About Rail & Road Auctions - Rail & Road Auctions

Rail & Road Auctions was founded by industry professionals with a shared vision — to create a more focused auction experience for transportation collectors.

We built Rail & Road out of passion, not profit. Our goal has always been to use our expertise in transportation to celebrate history — not just sell it. Every piece that comes through our doors tells a story. Whether it’s a railroad lantern, an automotive sign, a ship’s lantern, or an aviation instrument, each item represents a distinct moment in time and connects us to the people and memories of an era now past.

At Rail & Road Auctions, we take pride in standing apart as an auction house that values the historical and emotional significance of every piece as much as its market value.

Railroadiana

As the only auctioneers in the Midwest specializing exclusively in railroadiana, Rail & Road Auctions is proud to handle everything from full-size railroad equipment to lanterns, signals, signs, china, keys, locks, passes, timetables, paper, builders plates, locomotive hardware, and related memorabilia. Learn more about our railroadiana consignment process here.

For four consecutive years, Rail & Road Auctions has sold more lots of railroadiana than any other auction company in the United States, making us the nation’s largest-volume railroadiana auctioneer. We can handle your entire collection — we don’t pick and choose which pieces to represent.

Our team regularly travels beyond the Midwest to professionally pack, transport, and relocate collections to our Lafayette, Indiana headquarters, where each item is carefully cataloged and photographed. Every auction reaches a national and international audience through multiple live and online bidding platforms, ensuring your collection receives the exposure it deserves.

If you’re curious whether your collection or individual item has market interest, we encourage you to contact us. You’ll find that we’re approachable, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about railroads and transportation history. Discover why Rail & Road Auctions is recognized as a market leader in the sale of quality railroad memorabilia.

Automotive

Our passion for transportation memorabilia extends well beyond railroading — it includes a deep appreciation for the history and artistry of the automobile. Learn more about our automobilia consignment process here.

We are interested in items from any era, including contemporary pieces, and we place special emphasis on quality and authenticity. Categories of interest include, but are not limited to:

Dealership memorabilia and promotional items
Drag racing and open-wheel racing memorabilia
Automotive and transportation toys, including pressed steel toys, pedal cars, model kits, and more
High-end die-cast collections from makers such as Motor City, Brooklin, MiniMarque, Western Models, and other premium manufacturers
Signage and dealership displays
Literature and showroom materials
NOS and other parts collections
Service department items, signage, cabinets, and related materials

We frequently travel beyond the Midwest to professionally pack and relocate collections to our Lafayette, Indiana headquarters, where each item is carefully cataloged and photographed. Every auction reaches a national and international audience through multiple live and online bidding platforms, ensuring your collection receives maximum visibility.

If you’re seeking the right partner to represent your automotive memorabilia or die-cast collection, we invite you to contact us. We’re always happy to discuss your goals and work together to find the next generation of caretakers for your pieces.

Nautical

Beyond the rails and the road, Rail & Road Auctions extends its passion for transportation history to the open water. From grand ocean liners to private pleasure craft, we take pride in connecting nautical collections with a new generation of caretakers. Learn more about our nautical consignment process here.

We welcome a wide range of nautical artifacts and maritime memorabilia, including:

Steamship china and dining menus
Nautical advertising and promotional materials
Nautical toys and ship models
Lanterns and lighting
Ephemera such as playing cards, advertising smalls, passenger lists, photographs, and other maritime paper

While nautical consignments make up a smaller portion of our overall business, we approach each piece with the same care and respect that define every Rail & Road auction. Each item is carefully cataloged and photographed, and every auction reaches a national and international audience through multiple bidding platforms.

Whether you’re downsizing a maritime collection or parting with a few cherished artifacts, Rail & Road Auctions offers a trusted and professional environment to share these pieces of nautical history with collectors who value them as deeply as you do.

Aviation

The friendly skies are part of Rail & Road Auctions as well. Our deep knowledge of transportation history naturally extends to aviation and the artifacts that celebrate humankind’s enduring fascination with flight. From early commercial travel to modern aviation collectibles, we help connect these pieces of history with passionate new caretakers. Learn more about our aviation consignment process here.

We welcome a wide range of aviation memorabilia, including:

Airline china and dining menus
Aviation toys and die-cast aircraft models
Airline guides, schedules, and timetables
Ephemera such as playing cards, advertising smalls, photographs, and paper materials

While aviation represents a newer area of focus for Rail & Road, we bring the same enthusiasm, care, and professionalism that define all of our transportation auctions. Each piece is cataloged and photographed with precision, and every auction reaches a national and international audience through multiple online bidding platforms.

Whether you’re looking to consign a small group of aviation keepsakes or a lifelong collection, Rail & Road Auctions offers a trusted venue to preserve and share the story of flight.

Transportation Art

Transportation art has long been overlooked, yet it plays a vital role in preserving the spirit and visual identity of its era. It captures the nostalgia, innovation, and pride of a time when railroads, automobiles, ships, and aircraft defined progress and possibility.

At Rail & Road Auctions, we are passionate about the preservation and promotion of transportation fine art. We actively seek and evaluate all forms of transportation-themed artwork, including original paintings, illustrations, advertising art, and commissioned pieces created for major transportation companies. Learn more about our transportation art consignment process here.

Our record of success in this field speaks for itself. In 2020, our Transportation Art Auction featured notable works by Angela Trotta Thomas, Robert L. Hunt, and pieces from the private collection of Richard P. Kughn, former owner of Lionel Trains Inc. In 2021, we strengthened our reputation by selling an original New York Central Railroad painting titled “In the Hudson River Valley” for $10,800. The following year, Rail & Road achieved another milestone with a record-setting $23,800 sale of an original Howard Fogg painting commissioned by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.

As we continue to grow, Rail & Road Auctions remains committed to highlighting this often-underappreciated category and ensuring that transportation art receives the recognition it deserves within the broader fine-art community.

Transportation Book Collections

Rail & Road Auctions is proud to offer dedicated book auctions focused on transportation history and related subjects. In these specialty events, nearly every title is sold individually, with the exception of matched or companion sets.

This individualized approach has consistently resulted in higher resale values compared with bulk or grouped sales, allowing consignors to realize the full potential of their libraries. It also removes the considerable effort of sorting, cataloging, and shipping hundreds of books. Our team handles the entire process efficiently, ensuring each volume is presented clearly to a targeted audience of transportation enthusiasts and collectors. Learn more about our transportation book consignment process here.

Transportation 35mm Slide Collections

Discover a new level of transparency and convenience in the world of slide collecting with Rail & Road Auctions. We’re not a typical slide auction service — we’ve modernized the experience to create a smoother process for both buyers and sellers.

Our transportation slide auctions are designed with collectors in mind, offering organized presentation, clear bidding, and a streamlined consignment process. To learn more about how Rail & Road is improving the way transportation slide collections are bought and sold, click here.

Model Trains

At Rail & Road Auctions, we are proud to have spent more than a decade working alongside Stout Auctions of Indiana, the leading toy train auction house in the United States. Stout Auctions specializes in model trains from G scale to Z scale — and everything in between.

Model train collections consigned to Rail & Road are transferred directly to Stout Auctions, placing them in front of the largest and most active audience of model train collectors in the country. Likewise, Stout Auctions entrusts Rail & Road with the sale of railroadiana consigned to their company.

Together, our two firms work hand in hand to deliver outstanding results for consignors and to create the ideal environment for collections that include both railroadiana and model trains.