Railroad Lanterns

[NW Mailing List]

In brief, there are five colors for railroad lanterns:

 

Clear- general lighting and signaling between the train crew during
switching and other train movements. 

Red-   STOP or similar warning

Green- used for indicating a proceed signal or similar

Amber- used for indicating a approach signal or similar

Blue- "blue flag" showing that a track is blocked and the equipment on the
track must not be moved and a train or locomotive cannot (Absolutely!)
cannot be moved past the blue light or flag.  Only the individual or 'trade'
that places a blue flag can remove the flag.  This is used when working on
rolling stock.

 

You can learn the overall use of each of the colors in the Operating Rule
Book for the railroad in a particular year.  Over time there were many
different issues of Operating Rule Books.  Each railroad tended to do things
a little differently than their others.

 

In general, 'clear' and 'red' would be issued to a caboose as standard
equipment.  The locomotive would be issued with the same colors.  Amber
might be issued as a alternative to the 'red and amber' marker lamps for the
caboose.

 

Red, amber, and green would be issued to towers and depots to be used as
alternatives to the normal railroad signals.  Of course the operator or
agent would have clear lanterns as well.  

 

Blue is generally issued to the car department or the loco shops to block
tracks so the equipment can be worked on safely.  

 

I am sure there are numerous other situations that the older heads can tell
you about as to who gets what colors for the lanterns.  

 

Gary Rolih

Secretary N&WHS 

 

 

 

 

  _____  

From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org
[mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 8:13 AM
To: NW Mailing List
Subject: Re: Railroad Lanterns

 

The blue globe would be a repair track color.  Same purpose as a blue flag:
A warning not to move the equipment protected by a blue flag or light
because a worker could be working on or under that particular piece of
rolling stock.  

 

--Rick Morrison

----- Original Message ----- 

Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 11:44 PM

Subject: Railroad Lanterns

 

Can anyone tell me the significance of the different colored globes on
railroad lanterns?  For instance there is on on EBay with a blue globe, what
would that designate, etc?  Thanks for any help anyone can give!

 

Charlie


  _____  


________________________________________
NW-Mailing-List at nwhs.org
To change your subscription go to
http://list.nwhs.org/mailman/options/nw-mailing-list
Browse the NW-Mailing-List archives at
http://list.nwhs.org/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/attachments/20080520/491adf96/attachment.htm>