old lantern - RR lantern?

Any info about this piece appreciated. Is it a RR lantern? Value? It seems very old, cast iron, quite heavy and large - approx. 14 inches tall. We're not sure which way is up. There's a handle inside the "base" so we photographed it both ways. Thanks!

 

Looks like a caboose light, but if so it's in really rough shape. Parts are missing, the glass is busted and the wrong color into the bargain. It's also flat instead of convex like lantern glass is supposed to be. The poor thing looks like something off the CNE; the Central New England were a bunch of cheapskates who never marked their stuff and beat it to death. Most short lines did the same, so there's no way to be sure which road it came from. They were generally marked on the top...the part your light is missing. Here's an old closed auction on Worthpoint. http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/pair-of-railroad-adlake-chicago-caboose-lantern

 

The top pic is the right way up. It is missing the burner, top of chimney, and probably the bottom. I consider this a railroad lamp rather than a railroad lanterns. I believe railroad lanterns were usually globes with a wire type frame around it, and portable with swing handles. Railroad lamps were stationary, mounted on something, and had lenses. Yours has an arm that was attached to something and has round lenses. Nowwww that is about the limit of my RR lamps/kniwledge. I do know if the lamp or lantern has any RR info on it raises it's value considerable. Following are links to RR websites that may gave help in IDing the exact purpose of your light, timeframe, and possibly maker.

On this page look at the schematics for the "Marker Lamp." There are 2 schematic pictures. They both have the bracket arm like yours and the round lenses:
http://www.lanternnet.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=RRLP

Type is "Railroad Lamp" or "Railroad Lanterns" in the search field. Be sure the quotes are around the words. If no quotes it will bring up all queries with only the word Railroad and all the queries with the word lamp or lantern:
http://lampguild.org/QandApage/vuarchQ.php

http://www.railroadiana.org/lanterns/pgLanterns.php
http://www.jeffpolston.com/lantern.htm
http://www.railroadcollectibles.com...ailroad-lighting-lanterns-lamps/marker-lamps/

I should have added above that is not a handle. It is a bracket arm that slides into a holder, hinge, thingy that is mounted on a pole, wall, side of an engine, or railroad car.

--- Susan

 

They call some wall-mounted pieces lanterns too, but this was definitely meant for a wall mount. It's too big to carry, and the carried ones had glass globes (safety caged) rather than bullseye lenses. My dad was a rail nut; we used them all the time when power went out.

 

Thanks all!