More Lights

[alloboard]

     Does anybody know what the classification lights that turn red yellow and green at the doors of commuter equipment are for? Can you purchase one for HO scale? If so where can you find and purchase one?

[pajrr]

On commuter cars, the three side lights by the doors show different things. The red light means that at least 1 door on that car is open. The yellow means that the brakes on that car are set (applied) The green means that the brakes on that car are released. There is also a blue light on the handbrake end that shows if the handbrake is set. The lights tell the entire status of the train and can be viewed from anywhere along the platform or yard. Makes it very easy for the crew to know what is going on. Since many commuter trains are operated in push-pull fashion, even the locomotives have the yellow, green and blue lights so that the engineer in the cab car can see the loco status from the far end. As for HO scale lights, I have no idea.

[alloboard]

I see. Thanks for the info. Does every train have them? When did trains start having them? Is there a vocabulary word for those lights?

[pajrr]

Most modern trains have them. I can say they probably started (at least the doors) in the 60's when commuter train doors started to become electrified. There are probably mandated safety requirements for them but I don't know when they went into effect. I don't know if they have a real name but I would call them Indicator or Train Status Lights.

[RME]

alloboard

Can you purchase one for HO scale? If so where can you find and purchase one?

You'd have to post this on the Model Railroader forums, and I have no idea where the 'best' place to post there would be.

Note that until you have actual scale power sliding doors, duplicating the lights is simply a matter of putting small LEDs or fiber-optics to a clear lens with some overpainting.  With opening doors, multiple light sources interlocked to the door or its mechanism.

I doubt there is anyone actually manufacturing 'kits' for these lights (or for conversion to working doors on passenger trains) but the actual light itself doesn't seem to me to be difficult to scratchbuild.