I'm not sure if this is off-topic, but are there any of you out there who are/were familiar with Thompson Cap Company? New Haven fans sure are and regard them as a lost piece of New England's railroad history. You may see their products again soon. Stay tuned for more and feel free to share any info you may have regarding Thompson.

The photos came from old Shoreliner issues.

When I worked for the Narragansett Pier RR in the 1960s, I wore Thompson Cap company products. It was standard on the New Haven for the freight crews to wear Thompson clothing. In summer we wore a light colored pinstripe hat with blue bill, while in winter we switched to the dark navy corduroy cap with fold-down ear flaps. In summer you wore a pin-striped jumper if you needed to (it has nice pockets for waybills and other paperwork) and in winter a solid denim jumper with a flannel lining. It was almost like a standard freight crew uniform--work boots, jeans or bib-overalls, elastic bands around the pant legs, blue denim or "thousand-miler" shirt, jumper and Thompson cap.

Ah, those were the days-to be young again!

As always, Jim, thank you!

Here in the mid west it was always Kromer Caps. They were made Wisconsin till fairly recently.

Thompson caps, or at least a very similar product, were popular on the Southern & N&W until the 1970"s. I can remember them being sold in the railroad supply store at the N&W YMCA at Shaffer's Crossing in Roanoke. I have one that I bought about 1977 at the "Old 97 Market", which was across the street from the Southern Ry. station in Monroe Va. I still wear it some, alternating with my black Kromer. I hate adjustable "baseball" caps. They're good for getting dirty when you're working under a piece of equipment.

The Thompson winter cap (navy, corduroy) had an optional earflap that folded neatly inside the sweatband. About ten years ago, I had a local friend make a few, one of which I continue to wear in the dead of winter. They were unmatched for comfort and "fit", and are as appropriate to wear at the helm of my steam launch as they were anywhere on the New Haven (and Lines East of NYC, too!).

The products of the Thompson Cap Company were without peer and, if produced again, should be very popular - at least among the surviving "purists" and kindred souls who have seen enough of "one size fits all" baseball caps.

BTW, Jim: one of the "repros" is now worn, approvingly, by a certain mutual friend...

I have found Kromer caps at a local welding supply. They had many wild looking welding caps but also sold the plain black ones. I contacted them once about if they still made the white caps with the black bill. Was told that they don't make them now but with a small minumum order they would make them again. Kromer is now located in Baltimore Md. & have a web site at kromercap.com
Also these are not the adjustable size garbage you usually find.
It will be cool to see railroad caps from another company
if Thompson gets back in production.
My grandfather was a conductor on the NYC & he told me that railroad caps had a rounded top & that shop caps have the flat top you see alot.

Dave Huffman

Thompson offered three optional tops in most of their styles. They offered the pleated top, the six panel round top (like a ball cap), and the military top (similar to the Ridgeway Cap used in the Army and Air Force).

Thompson also offered a white cap (their 800 series caps) with black band and brim along with those three top options. They were said to have been popular with New Haven passenger crews on the shoreline.

Thompson offered a complete line of clothing products for railroad men including caps, scarfs (dickies), ankle straps, overalls, coats, half sleeves, gloves, and handkerchiefs.

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.


You will find photos of both an original and our production sample. Enjoy!

A couple more...

Last, but not least.....

Hey Paul, Yes I recognize the fellow in the black hat. Looks a little like Paul Newman doesn't he? Hope I look that good when I'm his age (but I doubt it!). I believe that once Thompson Caps Limited gets the Otis pin-stripe hats out to everyone, they'll start on the navy corduroy hats, hopefully with the ear flaps. I'll get a couple of those as well for these Minnesota winters.

BTW, I still have my blue denim jumper but haven't worn it in years. It's in a storage bag and occasionally I'll take it out to admire it and reminisce.

Thanks!

It's really great you are bringing these hats back. Besides showing & operating equipment having the personel running the equipment look like they did when the equipment was in use helps paint the full picture.

Dave H.

That's one of the things we're shooting for. The living history aspect of it really brings the experience alive for the visitors. Plus, it's just a good and proper railroad man's cap!

On another note.... Once we get settled in with the Otis Pin Stripe caps, we'll start looking into other styles. I wouldn't expect a corduroy cap until the fall. We've still got a couple of "summer" style ideas that we're kicking around.

Remember...... We'll consider reproducing other Thompson items, but we need to be able to refer to an original example or VERY high quality photos of an original. We'll definitely require the temporary use of an original to replicate the corduroys. In other words, we may need a loaner!

It is really great to see some support for our efforts! Thank you!

We are currently attempting to replicate another original Thompson style for the summer. It will be Thompson's 800 series white caps. We hope to offer them both in solid white (Style #801) and with black brim and band (Style # 803). We were informed that the white hat with black brim and band was popular on the shoreline. Interest has been expressed by folks out west for the solid white caps, as they were popular on the Western Pacific and on the coast division of the Southern Pacific. This could mean a revival of more than a piece of New England's railroad history/culture, but others as well!

The Corduroy cap (1000 Series) will be considered for production in the fall and will be offered with ear flaps (Style #1003). If anyone can loan an original for use as an example or several high quality detailed color photos, it would be greatly appreciated. We promise that no original Thompson products will be harmed in the reproduction process!


Randy Patterson
Thompson Caps Limited