Memorabilia from the Rail road days. Note caps worn by the train crews along with kerosene lantern beside the electric battery version. The caps served to identify the position of authority of railway personnel. The conductor and brakeman were both important but served different responsibilities. The engineer and fireman wore less formal uniforms and caps. Head gear was necessary to filter the coal dust and cinders that blew back toward the end of the train from the large boiler that created the steam to propel the engine that pulled the cars. There might have been lots of huffing and puffing; but in the late 1800's it was a mode of transportation that opened the U.S.A. for development.