PRR Brass Bell

Hello, I am Melvin Pempsell, owner of Railroad Artifacts.  I have been dealing in railroad memorabilia since 1976.  I am sorry to inform you the this bell is a very well documented fake.  A fantasy item, never used on the railroad.  They have been made for several railroads.  I would just hang it in a corner, if it were mine I would just throw it out. 

Melvin,

  Do you have a website address that you can share?

Tom

Agree with Melvin.  I bought the same bell along with smaller hand held PRR bells at a flee market years ago. I’d be surprised if they have any significate value. 

Don't be too quick to throw the bell out.  Hang it on the wall by the entrance to your train room and let the "little kids" ring it when they come to watch the trains.  Big kids too.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

The bell is beautiful, whether it is authentic or not. Doesn't matter what it's worth if you like it.

MELGAR

Thanks for taking the time to respond gentleman. I really had no idea what it was when I bought it, but thought it was cool to have for the train room. Most of all it was for the kids in all of us to enjoy and that's what it does for me. If it brings one smile to anyone that visits, then I feel it has helped to promote this great hobby that your kids have lost an imagination for.

MNCW posted:

Melvin,

  Do you have a website address that you can share?

Tom

Tom, right now I am changing the course of the way I run the business.  If you will give mayor e-mail address I will be happy to add you to our mailing list.  Thank  you for the inquiry ,

Melvin Pempsell, Railroad Artifacts.

W&W posted:

Agree with Melvin.  I bought the same bell along with smaller hand held PRR bells at a flee market years ago. I’d be surprised if they have any significate value. 

Well if it's brass, the value would be in scrap if you can't find a biyer. Buy on da bay, there is always something buyer when you start at $0.99!

The first thing I noticed looking at it was how crude the embossing was and thought it would never look like that on a genuine article.  That was before I read any of the responses.  Something to consider when looking at artifacts like this, especially when they are supposedly from the era this is supposed to represent, is that the railroads and their craftsmen took pride in their workmanship.  The logo on this bell almost looks it was etched into the bell after it was made rather than cast in as it would've been on a genuine article.

None-the-less, it still is a fun item for the train room and for visiting kids as several others have said.  For the right price and with proper representation, no one should be embarrassed to have it in their collection.

There were some real PRR bells like this, but if you look inside this bell you will notice there are no wear marks from the clapper, which is a dead give away this is a reproduction.

NJCJOE posted:

There were some real PRR bells like this, but if you look inside this bell you will notice there are no wear marks from the clapper, which is a dead give away this is a reproduction.

I have been collecting railroadiana since 1960 and never seen a bell like this at all.  I attend many railroadiana and have never seen a authentic bell like the one that we are talking about.   I have lived in a large area served by the PRR, Buffalo NY.  Once the second largest rail hub in the USA.  If there a real one it would have surfaced here.