Western Railroad Discussion > Funky Signal Colors (Blue, Purple, Kelly Green, oh yea!

Okay, the tough questions! What do the following aspects mean, and which railroads used them? Purple, Kelly Green, Kerosene Pink, and Blue. I know blue is a car dept. blue flag protection aspect used in dwarf signals, but how about the other three?
~GP-38 Because three colors just ain't good enough!

GP-38 wrote:

> I know blue is a car dept. blue flag protection
> aspect used in dwarf signals, but how about the
> other three?

Isn't blue also used in "doll" signals that
act as place holders when a signal is positioned
one track over from the one it actually governs?

The only time I've heard of "Kelly" green, is it's use in the old whale or signal oil Conductor's or Presentation lanterns before about 1915. A lot of them were brass, nickel or sterling silver plated, and mostly used by passenger conductors from the mid 1860's. Most had a two color globe, the bottom usually being clear with the owners name cut in old english letters, sometimes within an ornate fern wreath. The top half would be red, blue, or "Kelly" green. These hand blown globes are very hard to find, and were actually fused into one piece using the two colors of glass joined at the middle. The top half of the globe would shade some of the glare from the passenger's eyes at night, but the user could read tickets with the bottom half. Never heard of "Kelly" green in reference to modern signals.

GP-38 wrote:

> Okay, the tough questions! What do the following aspects
> mean, and which railroads used them? Purple, Kelly Green,
> Kerosene Pink, and Blue.
> ~GP-38 Because three colors just ain't good enough!
>
First, you have missed Lunar White, which in signaling is considered a color, making for four, not three common colors. Purple and Blue were both used in doll signals, depending on the railroad and date, and as you said, Blue was used for worker protection in some yards as a perminantly installed Blue Flag. I remember hearing of Kelly Green on one of the Eastern roads. It was to avoid possible confusion, as I recall with Blue doll signals, but I'm not sure about that. Kerosens Pink has me stumped!

Barry Draper

(and don't forget all the flashing aspects!)

On many old railroads, purple was used as a stop indication on dwarf signals, particularly semaphores.

Purple. Hah.

Cya Down the Line!
--Dash

I believe UP uses purple in connection with derails.

N&W once used purple as "night indication of derails in derailing position." I saw one once, in the early '70's. Didn't last long after that.

I remember a friend of mine telling me the Ann
Arbor had a purple signal at the Diann Michigan
interlocking. I never saw it myself, so I don't
know what it was governing.

> GP-38 wrote:
>
> > I know blue is a car dept. blue flag protection
> > aspect used in dwarf signals, but how about the
> > other three?
>

Evan_Werkema wrote:

> Isn't blue also used in "doll" signals that
> act as place holders when a signal is positioned
> one track over from the one it actually governs?
>

The term was dummy mast, and yes, blue was used on some railroads (the SP being one). Dummy masts are still in service in Florida on the old ACL. The meaning of a dummy mast is correct: the signal didn't govern the adjacent track but the next track.

Blue was also used as a blue flag and was known as blue-flag-blue.

The term "doll" applies to a short semaphore that usually went on cantilevers or bridges.

Purple was used by the UP as a fixed signal for derail, but the P&LE in the 30's and 40's used it in dwarf searchlights. Its meaning was the same as red. I actually have a purple- displaying dwarf but it looks very much like blue.

Kerosene Pink -- heard of it but don't know of any road using it nor what it signifies.

Kelly Green -- never heard of it.

> GP-38 wrote:
>
> > I know blue is a car dept. blue flag protection
> > aspect used in dwarf signals, but how about the
> > other three?
>

Evan_Werkema wrote:

> Isn't blue also used in "doll" signals that
> act as place holders when a signal is positioned
> one track over from the one it actually governs?
>

The term was dummy mast, and yes, blue was used on some railroads (the SP being one). Dummy masts are still in service in Florida on the old ACL. The meaning of a dummy mast is correct: the signal didn't govern the adjacent track but the next track.

Blue, already described, was also known as blue-flag blue.

The term "doll" applies to a short semaphore that usually went on brackets, cantilevers or bridges.

Purple -- was used by the UP as a fixed signal for derail, but the P&LE in the 30's and 40's used it in dwarf searchlights. Its meaning was the same as red. I actually have a purple- displaying mechanism but it looks very much like blue.

Kerosene Pink -- heard of it and actually have an example 5&3/8 inner-doublet but don't know of any road using it nor what it signifies.

Kelly Green -- never heard of it

  The original three aspect system in the U.S. used purple for \\"stop\\", green for \\"caution\\" and a white (not lunar but a plain clear lens) for \\"proceed\\". The obvious problem with this arrangement was that it was not fail-safe. If something happened to the purple or green roundel, the signal would indicate \\"proceed\\" regardless of the intended indication. This setup was phased out on most railroads by 1911.  There are two shades of green available from Kopp Glass and General Signals. The first is refered to as \\"Green\\" and is the aqua-marine green you see. The second is refered to as \\"green green\\" and is the kelly green. The \\"green\\" was was intended to be replaced by the \\"green green\\" when kerosene lamps were replaced by electric lamps. The \\"green\\" (aqua-marine) when placed before a yellow/off white light (as from a flame) will produce a kelly green color. Unfortunately the two are used indiscrimnately today.  The same goes for the purple and the blue. With a white light behind them, they are nearly indistiguishable but put a yellow light behind them and you will see a clear differene.  I have seen a kerosene pink roundel but have never found it used anywhere.