I had posted the following photo to the "Passing Up Orders" thread:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 9&nseq=100

I happened to look at it again and spotted something I missed the first time I saw the photo. There appears to be double markers on DT&I caboose 131. Above what appears to be the green metal reflective marker (I assume it is red facing to the rear), I see what appears to be a small green light (again, assuming red to the rear) near the roofline. I don't recall seeing double markers like this on any other caboose, IF that is what the little green "thingie" really is. Can anyone with some knowledge of the DT&I confirm? And if that is what this is, was this "double" marker system used on any other railroad?

Thanks.

Les

I can't say anything about 1960s era DT&I, but I recall that the famous Daniel Willard, recollecting his days on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern in Edward Hungerford's "Daniel Willard Rides the Line," said that LS&MS cabooses once carried FIVE rear-end markers, two on each side and one on the cupola. From his description, the Lake Shore in this time would, at least some of the time, run freight trains in sections, with the engineer keeping an eye out for the caboose of the train ahead. As I recall, if you were as far back as you should have been, the five lights looked like one; if you were too close, you could see the individual lights. Now, this was in the days before the hours-of-service law, and many railroad employees might go days with little or no rest. Willard recalled that this lead to him dozing off on such a trip and rear-ending the section ahead; his heart must have been in his mouth as he woke up to see the five lights right in front of him. Speeds were low; all that came out of it was a broken pilot, and of course some explaining to the superintendent.

Such was railroading in the 19th century--and lest we forget, Hungerford was a writer who loved to tell his stories, and was not always the best researcher, at least by modern standards. Still, I enjoyed the book, and do recommend it.

http://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Willard-Ri ... 083696828X

http://www.biblio.com/books/116256829.html

Amazing what turns up on the internet; I'd read about this Penoyer painting, but had only seen a black-and-white reproduction until now:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/willhard/4 ... 656638420/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/willhard/4 ... 656638420/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/willhard/4 ... 656638420/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/willhard/4 ... 656638420/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/willhard/4 ... 656638420/

HI Les

Maybe the reason for the double set of Markers is this , if electric power failed , on caboose , the markers would still be showing , using the boards . And you are right , the boards are Red to the back , and Green pointing forward too the engineer .

Maybe that is the reason why the DT&I tried this , in case of loss of electric power ?

The flags represent the same info as the markers, flags by day, markers by night, same as the locomotive.

You could tho have diffirent color variations for left and right that determine which what track etc.