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colors on Classification lights

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Posted by tomikawaTT on Friday, November 11, 2016 6:07 PM

BroadwayLion

On the subways marker lamps could be white, green, yellow, or red. The combination of lights displayed told the tower (and just how can you have a "tower" in a tunnel?) what train it was and what routing it should be given.

ROAR

 

Slightly OT.  Sixty-five or so years ago, the 'tower' at the north end of the 125th St/4th Avenue station of the (then) IRT was about three steps above the platform - steel stairway up to the yard-square landing just outside the door.  I used to stand on the passenger platform and watch the track occupancy lights on the track diagram, which was on the west wall of the 'tower,' IIRC.

I believe that Adlake classification lamps were delivered black, or possibly 'blued.'  They may have been painted with heat-resistant aluminum paint if they were to be mounted on a graphited smoke box.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - where everything is on the timetable)

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Posted by fourt on Friday, November 11, 2016 2:00 PM

 i like that idea, and good picture also. It does look like a unlite one to me. Would a touch of gloss paint work also? Looking at the locomotive of mine it only has the raised part for the light lense facing foward only, guess that would make it easier to do up like you did. Thanks for the info.

Modeling on the cheap

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Posted by doctorwayne on Friday, November 11, 2016 10:43 AM

I paint the lense areas a light grey, then use the tip of a #11 blade to apply a small dab of clear 5 minute epoxy - the locomotive needs to sit with each application until the epoxy hardens - otherwise, the simulated lense will be deformed.  Mine represent unlit ones.
You could, I suppose, use whatever suitable colour you wish, but then the locomotive is always an extra or has other sections following, etc.


Working class lights are available nowadays on many model diesels and for application on steam locomotives, too, but working lights are outside of my interests.

Wayne

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Posted by pajrr on Friday, November 11, 2016 6:44 AM

Steam locomotive marker lamps appear on Ebay from time to time. The bodies are painted black

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Posted by fourt on Friday, November 11, 2016 4:04 AM

What color to paint the lights that are not lite up. Paint them silver or white or leave them black. Even not lite they would have a color i would think.

Used to the wife that can read my mind, thought everone else could also, lol

Modeling on the cheap

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Posted by hon30critter on Friday, November 11, 2016 2:49 AM

fourt:

Maybe I'm stupid bit I don't understand your question. Silver, white or black what? Can you elaborate a bit please? We are not mind readers, at least I'm not.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by fourt on Thursday, November 10, 2016 2:43 PM

silver or white paint, which would be best? or just leave it black?

Modeling on the cheap

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Posted by BroadwayLion on Thursday, November 10, 2016 9:26 AM

The class lights worked hand in had with the timetable.

White Lithts or flags marked an extra train not listed in the timetable.

Green Lights or flags indicated that this train was part of a multi-unit train running on the same timetable slot. If a train with green lights showing passed you, you are not clear to enter the mane lion because another section of the same train number is following right behind.

When a train with no marker lights appeared, you knew that that was the last (or only) part of that train and you were free to move according to the timetable.

 

On the cabeese, red lights marked the rear of the train. If a train was operating on a multi track line, say the right track, the right marker would be red and the left marker would be amber so that a train following on the left track would know that the train was on the other track.

On the subways marker lamps could be white, green, yellow, or red. The combination of lights displayed told the tower (and just how can you have a "tower" in a tunnel?) what train it was and what routing it should be given.

Canadian locomotives also had a many colored display in the front for what reason I know not.

 

ROAR

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

Here there be cats.                                LIONS with CAMERAS

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Posted by OT Dean on Thursday, November 10, 2016 1:32 AM

Yes, Fourt, they show the same color to the sides.  I think the steam loco class lamps had (have) internal colored lenses that could be moved behind the outer lenses.  Since classification lamps had lenses facing only forward and to one side, there was plenty of room for the internal mechanism.  Diesel locos' class lamps were designed to be seen from several directions.

I'm not sure if class lamps had rings on bottom for the mounting brackets like caboose marker lamps, which could be turned in the mountings to aim the lenses (some roads turned the lamps to display yellow or green, fore and aft, to show the train was in the clear to overtaking engineers--and their own) for different aspects.  (A model railroader for well over 60 years and I'm still learning new RR stuff all the time.)

Deano

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colors on Classification lights
Posted by fourt on Thursday, November 10, 2016 12:47 AM

 I know what they show for green/white facing fowards, but what color whould they show to the side on a steam locomotive? Is it the same color as facing foward? Thanks.

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