LONE JACK, MO. – A Union Pacific tall cast blue globe lantern sold for $46,200 in Soulis Auctions’ March 20 sale offering the single-owner, 50-year collection of Railroadiana from Steve “Packrat” Cregut. It is the highest auction record for any railroad lantern to date. The auction house wrote that the lantern is thought to be the only example in this color with the Union Pacific lettering embossed around the globe in this specific style. The lantern was made by MM Buck & Company of St Louis.

Eight lanterns each brought more than $10,000 in the sale.

Auctioneer Dirk Soulis said this was only a fraction of Cregut’s entire collection. “He was a collector with a capital C,” Soulis said. Cregut had owned a shop in Topeka, Kansas, until about 20 years ago.

Watch for a full review in a future issue.