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

  • From: "Roger Traviss" <rogertra@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:27:35 -0800

Because of the rotation of the light the lower limit of the light would be
about even with the top of the roof of the locomotive. The light oscillates.
I doubt if they installed them just so the public could see them as the main
headlight would do that job rather nicely.

The beams of light would oscillate up into the night sky, not along the length of the car body. If you look at the photo and that is plainly obvious. The lights are aimed up into the air at about a 45 degree angle. They won't come anywhere near the car body. Projecting up into the night sky made them visible from some distance away, possible well over a mile and before the headlight came into view. That's what I believe they were designed for. Just as the Mars rotating beacon was for. To draw attention to the train before the headlight became visible.

Nothing to do with tunnels, nor passengers, just vehicles at grade crossings.

Roger Traviss

Photos of the late GER: -
http://www.highspeedplus.com/~rogertra/

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



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