Santa Fe F unit rotating light.

[Anonymous]

Does anybody know of a good video/dvd that shows the warbonnet F units with their rotation upper headlight working? I know what mars and gyralites look like, but now that I am modeling the ATSF in the heyday of the F3's.... I need some video to get ideas from. Thanks Mike

[M636C]

I always thought the upper light on an F3 was a Mars light.

These things generally move in a horizontal figure "8", and if you are close enough you can see the full movement, but further away (and further off centre) it appears to be flashing.

I've only ever seen one of these working, the tail light on Burlington Observation Diner 301 "Silver Star" (but I stood on the track behind the car, which was uncoupled and standing with its brakes on, for maybe ten minutes, entranced by the moving light!)

But I don't know of any coverage. "Video Rails" "Coast Line" tape gives a good idea of the lights on SP 4-8-4s, and surely they have some Santa Fe shots on other tapes.

M636C

[Anonymous]

Some were Mars, but not all, mars was a brand name and had the trademark horizontal figure 8 flash pattern, there was also the Pyle National Gyralite that had a circular pattern to the beam. Santa Fe made up there own in the last years of the warbonnet F units that was a pair of bulbs, one red one clear, that rotated via a motor shaft, this eliminated the fancy gearboxes that the pyle or mars lights had. The term Mars light tends to be broadly used to call the oscilating headlights, but its not always accurate. Most ATSF F units actualy had Pyle National Gyralites till refited with the rotating light assembly. DRGW was also a large used of the Pyle light over the Mars brand. Cheers Mike

[Victrola1]

Mars lights were a feature of CB&Q passenger diesels and remain a childhood memory of Burlington, IA. Mars lights were shut off as a train stopped. When the horn to depart sounded, on went the Mars light.

The figure 8 pattern was noticable on westbound trains as the light wove its way quickly across the ground, up the side of the furniture factory, into the upper level windows of the Hotel Burlington and back to ground. As the train headed west, you could follow its progress by the light illuminating any tall object.

As the Mars light was mechnically driven, they were doubtless a maintenance head ache. I do not recall seeing the dancing light as aging locomotives were patched in anticipation of Amtrak.