Hi…
I’m not a lock collector, however I found an interesting lock in the bottom of the St. Lawrence River near Morrisburg, ON Canada along a portion of the old Grand Trunk Railway mainline between Toronto and Montreal.
The line was opened in 1855 and closed in 1957 when the St. Lawrence Seaway was created, thus flooding the line and necessitating a diversion.
I was actually looking for old glass telegraph insulators when I found this lock. From what I gather, it is similar to other heart shaped brass railway switch locks of the 1850’s and 60’s. It is stamped T SLAIGHT NEWARK NJ PATENT OCT 14 51 to the left of the keyhole and CUSTOM HOUSE CANADA GTR vertically to the right of the keyhole. The words “CUSTOM HOUSE” form an arc over “CANADA”. The keyhole cover is stamped with a small crown.
I presume this was a lock used on a customs building located at one of the GTR stations along the line. It was tarnished black and was unlocked, but seized up. I soaked it in vinegar and loosen it up so the hinges rotate. The original iron chain was a cake of rust, so I broke it off leaving only the part that clamps it to the lock.
Is this a common lock? What is it worth? And no, there is no key with it 🙂
Chris
