Rare Lantern. Brass-top, bellbottom lanterns are considered one of the most collectible categories of railroad lanterns. Examples from some railroads are seen fairly often, for example, those from the Milwaukee Road (CM&StP Ry). Others are on the opposite end of the spectrum and are exceedingly rare. An example of the latter is shown here. It is from the Northern Pacific Railroad before it became a "Railway" in 1893. The globe is a particularly rare version of an "NP RR" red cast globe. The photo was taken at the November, 2012 swap meet of the Boeing Model Railroad Club, held in Kent, Washington. Click on the image for a larger version. See past featured Items.