Prototipical lights effects in diesels

[topito]

Hi: I have some diesels with differente kind of lights. For example: An RS3 with single light, a CF7 with 2 small front lights, or a GP9 also with 2 small front lights.

What kind of light effect is the right one for the different arrangemente of lights?  Mars Light, strobo, blinking??

In other word what kind of light effects had the prototipical locos??

 

Thanks for your advise

[Mark R.]

For the types of lights / engines you listed, they would have been set by the engineer to be either off, on or dim. Main headlights did not function with a "special effect".

Engines that had additional lighting to the main headlights are what usually contained Mars or Gyra-lite packages. Strobes, Strato-lites, blinking , flashing, etc. would be functions used for warning lights mounted on the roofs as warning lights.

Mark.

[hobo9941]

I recall L&N used Mars lights, and Gyralites on both their freight and passenger diesels.

[mlehman]

topito

I have some diesels with differente kind of lights. For example: An RS3 with single light, a CF7 with 2 small front lights, or a GP9 also with 2 small front lights.

Mark's correct about these headlights being on - dim - off. These are typically dual-bulb, but both bulbs function together.

For good examples of extra lighting that would include special effects, take a look at Southern Pacific Geeps like the examples linked from this page: http://www.ssloan.net/trains/sp/3600.html

[gmpullman]

Hi, Topito,

Mars Lights, Gyralights and other types of rotary beacons, strobe lights and such were pretty much optional features that some railroads installed on just about everything that moved (SP) and other railroads had very little use for them (PRR and NYC had just a handful of "trial" installations)

What you want to do is see what equipment was used on YOUR particular engine. search in Google and some of the railroad photo sites to find out which engines had what lighting potions installed. It is very railroad specific.

This site may have some interesting information for you...

http://www.trainweb.org/gyra/

Have fun, Ed