Erik Wightman and Jason Sanford are pleased to announce that Western Railroad Americana will be handling Ron Wright’s lifetime collection of North American builders plates.

Born on November 3, 1943 in Rochester, New York, Ron lived a passionate life. In the 1970’s, his lifelong passion for steam locomotives brought him to Connecticut in order to pursue a career at the railroads. He traveled the world to photograph steam trains and Ron’s enthusiasm for the railroad was palpable and he enjoyed sharing his experiences with family and friends.

Most importantly, Ron was a loving husband and a devoted guardian to his daughters. We are grateful and honored to be working with Ron’s family and that they have entrusted Western Railroad Americana in handling his impressive collection of North American builders plates. We look forward to assuring Ron’s collection is passed onto the next generation of collectors who will appreciate and cherish these pieces of history as much as he did.

The collection of over 250 plates features both steam and diesel plates from Norfolk and Western, New York Central, Pennsylvania Railroad, Louisville and Nashville, Wheeling and Lake Erie, Milwaukee, Southern Pacific, Santa Fe, Union Pacific, Canadian Pacific, Canadian National, and many others.  A lot of these plates have not been publicly available for years.  If you are interested in becoming the next caretaker for an item in Ron’s collection, please join our mailing list and we will send you a copy of the catalog pricing sheet as soon as it is available. Jason personally packed and inventoried the collection and it is currently in transit to our facility. We should have the complete catalog available by the end of April.

Thank you for your support and we look forward to helping you add that special piece to your collection. Highball Ron Wright!