The Betrayal

Here's a riddle that has been bugging me for a while. I got my solution for it but I've seen others.

A train carrying soldiers is on it's way back from a bloody battle. The General comes in the cargo filled with soldiers. He's upset and shouts:
"I smell betrayal! I smell betrayal in this very room!"
The soldiers look at eachother very confused. The General continues:
"You have not betrayed me on purpose. You do not know that you're a traitor. That's why I'm going to be kind and give you traitors another chance. We're going to play a game. While you were sleeping i marked the traitors helmets with a red cross. Only thing you traitors have to do is find out that you're traitors. We will make stops at the way back. There you will have your chance to get off. But we're in the middle of nowhere, so you might die out there. But better than staying here if you're a traitor."

Rules:
*No talking
*No gestures
*Can't take off your helmet
*Can't to anything that indicates that someone is a traitor
*There is no way to see your own reflection

The one who breaks any the rules will be punished with death.

Stop 1: No one gets off the train
Stop 2: No one gets off the train
Stop 3: The traitors get off the train

How many were the traitors and how did they know?

in occasions like this i wish i wasnt deprived of logical thinking...

is indicating that someone is not a traitor considered indicating that everyone else is a traitor? i.e. having everyone try to get of the train but one, and that one guy stops all who are not traitors. This doesn't quite fit in with the stops (they could have done this at any stop, and that guy could have been a traitor, nor does it tell us how many traitors there were)

edit

now a different solution

everybody splits up into groups of three, with some people making sure that there is only 1 traitor to trio. at stop 1 all try to leave, but two of the three in each group prevents the third (non traitor) from leaving, those who prevented others from leaving don't leave. that guy who was prevented from leaving stands in a corner with the rest of the non traitors who tried to leave. at the second stop the traitor prevents the non traitor from leaving, and at the third stop the traitor leaves.
(unless I know that 1/3 of the soldiers are traitors, this doesn't work. however, the numbers can be adjusted to work, like having sets of four, with two people prevented from leaving at the first stop. Also, still doesn't tell me how many traitors there were.)

I guess this is just refining my first idea, I hope that this train of thought is going in the right direction.

What the hell did the unknowing traitor do anyway?

This doesn't work at all. Splitting into groups? That's very much indicating that someone is a traitor in that group. All they can do, ALL they can do, is watch and think. They are complete stoneface.

a friend of mine suggested that everybody got down on the thrid stop, since no-one could define if they were traitors or not.
could it be?

Ok if I was a unknowing traitor and dont get off the train I will be killed, If I get off the train into the abyss Ill still die. If those are the odds then Id take my chances and stay put on the train...


Edit:

Ok I had another idea, maybe the general was just bluffing to weed out any real traitors, to know if there are any and how many are the traitors, just count how many gets off the train at the third stop. Either way just shut up, stay still, secure your helmet and enjoy the ride, coz you only get killed if you break a rule right?

All with red crossed helmets get off at the third stop and no one else. Don't mind the story...

I thought traitors get off at the third stop?

I thought traitors get off at the third stop?

And the traitors have red crossed hats. sry

strutter, i'm beginning to hate you. i havent slept well since you posted this teaser...

Hint!

There are less than 5 traitors

yeah. that helps a LOT. ¬¬
please put me out of my misery!!!

Just go from 0 traitors. And work yourself up. How would it be if there were one traitor?

i dont knooooooow!!!!!
please, please, please.... tell me! how? for the life of me, how???