Blue Light Train

[FThunder11]

Tonight, I was driving from Denver, Colorado to Colorado Springs, Colorado and there is a BNSF line that runs next to the highway. It was dark and i was trying to watch the tracks from the back seat. I saw somthing going north on the tracks and I couldn't tell whatit was because it didn't have any lights like a normal engine. Instead it had some wierd light on the front that flashed a wierd blue color every 2 or 3 seconds. Does anybody know what that was?


Thanks, Farlow

[Anonymous]

Farlow [:)]

Are you saying it was dark and the "engine" didn't have any lights on except a light that flashed?

Was this light a headlight or a roof-mounted light? (Many of the new strobes on road construction eqiupment have a blue/white lights now.) If it was an engine and they had no lights on someone might be in deep dodo. I would think that even HI-rail trucks would be required to have lights on, most (or all) I see do. Could you see anything else that might help know what it was?

[Anonymous]

If the train was broke down and mechanical staff was called out to work
on it they have to work under blue light protection. They apply flashing blue
lights to let the train crew now that they are working on and they can not move
the train until they are given the ok.

[Anonymous]

bigedd Welcome to the forums [:)]

If the train were yarded that would make some sense. He did say it was moving north. Nothing should be moving without lights. I don't know if they would work on an engine out on the line. I would think they would just send another engine or two out after it or the train. But if they did work on it then I would think the dispatcher would protect it and the signals would offer protection too. We need some of the real railroaders to pop in here and provide some info in this area. It does seem a little strange, actually a lot, that there would be movement on an active railroad but whatever was moving didn't have lights on. Even during the day lights are required by law. But I bet in a day or two we will know alot more about it than we do now. Until more "light" is shed on the subject we will just have to wonder. [:(]

[Anonymous]

bigedd [:)]

It's me again Margrette. lol

I hope you didn't take the previous post in the wrong way. You are correct about the blue light. But I have never seen a loco worked on out on the road. Also even if they were stopped there should have been some lights visible, the number boards, stair lights, headlights on dim, something. But your point is well taken about the mecs putting up a blue light.

[edblysard]

Farlow,
Was it a bright blue/white light roof mounted?
Or a deep, darker blue?
About the only piece of moving equipment I have seen that has a "blue/white light on it are the new GPs, leased from CEFX., they have a really bright blue/white strobe on the roof, that flashes about every two seconds.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[FThunder11]

THe light i saw was a darker blue. I couldn't tell if they were rooof mounted or not sorry.and i agree with a few of you becaues there were no lights on it i knew that was against the law. I saw the wierd train just south of cCastle ROck ( a town between Denver and COlorado Springs.) At night its really hard to see the rails that go right through the town away from the highway. SO if it was a maintnence vehicle then there could have been a broken enging but it would have to be and engine because most of the trains that go through that town stretch the distance of the town.


THanks Farlow

[wabash1]

To answer a few questions about the headlights. The headlight must remain lighted on bright at all times the train is moving down the main ( this includes the ditch lights) there are a few exceptions i wont get into all of them but here are the important ones.

1) at train approaching meeting points at night the engineer will dim the headlights and turn off ditch lights
2) a train waiting at a meeting point will turn off headling and ditch lights when movement approaches.
3) ditch lights may be turn off if fog or snow causes the engineer trouble seeing with them on .

Now the above question delt with a strobe light and no head lights they assumed the train was moving . we dont know for sure. I can say this If i have a clear block ( green signal) and the train is in the siding i will turn off the headlight and pass him at track speed. then turn on the light. reason for this is number lights on some engines are hard to see even if the headlight is on dim. alot easier if the light is off. if a train is in the siding he can turn the headlight off . and leave it off as long as he wants headlights only apply to trains on the main.

Now there has been times when ive had engines go down. and needed the mechanical dept to come out. to work on a engine ( unless they are going under it ) dont need to blue flag it.. the car department will blue flag anytime they need to work on the train. and they haft to put a blue flag on the engine control stand. this is to keep me or a relief engineer from moving the train. The blue flag on a track means you cant go into that track but you can move cars around in that track if you was already inside the blue flag this is why they blue a engine or any motive power so the power dont move. Now I know there is some out there saying i am wrong. but why are you allowed to move your power around inside the round house service tracks while there leads are blued. this is cause the engines are not flagged. if the service department is working on the power the power its self will be blued.

Now the only engine i see that has strobes is remote control and amtrak. ( and before i forget the hi-rail trucks must operate with headlights on bright also at least on the ns) the stair lights and number board lights if the train is tied down there is no reason to have these lit. I would venture to say this was track equipment tied down in a spur or siding

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wabash1

I would venture to say this was track equipment tied down in a spur or siding

Now THAT makes alot of sense. [:)]


Oh, I have to say this before Joe beats me to it. K-Mart was having a bluelight sidewalk (railroad) sale. [:D] lol

Now with the joke said back to the topic. I have seen engineers dim the lights or turn them off for meets or in the yards. I sincerely doubt it was an engine moving on the main with no lights. I would think the consequences would not be pleasant for the engineer or the railroad. And should there be an accident under a no headlight condition katy bar the door. But like I said I doubt it was an engine moving without lights on. The MOW eqiupment does sound like a very valid suggestion.

[FThunder11]

I know the train was on the mainline because I've seen the track during the day and there is only one track. I also can gaurentee it was moving because we were only moving in traffic about 30 mph and the "thing" on the track was flying.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FThunder11

I know the train was on the mainline because I've seen the track during the day and there is only one track. I also can gaurentee it was moving because we were only moving in traffic about 30 mph and the "thing" on the track was flying.

Oh boy! [:0] Now that opens up a can of worms, doesn't it? [:0]

[Anonymous]

Hmm...I don't know..But possibly it was some MOW equipment in the middle of the train? on flatcar? And someone forgot to turn of the strobe?

Or a helper locomotive in the middle of the train?

Im not to familiar with this area or the RR which runs it

[Anonymous]

I was leaning towards a FRED, but FRD is Red. Unless the lense is broken.
Are you sure you saw it? (Maybe it was a UFO![:0])

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FireDragonLightning

Hmm...I don't know..But possibly it was some MOW equipment in the middle of the train? on flatcar? And someone forgot to turn of the strobe?

Or a helper locomotive in the middle of the train?

Im not to familiar with this area or the RR which runs it

I think Jay may be on to something here. [:)] I was approaching this as if it was the front of the train that was seen. [B)] But it might well have been something in the middle of the train just as Jay has suggested. It definately is food for thought. [:0] It also would solve the headlight mystery.

[dharmon]

I think that you are all wrong.......


It was really Mookie's flashing beer truck on high-rail wheels making another emergency delivery. [:D]

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

I think that you are all wrong.......


It was really Mookie's flashing beer truck on high-rail wheels making another emergency delivery. [:D]

I'll buy that! Pabst BLUE Light?

La Mook

[Anonymous]

You know, it just might have been Dan flying below tree top level looking for possumes. And what was seen was the starboard position/nav light. But Dan was flying so fast it made it look like it blinked. [:D] Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket.