What type of key is this?

[Wexford70]

Hi all,

 

Can I ask your assistance to identify this type.of.key? It is stamped GSWR.

Is for a point lever lock or a level crossing gate perhaps? 

 

[airfixfan]

Carriage key

[Wexford70]

4 hours ago, airfixfan said:

Carriage key

What would the side bar be used for? Other carriage keys I have seen only had the end rectangular peg.

[Killian Keane]

Two from my collection, from my late grandfather

[exciecoachbuilder]

On 18/10/2025 at 8:46 PM, Wexford70 said:

What would the side bar be used for? Other carriage keys I have seen only had the end rectangular peg.

It's definitely a carriage key, the 'side bar' is very similar to the key for locking/ unlocking locomotive doors. But if GSWR is stamped on it, then I'm not sure? There were a few different types of keys around years ago.

[GSR 800]

59 minutes ago, Killian Keane said:

Two from my collection, from my late grandfather

Pretty modern carriage key on the left.

Not a clue about the right!

[ttc0169]

33 minutes ago, GSR 800 said:

Pretty modern carriage key on the left.

Not a clue about the right!

Forward/Reverse key for a GM locomotive. 

[exciecoachbuilder]

The silver key on the left was a more modern type of key used for opening smaller interior doors, with smaller locks ( budgie locks) and electrical boxes on carriages. They were also used for opening removable panels , doors etc on C.I.E  buses and other road vehicles... 

                                                                                                                                                                    Paul...

[skinner75]

10 hours ago, ttc0169 said:

Forward/Reverse key for a GM locomotive. 

I've a lovely brass one at home

[cheesy_peas]

Getting my hands on an identical one to key in first post, also stamped GSWR. 

Have a brass version, unstamped, still trying to figure out what the little spigot is for. Possibly for gas supply. The smaller one appears to match those used for opening up the globes in gas lit coaches.

Edited January 11 by cheesy_peas

[seagoebox]

The key with the red arrow is to lock/ unlock the shutter door on the outside of a gangway at the end of the old-fashioned carriage.

The smaller key is correctly identified as a gas shut off key.

[exciecoachbuilder]

The key with the red arrow was also used sometimes to lock / unlock GM locomotive doors. If a new door was fitted to a loco, the lock would have to be tested that it does work properly. Or some guys doing electrical work in the cabs would occasionally lock the doors with this type of key. But locking loco doors by drivers, was in my time in the railway (70's, 80's, 90's) not common. 

[LNERW1]

On 19/10/2025 at 8:45 PM, Killian Keane said:

Two from my collection, from my late grandfather

American “Foamers” would kill for that thing on the right. That’s a reverser handle, and it’s basically a car key for American locos. If you have one of those youre most of the way to nicking a GM or GE diesel, but as you can imagine most people who have them dont plan to do so. Black ones are usually rarer since theyre harder to spot if you’re snooping around yards at night looking for any that might have been dropped. Mostly thats how railfans get a hold of them in the US, but I’d say knowing IÉ and CIÉ staff that one was probably a gift from a driver. We do generally have quite nice railway employees compared to some other countries.

Edited March 9 by LNERW1