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  • MARS light?

  • General discussion about locomotives, rolling stock, and equipment
General discussion about locomotives, rolling stock, and equipment

Moderator: John_Perkowski

 #99793  by emd_SD_60
 
These would be the MARS lights, by any chance? (on the cab roof)
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 #99795  by emd_SD_60
 
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so that explains why all locos of SBD heritage have nose headlights...

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and L&N was one of the few to use MARS lights as well.
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 #99820  by TerryC
 
Those are MARS lights! I always thought they were another pair of headlights.

keep asking keep learning
Last edited by TerryC on Sun Feb 20, 2005 2:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 #99862  by crazy_nip
 
on the 8000 series SCL/L&N and other SD40-2's they were not mars lights, they were a second set of headlights

on the FEC units, the mars lights were in the nose, as was the case with the D&RGW and KCS

on the SP, L&N, ACL and most SCL equipped units, the nose lights were the standard lights and the above the cab-mounted lights were the mars light

for instance, that ACL SD35 you have pictured has one clear and one red mars light above the cab, whereas the L&N unit has 2 clear

Caltrain and MARC equipped units have theirs above the can, not on the nose.

SCL and L&N units equipped with mars lights had them removed in the late 70's to early 80's and no order after I think 1974 had them so equipped.

Im pretty sure the last locomotive to have them ordered on the SCL was the SD45-2's in 1974, although some later U36B may have had them too

 #99879  by ANDY117
 
On the ARR units the mars kights and ditch lights flash when the horn is used. the left mars light is on when the right ditch light is on, and vice versa.

 #99882  by emd_SD_60
 
ICG had MARS lights on their SD40A's for a brief time.

 #129339  by LIRRNOVA55
 
Just for the record. A Mars and a Gyra are two different lights. The Gyra swept in an oval pattern and are still made. The Mars swept in a figure 8 pattern and are not made anymore. Rio were all mars ligths, SP had bolth, Mostly Gyra in alter years but the gp9 and early units had a variety of mars or gyra.

 #129708  by CarterB
 
Which did the IC use on their E8s? When did they stop using?

 #326302  by U-Haul
 
I read somewhere that new locomotives cannot be ordered with MARS lights, but FRA compliance CFR 49, Part 229.133 seems to say differently. Actually, it is quite confusing to read. Theoretically speaking: if Norfolk Southern wished to order MARS lights on their ES40DCs instead of ditch lights would it be a illegal or legal choice.
http://www.trainweb.org/gyra/cfr.htm
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=166822

 #326328  by PRRGuy
 
I believe the new cars for the Metra Electric system also have mars lights so something similiar..they look pretty cool.

 #326384  by MikeF
 
U-Haul wrote:I read somewhere that new locomotives cannot be ordered with MARS lights, but FRA compliance CFR 49, Part 229.133 seems to say differently. Actually, it is quite confusing to read. Theoretically speaking: if Norfolk Southern wished to order MARS lights on their ES40DCs instead of ditch lights would it be a illegal or legal choice.
That would be illegal. If you read carefully, you'll see 49 CFR 229.133 covers "interim measures" for adapting locomotives built before the ditch-light era to comforn with the new laws. According to Sec. 229.133(c)(1), oscillating lights are allowed in place of ditch lights if they were installed on the locomotive prior to Jan. 1, 1996.

The law covering lights on new locomotives is 49 CFR 229.125, which requires "two white auxiliary lights" that "form a triangle with the headlight."

 #326611  by ExEMDLOCOTester
 
I do remember on a few of the SP SD-40 T's the Oscillating head light had a manual control in addition to the Automatic mode. The manual mode was simply a push button switch that temporarily (as long as the operator held the push button in) activated the motor of the oscillating headlight. I was advised that the Engineer needed to control the light in the event "Something" (such as a boulder in a mountainous area) rolled near the track to allow the Engineer to examine the object, and then take appropriate action.

 #327645  by Pj
 
New loco's can still have the grya lights or auxillary lights, but still must be equipped with operable ditch lights for greater than 20?Mph running thru grade crossings.

What did them in, is the cost of upkeep.

Rio Grande used Gryalites, just as SP did. SP as we know them from the 60's to the light retirement where all pure Gyra's. Early SD7 and the such used the "Ash Can" lights.

On the E/F's, signal lights could be mounted in the upper or lower headlight, as specificed by the railroad.
 #847444  by LocoBrakeman
 
SD Shortline wrote:I think the flashing ditch lights would be just as effective as a MARS. Although, the KCS has both flashers and MARS light or at least until they shopped the locomotives.

What do the engineers on this forum think of them wiggeling around all over the place at night?

I always thought that they would be kind of annoying when you are setting behind them at night.
IMO, a Mars light gets drivers' attention better and sooner at grade crossings, and for the crew, far from being annoying, they provide a more direct intense light beyond the ballast into the ROW and at crossings to be able to see anything which might be a hazard. I work with a GP-7 and F-7 that have Mars, and I prefer them to running the ditch lights at night.
 #848388  by Nasadowsk
 
LocoBrakeman wrote: IMO, a Mars light gets drivers' attention better and sooner at grade crossings, and for the crew, far from being annoying, they provide a more direct intense light beyond the ballast into the ROW and at crossings to be able to see anything which might be a hazard. I work with a GP-7 and F-7 that have Mars, and I prefer them to running the ditch lights at night.
I'm pretty certain the triangular pattern is to give anyone near the tracks a better visual reference as to how close the train is.

It's also one of those rare moments when the FRA does what everyone else does - AFAIK, the triangular pattern is universal in the 1st world, except for maybe Japan.