I am hoping that someone here knows more about Southern Pacific Alco RS-11 light packages than I do. When you see a photo such as this one: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1864889 can you tell me what the lights are. That top one looks like a red gyra light perhaps, or is it a mars light? What are the middle two "headlights" since they look different than the more "healight-y" looking headlights lower down? Thanks in advance! Adam
I assume the order is the same as on typical high hood light packages. Red Gyralight emergency light, middle Gyralight bottom constant on headlight. I think that's the pattern on everything right? except low nose units put the red light atop the headlight with the Gyra on top.
note in the picture, the middle lights look to have a gap between the reflector and the shield implying space to "gyra"
I saw that gap. I just wasn't sure it was significant, but the light looks different. My question reflects more, I think, my basic unfamiliarity with SP light packages. I know what they look like, but I never figured out what they were. So, on your average GP9 or SD9 where you see them oriented vertically with two basically flush mounted lights on the bottom, two kind of sticky-out lights above them, and then a sticky-out red light at the top this would be basically the same, right?
I'm no expert, but that's my understanding. Youtub e is being singularly useless in finding an example for me.
Yes, the top light is a Pyle-National Gyralite, a model 17540 - http://trainweb.org/gyra/specs/17540.htm The one immediately below is also a Pyle-National Gyralite, a recessed model 20585 - http://trainweb.org/gyra/specs/20585.htm As a quick rule of thumb, in regards to the top, single-lens light, if it has a square housing, it's a Mars-brand light; an oval housing would be a Pyle-National product. For the dual-lens light, Mars also made one that's nearly identical to the Pyle-National 20585; quick spotting difference is a heavy gasket surrounding each lens, which the 20585 lacks. And of course, for modeling purposes, they're different; the Mars light beam swung in a rapid "Figure-8" pattern, which means a "double" flash of light as the imaginary light beam crosses back into the plane of vision, whereas a Pyle Gyralite light beam operated in a more leisurely oval pattern, meaning a single flash as the light beam completes its revolution. So there you have it...more about signal lights than you probably ever wanted to know!
Thanks for this information. I think I am going to save this to my RR archive since it's exactly the sort of thing I always forget and then can't find later when I want to know it again.
