Railroad Hand-Signal Lantern, 1930s-40s
name: label: maker
content: Handlan Manufacturing Co.
notes: label: Description
content: This railroad hand-signal kerosene lantern was manufactured by the Handlan Manufacturing Company of St. Louis, Missouri around 1930–1940. The lamp was used on the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad. The lamp has a metal body, a red glass globe encircled by protected metal wire, and a metal handle and base. The top of the lamp is inscribed with the Handlan logo and the text “HANDLAN/ST. LOUIS USA.” The red glass globe bears the stamped text “NY NH & H R.R.” which stands for the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad.
label: Description
content: Before the advent of portable two way radios, train crews communicated via hand signals during the day, and lantern signals during periods of low visibility or at night. This lantern with the red globe was used by station agents to signal a train to stop, sometimes to pick up Form 31 train orders.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Railroad Stations
label: Subject
content: Railroads
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Transportation, Railroad
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content: Work
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content: Communications
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content: Transportation
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: William E. Geoghegan
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TR.335441
label: accession number
content: 321691
label: catalog number
content: 335441
objectType: label: Object Name
content: lantern, hand signal
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 14 1/4 in x 8 in x 6 1/4 in; 36.195 cm x 20.32 cm x 15.875 cm