Bidspirit auction | Antique Save-U-Lite Railroad Emergency Carbide

Antique Save-U-Lite Railroad Emergency Carbide Torch by The Automatic Lite Co. - A cylindrical red-painted metal industrial safety device used for railroad emergency lighting. The item retains its original paper wrap-around label featuring a circular graphic of a signal light inscribed RAILROAD EMERGENCY SAVE-U-LITE TORCH. The manufacturer is identified on the label as THE AUTOMATIC LITE CO. MANUFACTURERS & PATENTEES BALTIMORE, MD. and the distributor as THE HORTON-BROWN CORP. 149 BROADWAY, NEW YORK U. S. A. The label contains extensive printed text including safety cautions and operational instructions for handling emergency carbide. The unit appears to remain in its original factory-sealed state with an intact metal ring-pull at the top and a flat metal tab seal at the bottom. Diameter: 2 1/4 inches. The paper label is heavily aged with pronounced yellowing, foxing, and several large dark liquid stains throughout (Photo 1, 2, 5). Minor edge wear and fraying are present on the label margins. The red-painted tin body shows moderate paint loss, surface scuffing, and scratches (Photo 1, 3, 4). Both the top and bottom metal caps, along with the pull ring and seals, exhibit significant oxidation and surface rust (Photo 3, 4, 5).