For Your Beer
Go Here:
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7594
Must be the Budweiser Emergent Emergency Response team (BEER). Part of Bud’s support of the homeland security program. Ensures that fresh, uncompromised American beer gets to the American people in times of need, so they won’t venture out on the roadways or assemble in public locations that might be susceptable to terrorist attack. Undoubtably some frat house ran out of beer during a party necessitating calling them out.
I didn’t see anybody mention this so I thought I better. Up here in Canada, (I don’t know if it’s the same in the US) you can tell when a yard switcher is remote controlled by the conductor because of the flashing yellow light.
Ah-ha - you saw it too!
Moo
…911, What is your emergency?
…Uhh Like we’re out of beer. The keg is tapped man, it’s awful, we got these people all over and they’re getting outta control, you gotta do something!!!
…stay calm sir, where are you calling from?
…the Delta Chi house on Elm St. You gotta do something, like now!!!
…please sir, stay calm, I’m alerting the Bud BEER team. They’ll be there shortly.
…thanks, you’re a lifesaver
Well, when I first brought this subject up,I was wanting to know if I put a rotating beacon on my o scale 44 tonner it would be prototype. But with all the fun going on I’m really enjoying it. I’m thinking I should put a tank car with a spigot right behind the loco and have it marked BEER and maybe the rotating beacon should be on the tanker and not the engine. Or was that MOOKIE’S comment? Oh well live and learn.
By the way, what the heck is graylight? I’m figure whom ever means GYROLIGHT! I know what a MARS light is. My former firedepartment had them on the engine co’s. I know of a drunk who ran his vehicle off the road due to a fire run. It seems tha the main line of the L&N ran along side the main road that our engines from one of our stations had to use. The pumper was making a run with all lights on(including the mars light)and had the siren going,and then hit the airhorns. The drunk swore he must have been on the rrtracks,because he thought a train was coming right at him. Said he was going on the wagon,he could’nt take that. Mookie that was not you was it!
Mookie gets on no wagons!
[}:)]
Maybe no wagons, but certainly a soapbox occasionally…[:D][;)]
Mookie has a very big soapbox and her co-workers are very sympathetic to the forum posters!
Now Mook is taking her toys and going home! Driver has day off and I plan to go home and ruin it for him!
CU Mon…
Moo
Text
Here in the Great White North (Canada), beacons on locmotives are actually quite common. They are mostly used in yard applications in major terminals.
Especially noted on CP Rail, they will place beacons on the top of the cab for added visibility of the locomotives when switching. It wasn’t to long ago a switchman was walking down the Devil’s Trap when a switcher came up behind him and slammed him into a switch stand. The guy’s face is all metal.
Also, these beacons are used whenever Belt Packs are involved in the marshalling of freight cars. These beacons notify crews that the locmotive cab is unmanned, and as such, they should steer clear. This application is especially noted 3 miles from my home town at a ADM Canola Elevator, in CP Rail’s Saskatoon railyard, and Alyth Yard in Calgary.
Until then, remember, a good railroader is a lazy railroader! [:D]Text
The Mike
Sometime in the early 1940’s the Fort Worth & Denver Zepher commenced its run from Dallas, TX to Denver, CO passing thru Dalhart , TX Headquaters for the Worlds Largest Ranch (the XIT) its circling head beacon was as bright a light that any cowboy had ever seen. Other than during WWII only a few trains per week on that line that crossed the Rock Island at Dalhart. In the early 1970’s the natural gas shortage created a demand for alternate fuels for Power Generation. Southwestern Public Service Company in Amarillo was the first in TX to Contract for coal out of the Wyoming Coal Fields . Every bridge and 100’s of miles of Railroad track had to be replaced to haul these 100 car unit trains. Today that line is operated by The Burlington Northern-Santa Fe and is by several times the greatest hauler of coal out of Wyoming to any market in the USA. For several years now a unit train passes thru Dalhart, TX blaring its whistles and horns for the four or five RR Crossings day & night every 30 minutes or so as each unit train heads north empty or south.loaded with coal. When Combined with the numerous trains out of California to Chicago on the old Rock Island Line the noise is constant to a vistor,but music in the ears of the local merchants in Dalhart. I am new at this Forum and unable to locate an answer to my previous questions: First Tank Car Loadings how many and how far and how often, Demand high or over built? The Second request is I am seeking early day Photographs of Ice Docks used to ice the Trains hauling fruits and vegitables out of California to Chicago and then on to the East Coast. Dalhart was one of the few such operations in America and I want to document this rare and specializrd Industry with words and pictures which has joined the Horse and buggy Industry.
I ran across this website tonight and thought I would include it here for people to check out. THE GYRALITE IS STILL BEING USED but it does sound like its days may be numbered. One railroad said during the day the ditch lights are more effective but at night the GYRALITE is better. I say let’s see both used.
http://www.trainweb.org/gyra/photo/20585lts1.htm
http://www.trainweb.org/gyra/gyra_use.htm
Hope this helps clear things up. I misspelled it earlier and that may have been part of the problem.
Just found another website to check out
http://www.trainweb.org/gyra/photo/wprr.htm
Some good pics here, both of the engines and the Gyralites
Mars and Gyralite are brand names of two companies that made very similar oscilating lighting devices. Mars is a one man band and may be out of business.
The problem with both lighting systems is that they have moving parts and these moving parts wear and break. That means $$, and we all know what that means on a railroad.
I forgot about the extra light that used to be (and may still be) on the front of Metra trains. All it did was do an oval (i think it rotated counter-clockwise). It never seemed very effective as a warning light. But it WAS useful for spotting a particular point . The light had a switch in the cab where we could stop rotation whenever we wanted. The light also had a red aspect also, only to be used in emergencies.
do u always have this much fun to asker a question?
[;)] stick around - it gets much better!
Mookie
The wear factor is exactly why you are seeing more and more strobes (and now LED’s) on emergency vehicles. No moving parts to break, although those strobe tubes do get rather pricey. As I mentioned earlier, IC had a version (three lights high) that alternated between the two clear bulbs, with a red one in the mix for the usual purposes.
I still prefer a good rotating light, though. One problem with strobes is that it’s hard to keep it in reference. With a rotator, the light is always on, and almost always visible, even when you aren’t getting a flash. Ditch lights in flash mode are just as good.
BRC has equipped its GP38-2’s with two rotating amber lights on the cab (one on each side) for use with remote control operation.