need info on sd45 on the lights

If you are talking about the small ones at the top corners of the nose and long hood then you have a choice.  Those are the class lights and they were white, green and red.  White signafied an extra train (not scheduled on the time table), green meant a second section was following and red was used as markers for the rear end of a train.  White would be the most common color used.  The class lights would be dark if the train was running as a scheduled train listed on the time table.  Today everything runs extra so the FRA doesn't require class lights on engines and the headlight on dim is used for marking the rear of the train. 

 

Greg

so the front cowl.nose/hood corners light can be green or white?..rear corners are red..I was going to have the rear driving light come on when train is in reverse..and have the markers and front headlights tie together..would like to put in mars lights on it thow?

The lights were changed with a tri colored lens that was between the light bulb and the lens on the outside of the nose.  So four aspects were available on all class lights.  Dark, white, green and red.  It didn't matter which end.  We used the red lights for a rear end marker on light engine moves when we had no cars.  Seldom green was used on the WP since we ran everything as extras so all class lights on the engine that was named in the track warrants would have the class lights and number boards lit.  Any other engine in the consist would have dark class lights and number boards.  Southern Pacific used manned helpers and I'd see the class lights lit as red when the engine was coupled behind the caboose and it didn't matter which end, the end which wasn't coupled to the train would be lit red.  The changing of class light colors on model trains, green to red is purely for animation effects.  So having red lights on the trailing end and green for the front would be one way of doing it.  Hope this helps answer your question. 

 

Greg

 

yes thankyou.. ill go green on the front and red on the rear like traditonal locos like steam..what a about mars lighting? went they used as a warnning lights to get people attion to let them know train was approching?

I think you misunderstood. Green class lights shown to the front indicates a "second section following" and was rarely, if ever, used on freight trains. White class lights to the front indicate that it is an extra train. No class lights indicates that it is a scheduled train in the employee timetable.

 

Red class lights are NOT shown to the front, only to the rear of a light locomotive consist, or rear of the train helper.

 

Once a set of units are coupled to a train, the rear class lights are NOT illuminated.

The Mars oscillating headlight moved in a figure 8 pattern and most railroads had rules requiring that, on engines so equipped, it be illuminated to the front when moving on a main track. Places where the Mars light should be extinguished: when stopped, also in yard or roundhouse , or in large terminal stations. Many Mars lights could also display a red oscillating light, for other purposes.