Re: Flashing lights and/or Rotating Beacons on loc

[Anonymous]

The SF had yellow strobe lights mounted on cab roofs. Looked quite impressive at night.In 1989 these devices began to be removed and a couple yrs later were all gone. Looking over old notes, I have listed GP20 3002 @ Wichita,KS in October 1989 as the first unit seen w/the strobe light removed. In contrast, the old SF North Wichita yd switcher for many yrs, GP7 slug 1329 (now BNSF 3829) and still working @ the same yd, did not loose its strobe until 1991.

[samfp1943]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes

As a teen growing up in the country right next to a busy Frisco mainline I remember the Frisco engines has Graylights. The beacon made a circle pattern that projected out in front of the loco, when the pattern was at the top, the light would shine up into the sky. During a chilly or cold night you could hear the engines coming a long way off. As they got a little closer you could begin to make out the "search light" shinning in the sky as it made its loop around the light. Many of the Frisco engines also had the yellow rotating beacons and some had the 4 bulb flashing kind. The bulbs for and aft would light then go out and the two side lights would light then go out. These did not rotate just alternate flashes. (I like the rotating ones better, but I understand the vibrations were not good for the inside moving parts.) The Frisco would have EVERY light on. I liked that. When many of the fields next to the track were pastures it made seeing the train on a moonless night much easier. And trust me on a moonless night out in the country (with no streetlights) IT IS DARK.

JHtrainsplanes is correct about the FRISCO, they had the first rotating yellow beacons on their engines, I think it was in the late 50's when they went from the black/yellow paint scheme on the freight power to the Chinese red/white scheme. And they were pretty much the only road that used that in the South. It was the advent of AMTRAK that at some point after its creation, when it started buying and fielding its own power, that they installed ,and used strobe lighting units to the front end of their power. The problem that seemed to occur was that the flasher frequency of the strobe light created in the engine crews what was the railroad equivalent of trucker's " White Line Fever" ,and that hypnosis caused the white strobe light to fall out of favor. I think it had been installed as an adjunct to grade crossing safety issues, but created more problems than it solved.
Sam

[locomutt]

According to the Federal Warning Light Catalog;the lights were sold under
the name of "Beacon Ray" lights. The four light versions were "Strat-O-Ray" Lights,
and could be purchased with either 4 straight beams,or with 2 straight and the other two,
with one beam tilted down,the other tilted up. I have one of the later in my possession.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes

As a teen growing up in the country right next to a busy Frisco mainline I remember the Frisco engines has Graylights. The beacon made a circle pattern that projected out in front of the loco, when the pattern was at the top, the light would shine up into the sky. During a chilly or cold night you could hear the engines coming a long way off. As they got a little closer you could begin to make out the "search light" shinning in the sky as it made its loop around the light. Many of the Frisco engines also had the yellow rotating beacons and some had the 4 bulb flashing kind. The bulbs for and aft would light then go out and the two side lights would light then go out. These did not rotate just alternate flashes. (I like the rotating ones better, but I understand the vibrations were not good for the inside moving parts.) The Frisco would have EVERY light on. I liked that. When many of the fields next to the track were pastures it made seeing the train on a moonless night much easier. And trust me on a moonless night out in the country (with no streetlights) IT IS DARK.

The four light beacon is called a Stratolight beacon.

[locomutt]

Well,if it sheds any light,it'll probaby be either a figure 8 pattern,or an oval.
Don't think I ever got an accurate answer to original question.
Oh well,it has been an 'enlightening' thread.

[Anonymous]

With some of the recents questions here in the forum I thought I would bring this thread back to life. [:D]

I hope it will shed some "light" (pun intended) and help answer some of the recent questions. [:)]

Hey Walt [8D] who started this thread anyway. [:D] [;)]

[locomutt]

Jim,

What was it you found,an answer[?][swg][:D]

[Anonymous]

Hey Walt [:D]

Look what I found. [;)] [:p] [:D]

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Ed [:)]

[edblysard]

Jim,
The two red lights to the sides indicate the rear of the train, just like the red or green markers on a cabose indicate if it is the end of a train or a section.
Green lights mean thats the end of the first section, or second section if there was more than two sections to the train, and the red markers means thats the end or last section.
Because passenger trains didnt have cabooses, the markers were on the cars used at the rear.
The big red light is just that, a fred that dosnt flash.
Its there to draw attention to the rear car, because passenger train often had to back into stations, or down a main line to get to a station, and the big light is easier to see then the small marker lights.
It is not a movable light, no rotation.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

Jim - night light...

Mook

LOL [:D]

Mookie, are you sure? [;)]

You know what they say about red lights on at night. [:0] [}:)] [:p]

Yeah - I better stop my Mookie Mobile or I will get a ticket!

[}:)]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

Jim - night light...

Mook

LOL [:D]

Mookie, are you sure? [;)]

You know what they say about red lights on at night. [:0] [}:)] [:p]

[Mookie]

Jim - night light...

Mook

[Anonymous]

We had been talking about the lights on the loco but now let's bring up the rear. (Pun intended) The single level cars with the dome in the middle (dome cars) all, or most all, had the one hugh light at the rear above the door. This light had its own streamlined housing. On each side there was a much smaller red light showing to the rear. Was the big red light also a Gyralite, was it a Mars light, or was it just simply a large red light that didn't rotate? The only dome car I remember seeing from the back, at one time had this hugh red light but when I saw the car in a railroad museum the light was gone and a plate put there in the place of the lense. Since I have never seen this light on a working dome car I am curious about this question. I have ridden the UP's dome cars in steam excursion service but don't remember seeing the rear end of the car. Usually there is a business car at the end of these excursion anyway, or at least there has been when they have came here.

[locomutt]

Thanks guys and gals,
Lets end this one for now.
It's fun, it's been real,
But it ain't been real fun.

Thanks to every one who
gave an answer I could use,
and to the rest KUDOS!

locomutt

[mudchicken]

QUOTE: Originally posted by steveblackledge

being from over the pond i was wondering why loco's had roof beacons, i thought they can't be much use in warning the general public of a loco's presence at a crossing, most people can't see a train coming never mind a dirty flashing light. it's a good safety aid in the yards as noted earlier, those guys need all the help they can get working at night in the yards. Top Men

Ed Blysard did a nice job answering this earlier. The main reason is for use in yards and drill tracks. The headlights are focused white light. Th yellow light is more of a proximity warning AND typically which un it is the lead unit when MU'd ((really helps when unit is in the hole with lights out/ dimmed and or when set out/isolated in the backtracks)

[steveblackledge]

being from over the pond i was wondering why loco's had roof beacons, i thought they can't be much use in warning the general public of a loco's presence at a crossing, most people can't see a train coming never mind a dirty flashing light. it's a good safety aid in the yards as noted earlier, those guys need all the help they can get working at night in the yards. Top Men

[locomutt]

Well Mookie, Thank you for sharing. I have 3 cats along with
the dog, they really do get along together(the dog does not like her nose
swiped by a cat with claws out. My oldest cat is an adoption from
the Newport News, Va. shelter. Her name is Virginia Chessie.
She came from Va.. and I guess you can figure out the middle name.
I've grown up around the old Chesapeake & Ohio Rwy.
I've lived in both Raceland & Russell.

Mookie is a cool name, but so is Jen.


Thanks for listening,

locomutt

P.S. I still think you should run for office!!!!

[Anonymous]

ED [:D]

Glad you are back in good health. I knew you were laying low just didn't know why until you told us in another thread. I thought you were just trying to stay out of the last little fued. Now I wish I would have, but that is hindsight which is always 20/20.

[edblysard]

No, not often,
But funny thing, some chicks dig the big one!
Still trying to figure out why its only the young girls with black dyed hair, real pale makeup, and black lipstick, but...
The kids who work there for a while already know to order a dozon jumbo white lab rats at the end of each month!
Gonna have fun a week from tomorrow!
Stay Frosty,
Ed[:D]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

You know Jim,
Everytime I take my pets out in public, I get the same reaction, lots of elbow room!
Stay Frosty,
Ed

At least I can take Duchess to Petsmarts, but then again I guess you can take ah, yours too. I bet there won't be a line at the cash register when you decide to check out. lol

[edblysard]

You know Jim,
Everytime I take my pets out in public, I get the same reaction, lots of elbow room!
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by locomutt
I've had pets most of my life
and when I'm on the computer, the dog(pet name MUTT)
is always beside me.

locomutt

P.S. My dog isn't really a mutt, her greatgrandfather was DEAMON,
and granddad SON OF DEAMON. Her mom come from Alaska!
(check out Disneys Snow Dogs.)

Duchess Von Levy, my 70 pound "baby", is jealous of the computer and frequently crawls up in my lap while I am setting here. This, of course, causes typing errors and greately slows down my typing speed. But she does love to go train watching and noone seems to bother me either.

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by locomutt

Okay Mookie, I told you how I picked my name,
byt where did Mookie come from?!

Also remember, That being crazy, keeps you from going insane!!!


locomutt

The rest of you ignore this - you all know this story - several times over.

First of all - insanity is hereditary - you get it from your kids! That's why I only had one -

Mookie is my aged cat. She was a stray just like almost all of my other pets!

Her real name is Abigail Ann - she ignored any form of that. One day I said Mookie and she meowed....it stuck.

My real name is Jenny - not Jennifer, not Genevieve, not Jennie - which is why I don't like it. I am called Jane, Janet, Joan, Jennifer and Genevieve. Never Jenny. I like Jen - no one uses it! Ergo - Mookie - and everyone uses that - it is easy - you can't misspell it cuz it will still come out close enough and other than Mookie Blalock (a football player ? - help me out guys) no one else has the name on here. Pretty simple, eh? Just like me -

La Mook

[locomutt]

Okay Mookie, I told you how I picked my name,
byt where did Mookie come from?!

Also remember, That being crazy, keeps you from going insane!!!


locomutt

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by locomutt

Well, Mookie. I've been a railroader over 40 years
and I'm semi-crazy,ergo loco. I've had pets most of my life
and when I'm on the computer, the dog(pet name MUTT)
is always beside me. So I took modellers license and
Duh! locomutt.


Hope that satisfies your curiosity. (although the old saying,
Curiosity killed the cat.)


locomutt

P.S. My dog isn't really a mutt, her greatgrandfather was DEAMON,
and granddad SON OF DEAMON. Her mom come from Alaska!
(check out Disneys Snow Dogs.)

Boy if curiosity is going to get me, I won't be around much longer!!!!!!

Actually - Mookie has always been an animal lover of any kind - so dogs are good! Had a Budz one time that was a true garbage can dog. She was so faithful, I regularly stepped on her! [:0]

Thanx for explanation - now I have another wrinkle for my brain!

Moo

[locomutt]

Well, Mookie. I've been a railroader over 40 years
and I'm semi-crazy,ergo loco. I've had pets most of my life
and when I'm on the computer, the dog(pet name MUTT)
is always beside me. So I took modellers license and
Duh! locomutt.


Hope that satisfies your curiosity. (although the old saying,
Curiosity killed the cat.)


locomutt

P.S. My dog isn't really a mutt, her greatgrandfather was DEAMON,
and granddad SON OF DEAMON. Her mom come from Alaska!
(check out Disneys Snow Dogs.)

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by locomutt

If ED is running for president,then MOOKIE should run
as vice-president. I think she should use the platform
of Milk,Catnip and choclate cake.

I'll vote for ED, if MOOKIE runs.


locomutt

Mookie doesn't run - it isn't lady like! Besides, people hurt themselves laughing if the Mookie runs!

Ed is our resident common sense Texan - which is about as rare as a Mookie.

And since the Mookie has more curiosity than good sense, I understand the loco (i think) but the mutt? (I have people explain their handles on the forum - like Mudchicken for instance. Great learning experience.

Mookie

[locomutt]

If ED is running for president,then MOOKIE should run
as vice-president. I think she should use the platform
of Milk,Catnip and choclate cake.

I'll vote for ED, if MOOKIE runs.


locomutt