Marker lights

I'm not an expert, but prototypically, the newer engines (which are required to have ditch lights) are not equipped with marker lights, for the most part. The FRA regulations required engines to have ditch lights by December 31, 1997. Prior to that time, marker lights were more common. I'm sure there were regulations governing marker lights, but I don't know what they were. Different railroads also had their own requirements. Obviously equipping engines with marker lights costs money as well as maintenance expense, so if not required, railroads aren't going to install them.

So, while there may be a few exceptions, more recently built engines don't have marker lights, but have ditch lights. Older engines, for the most part, had marker lights but no ditch lights. You will find older engines still in use that have both; they had ditch lights added on because it now is required that all engines have ditch lights. However, the model train manufacturers produce engines that are as they were when originally made, so engines built before 1997 won't have ditch lights.

Ack!  We've been down this road many times.  But this is one time when proper terminology counts.

A locomotive displaying a pair of white or green lights was displaying classification lights, sometimes shortened to class lights. These were important in timetable and train order days, to identify the train as an Extra (white) or a regular train with another section following (green).  This was important, as opposing trains could hold train orders directing them to wait at a station for an extra identified by white flags or lights, the engine number, and direction of movement.  When clearing regular trains (those listed in the timetable and having a schedule) a train normally had to clear all sections of the regular train.

A locomotive displaying two red lights was displaying marker lights.  Markers defined the rear of a train for two purposes: to keep following movements from running into the rear of the train or engine; and to indicate to other trains which had to clear a particular train, that the entire train had passed.

Red = marker lights.

White or green = not marker lights.  Classification lights.

What seems to get overlooked here is locomotives in push/pull communter service, and after spending years inspecting commuter passenger cars daily,  i KNOW you MUST have marker lights on each end of your train, if the cab isnt the last car, rare but it happens, in pull only, passenger cars without markers required an EOT, when operating from cab car in a push consist, your loco markers must be lit or same deal, EOT 

So lets say your in freight, and have to cut your train, and your pushing a few cars off in a siding, you want your marker lites because unfortunately the lionchief plus locos will have rear headlights only, on in this situtation.

Now i understand not all railroads, real or model, have commuter service, but those marker lights sure look pretty vs a dark loco moving away from you....

Cost of a few leds, peanuts, my more important question i guess is, can the electronics inside the LC+ handle 2 more leds, i already popped off the grills and dremeled the body open for that see thru grill look, and removed the spinning fan grills on top just to paint a contrasting color on fan blades, for better visibility, so 2 more holes for leds up front arent a real challenge, i just dont want to burn anything up, by overloading, i could power separately if necessary or just unplug the rear numberboards, they stay on all the time, if its too much load. 

Moreover, on a model train, lites look cool, and if your really running prototypical, ive shown where there necessary in push/pull, in legacy/dcs you could turn them off, so why not markers, class lights.....they added ground lights??? Youd think it wouldnt be an issue...IMO

Happy RR

Squirrelstrains posted:

 

So lets say your in freight, and have to cut your train, and your pushing a few cars off in a siding, you want your marker lites because unfortunately the lionchief plus locos will have rear headlights only, on in this situtation.

Happy RR

A locomotive pushing cars into a siding does not require marker lights.

Plus, if you "inspect" today's non-passenger locomotives, they don't even have class/marker lights installed.  A locomotive acting as a DPU (Distributed Power Unit)  at the end of a freight train will have it's headlight on dim to act as a marker light.

Rusty

Squirrelstrains posted:

What seems to get overlooked here is locomotives in push/pull communter service,

However, very, very few of the engines that model train manufacturers have made over the years were ever used in push/pull commuter service.

Number 90 posted:

Ack!  We've been down this road many times.  But this is one time when proper terminology counts.

A locomotive displaying a pair of white or green lights was displaying classification lights, sometimes shortened to class lights. These were important in timetable and train order days, to identify the train as an Extra (white) or a regular train with another section following (green).  This was important, as opposing trains could hold train orders directing them to wait at a station for an extra identified by white flags or lights, the engine number, and direction of movement.  When clearing regular trains (those listed in the timetable and having a schedule) a train normally had to clear all sections of the regular train.

A locomotive displaying two red lights was displaying marker lights.  Markers defined the rear of a train for two purposes: to keep following movements from running into the rear of the train or engine; and to indicate to other trains which had to clear a particular train, that the entire train had passed.

Red = marker lights.

White or green = not marker lights.  Classification lights.

It's good to repeat this information. However, the model train manufacturers almost always refer to class lights as  "marker lights" so when discussing their presence or absence with respect to O gauge engines it may be expedient to refer to them the way the manufacturer does, rather than get into a discussion of terminology. That said, I like having the correct information provided, and think people should use the correct terminology.

The "lashup" thing is another example of this same problem. 

Not correct, but at the time these bi-color/bi-polar LED's were a fun project.  Older Weaver E-8's with newer electronics/lights/sound and a few other upgrades.