Passenger Car Lighting Question

[Trainman440]

Hi, I got 2 unrelated questions about passenger car lighting

1. The Santa Fe Super Chief Vista Observation car has a single large light facing the rear. Does anyone know if its meant to flash, or always on? Also, was this red(marker) or white(directional)?

2. PRR(B60b, MS60) has baggage cars that were also used for mail. Given that some have messenger personel on board, would they be lighted, or dark at night?

Any knowledge would be appreciated!

Charles

[gmpullman]

Trainman440

Does anyone know if its meant to flash, or always on? Also, was this red(marker) or white(directional)?

White was only for back-up moves. I'm not exactly sure about weather the red light was steady or oscillating. In this photo, although not the usual obs, the light would be a steady red:

ATSF rear Pullman and Drumhead by Marty Bernard, on Flickr

Some western roads used red oscilating lights (Mars or Gyra, front and rear) only if the train went into emergency.

ATSF_26_Clovis by Edmund, on Flickr

The red light above would be steady-on. In any case these lights supplemented the markers which were still required for train rules.

Possibly, the Santa Fe obs was set up as steady red but would oscilate in emergency. There was a larger housing that could enclose the mechanicals.

Trainman440

Given that, would they be lighted, or dark at night?

The lights should have been turned off before closing the car but they were sometimes left on. Some PRR mail storage cars had lighting that had to be connected to an outside power source (no on-board batteries). Most express cars had no interior lighting.

Of course, regular baggage and RPO cars had interior lighting.

Good Luck, Ed

[RR_Mel]

I’m an SP guy, the SP Daylight observation cars had red markers on the sides and the top center light was a backup light.

 

Early on (DC Mode) I used a diode for the backup light so that it only came on in reverse.  Later on I went with a function decoder to turn it on in reverse.

 

 

 

Mel

 

 

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

 

[Trainman440]

gmpullman

Of course, regular baggage and RPO cars had interior lighting.

Oh, so at night regular baggage cars were lit up?

Walthers deluxe sets don't even have lights in (only) the baggage cars. 

Darn...I gotta open up my baggage cars again then. 

Charles

[gmpullman]

Trainman440

Oh, so at night regular baggage cars were lit up?

This varied greatly with the railroad and the age of the equipment. Cars that were used for actual baggage (passenger's personal luggage) and were "worked" en-route would generally have lights run off an axle generator and storage batteries.

135 002 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr

Express cars and mail storage cars may or may not have permanent lights installed. If they had lights they may be set up so that a stand-by power cord had to be plugged in to illuminate them.

I just looked at several photos of PRR B60 and B70 baggage cars and in all the photos I could see the cars did have axle generators and battery boxes.

123 004 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr

Some express cars had quarters for an attendant. A chair, desk and toilet. The PRR provided "cabin cars" for this on some trains. Cabooses equipped with steam lines and high speed trucks. New York Central used rider cars, older coaches fitted with crew comforts.

221-005073 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr

After the War, lots of former troop sleepers were converted to express use. Some railroads retained the lighting equipment on these cars, some didn't and some, like the New Haven, did both.

I have lighting installed is some of my baggage cars but not all. Seems a shame to have nice details inside but only a few tiny door windows to see it, if at all.

NYC_baggage by Edmund, on Flickr

Baggage_1 by Edmund, on Flickr

 

Thank you, Ed