A brake man with the wrong lantern!
#1
There was a bit time so I started a small project for an future addition on a caboose which will be prepared for use with an SP loco model. This caboose should receive a switch man with an illuminated lantern who should receive his place on the platform steps of this caboose.

[Image: laternen_1k.jpg]

I built some small red and white lanterns – see also my description on my website http://us-modelsof1900.de/?p=12891 – and I have given one of the lanterns into the hand of this switchman.

[Image: laternen_2k.jpg]

Caution! Surgery on open backbone – new (electric) nerves are inserted!

[Image: laternen_4k.jpg]

And then the big fright! I have used a red lantern and not a white one! Maybe that the red color of the lantern is not well visible however this will be my camera where the shiny red is to see mere in a yellow color. Definitively it’s a red lantern where the switch man should held a white one! And now?
What can I do with this man and his red lantern? Is there an idea for a prudent use? I would be lucky to read your mean! Thanks!
Cheers, Bernd

Please visit also my website www.us-modelsof1900.de.
You can read some more about my model projects and interests in my chronicle of facebook.
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#2
I believe that a red lantern would have been used, at night, of course, to "flag" a train which has had difficulties of some sort, and is stopped on a track where another train may be approaching, either ahead of, or behind the stalled train.

Perhaps your very nicely-done switchman is just getting off the caboose, in preparation for a long walk back along the tracks.

Wayne
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#3
Doc, thanks!
Yes, this may be an idea for using this figure as caboose man who goes along the track. However there will be a problem.
This figure will be used only on a large layout that our US railroad friends group will install for personal meetings or for exhibitions. Especially there the visitors will like to see running tains, so we can not organize a railroad accident with a walking lantern man or he stands beside of a track without a real sense. Yes we will have derailments, of course, but there we try to rerail the models as fast as possible for continously running trains.

But I think I have found another solution.
A possible idea is to use the man as a staff member of a our planned railroad museum on the layout where especially steam locos will be exhibited steam locos and also where daily tourist trains will start and arrive. These trains must enter the passenger track im museum in backward running direction and so my brakeman could stop the train before the exhibited locos and some cars. In this case the lantern could be activated and this should be a very good use for my switchman, I think. Or the last car on exhibition track will be a caboose where the brakeman stands on platform and stops the incoming train with his lantern again.
So my man could prevent the caboose with its red lantern as a member of caboose crew the caboose maybe against incoming trains in case that the caboose stands irregularly on a side spur? Or can he use the lantern as a train end signal for a short time in an irregulary case? I'm not sure if this will be recogniced as an error in railroad signaling by our visitors.
Sorry, for this I would like to receive your answer, please. We model railroader should not make heavy errors which we show our visitors as reality of American railroads.

I think that one of this thoughts will be realized for our exhibition layout but I know also that I must try to find one of my unpainted figures which will be modified to a new switchman with an white/golden illuminated lantern. And then new pictures will follow in January next year where we will realize the next exhibition with a very large layout.
Thanks for your help, Doc!
Cheers, Bernd

Please visit also my website www.us-modelsof1900.de.
You can read some more about my model projects and interests in my chronicle of facebook.
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#4
I'm afraid that I might not be much more help, as most lantern signals, as far as I know, that were used for directing train movement (forward, back up, or stop) used a white light lantern. The red, I think, might be used only in the flagging situation which I mentioned originally.
Another use for a red lantern (other than as marker lamps) could be at a crossing where there are no crossing signals but where there's a watchman on-duty. When an approaching train whistles for the crossing, he would come out with either a hand-held "STOP" sign or perhaps a red lantern.

Beyond that, I've asked Larry (Brakie) if he can possibly comment here with some professional advice.

Wayne
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#5
Doc, this is a very good and easy to realize idea that I could use my brakeman as RR crossing watcher.
Ok, he will not come out from his crossing shanty however he can stand or sit beside of the crossing and then he will use his lantern to stop the cars at approaching trains. I think that this will be a realy good idea! Thanks!
And how I said before already, a new man must been build but now with a white lantern!
Cheers, Bernd

Please visit also my website www.us-modelsof1900.de.
You can read some more about my model projects and interests in my chronicle of facebook.
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#6
A red lantern was used for flagging as Doc stated.. A crossing watchman would use a red flag in the day and a red lantern at night.

A red lantern would be used by a brakeman at night to flag street crossings.
Larry
Engineman

Summerset Ry

Make Safety your first thought, Not your last!  Safety First!
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#7
Thanks, Larry! We will make the best for our layout with your hints!
Cheers, Bernd

Please visit also my website www.us-modelsof1900.de.
You can read some more about my model projects and interests in my chronicle of facebook.
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#8
Now a short addition, my new brakeman with a white lantern took his place on the platform of a caboose.

[Image: brakeman_11k.jpg]

Now I will add some more details and also add train end marker lights. Some lettering and paint corrections like aging of new trucks must be done also.
Cheers, Bernd

Please visit also my website www.us-modelsof1900.de.
You can read some more about my model projects and interests in my chronicle of facebook.
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