Back in the early 1970's, here on the old Montreal Secondary, we had the CTSE (the Canton Traveling Switcher).
It was the weekday local that ran from Massena, NY to Canton, NY. This run alway operated with a N9 or N11
transfer caboose. There was always a battery operated marker light at each right hand corner (looking at the
rear of the caboose) of the cabin. They were the same type of "flasher" that is used currently in highway and
roadway construction / maintenance. The box was orange in color ....the lense was red. The marker had a
carrying handle very similar to that used on the Star Headlight and Lantern model trainmans battery lantern
issued by the railroad. I believe these markers did in fact come from that company, but, others did make them.
The marker also had a "hanger" attached just like those found on the old kerosene marker lamps, and, was hung
as same. However, getting to the point of this thread, more than once I saw a lighted red Adlake kerosene lantern
hung on the rear most car (usually with a rubber bungee). This occurred when darkness had fallen, and, as is
natural in local work, the caboose was not at the rear of the train and a short "move" - two to three miles -had to be
made. I could never find anything in the rulebook that covered this exact situation, but, given the average years of service for
the crew on this run would have been in the 30 to 40 year range, well, I guess they knew what they were doing! I saw
this three times - twice in Winter months and once in the Summer when the local was running in the evening / night
hours due to track maintenance. All three times the caboose was buried in the consist....four or five cars back from
the loco and as least that or more from the rear of the train. I own one such lantern that I got from a garage sale
from a family who was disposing of their late father's estate. He had retired from the PC and was given this lantern
as a farewell gift by the Trainmaster and others. The lantern is brand new..still with paper packing in the font! The
wife told me that she saw the Trainmaster take it from the "storeroom"...right from the box....so, it did not come
from the Penn Central Store.