Rob and all,
You are right, this was NOT a wartime headlight. They were first applied in
the mid-1930s to yard engines as a result of union requests. I was told with
the fog and rain often prevalent around the lower mainland it was quite
difficult for engineers to see the switchmen's lantern signals with the
reflected glare from a normal headlight. This type of headlight was applied to
any 0-6-0s (6100, 6200s), 0-8-0s (6800, 6900s), or 2-8-0s (3400, 3500s) that
were assigned to yard switching duties right up to the end of steam operations.
Ray Matthews
----- Original Message -----
From: Rob Kirkham
To: cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Saturday, November 20, 2010 7:38 PM
Subject: [cpsig] 0-6-0 loco headlight
Does anyone have close up photos or dimensional drawings for the small
headlights used on some yard locos. The variety I am interested in look
remotely like a large film camera and were mounted to the front of or just over
the smokebox. A version can be seen by searching by photo number or loco
number, for example 6294, which is CVA 447-578.1,
http://vancouver.ca/ArchivesSearch/SearchPhotos.aspx. ;
This is different from the tapered cowl headlamps one sees on other locos and
I associate with WWII. Interestingly, CVA 447-575 and other photos show 6252
and other locos years before WWII yet also sporting the headlight. So (even
though I used to think it was a wartime headlight) I guess it isn't!
I'm trying to modify a U3e switcher model to match #6294 in 1946. Has anyone
done any work like that? Such as beefing up the sand domes?
Any help appreciated.
Some variants and others that may be worth comparing:
CVA 447-575 - 6252
CVA 447-576 - 6255
CVA 447-576.1 - 6255
CVA 447-577 - 6262
CVA 447-578 - 6294
Rob Kirkham
