I bought cheaply undecorated Precision Modelcraft F3A&B units that I have painted and decaled for Erie RR, circa 1950s.
I have just bought a Tsunami sound decoder to install and am wondering if the lower headlight could/would be a Mars light in this loco? It will involve cutting the secondary light board in the cockpit but it would be worth it.
Finally, did the B units normally have any sort of lighting as I have extra leads to use?
Well not sure about "cutting the secondary light board in the cockpit (sure you’re not working on an airplane model?? [;)]) but very early two headlight diesel engines often had the Mars light in the lower headlight, however pretty soon railroads came to prefer the upper light for the Mars light and the lower one for the main headlight. Guess it depends on your prototype and era.
B units could have a light on the rear, usually mounted to the right of the door as you looked at the rear of the B unit. The light would be recessed so you’d just see a flush mounted lens.
The Erie bought their F units without the lower headlight from picture I have seen, The black with yellow paint scheme had the Erie diamond right over the area where the lower headlight would be from what I have seen. Maybe they had some with the lower headlight,but I have not seen pictures.
Normally most railroad that had the dual headlight setup used the upper assembly for the MARS light, and the lower one for the actual headlight. Of couse some road were different. I think the D&RGW had them just the opposite. It’s your engine…
Jim
Some roads opted for a removeable light on B units and thrifty Western Pacific found a use for all those otherwise surplus steam locomotive headlights. I’ve always been curious how SP mechanical forces missed the oppertunity to install mars lights on B units, they specificed this option on just about everything else, including light and heavy duty switchers!
Dave
By all rights, yes, A B unit should have some form of a backing light. Unless the owner designates AA or ABA consists. Odds are though, at SOME point, a B unit will be forced to lead, if only to nake a backwards shove to the train in the evening. That said, it;ll be the small by-the-door light previously mentioned, as Bs spent the majority of thier time facing cars and engines.
Recessed though? Most of the B lights I’ve seen have been boxes on the external of the body, like a Ditch-light frame. The light was in that. I like the WP’s idea for steam headlights, though I do feel for all the blind steam engiens.
“Recessed” might not be the right word, but it seems like the (very few) pics I’ve seen of F or E B-units with a light didn’t have like a separate steam engine headlight (although apparently some did) but was more along the lines of the rear light seen on some steam engine tenders.
Jim - you are correct from all the pictures I have seen, BUT unfortunately the PCM F3A has the lower light molded in. So I put in the lens and then decalled over it. Not too cool, but [sigh]
So I guess I will use both lights and I am going to program the upper light for MARS. So there goes my prototype but I will be happier.
Stix - guess I was using the wrong term for the cab? And, yes I do model aircraft a lot.
Anyway, yes, this unit has a dedicated light board that screws in the cab and runs the 2 headlights and 2 side number boards. I will cut the LED lead from one side of the upper light and wire it for the MARS.
Any idea what/where I can get a rear light for the B unit? Think I have plenty of wire leads to make it work.
Tsunami folks seemgood to work with on this project, so far. [:-^]
Whenever possible I use the “drop in” light board replacement decoders. It’s particularly nice with sound engines, because the decoder takes up no more space than the lightboard did, leaving a little more room to fit in a speaker. With an F or E unit, you can use the “front” headlight outputs for the lower one and the “rear” outputs for the upper one, then program the “rear” one for the Mars feature.
Stix - thanks for the suggestion. I have already invested ~$100 for the Tsunami so I will make that work. Have got to figure out all the little black wires that need to be soldered and I also have to figure out how to run the tether to the B unit but I am sure it will work.
But that does sound like an easier way to use those outputs so I will consider that even though I use the existing board. I only need to cut the LED posts and re-solder the correct lead. Thanks!
I’m pretty sure Rio Grande F units had the Mars light in the upper position and the lights mounted on the door were fixed regular headlight.
It may depend on the time you’re modelling too…
Not sure on the DRGW specifically, but it wasn’t unusual for railroads to buy E or early F units with the upper light being the regular headlight and the lower one the Mars light. The earliest E and F units (like FTs) had one headlight in the upper position, and it seems like railroads that wanted a Mars light just added the door light and used that as the Mars light. However, after a few years many railroads decided to reverse them. From what I’ve seen (and can remember) by the late fifties - early sixties most E or F units with two headlights used the upper as the normal headlight and the lower as the Mars light.
I have heard that the main reason for putting the Mars light in the upper position was the weight and size of the mechanism. The normal headlight did not put as much stress on the door. Being on a fixed part of the locomotive was probably easier on the Mars light too.
Mars lights were not used by Canadian roads (except CPR’s RDCs). I have little actual knowledge of which arrangement each US road may have used but thought the upper Mars position was fairly widespread.
John