Re: [cpsig] Re: Roof Mounted Mars Lights on CP FP7,s and CP FP9's

  • From: "Roger Traviss" <rogertra@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:48:42 -0800


Yup, that agrees with my experience.  I recall once being at Winnipeg
station back in 1976 or 77 waiting for the Canadian.  The employees on the
platform were waiting for the lights in the sky to know it would be in
shortly.


From: -
http://www.trainweb.org/gyra/gyra_use.htm



Scroll down to and below: -

"Canadian Pacific's "Mountain Lights

The oscillating light units used on the CP FP7As & FP9As were mounted on the roof of the locomotive, at an estimated 20 back from the nose, and inclined upwards at an angle of 45�. The light unit consisted of 2 side-by-side bulbs mounted in a case.

http://www.trainweb.org/gyra/cp1416.jpg

I was sent this photo of a CP FP7A having this light unit. (photo by Ted Ellis)

Attached is a photo of the Mars light on a FP9A unit. I found it on the web but don't have a record of who's photo it is.

The light points up 45 degrees and I seem to remember riding the forward dome car on the Dominion and the Canadian during the night and seeing the beam sweep in a figure 8 pattern, visible only when foggy, raining, snowing, dusty, etc. In the canyons of British Columbia the light bounced off the rock walls. This would be back before 1967.

---------------------------------------------------------

Page 24 of Canadian Pacific in the Rockies Volume 5 by D.M.Bain published by Calgary group of BRMNA. " On the roof of the leading locomotive (1411) between the now removed icicle breakers (removed because of lack of clearance in CN station in Winnipeg), the outline of the Mars light can be seen. This was a high intensity oscillating light which pointed obliquely into the sky and swept back and forth drawing attention to approaching trains at night. However, it cannot have been successful as they were removed during the early 1970s. Only A units were equipped with this feature." Items in parentheses have been added by me.

End quotes.

Cheers.

Roger Traviss


Photos of the late HO scale GER: -

http://www.greateasternrailway.com

For more photos not in the above album and kitbashes etc..:-
http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l99/rogertra/Great_Eastern/



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