Wabash Railroad Memorabilia Value Guide
The Wabash Railroad started operations in 1851 and stopped service in 1915 for a total period of operations of 64 years.
Since Wabash Railroad began operations before 1860, it was operating at a very early time as a US Railroad. Almost any railroad antique from this early period will have significant value to collectors such as passes, timetables, documents, lanterns, and other railroadiana which wouldn't have much value if it were from a later period. Antiques from this period can be worth hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on the condition, provenance and rarity of the specific item.
Railroads that ran service to as many states as Wabash Railroad are fairly rare because it requires a large railroad to cover ground in 7 different states. Since Wabash Railroad was so large, most items from it will tend to be more common than items from smaller lines. However, large railroads also touched the lives of many more people and were much more well known so while items are more common, there is also a larger demand for them. Value for items from a line like Wabash Railroad can be in a huge range from a couple dollars for something small like a pinback or deck of cards, to thousands for a builder's plate off a famous locomotive or hundreds for a hard to find lantern.
Wabash Railroad Operated Routes in the Following States: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio