timtrain488 Wrote:
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> Boy can you spot things that everyone else
> probably overlooked!
>
> OD out...
Tim,
it was the out-of-place and distinct Lantern shape that caught my eye in yet another mundane -36 shot. I sort of expected that they would be still using the traditional kero lantern, as were some of our Shunters and Guards right up until the mid-Eighties. I can safely say I was the only NZR employee using the modern Star lantern, picking one up at Caboose Hobbies in '82.
In Loco here we were issued a handtorch, 2 D cells and tri-coloured. There was a slider button on each side of the battery barrel that when slid forwards shrouded the normally White lens with either Green or Red for signalling purposes: these were not very robust and soon gave trouble and didn't produce much light either.
That Star lantern could hang over your arm and the ring cast a wide area of decent light, unlike the torch which had to be used by gripping, and when walking back carrying a radio, two brakehoses and a spanner as well as the torch often on steeply sloping ballast edge, the Star lantern really shined (groan). Way easier to swing for signalling a movement unlike trying to aim a narrow beam back along the side while also hanging on and coupling/uncoupling.
Only drawback was the inability to stick with the prescribed Rules for correct handsignaling but since there was at that time, an introduction of a 6v square battery powered torch that you couldn't handsignal properly with, it became an unofficial practice to just wave a white light proportionally with the intended movement. Whether Management ever caught on I can't say since they were "never" around at night anyway.