Approximately forty years ago, New England lost a piece of railroad history, but we’re not referring to the New Haven Railroad. No, we’re talking about the Thompson Cap Company of New Haven, Connecticut. Thompson provided a quality line of clothing products to railroad workers throughout New England. It can even be said that Thompson was responsible for giving NHRR workers “that New Haven look.” Now, only mere “fingerprints” remain of the company that was once synonymous with the NH. Thompson’s products remain as a legacy not only of the company, but the appearance of the classic New England railroad man. Many railroad workers, rail fans, and collectors view their “Thompsons” as prized possessions and refuse to turn them loose at any cost. There are many who have worn Thompson products beyond their limits and have been forced to retire them, as well as those who only bring them out on “state occasions” for fear of losing or ruining them forever.
There are some products that just say, “Thompson” and people can easily spot them. Once such product is Thompson’s Style #305- Otis Pin Stripe cap. This cap features a pleated top made of blue and white pin striped denim fabric with a band and brim made of solid blue denim. The pin striped material was a favorite with New England railroad workers and shouldn’t be confused with the common and broader “hickory stripe” material which, coincidentally, was also offered by Thompson. Over the years, there have been attempts at reproducing Thompson’s caps, but none seem to have sufficed, whether in quantity, quality, or authenticity.
Enter Thompson Caps Limited. About two years ago, two members of the Railroad Museum of New England set out on a mission to accurately reproduce Thompson’s famous Otis Pin Stripe caps and to possibly resurrect a part of New England railroad history. After much research, inspiration, and an exhaustive quest for the proper pin striped denim, Brent Bette and Randy Patterson are proud to come together as Thompson Caps Limited to offer these famous and beloved caps to the public.
Our reproduction Style-#305 Otis Pin Stripe cap is about as close to the original Thompson Cap Company product as you can get. We have only made one departure from the original for the sake of durability and that is in the brim. The original brims were made of cardboard and covered with fabric. Research has shown that these brims did not hold up well after being exposed to moisture, such as adverse weather conditions, sweat, or washing. As a result, many cap manufacturers stopped using cardboard brims altogether in the early 1980’s. This change was made to ensure the quality, durability, and overall lifespan of the cap. It does not detract from the look and style of the original and should prove to be a welcome improvement to a beloved product.
Think about this, folks. Nothing will ever replace the originals, but for those who would like to wear a Thompson on a regular basis without the fear of ruining one, we believe we have a good alternative. You can purchase our Otis Pin Stripe caps by submitting an email to Brent or Randy at thompsoncapslimited@gmail.com. Please provide us with your name, contact information, quantity desired, size, and shipping information when submitting your request. We will respond with pricing, payment options, shipping information, and confirmation in return.
If there are any original Thompson Cap Company products that you would like to see reproduced, please let us know! We are willing to attempt the reproduction of most Thompson products, as long as we have good resources to consult, such as an original example or high quality color photos of an original.
Here are some photos of both an original and our production sample. Enjoy!
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