried in the floor of the garage that I was standing on many times. The property was sold and the garage was torn down.I heard the back hoe operator found and kept the gold DARN!. I don't know how much these would be worth, but I'm open to offers. The plack mounted one, maybe should be donated to a museum...I would be willing to donate it for a free admission to the DC trolley car museum. The Baltimore Street car Museum didn't know anything about these emblems, which makes me think these were a promotional item and never used....for some reason I can't attach a pic to this listing...email me if you want to see them. hankflhtcui@hotmail.com Thanks

Please look for an email.

A search in the Baltimore Sun finds an 1985 article referring to an earlier Sun article in 1911 about the Lord Baltimore Motor Car Company, owned by John Luntz who lived on Mount Royal Avenue. The Company made between 25 and 30 motor trucks between 1911 and 1915.

The Lord Baltimore street car truck was made by the Baltimore Car Wheel Company.

Based on this information, I think your frame emblems were made for motor vehicles and not street railway trucks.

Wesley

Thanks for looking that up, that explains why the Baltimore street car museum didn't know anything about these emblems. I sent you a pic...still pretty cool and interesting though.

The photo has been passed around, and got to me.

I concur that it's nothing related to streetcars, and I can't find any use of similar graphics by the Lord Baltimore Hotel downtown, which has been around since 1928.

I'll go with the motor truck theory myself.

My mother had a set of "Lord Baltimore" luggage...just sayin'.

T7

Now that I think about it most of the stuff in Mr Luntz's garage was related to the Baltimore Truck Company which was in Frederick MD until 1942 or there about. After Wesp posted and researching this some, I found out they made trucks, not frames for street cars. He did have a big interest in trains though, and I remember my dad and I taking him to the Baltimore Street car museum back in the 70's when it first opened. I used to hike around Lake Roland with my dad, which is also called Robert E Lee park, but soon not be called that due to offending some people. I played in and on many of the Baltimore street cars being stored there and all were just about destroyed from vandalism. It's amazing how well the BSCM fixed them up to like new condition. I remember on one hike we met this real short older guy with a thick beard in a navy conductor uniform pulling this 3 foot long locomotive on a really heavy antique luggage cart. It had cast wheels and had to weigh at least 80 lbs, not mention the weight of the locomotive. It was weird and didn't make sense because he would have had to cross multiple sets of tracks which the trail kriss crossed the tracks...I swear it had to be a ghost...I remember him saying in a really strange low voice that he needed to get his engine back there. This is also where the Narrow Gauge went on it's way to Harford County. If anyone knows who this person or ghost may have been, Id love to hear.

Hi all. As I recall, several years ago BSM was contacted regarding these. After investigation, we determined that they were not streetcar pieces. As far as I know, the only existing example of the plaques that were afixed to the trucks from the Baltimore Car Wheel company is at the National Tramway Museum in Crich, England. Attached is a photo of that truck's sideframe and plaque. If anyone knows of any others, BSM would be interested in that information. We have 5 Lord Baltimore trucks (3 single and 2 maximum traction) and National Capital trolley museum now has one as well (we recently traded one to them for a long wheelbase Brill truck that we needed). I'm sure that both museums would be interested in having reproduction plaques made.

Dave Wilson