At Rail & Road, we pride ourselves on partnering with our consignors to bring their treasured collections and life’s work to market.
This is our commitment to EVERY Rail & Road consignor:
An auction company that listens – Every consignment is a unique situation. We are committed to listening to our consignors and helping to meet their needs in the best way possible.
A passion for what we sell – At Rail & Road, we specialize in transportation. We care about the history of transportation and how it relates to our country’s history. We represent your collection with accuracy & detailed information.
A safe and transparent selling experience – Your collection is being handled with respect from the time it is picked up until the time we write the last check. Rail & Road is committed to a selling process with communication, documentation, and integrity. We communicate with our sellers, we offer clear and concise documentation throughout the process, and we recognize that our integrity is expected with every item we sell. Your collection is fully insured while at Rail & Road and consignors can expect payment approximately 30 days after the sale date.
A quality auction – With over ten years in the auction business, Rail & Road knows the right path to quality auctions. We use a blend of digital and traditional media to reach the largest number of buyers possible. We make our catalogs available online approximately 30 days before the sale to give potential bidders ample time to study our offerings. We offer online absentee, online, and phone bidding.
An auction company that meets you where you are – While Rail & Road is located in the Midwest, we understand that great transportation collections exist from coast-to-coast across the United States. We can and will travel outside of the Midwest to pack and relocate your collection to our Lafayette Indiana warehouse.
"I had come by a rather large, but eclectic collection of railroadiana that needed to be sorted and moved into the hands of collectors who would preserve the vibrant history of the American Railroad better than watching the pieces decay in a box under the stairs. I tried several of the larger auction houses and I never even got a reply. Then I found Derek Thomas at Rail and Road Auctions and Derek got right back to me. We worked together to understand the collection and when I shipped it to him, he took it from there. I was extremely grateful for all the work Derek did from additional research, meticulous cataloging, shipping, and care of very fragile and complex pieces. I can't thank Derek enough at Rail and Road Auction for helping us. I will certainly work with them in the future."
I had never participated in an auction before, so I was genuinely concerned about how this would work. I found Mr. Thomas quite easy to work with. The auction was a success and my share of the proceeds was forward to me within four weeks. I look forward to participating in more auctions at Rail & Road. Robert L. Hunt
I have worked with Derek on many projects over the years. He is wonderful to work with and a great brain stormer. I find Derek to be an honest, hard working person. He always contributes many great ideas to our projects. I look forward to many more collaborations with Derek and Rail & Road.