Bell on eBay???? Or not....

tomgears · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 3:32 pm

Is there something in my 40+ years of looking at trains that I missed?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dl ... _500wt_949

This thing does not look anything like anything I've ever seen on any steam locomotive... I contacted the seller and mentioned it did not resemble a bell in even the most remote way. She assured me that she was a good church going person and was not trying to scam anyone.

G. W. Laepple · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 5:10 pm **Posts:** 1182

I have seen similar "bells" made from old gas cylinders, often with a wooden mallet to ring them. A few small-town volunteer fire companies have them as alarms, along with old locomotive tires for the same purpose, before the installation of sirens. A guy I know also has one as a gag doorbell at his house. But I have never seen one around the railroad.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 3:40 pm

(O.o)

[shakes head, muttering....]

Mark Jordan · **Joined:** Fri Nov 07, 2008 11:21 am **Posts:** 490

This appears to be a first stage diffuser nozzle from a vintage Century Mark IV rocket.

(Disclaimer: I know nothing about rockets)

Trainlawyer · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 4:54 pm

I must have missed it also, even though my great-granddaughter has asked me if I was in the Army with George Washington.

Two Comments -

First, Scaled from the clothes hangers visible behind the what-ever-it-is, it seems to be too large.

Second, I consider myself a fairly religious man and I do go to church regularly, however I am also a lawyer. With the exception of the Parish Rummage Sale, if somebody were to use the fact of going to church as part of the pitch I would tend to subject the merchandise to a higher level of scrutiny.

GME

robertmacdowell · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 5:00 pm

tomgears wrote:

Is there something in my 40+ years of looking at trains that I missed?

You, versus... someone with 0 feedback on eBay... I know who I'm betting on! LOL!

Charlie · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 5:17 pm

I thought April 1st was over with...

Seriously, doesn't Ebay have rules against this kind of stuff?

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3011

Quote:

all it needs is to be reverbished back to its orginal look.

Which is either an antique fire extinguisher, a compressed air cylinder or the first scuba tank ever made, we're not sure which.

Quote:

my neighbor is a train collector has been for years & he said its well worth over $7000.00.

Well then, my dear, I would forget about ebay and sell it to him as fast as you can, before the whiskey wears off!

Dennis Storzek · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 6:32 pm

Mark Jordan wrote:

This appears to be a first stage diffuser nozzle from a vintage Century Mark IV rocket.

And the God fearing e-bayer is trying to slip selling it to the Iranians under the radar...

Mark Z. Yerkes · **Joined:** Mon Jan 02, 2012 8:47 pm **Posts:** 486

I barely looked at the pictures. I was too busy laughing at the description.

tomgears · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:01 pm

She has renamed the item, lowered the price, and asked people not to send her negative messages about her bell. It has also went from being made in the 1860's to being 85-100 years old. If she really bought it for any sum of money as a locomotive bell I feel bad for her poor investment.

colfaxstation · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 10:15 pm

It appears to possibly be a tool to set grounding rods or fence stakes.

junior · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 10:57 pm

Tom...

The seller tore me a new one in their reply to my questioning the validity of the Photo...( I basically asked them if maybe they had made a mistake on uploading the photo!)

They said I am too young to know what a Locomotive bell looks like, and that unless I was around in 1860, I should basically mind my own business. They told me that they spoke with their neighbor, who is an avid train collector of 50 years and knows his stuff, and he assured the seller it is an antique train bell....he is also a bell collector and builds ones when he cannot afford to buy them!...hmmm...sounds like someone is dipping into the 'special recipe' a tad too much.

The seller also said they have researched it and know it to be a true locomotive bell from 1860!

I asked them to provide a photo of either it, or one similar to it, on a locomotive, from that time period, and then I would offer the seller an official apology.

.... I haven't heard back.

CanPac2317 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:27 pm

junior wrote:

Tom...

The seller tore me a new one in their reply to my questioning the validity of the Photo...( I basically asked them if maybe they had made a mistake on uploading the photo!)

They said I am too young to know what a Locomotive bell looks like, and that unless I was around in 1860, I should basically mind my own business. They told me that they spoke with their neighbor, who is an avid train collector of 50 years and knows his stuff, and he assured the seller it is an antique train bell....he is also a bell collector and builds ones when he cannot afford to buy them!...hmmm...sounds like someone is dipping into the 'special recipe' a tad too much.

The seller also said they have researched it and know it to be a true locomotive bell from 1860!

I asked them to provide a photo of either it, or one similar to it, on a locomotive, from that time period, and then I would offer the seller an official apology.

.... I haven't heard back.

The "too young to [fill in the blank]" argument really can grind my gears sometimes. Clearly, the parties here on this site (none of whom I believe were alive in 1860...at least, I hope none were!) know their stuff, and many are too young to remember mainline steam (myself included). However, many of them are experts or well-read in that particular field. This "argument" that so many try to use really makes me chuckle. Cheers.

jasonsobczynski · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:58 pm

See, what you all don't know is that this is a prototype bell made by the NYC for the first Niagara. It was to be an entirely new concept, technologically advanced bell in keeping with the other advancements incorporated into the locomotive. But sadly, back then.....like now.... It's to far from the norm for people to accept it as it is.....

Cheers, Jason