Re: San Juan parlor car marker light lens color?

>
> I've always wondered why the Rio Grande decided to
> change the color. I know the Santa Fe used amber
> as well. Maybe a western thing?

We've had this discussion before:

>> During daylight they *Rio Grande) used yellow flags.

Once upon a time, green was a caution signal, white was clear (proceed.) Yellow was not used. Most railroads used green/green/red markers or green flags as markers.

Around 1900 - 1920, the railroads adopted yellow for caution and green for clear. This was because of some accidents caused by "false clear" white block signal indications, such as a lens falling out, snow packed on a red lens, etc., etc.

When changing fixed signal colors, some railroads took it to extremes and changed their marker lenses to yellow/yellow/red or yellow flags, and others took the cheapest route and just kept the markers green/green/red or green flags. You would need to look in the respective rule book for a particular railroad to see what they used.

In modern times, Rio Grande, N&W, New York Central, PRR, and others went with yellow; IC, SP, NP, etc., kept green marker lenses. <<

Rio Grande used to use Red/greem/green.

Skip Luke
Switchman (ret): Grand Canyon Railway;
Engineer (ret): Georgetown Loop RR Inc., Sumpter Valley Ry., Monticello & Sangamon Valley;
Dispatcher(ret): Illinois Central, White Pass & Yukon, Burlington Northern Ry.
Mariner, Musician, Miner