A while ago someone posted news that Union Pacifc was changing the refective tape from red to yellow. Did UP acually do this or was it just a rumor? I haven’t heard anything since so could someone fill me in.
Thanks,
Dustin
It’s true, and it’s being done to conform with an FRA safety directive, which requires the use of yellow or white reflective tape on the side sills.
Received my “Streamliner” in the mail the other day and there were a couple of pictures of units with the new yellow reflective tape applied. So, news must be true.
Paul
Everything is getting the new tape on the BNSF. The other day I saw a BNSF grain hopper with the yellow tape and the original white tape too.If the train car already has reflective tape on it then why put more on? BNSF used to put small white and yellow tape(about half the size of the new ones) on their newly ordered cars and some repainted engines but now they’re taking off those for the new ones, I dont get it?
Guaranteed compliance, no questions.
The drunks and others that shouldn’t be allowed to drive in the first place will still be broadsiding trains in the dark.[}:)][}:)][}:)]
I think they look goofy with the yellow, its just not the same.
Yellow on yellow, uugh. Yellow on mostthings-even worse.
Matthew
Yellow is the standard. It is not about the appearance, but the safety issues. The railroads have 10 years to get all their cars retrofitted.
Major manufacturers of the product are 3M and Reflexite. Trucks have had this since about 1992.
ed
It isn’t just sill tape either, note the new crop or UTCX covered hoppers, the reporting label, UTCX, is inside a reflective yellow rectangle…
The reason behind the yellow is that red, at night, is often confused by motorist as street signage.
Yellow stands out better at night, and white works really well also.
We are replacing all the locomotive numbers on our cab sides in white, and applying sill stripes, along with handrails getting barber poled in white.
With the chevrons on the nose, you just about can’t miss our locomotives at night, all that white strips against the blue locomotive stands out in sharp relief after dark.
Ed
They could install a night sun on the side sill and idiot drivers still wouldn’t notice.
Well tape is cheaper than lights, and if it helps prevent even one more wreck, it works.
Adrianspeeder
That is right I saw a wreck in 93 were a teenage driver not paying attetion ran into the side of a trailer and lets just say the coronrer gagged. The road was foggy and the trailer did not have the red and white reflective tape on the side.
Thanks for the replies I’ll have to watch more closely to the Trains around here.
Dustin