What is the function of synchronizing lamps?

The light system of paralleling generators has lamps hooked in series and connected between the hot lead of the lead generator and the hot lead of the lag generator. When one generator is running faster than the other one, the lights will blink off and on as the generators come in and out of phase with each other. Adjusting the throttle of the lag generator and bringing it closer to synchronise speed will cause the lights will start to pulsate slower and slower until they go off for a period of seconds and then on for a period of seconds. At this point the two generators are electrically paralleled. Count the time between on off on of the lights. At half the off time (zero voltage) throw the switch and the generators will lock together, the two generators will be running in parallel with each other. Manually to keep them paralleled requires a bit of work, as the faster generator will try and take the load and motor the other one. This is where a governor is a great asset. If the generators are tied together out of phase two things could happen. The least problematic would be the generators breaker will trip. The second and most dangerous is if the lag generator is just a little bit out of phase when the switch is thrown, then the generator will be jerked into phase lock as momentary heavy current flows between the two generators. The sudden loading of the generator has been known to break crankshafts of the engine driving it.