by BR&P
Who's up on old-time rules? We know that when a train was to be run in sections, the lead engine of all sections, except the last one, would display a green flag by day and green lights by night. And the train as a whole was considered to extend from the front of the engine of the first section to the end of the last section. If #55 was running in 3 sections and you had orders to meet #55 at Podunk, that meant ALL sections of #55 unless you had train orders to the contrary.
What was displayed on the rear of 1/55's caboose? I seem to recall it was NOT regular markers, as that would indicate the rear of the train -which by the rules it was NOT. But surely they had something to warn following movements. A red lantern on the railing maybe? And when 1/55 went in a siding they evidently could not turn the markers to yellow or green to show they were in the clear - if a red lantern was used was that brought inside the caboose?
Obviously not something we need to know for today's railroading, but an interesting topic for discussion anyway.
What was displayed on the rear of 1/55's caboose? I seem to recall it was NOT regular markers, as that would indicate the rear of the train -which by the rules it was NOT. But surely they had something to warn following movements. A red lantern on the railing maybe? And when 1/55 went in a siding they evidently could not turn the markers to yellow or green to show they were in the clear - if a red lantern was used was that brought inside the caboose?
Obviously not something we need to know for today's railroading, but an interesting topic for discussion anyway.
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