Mars Lights

[Anonymous]

The Chicago Great Western F's had them. I grew up in Hayfield, MN, (or got bigger anyway...never did grow up) and there was a slight hill a half mile north of the depot. I can remember the excitement I had seeing the reflection in the sky and waiting until it would break over the horizon. I gotta say that watching those things are some of my fondest memories of night train watching when I was a kid.

BTW, this is my 1st post here. Hi to all of you.

jonesey

[emd_SD_60]

QUOTE: Originally posted by zardoz
There were also a few SD40's that had a gyrating light in the front. These were not original CNW units (I do not know where they came from). The locomotives that had them were in the 900 series (923, 930, etc). The light was mounted in the same location as where the CNW mounted the bell on the SD40-2's (near the top of the low nose).

I think you mean the ex-CGW ones.[;)] Whoops! Already answered!

[Hugh Jampton]

QUOTE: Originally posted by whcwpg

CPR had Mars Lights on the Canadian as late as the mid 1970's, prior to the Via takeover.I remember how impressive they looked on the flat Canadian Prairie at 0500 on a frosty morning.

the Budd cars also had them

[Anonymous]

CPR had Mars Lights on the Canadian as late as the mid 1970's, prior to the Via takeover.I remember how impressive they looked on the flat Canadian Prairie at 0500 on a frosty morning.

[Anonymous]

Those 900 series CNW units with the gyralites were ex-CGW units.
Most roads that ran flat and fast South and West out of Chicago had them back in the day.
C&EI, Wabash, IC, NKP and CB&Q also come to mind.

Jimmy

[mudchicken]

Hopefully Sterling1 is not asking about class lights and more about the colored lenses for running second section or wrong way in 251 Current of Traffic. (which is what the 10 ATSF 5060 class SD40-2's were purchased for which had Gyralites in the nose and were the only ones so equipped, later ATSF dropped all the headlights on the SD40's into the nose and blanked the fixture above the cab)

[Anonymous]

Mars or Gyralites?? Depends on what they bought and had installed.

Difference?? I may get this backwards (forgive me if I do), Mars was a horizontal figure 8 and Pyle was a horizontal oval (almost round).

No info on Reserve Mining.

[Sterling1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by drephpe

No, they're oscillating lights. MC didn't say all units had them in the center door. In fact a lot were in the top location.

Would they be from Mars Lights or Pyle (Gyralite)? BTW I am not exactly sure what the difference is between Mars and Gyralite designs.
Another thing the SP freight units with those red lights were Mars but I don't know a website that shows them in action.
What about Reserve Mining, were they similar to the SP freight units?
Thanks.

[Anonymous]

No, they're oscillating lights. MC didn't say all units had them in the center door. In fact a lot were in the top location.

[Sterling1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mudchicken

Wig-wags communicated visually between engine and caboose (usually only found on cabeese) . All diesel locomotives could dim the headlights as far as I'm aware.

Mars lights were usually mounted in the nose door (i.e. lower light) of the E and F units so you could get at the moving parts that always failed. Several old F-Units that wound up in Colorado in the 80's serving out their last days in shortline service (#752, 706 and 758(?)) had Mars lights and colored lenses that still worked. Colorado & Eastern (Flanders) had a bunch more that sat around in the Denver Stockyards as "hanger queens"....

Wait a moment, if that's true then what are the some of the red and white/clear lights that I sometimes see in the upper housing of F and E units are those static or what?

[mudchicken]

Wig-wags communicated visually between engine and caboose (usually only found on cabeese) . All diesel locomotives could dim the headlights as far as I'm aware.

Mars lights were usually mounted in the nose door (i.e. lower light) of the E and F units so you could get at the moving parts that always failed. Several old F-Units that wound up in Colorado in the 80's serving out their last days in shortline service (#752, 706 and 758(?)) had Mars lights and colored lenses that still worked. Colorado & Eastern (Flanders) had a bunch more that sat around in the Denver Stockyards as "hanger queens"....

[Mookie]

I have a vague recollection of something called a wig-wag (on an engine, not a crossing) - and couldn't they dim the lights on the old F units?

[tree68]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

Ha! I was on to something, after all!

But it had to do with the movement of the light (as from "outer space") as opposed to the color.

QUOTE: Originally posted by FThunder11

What was a Mars Light used for?

As Chad said, better visibility - if you see one, you'll understand perfectly. Try to get hold of some video from SP when they were SP.

Admittedly these videos are of models with simulated oscillating lights, but it's all I could find. Check out this site http://www.gadgettom.com/video_clips.htm for an idea of the effect you would see if you are watching such a light.

[locomutt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar

....A play on the red Planet.

One of my favorite Sci-Fi authors(Robert Heinlein)
Is probably 'turning' over in his grave right about now.

[chad thomas]

Better visibility. They gyrated in a horizontal figure 8 pattern. They also were a better attention getter for people in front of the train.

[FThunder11]

What was a Mars Light used for?

[Modelcar]

...Seem to remember seeing Sante Fe out west using the above described "gyrating light"....I thought they were mounted right at the top of the cab...but not really sure on that....I'm speaking of non passenger engines....

[zardoz]

CNW's E and F units (before going over to Metra) had the oscillating white light in the front mounted on the nose door. The "figure 8" pattern the light produced on the right-of-way war rather hypnotic sometimes. The lights were removed sometime in the 70's.

There were also a few SD40's that had a gyrating light in the front. These were not original CNW units (I do not know where they came from). The locomotives that had them were in the 900 series (923, 930, etc). The light was mounted in the same location as where the CNW mounted the bell on the SD40-2's (near the top of the low nose).

The Metra F40PH's have a single-beam white light mounted near the roof. The light pattern is an oval (as seen from the cab), and the rotation can be stopped manually, and then aimed wherever you want (great for getting the attention of trackside lurkers).

I do not know who the manufacturer was.

[Mookie]

Ha! I was on to something, after all!

[Modelcar]

....A play on the red Planet.

[tree68]

The name plate says "The Light from Mars."

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Kurn

Mars was the name of the company that made them.They also made lights for emergency vehicles.Pyle was the maker of Gyralites.

Ah! Thought I had something going there. Thanx

[Kurn]

Mars was the name of the company that made them.They also made lights for emergency vehicles.Pyle was the maker of Gyralites.

[locomutt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

Were they Mars Lights....because they were red?

Mookie,
Not ALL Mars,or Gyralites were 'red';
Quite a few were clear/white lights.

Not sure how many R.R.s use them these days,
but you sure will find them on fire department apparatus.

[Mookie]

Were they Mars Lights....because they were red?

[Anonymous]

Katy and Frisco used them on the original 1948 SL Texas Special, front and rear.

[chad thomas]

Thanks guys,

Interesting, I never knew so many other railroads used them. I always thought they were an SP thing.

[richardy]

Ditto on the Santa Fe. I saw the Mars on the Tulsan several times, it would sweep over to us in our car at the grade crossing. I thought the light was white, this was early 60's and I was very young. I cannot remember the locomotive type.

[Modelcar]

.....So did Sante Fe...Watched them come down the hill to make the stop at the depot at Kingman, Az. with the red light oscillating and it shining on trees and buildings, etc....It really got one's attention. Remember they were on E's, etc.....First time I had witnessed those lights in action and actually wondered what they were for at the time...I'm talking over 30 years ago....