Conductors Lanterns

Conductors lanterns, sometimes called "presentation lanterns", are the most ornate and stylish of the various railroad lantern styles. As the name implies, these were typically used by passenger train conductors who required a lantern that was suitable to being seen by the traveling public and that adequately represented the status of the conductor as the top-ranking official on board the train. Unlike airplanes where the pilot is both operator and boss, the conductor's authority on a train supersedes that of the engineer.

Conductors lanterns were typically constructed in a better, more craftsman-like fashion than other types of railroad lanterns. The metal was typically brass or nickel plate which could be polished to a high luster, and the frame contours were more pronounced and ornamental. The base was typically (though not always) a bell-bottom style and the bail connected to the frame at a higher level than ordinary brakeman lanterns. The globes in conductors lanterns were usually a special size, smaller than globes in "tall globe" brakeman lanterns but larger than globes in "short globe" lanterns. It was (and is) unusual to find railroad initials on globes in conductors lanterns, but sometimes very ornate lettering indicating the owner of the lantern would be cut or etched into the glass. The name "presentation lantern" has been applied to this general style because such lanterns were sometimes given to employees upon retirement or other special occasions.

Because of the beautiful and striking appearance of conductors lanterns, they are regarded as especially collectible (A.K.A. high-priced). A highly polished example can be the star of a collection, and a conductors lantern with a two-color globe is considered by most lantern collectors as the "holy grail" of the hobby. Many of the railroad lantern manufacturers made conductors lanterns, and some small companies more or less specialized in them. Shown below are examples made by different companies. Also see a separate page for a most extraordinary example.

Above: A brass conductors lantern manufactured by C.T. Ham. On the left is the complete lantern with the bail extending out of the picture. On the right are the component pieces of the frame. The globe is a Macbeth Pearl Glass #206. Collection of (and photos by) Bill Turner.
	Left:  A brass conductors lantern manufactured by Adams & Westlake with a patent date of April 26, 1864. A close-up of the manufacturer's marking and patent date is shown below. The lantern may have been produced considerably later than this date. photos by Charles Duckworth.
	Left:  A brass conductors lantern manufactured by the Steam Gauge & Lantern Company. Note the two-color globe and ornate etching of the original owner's initials on it. A close-up of the manufacturer's marking is shown below. Collection of (and photos by) Bill Kajdzik.
.	Left:  A brass conductors lantern manufactured by the Dayton Mfg. Co. Note the unusual shape of the globe. A close-up of the manufacturer's marking is shown below. Collection of (and photos by) Bill Kajdzik. .
	Left: A brass conductors lantern manufactured by the Adams & Westlake Company. What makes this lantern somewhat unusual is the wire bottom, as opposed to the bellbottom base more typical of conductors lanterns. The wire bottom base was sometimes advertised as a better design because the wire ring did not cast a shadow. Collection of (and photo by) Bill Kajdzik.
	Left: A nickle plated brass #3 conductors lantern manufactured by the Dietz Company. Note the big "3" along with the manufacturer's marking -- shown below. Photos by Paul Koren.
.	Left: A brass conductors lantern manufactured by the Chicago Manufacturing Company . This is an example of a company that apparently produced lanterns for only the conductors lantern market, since this brand does not (to our knowledge) appear in brakemens lanterns. Collection of (and photo by) Bill Kajdzik.
	Left: A brass conductors lantern manufactured by the Steam Gauge & Lantern Company. This lantern takes a full size "tall" globe, here, a green-over-clear globe. The manufacturer's mark is similar to that of the other Steam Gauge lantern shown above. Photo by Paul Koren.
	Left: A brass conductors lantern with no manufacturer's markings but believed to be an early Wm. Porter. The name M.H. Paxson is on the globe. Photo by (and collection of) Tim Van Dyk.
.	Left. A brass Dietz #8 conductors lantern. Note the non-bellbottom base and the beautiful embossed lettering on the smoke dome. Click on either image for a larger version. Photo by Donald Booth.