Was the SP the only railroad to use the gyro-lights, or were there others ?
Milwaukee 261 has got a mars-light, not sure if this is the same as what you’re talking about though.
Picture - http://test.261.com/cpg132/displayimage.php?album=9&pos=2
Many railroads used either Mars lights or GyraLites. Rio Grande, and Frisco are two that come to mind. Many of the E units had them and to me the additional light help the look of the E units.
I am not trying to be mean, but do a search in the forums for Mars Lights or GyraLites. We have had threads on these about every 5 or 6 months. There have been many links given in the past that would help you.
Chad
Here are a couple of links for you. There is a difference between the Mars lights and a GyraLite but they both served the same purpose. I hope this helps some.
Does NJT qualify? [:p][:D]
[quote]
Originally posted by chad thomas
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IC ran them, too. On many first-generation diesels they were inside one of the headlight openings, so not very obvious in photos.
CB&Q even had red Mars Lights on the back of their Zephyrs. Their car 302 “Silver Star” was obtained by Mt Newman Mining, where it was known as “Sundowner”. I remember standing on the track behind the Sundowner which was waiting to be attached to a train looking at the red light doing its figures of eight - it was just amazing! The light was marked “The Mars Signal Light Co.”
Peter
C & O had them on their E & FP units,and I know that the
L & N had them on their GP-7& 9’s
…So did Sante Fe…Watched them come down the hill to make the stop at the depot at Kingman, Az. with the red light oscillating and it shining on trees and buildings, etc…It really got one’s attention. Remember they were on E’s, etc…First time I had witnessed those lights in action and actually wondered what they were for at the time…I’m talking over 30 years ago…
Ditto on the Santa Fe. I saw the Mars on the Tulsan several times, it would sweep over to us in our car at the grade crossing. I thought the light was white, this was early 60’s and I was very young. I cannot remember the locomotive type.
Thanks guys,
Interesting, I never knew so many other railroads used them. I always thought they were an SP thing.
Katy and Frisco used them on the original 1948 SL Texas Special, front and rear.
Were they Mars Lights…because they were red?
Mookie,
Not ALL Mars,or Gyralites were ‘red’;
Quite a few were clear/white lights.
Not sure how many R.R.s use them these days,
but you sure will find them on fire department apparatus.
Mars was the name of the company that made them.They also made lights for emergency vehicles.Pyle was the maker of Gyralites.
Ah! Thought I had something going there. Thanx
The name plate says “The Light from Mars.”
…A play on the red Planet.
Ha! I was on to something, after all!
CNW’s E and F units (before going over to Metra) had the oscillating white light in the front mounted on the nose door. The “figure 8” pattern the light produced on the right-of-way war rather hypnotic sometimes. The lights were removed sometime in the 70’s.
There were also a few SD40’s that had a gyrating light in the front. These were not original CNW units (I do not know where they came from). The locomotives that had them were in the 900 series (923, 930, etc). The light was mounted in the same location as where the CNW mounted the bell on the SD40-2’s (near the top of the low nose).
The Metra F40PH’s have a single-beam white light mounted near the roof. The light pattern is an oval (as seen from the cab), and the rotation can be stopped manually, and then aimed wherever you want (great for getting the attention of trackside lurkers).
I do not know who the manufacturer was.