LAMBERTON CHINA RAILROAD CHINA Historic Baltimore & Ohio Potomac Valley Circa 1930

Offering a blue and white LAMBERTON CHINA RAILROAD PLATE in the Blue Colonial pattern, referred by collectors as Centennial or Centenary.

The china pattern was introduced by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1927 to celebrate the its 100th anniversary. Train dining cars were outfitted with the pattern, which became very popular with travelers.  The pattern features a scene of the Potomac Valley. Circling the rim of the plate is an eight-illustration pictorial history of the railroad company, including first stone laid in 1828, the first horse drawn rail car in 1830, the Philip E. Thomas locomotive in 1838, and the Lord Baltimore locomotive in 1925.

The salad plate, circa 1930, was made by Lamberton China, division of Scammell China located in Trenton, New Jersey.  The company used a transfer-type technique to decorate the china.  It has been said that Mr. Weatherby who ran the Lamberton plant when the china was produced, possessed a “production secret” that decreased the possibility that the cobalt blue ink would run or blur, a common transfer-ware problem when firing blue ink. He never shared his secret with anyone, not even the plant's owners, the Shammells, and the secret was lost forever when he died.

The 8 ¼” plate is stamped on the back: 1827-1927 BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD – SCAMMELL’S LAMBERTON CHINA – DESIGN PATENTED.