27 Inch Railway Eagle

Product Description: This is a lovely, and hard to find, 27 Inch Railway Eagle. As the evidence shows, the US vet who took this outstanding souvenir had just a little bit of a problem on his hands at the time, trying to remove his war trophy from the train to which it was fastened. In the process of removing this massive emblem, he broke the fastening studs off of the reverse side, as we can see on both wings. In addition to shearing off the studs, this removal resulted in a small crack in the left wing. He was able to save the center top and bottom studs, and even kept the nut on the top stud! This large and extremely impressive railway eagle displays a nice, appealing, even patina over its surface, and remains in a totally original, uncleaned state. This desirable large 27 inch Railway Eagle is well marked in the center of the eagle on the reverse, with the abbreviations “LOK” (Locomotive), RZA (Reich Zug Adler, meaning train eagle), and BLN (Berlin) as well as the word “Original.” These large eagles are extremely sought-after and are only becoming more scarce with the passage of time. This one is a beauty, and is in excellent condition.

Historical Description: During the Third Reich, all rail transport was nationalized and organized under the German Reichsbahn. Reichsbahn rail cars were state property and included everything from the locomotives used for transporting freight, to passenger cars, street cars and trolleys. In the Nazi era, and during WWII, the Reichsbahn adorned their locomotives and passenger rail cars with large metal decorative German eagle and swastika national emblems. These were made in various sizes and had a variety of finishes to suit different purposes and vehicle types. Generally, these eagles were manufactured from aluminum or zinc alloy, with integral threaded studs on the reverse that were used to affix these to the fronts of rail cars. These eagles had a striking and imposing appearance and were an iconic part of Nazi regalia. After the war, Allied denazification policies required these to be removed. Many were destroyed, though these were eagerly sought after by Allied troops hunting for souvenirs. They are extremely collectible and desirable artifacts today.

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