Japan Railwayana & a mystery

[yakumo381]

Thanks to the wonder of Ebay, I picked up a little collection of JNR railwayana plus a mystery as in the attached photos.

 

The medallion appears, I presume, to be from the launch of the Sanyo Shinkansen back in 1972 with an early / first JNR steam engine on the reverse - can anyone confirm this?

 

The robust tie clip appears to be from the O-Series Shinkansen era complete with JNR marking - is this a item that JNR staff would have received or just a souvenir item?

 

Now the mystery that came with the above. The seller thought that the two lenses are also associated with Shinkansen but had nothing to back this up (I suspect the original source being a deceased relative).

 

The amber with its lensing on the inside is just over 6 inches in diameter and the blue with lensing on the outside is just over 5 inches in diameter.

 

Both are marked as being British Made by Chance Brothers.

 

Chance Brothers were famous as technical glass manufacturers in Smethwick, Birmingham from the early 1800's through to the 1950's when they were taken over by Pilkingtons although the name was still used through into the 1970's. Amongst other things they were famous for lenses used in lighthouses around the world. Also happened to be where my late mother worked for a time during WW2!

 

So the mystery, did Chance Brothers export these lenses to Japan for railway use? Or is it just a mix up of some UK and Japan railwayana? Can anyone shed any "light" on this mystery?

[bikkuri bahn]

The coin is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of railways in Japan.   The glass look like lenses for lineside signals, don't know if that has any relevance with the shinkansen as that system uses cab signals.  Anyway, I reckon postwar Japan had its own glass industry to provide this type of product.

[miyakoji]

that tieclip is awesome.  I was once leaving a station with some non-railfan individual, and I commented on a staff member's tie, which had the JR logo in a pattern, maybe something like the background on tickets.  It was suggested to me that I trade the employee a regular tie for the JR tie.  Shoulda tried it.  To this day one of the nicest ties I have is from Kurashiki Aeon...

[westfalen]

The blue lens could be from one of these.

[yakumo381]

Could be. I will look to see if I have a close up anywhere. I am not aware of the UK using blue signals which is why these lenses could be export items. They may not have been direct supply but through a contractor like Westinghouse - did they supply to JNR?