Here is a photo of the new(er) Athearn caboose with frogeye lights. They are double lights on a frame on the top of the car. N scale. But the earlier release (C-40-10?) had a single frog-eye light. N scale. I guess that is not too clear. How many types of frogeye lights did Espee have? Were they special depending on SSW/SP? Also, I suppose the frogeye lights replaced the marker lights? There would be no need for both of these types on the same caboose? Thanks.
Flash, we are both old enough to remember the changes SP went through. Except, I wasn't paying attention. I had my attention focused on the Santa Fe out of Barstow, Ca. To the best of my memory the single light was one of the last used. The double lights were used when the side hanging marker lights faded out. The frogeye's one was green the other red. Getting further back in history. The marker lights seemed to drop off in the later 50's and early 60's. Most railroads retired the hang on marker lights and moved to either single lights or as SP did, the frog eyes. I think!
Thanks. That is as it seems on the Athearn N scale models of the Espee caboose series. The older versions have the double lights and the newer ones have the single light. I'll just bet the light versions were mixed sometimes if the cabooses went through a rebuild. I don't really remember that the cabooses went through a rebuild, though. Apologize for my tardiness in responding. Things just pile up sometimes.
This I know, the cabooses (bay windows) went through four rebuilds and the same number of paint schemes. At some point toward the end before cabooses were completely dropped off they did get some new ones in. I think Athearn produced these for N scale, on their last run. Good to hear back from you. We OF'rs have to stick together.
Addendum I just received Fall, 2010, no. 105 issue of the SP Trainline. Steve Peery has an article on caboose roof detail including both types of frog-eye lighting. It specifically mentions that the dual frog eye lights had been simplified to a single light on the C-50-8 series caboose. This article has dimensions and all type of drawings for antenna, lights, smoke stack, etc.
While we're on the subject, would both of those frog-eye lights have been red? I can't find any photos of prototypes where the lights are illuminated enough that I can see anything? Thanks, Adam
One light was green the other red. To the rear of the train red. Toward the front of the train green. It would read much like a hanging marker. Green toward the front of the train and red toward the rear. Marking end of train. cool:
Along the same lines... I often thought that if I am two miles away in the lead engine of a train overtaking another train in a siding, and I see the red light(s) of the siding train ahead, how can I tell if that set of red lights is in the siding or on the main? The red lights are only 15-20 feet off the center-line of the main track, it's darker than two day old coffee outside, and I am 10,000 feet or more away. The displacement can't seem to be very much at that distance. Maybe we had better find Charlie.
From what I have been lead to believe, any time a train took a siding the red light to the rear had to be extinguished or the lamp turned to not show red.
Good idea! I should have thought of that. So if you are clear and not obstructing or not moving, then there is no need for the lights. Makes sense. There's probably some place to read about this on-line. I'll check around.
Yep, looks like I'm pulling out the rule books. During the era of the cabooses the train was to be protected by the lit markers and a brakeman with a flag or lit lantern. A flare could be used as well. I believe the train coming up behind a train in the siding, is supposed to approach red over yellow. In other words required to stop and then proceed cautiously. Regarding the caboose: I don't know of anytime the lights would of been extinguished. Excepting...out of service. Sorry, I must have done a real good job hiding the rule books in a safe place. Yep, they are safe, I can't find them. On the other hand the headlights on the locomotives would be extinguished. The thing I remember seeing, if the engine at the end of train was a helper unit it would turn it's clearance or marker lights to red to indicate end of train. In some cases the same marker lights you'd find on the cabooses would be used, hanging on the rear of the tender. Green toward the front of the train and red toward the rear. The locomotives on the front would display green to indicate front of train. The headlight would be on until the other train approaching was in sight, shutting off the front whites, until the train had passed. I never saw the caboose shut down it's clearance or marker lights in any given situation. Exception: Storage or taken out of service. This from: A track side observer, who enjoyed watching his family of rails take the trains in and out of the Santa Fe Barstow Yard, Barstow CA. Interesting times to say the least.
Un...uh. Quoting Rule #19 "A marker must be continuously illuminated while train is authorized and be extinguished when train arrives at destination." I guess you could say I was partly right.mad: A further discussion includes the following: Combination electric oscillating red light and auxiliary green light. Red light must be extinguished and green light displayed when train has stopped clear of main track to be met or passed by another train. Combination portable... Electric red and green lights permanently installed on tops of cabooses. Red light must be extinguished and green light displayed when train has stopped clear of main track to be met or passed by another train. Combination portable... Electric red and green lights permanently installed on tops of cabooses. Red light must be extinguished and green light displayed when train has stopped clear of main track to be met or passed by another train. Now how do I install a DCC decoder so I can illuminate the green side of the frogeyes when train has stopped and cleared the main? To relight the red when train is authorized to move? Thanks for sharing the website. Interesting stuff.
Others have requested this. I know that Jim Hinds at Richmond Controls is working on this right now. I don't think he is using a decoder...just lights and switches in the caboose. Also, I don't recall that it is Espee specific.
I'll be the first person to say I don't want a bunch of function decoders I have to call up, unless I can put the cabeece on a longer address than 4digits, but it sure sounds like something that could be done with 4 lights and the directional control in a decoder. If I punch up the caboose and tell the decoder it's going backwards, then the "headlight" set for the red frogs goes out and the "backinglights" set for the green can come on. Assuming here, these are all facing the same direction, yes?
Grand idea. This I like and it would work. Now to get some fiber optics to run up to the the frogeyes and I'm in business. biggrin:
