I am wondering:Conrail has red class lights instead of white? What were these used for? I’m planning on putting the red lights on my freelanced railroad’s engines…once I know what they do!
be the time i get my conrail rulebook someone will beat me to it…
The red lights were used as marker lights by Conrail, to indicate the rear end of a train (or, more likely, light power moves). When class lights were still required, Conrail’s were white on the front of the train, just like anybody else’s.
Thanks.[:)]Although I have already adjusted my marker lights to look like conrails.[:D] Did they requir marker lights in 1972-1976?
Conrail had those red marker lights longer then just about any one else. All locos recieved up to Split Date had them. We also used them to mark a standing - unoccupied train.
Locomotives revieced from the mid 70s to the mid 80s (I think) came with class lights capable of displaying white, green and red via a moveable lens. You’d often see yard units, with two different class light displayed, when the crews were feeling silly.
Nick
By “We” can I assume that you worked for conrail?
Nick, when we had those class lights, with movable lenses, we didn’t think it was silliness to have them showing different colors. We may be the only ones who didn’t think so, but it was an easy way to see from 40 car-lengths away, which engine–and engineer–was handling the shove.
Of course. Big Blue FOREVER!
Carl, I never thought about it that way. We played with the class lights for a change of pace.
Nick
Conrail started purchasing new locomotives with marker lights instead of class lights in 1980. The last batch of GP40-2s were the first to have them. They were the result of a wreck on SEPTA where the rear headlight on an MU on dim was used as a marker and caused a wreck. Conrail decided that it would be better to use red rather than dim headlight. You couldn’t use the red class lights because they were not bright enough to meet FRA marker specs.
If you want to see an example of the old Conrail marker or class lights, There are a set mounted on the front porch of The Station Inn in Cresson, Pa. Tom Davis obtained them when NS was removing them from some engines. They have movable lenses, from green to red to clear. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Dave Williams