Sorry for the short and simple question guys. I have been looking at buying one of those slick new P2K EMD E8/9 untis (Rock Island road) and one of the details is a Mars Light. Mars Light? Another name for the head lamp?
Thanks,
Trevor
a mars light was the company name for the lower set of lights on the gp-9’s /sd-9’s and a variety of other first and second generation diesels… they usually would oscillate…SP was famous for lighting their locomotives with either Mars or Pyle lights…here’s a picture of a set you can install on either a gp or sd-9 from Detail’s west http://www.internettrains.com/235-100.html an E8/9 had two lights so the bottom one should oscillate… www.dallee.com sells one you can install…see the video here…chuck
The lights were not confined to engines, some of the rear end red lights oscilated. I can’t say it with authority but would assume because they were red and Mars is the red planet, this is how the company name or light name started.
In real lifet the oscilation would cause the beam to travel in a circle well outside the right of way and presumably someone approaching the tracks would be warned as the beam flashed over trees, houses and other structures along the track. It was impressive.
Dale
It’s usually the top light has the mars light.
It was a safety device to get attention of cars at crossing an ideal of a firefighter in, I think ,Chicago. The owner of the Mars candy co. put the finances to developed the light hence the name, Mars Light.
I believe a Mars Light had a figure-8 pattern, not just a circle.
Here’s more detailed info than you ever wanted toknow about mars Lights:
http://www.trainweb.org/gyra/mars.htm
Regards
Ed
So, 'cos I always wonder about these things… why did they stop using Mars Lights for a long time and then come up with Ditch lights… which don’t flash, oscilate or do anything interesting as far as I know?
Working on the track at night I certainly know that a single head light, even a headlight and marker lights doesn’t give you any indication of what a loco is or isn’t doing. Except where there is lateral movement a lone light could be coming at you, standing or moving away. Flashing lights, as in EOTs and FREDs (and miniaturised on a lot of push bike now) are much better.
Thanks for all the info on Mars lights 
Railroads are always trying to cut costs. Unfortunately, the mechanisms that powered Mars lights and Gyra lights were expensive to maintain. Mars lights were slightly more complex and during the diesel transition period they were used mostly on passenger equipment.
Gyra Lights were used on a wider variety of locomotives. A lot of them started to dissappear during the 80s.
Ditch lights (mandatory after 1997 or 98) are purely electrical / electronic, and have no moving parts. While they’re very expensive, the maintenance on them is relatively cheap.
I still have very fond memories of watching Amtrak SDP40fs at night time with the working Gyra lights. Was neat seeing the beam bouncing off of buildings as the train approached.
MARS was a company set up by the guy who owned MARS candy! He funded development of the famous signal lamp. There were both ‘figure 8’ and circle patterns, in both white and red. Most E units that had the feature had them located in the upper headlight housing. For a complete history see the following URL:
http://www.trainweb.org/gyra/mars.htm
Jim
On a FP7 the mars light is the top or bottom?
For the CGW - it was in the top on all of their covered wagons…
Jim
Did it flash / oscillate on CGW?
Gyra lights were the yellow lights located on some cab tops right?
If I’m right when were they introduced please … and when were they used…all the time the loco was running or (as I assumed) when street running or switching?
Thanks again, this stuff is a real help
David,
Sounds like you’re referring to “Beacon lights” not Gyra lights.
Gyra lights are usually one of the two lights located between the number boards on the front of a diesel. On some units there is a white Gyra Light used in all forward directions while the red one below it comes on when the locomotive runs backwards or goes into emergency braking.
Here’s what Gyra lights look like:
Go to http://www.railpictures.net When you get there, perform the following search:
- For Locomotives, select SD45.
- For Railroad, click that box open and select “Seaboard Coast Line” (it’s under Fallen Flags when you click the category open.
- Then click Find the photos
You should see 5 photos of these big brutes that you can click on and enlarge. The bottom photo of locomotive 2017 has a very nice shot of the Gyra Light. Note the white light on the top and red on the bottom. Amtrak had the same setup on their SDP40fs. You could do a search on them as well.
Post back with your thoughts. Hope this helps!
Peace.
I have read that the idea behind ditch lights is that the triangular pattern of the ditch lights and headlights gives a clue to distance and motion, so that you get a feeling for how far away the train is and how fast it is moving. The statistics seem to support their effectiveness.
Ditch lights do flash, although that is not the “default” mode. I think they are flashed when the crew wants to makes sure someone sees them, like approaching a grade crossing or someone walking along the tracks.
Before 9/11, I would to head up to Horseshoe Curve with the camera and sit on one of the rock outcroppings on the south hill next to the tracks to photograph trains as the went by. As the trains would come around the curve, the crew would see me since I was just above their eye level and ditch lights would start flashing. It would have been pretty obvious that I saw them, so I assumed it was SOP for them.
Mars Signal Light Company of Chicago makes all sorts of warning equipment, including roof-mounted beacons and sirens. The guy behind the company was Frank Mars, of candy fame. Incidentally, the manufacturer’s plate once bore the slogan, “The Light From Mars.”
The Mars light was patented in 1935. They also made a version of the locomotive Mars light for the Chicago Fire Department to use on their trucks. Variants of that design were used on many emergency vehicles in the days before the rotary beacon.
Ditch lights started out in Canada to provide lighing when going around curves. The fixed headlight on a right hand curve would be iluminating the countryside to the left of the track. A ditch light mounted on the left side angled towards the right (and visa-versa) would illuminate the track ahead on the curve.
Thoughts…
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Threads like this save me so much time. I hadn’t even noticed Gyra lights before.
Brilliant link (http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php) [:D]. I’d wondered why some locos seemed to have double sets of headlights… now I know. I guess that Gyra lights wouldn’t really show up in a lot of pics unless you’re looking for them/ know what they are.
Do you happen to know if CNW ever used them?
What did the white light display? Something like the Mars light?
Does anyone make a detail part to add on? One that works??
Can I ask for more information on the beacons please?
[…and there’s a switcher running with road power as well! [8D]… something I raised a couple of months ago… can’t tell if it’s working or being towed but it’s there [:)] ]
Thanks to everybody helping on this thread [bow][bow][bow][bow]
Hmmm. Learn something new every day.
Honestly, I always thought ditch lights were those lights directly below the cab shining down to allow the crew to see the ground when starting in dark conditions, to limit wheel slippage.
These (I’m pretty sure) are ditch lights.http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=136403&PHPSESSID=3fb559cc981c53f2df5733b21bfecf5b or these http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=136398&PHPSESSID=3fb559cc981c53f2df5733b21bfecf5b … which includes a nice double stack train for the guy buying containers…
And these are the lights for looking underneath…
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=134423
As far as I know (correct me someone please) these lights are just for examination and to aid getting on and off the loco safely. As for not slipping when pulling away… you’d have to hang a long way out of the cab to see the wheels which is neither safe practice nor what you want to do in most of the weather that contributes to slipping. Also modern locos with these lights often have traction control. Again, drivers regulat slippage by feel (through their bum) and by sound. When these guys know their stuff they will react to a slip approaching before I would ever see it. That is part of the skill… the slip doesn’t really get to start.
…Then again those lights are a long way back from the steps… But several generations of diesels went by without either those lights or lights directly on the steps. Railroaders were made of tougher stuff!