Up for auction is a remarkable, premium picker's lot featuring TWO separate, sequential consecutive pairs of vintage New England transit history. This 4-ticket collection spans two highly desirable, historic shortline railroads from Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
LOT BREAKDOWN:
PAIR 1: SUNCOOK VALLEY RAILROAD (CONSECUTIVE PAIR)
- Railroad Line: Suncook Valley Railroad (New Hampshire's Famous "Blueberry Express")
- Ticket Numbers: 28261 and 28262 (Sequential Pair)
- Route: Continuous Passage between Epsom, N.H. and Blodgett, N.H.
- Officer Signature: G. S. Fowler, General Manager
- Date Stamps (Reverse): March 16, 1933 (No. 28261) and March 19, 1933 (No. 28262)
- Unique Feature: Validated by the conductor using beautiful, highly collectible playing-card spade and heart-shaped custom hand punches.
PAIR 2: WOOD RIVER BRANCH RAILROAD (CONSECUTIVE PAIR)
- Railroad Line: Wood River Branch R.R. (Obscure 5.7-Mile Rhode Island Shortline)
- Ticket Color: Period-Correct Blue Cardstock
- Ticket Numbers: 5075 and 5076 (Sequential Pair)
- Route: Good for ONE passage between Wood River Junc. and Hope Valley (in either direction).
- Officer Signature: A. J. Christopher, Superintendent
- Era: Circa 1910–1911 (Features faint, historic November 11 station dater stamps on the reverse).
- Unique Feature: Validated by the conductor using matching, crisp four-point star hand punches.
WHY THIS LOT IS HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE:
- Double Sequential Pairing: Finding a single preserved consecutive pair of shortline tickets is tough, but acquiring a paired set from two completely different iconic New England lines at once is an exceptional rarity for advanced ephemera archives.
- Collector-Favorite Custom Punches: From the classic 1911 star punches to the highly unusual 1933 heart and spade shapes, these pieces perfectly display the unique tools used by early 20th-century conductors.
- Historic Operations: The Wood River Branch completely ceased passenger service following a catastrophic regional flood in 1927, making pre-WWI blue forms incredibly scarce. The Suncook Valley remains a legendary independent shortline among New England railroadiana buffs.
Whether you are a dedicated railroadiana ephemera collector, a regional New England local history enthusiast, or a specialist in independent American shortlines, this dual-line sequential lot is a premier addition to any archive.
All four tickets are completely intact, crisp, and fully legible on their original colored cardstock backings. Clear 1933 stamps on the NH pair, and very faint, authentic 1911 station dater stamps on the reverse of the RI pair.
Please check the pictures. Shipped quickly and carefully packaged.