On my model railroad, the Oregon Midland, I decided to equipt my locomotives with a mars light. It would be like the Burlington’s Mars light, with one beam red, and one beam white. However, the red beam would be used to indicate emergency breaking, like on the SP, and the white one would be used like the SP’s white light. Does this sound realistic at all? I know, that since the ORM is freelanced I can do what I want, but does this sound too farfetched.
I believe that’s a common way railroads set their lights up, the white light was the Mars Light and red light only came on when the train’s emergency brakes came on. Your question implies the Burlington’s lights used the red and white lights simultaneously, but AFAIK they would have been used separately.
Mars lights went out with square riggers!
A Mars light was a gyrating headlight; it tended to be a solid intensity light and gyrated usually–but not always mind you–in a figure-8 pattern designed to warn motorists at crossings of a train’s presence. On the other hand today’s locomotives use a pulsating headlight whose main purpose is less drawing a warning for motorists but instead a warning for other trains. If I am not mistaken Sufferin’ Pathetic’s two color light tells other trains the status of the locomotive: white if the train is moving; red if it is stopped.
I have seen several instances where DCC has been used to create and control a pulsating headlight.
And as far as the practicality of pulsating headlights it is not farfetched at all, however I would be more inclined to envision such practice on lines with a higher traffic density than you are likely to have on the run between Bend and Treasure Valley which is destined to become one of the loneliest stretches of railroad this side of the Nullarbor Plain out in far away Australia.
I’m sure some of my Proto 2000 E8’s are factory fitted with mars lights and there was a firm used to advertise in Walthers catalogue with retro-fit kits.I can’t remember their name but they also did SP’s full sets too.
Steve
True. And I’m modeling 1995 too. BUT… It’s MY freelanced model railroad, so according to the rules, I can do what I want.[:(!] Also Eric Brooman is still putting SP style light packages on his new AC4400CWs.
No Nitpicking please [;)]