I picked up this 10 Kt pin recently. It appears to be a railroad brake wheel with the letters B of RR B. Sounds like it should be Brotherhood of Rail Road Brakemen but I've never seen thais particular setup before. Can some of the railroad Brotherhood experts please help out on this one?

Here is a scan of the back side of the same pin. Note the old style hook for keeping the pin closed.

Ed,

I really like this one!

Looks like someone went to a lot of work to engrave the mold to make this pin. The attaching pin assembly leads me to think that this one could possibly be homemade and is one of a kind. Do you have any idea who made it or where it came from?

Phil Dellinger
NAWCC# 157070
IHC Life Member (L12)
Proud IHC Member# 140

Phil,
I bought this from a dealer in Endicott, NY, and the seller had no information about the history of the pin. There are no markings anywhere on it, and I do not recall even seeing this marking before. I'm not even sure that my translation of B of RR B is correct.

Ed Ueberall
NAWCC 49688
IHC Member 34
The Escapement

Here are a few other Brotherhood buttons and pins, these two for Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen (BofLF) and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BofLE).

and here's a small assortment of Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen (BRT) items

Recently I picked up this interesting solid-gold skeletonized 20mm lapel pin. Notice the brake-wheel in the center and the heavy enameling. Mine is along the lines of the one Ed Ueberall showed us above. Mine also is not marked as to maker. My impression is this one and Ed's are very uncommon items.


Below, Solid-Gold Skeletonized Brotherhood Pin...

Ed your pin is definitely from the Brotherhood of Railroad Brakemen I quote from a biography of S.E. Wilkinson who became Grand Master of the Brotherhood in July 1 1885

"Railroad brakemen were eager to have a Brotherhood like the engineers and firemen, and between October 1884 and October 1885 the organization grew from 39 lodges and 900 members to 160 lodges and 4500 members, but the move from Oneonta to Chicago for the treasury have been looted, leaving the organization without funds. By the time the brakemen took up residence in the Union Hotel block in Galesburg, their debts were paid. But the job of building an organization was at hand, and Wilkinson pitched in to see it down. As grand master, much of his time is spent in travel in the interest of the order.

The original organizers saw the Brotherhood is a death-and disability-fraternity, and their model was: "Benevolence, Sobriety, and Industry." With a goal of uniting the railroad brakemen to promote their general welfare and advance their interests--social, moral, and intellectual; to protect their families by exercise of the systematic benevolence, very needful in a calling so hazardous as ours, the Brotherhood was formed. Even as the Brakemen moved to an economic trade union this aspect was not lost--19th-century railroad work was a dangerous occupation.

Besides organizing and taking their message throughout the United States and Canada, the Brotherhood published a successful periodical, the Railroad Brakeman's Journal. Printed in Galesburg by The Brotherhood Steam Print, a union printing house owned and controlled by the Brakemen in 1887, circulation stood at 8000 copies a month. Each issue delineated claims paid by name and amount, while all new deaths and injuries were listed showing an , date of the accident, and cause.

In 1890, under his leadership, the Brotherhood expanded to include such diverse railroad workers as conductors, brakemen, roadmen, yardmen, dining car stewards, yard masters, switchtenders, and baggagemen. Becoming the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen"

These pins are very scarce I have one like it in my collection, and they make a nice addition to any Brotherhood railroadiana collection.


Larry Buchan
"Buchaneer"

IHC Charter Member 28
IHC Life Member (L7)

Thank you to all who responded to this thread and shared some of the Brotherhood material in their collections.

And a special thank you to Larry Buchan, who again gave a wonderful example of the expertise that resides within this chapter, with his detailed explanation about the history of the B of RR B. The history of the railroads and their Brotherhoods are deeply intertwined with the development of the timepieces that were used on and by the railroads. Larry's knowledgeable assistance and his fascinating "Tales From the Rails" add so much enjoyment to those who have an interest in and collect these fine timepieces.

Ed Ueberall
NAWCC 49688
IHC Member 34
The Escapement

Here is an early example of the BRRB pin that Ed has posted.

Larry Buchan

Here is another example of a BRRB pin with B.S.I. markings, these stand for Benevolence, Sobriety, and Industry the watch words of the Brotherhood.

Here is a BRRB watch fob:

Watch fob backside:

This pin is a transitional one from around 1890 when the BRRB changed its name to the Brotherhood of Rail Road Trainmen.

Trainmen in the early days had the nickname “Stinger” this rare pin shows why.

Here are a couple of scans of a Brotherhood of Railroad Brakemen fob I just acquired.

front

back

Larry, that's a new one on me. Why were they referred to as 'stingers', and I'm sure it's not because of the design of their pin? Regards! Mark

Here is my latest pin . Its a lot like Larrys pin except its B of RRB . Not marked but its solid gold save for the pin .

Back of pin . Early clasp .