Hi if anyone could answer this question it would help me out. my question is When did Southern Pacific start removing there Light packs from there locomotives? if you dont know what the light pack is see the picture below.
As far as I remember, the SP started to remove during the SP-ATSF merger attempt. ATSF insisted that the SP's oscillating light didn't have a statistical improvement in grade crossing protection compared to yellow rotating beacons the ATSF used.
As beacons were easier to maintain SP began to remove their oscillating light.Regards, Volker (Germany)
The red warning light got removed too.
None of the newly built and delivered locomotives had the SP light package from 1987 on.Regards, Volker (Germany)
Based on my review of a lot of photographs dated in the late 1980's, quite a few of the SP loco's retained their light packages beyond the failed "shouldn't paint so fast" SPSF merger, which was denied in June 1987. By 1988/89 you could definitely see more and more SP engines which had been lobotomized, although some survived into the early 1990's with light packages. So if you model the ~85-91 period, you could have some of each.
I used to model late 1980's thru early 1990's but there was too much I liked about the same period 10 years earlier late 1970's through early 1980's (cabooses, WP still independant, Ford FAST, SP still a decent RR) that I backdated and largely sold off my latter day rolling stock.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983