I KNEW it had to be something like that!...I know that the geese don't use
Garmin GPS systems! LOL
Rick
In a message dated 11/25/2010 7:30:15 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
kbtrain@xxxxxxx writes:
Personally I think you guys have it all wrong. The light was to guide lost
Canadian geese at night on there way to Mexico.....Cheers.
Keith
_____
From: _cpsig@yahoogroups.com_ (mailto:cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
[mailto:_cpsig@yahoogroups.com_ ;(mailto:cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) ] On Behalf Of
Doug
Cummings
Sent: Thursday, November 25, 2010 1:03 PM
To: _cpsig@yahoogroups.com_ (mailto:cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
Subject: RE: [cpsig] Re: Roof Mounted Mars Lights on CP FP7,s and CP FP9's
If you look at the photo you will see the light was actually directed to
the
right of center when the image was taken but it gives you the idea.
The reason the icicle breakers did not go completely across the top of the
locomotive was the exhaust from the locomotives did a good job of keeping
that area clear. The problem was icicles to the left and right of center
which did not get the full effect of the heat coming off the rad fans and
out the exhaust.
And CP did use ditch lights but they were just coming into use in the late
1950's.
Doug
-----Original Message-----
From: _cpsig@yahoogroups.com_ (mailto:cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
<mailto:cpsig%40yahoogroups.com>
[mailto:_cpsig@yahoogroups.com_ ;(mailto:cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
<mailto:cpsig%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf
Of
danieldellunto
Sent: Thursday, November 25, 2010 12:35 PM
To: _cpsig@yahoogroups.com_ (mailto:cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
<mailto:cpsig%40yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [cpsig] Re: Roof Mounted Mars Lights on CP FP7,s and CP FP9's
I think this night photo might clear up some misconceptions about the
intended use and angle of light/field of rotation coming from the
roof-mounted gyralights.
_http://www.images.technomuses.ca/searchpf.php?id=57604_
(http://www.images.technomuses.ca/searchpf.php?id=57604)
<_http://www.images.technomuses.ca/searchpf.php?id=57604&lang=en_
(http://www.images.technomuses.ca/searchpf.php?id=57604&lang=en) > &lang=en
The light beams wouldn't have been able to rotate along the line of the
carbody if they were making double circular patterns in the sky. It would
also pose the problem of blinding oncoming trains in meets. They were
probably for the "ooo, ahhh" factor for dome riders, and any additional
benefits from lineside people being able to see the train better would be
coincidental. Using them to spot icicles seems, at best, rather silly.
Heck,
they might have gotten smashed by icicles a few times since the middle part
of the front icicle brakers is open.
The way I see it, if CP needed more lights for their locomotives for
increased visibility for the engine crew, they would have likely installed
a
fixed light above the cab or a second light(or a gyralight) in the nose
door, or even removable ditch lights that CN was using on some of their
trains out west for more visibility.
Has anyone checked the Dean & Hanna CP roster book on this?
Dan
--- In _cpsig@yahoogroups.com_ (mailto:cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
<mailto:cpsig%40yahoogroups.com> , Michael
Salfi <mikesue.salfi@...> wrote:
figure eight.
Just a clarification please, and I did see them in operation many
times from the dome car as I mentioned previously. The clarification,
to the best of my knowledge, is that each light oscillated in a
circular pattern, and since there were two lights, it appeared as a
figure eight in the night sky, rather than both lights moving in a
figure 8 pattern. From an operational point of view, it is much
simpler to get a light to oscillate in a circular pattern rather than a
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Light)
I am thankful I received a response to my actual question in the
fourth thread of this message, that they are, in fact, removable. In
that thread, John referred to ithe Mars light as a gyra light.
For a wikipedia explanation see:
_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Light_
Mike
