Marker Lights

[jabrown1971]

Thank you all for helping to clear that up for me. With the disappearance of the caboose I had all but forgotten the question, thanks to all who helped. It has been at least 15 years since I saw a caboose with this type of arrangement.

[Anonymous]

Dave H is absolutely correct. If a train, passenger or freight, regular or extra, goes in a siding to be passed by another train, the red markers on the rear remain at their red aspect until the entire train is known to be in the clear. Once the train is in the siding, clear of the main on both ends, the markers must be turned to their green aspect. If not, the overtaking train must stop.
Marker lights mark the end of a train. If you were on a siding waiting for another train to clear, and the hind end went by without markers, you had to assume that the entire train had not yet passed.
Mitch

[dehusman]

Class lights or classification lights are ONLY on the engine. They also haven't been used since the late 80's. Most RR's have plated over them with steel.

Marker lights are on the last car or caboose.

In older times, different color marker lights were used depending on whether the train was stopped or moving, in the clear on a siding or on the main, on double track running with the current of traffic or running against the current of traffic.

The green markers were used as part of those signals. They have absolutely nothing to do with extras or regular trains or schedules.

Dave H.

[edblysard]

JA and Jim,

The lights are class lights...a white light showing menat you were looking at the last car of a extra, green meant you were looking a the rear of a section of a multi consist, or a section of a train, made up of two or more consist, and red meant you were looking at the last car of a section of multi consist train, the last car of the train.

You had to be able to tell which type of train you were overtaking, or which type of train had just passed you.

Train orders depended on this.
Example would be ...lets say your the SP Blue Streak, and the last train orders hooped up told you that a inferior train, in two sections, was ahead of you, but it would be holding in two sidings until you passed it.

You come around a curve and see a caboose in the first siding, showing red markers, and in the next sideing, you see a caboose showing green...you know you are past both sections...and because your running as a superior train, and a extra hot shot move, your showing white lights on your engine and caboose, so the trains in the siding now know your the extra they were instructed to hold up for is past them.

Thats a vastly simplefied version, but you get the point.
Not only do you need to be able to see the rear of a train at night, you need to be able to identify what type of train you are passing, or is passing you, hence the flags on engines and cabooses for daylight, and the marker or class lights on both for night time use.

With todays instant comunications, the need for such identifcation is no longer present, all the FRA requires now is a red or orange flag or rear end device in daylight, and a red or orange fred or marker light at night, because almost every train nowdays is run as a "extra", not on a true schedule.

Ed

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jabrown1971

I have seen, not lately, some BN cabooses with the traditional red marker light on the rear, but also a green marker light as well. UP had them too, were these a continuation of the green classification lights on locomotives or just what was their function.

I have seen UP cabooses with both the red and green light. It kind of reminded me of a stop light without the yellow light.

I have seen cabooses (BN) with just one red light. Frisco used the Adlake light that had red, green, and I think yellow too. They used them on both sides so there were always two red lights to the rear.

I don't think they were "class" lights, just normal marker lights that are required by the FRA.

[jabrown1971]

I have seen, not lately, some BN cabooses with the traditional red marker light on the rear, but also a green marker light as well. UP had them too, were these a continuation of the green classification lights on locomotives or just what was their function.