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Warning lanterns used by trackmen to signal oncoming trains about track conditions. A red lantern was a signal for danger, meaning that approaching trains should stop to avoid some obstacle or accident on the track. A green light-- unlike our traffic lights-- did not mean go right ahead. It meant caution, or proceed slowly; in other words, the track was passable, but engineers should be prudent. White was the color which signified that all was well, and that trains could go on. In the daylight, flagging kits were used instead of lanterns. In particularly bad weather, when visibility was low, colored torpedos were fired off to flag down drivers. (Railway Heritage Association, photo by Tom MacDonald).