tear drop bell

[josh1967]

hi there i have a tear drop bell and how do you tell if its a gen 1 gen 2 or gen 3 thanks any info be great

[freebrickproductions]

1st Gens just have the word "Union" cast onto the rainshield.
2nd Gens have a smaller US&S logo cast onto the rainshield.
3rd Gens have a larger US&S logo and the patent date cast onto the rainshield.

Here's a photo showing both 2nd Gen and 3rd Gen Teardrops, on display at the Greensboro, FL, depot museum:
3rd & 2nd Gen US&S Teardrop Bells by freebrickproductions, on Flickr
On the left is a 3rd Gen US&S Teardrop bell, on the right is a 2nd Gen US&S Teardrop Bell.