#175 • THE BARNEY & SMITH CAR COMPANY

Part of November 2026 Railroad Book and Slide Auction (timed auction by Rail & Road Auctions)

Starting at $5.00

Status: Available

Bidding closes Nov 30, 2026 5:43 PM EST

A rare study of the premier railcar manufacturer in the United States during the 19th century, The Barney & Smith Car Company of Dayton, Ohio. It tells the story of the American entrepreneurial spirit and the development of the railcar manufacturing industry. It covers heavy industry in America using text, photographs, line drawings, and maps. Follow the founding and development of this manufacturer at the beginning of the industrial revolution in the Midwest. See how an unlikely group entered upon the idea to build railroad cars and did so before there was a railroad in Dayton upon which to move the completed cars. This was one of the most extensive railcar manufacturing facilities with complete timber sawing, milling, assembly shops as well as complete iron and brass foundries and machine shops in which to produce railroad cars in a totally autonomous shop. Barney & Smith was an aggressive manufacturer and leader in the car building industry having gone from a day when there were no standard designs and wood was the principal building material. Their reputation was based on the quality built into each car and their fine craftsmanship. Read about the era of the Grand sleeping car, the interior designers who made Barney & Smith cars the finest cars to travel over the steel rails of America. Follow the technology and design as the railcar changed in style and form. Revealed is the establishment of Kossuth colony for the Hungarian immigrants who labored in the shops, along with the vast timbering operations in Milltown, Georgia. An extensive chapter is devoted to the development of other industries to serve railcar building such as Thresher Varnish Company, Smith, Vaile & Company, Blaine Car & Manufacturing, and the Dayton Manufacturing Company, a subsidiary. See how, through Barney's efforts, they took over many of the early ornamental hardware manufacturers to become a leading supplier of accent items which highlighted much of the quality craftsmanship of fine passenger car manufacturing. Follow Barney & Smith's relationship with George M Pullman in the early years of his sleeping car business. Trace business activity through the Civil War years and into this post-war depression years of the 1870's. An era of great technological change and advancement in the railroad industry. See how Barney supported community development that spawned much new industry. Read about the various departments and craftsmen, the masters and artisans who made the cars work of art in every respect. See how the sale of the firm and its conversion to a publicly held corporation in 1892 led to its downfall. Follow their entry into street car and interurban business in an effort to rally back from the depression of 1893. Scott D. Trostel