1950's Yard Lights

[dickiee]

I'm doing a layout set in the middle 50's and need some suggestions for yard lights. There doesn't seem to be any available in the Walther's catalog. I will scratch build them if I have to, but first I need to know what they look like. Any suggestions and/or info will be much appreciated. I am using HO scale.

[leighant]

Do you mean railroad yard lights, or lights in a suburban backyard?

I have seen pictures of 1950s railroad yards with lights a lot like those on high school football stadiums. (If they were football venues for Latin and Greek educated Ivy League college, they would be "stadia" but for railroad town high schools, "stadiums" will do.)

[tomikawaTT]

Originally posted by leighant

I have seen pictures of 1950s railroad yards with lights a lot like those on high school football stadiums. (If they were football venues for Latin and Greek educated Ivy League college, they would be "stadia" but for railroad town high schools, "stadiums" will do.)

/quote]

[#ditto]

Actually, I saw railroad yards with tower lights in the 1950's. They were spaced out about 100 yards apart, stood 75 - 100 feet high and had their floodlights aimed in all directions. General illumination level was low, since workers had to be able to see lantern signals. In those pre-sodium lamp days, the light was white, slightly yellowish. (Think incandescent bulb on low voltage, not yellow LED.)

Judging by the Lionel catalog, which had their version (tinplate) in the late 1930's, tower lighting dates to well before 1950.

Chuck

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