I was messing around with an Adlake kerosene lantern, and I was curious about how I might pass signals with it, as the bail is fastened to the body in the same manner as a bucket. That is, the handle is quite loose and lays down when set aside, and the body flops around when it is swung in an erratic manner, completely unlike my battery powered lantern. The battery powered lantern is very easy to use when passing signals due to it's handle (bail) being rigid or positionable.

Passing lantern signals with the Adlake proved impossible for most of them, as kerosene readily dripped out, and I also need the bail to remain rigid to pass car counts and other signals, like 'making air/going in between', also, giving an 'ahead' signal in the usual arc I make doesn't seem right, because the bottom of the lantern is swung upward, blocking the light of the flame. I learned a way to wrap my fingers through the bail where it met the body to help keep it rigid, but anytime the lantern got sideways or moved rapidly, kerosene leaked out. The lantern and its parts are in great shape, and the flame never wavered. The fuel pot has a wad of wool or cotton which keeps the splashing down, but it's not as perfect when the lantern is put through its paces as I would with the electric lantern.

So the question is how were the many different signals passed with these lanterns? I'm confident there were even more signals used then now, especially so when considering this was the era prior to radios.

Secondly, I have a variety of these kerosene lanterns, and there are two globe colors which are not familiar to me for hand-held lanterns. They are yellow and green. It was suggested by a knowlegeable person that temporary speed restriction boards would need to be illuminated at night, prior to the advent of reflective sign coatings. And, at some locations, the Trim Herder or equivelant may have a different colored globe in his lantern to help distinguish him from other crew (road or yard) members. Those seem like reasonable ideas, but I know that different places (even on the same railway) would have different rules- both casually accepted and by the book. It seems there could be even more to it than that.

I'd like to hear from those that have some knowledge about all of this.