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In lugnet.trains, William R. Ward writes:
> John <john@TCLTC.org> writes:
> > Bob Parker wrote:
> > > In lugnet.trains, Larry Pieniazek writes:
> > > > That squares with my recollection. For whatever reason, the
> > > > oscillating ones (which were designed to increase safety at grade
> > > > crossings, IIRC) were sometimes called "Mars" lights. No idea
> > > > why.
> > >
> > > I think that was the name of the manufacturer - the Mars Signal
> > > Light Company
> >
> > Also, wasn't that light actually red, as in the "red planet"? I
> > know the Hiawatha Atlantics were retrofitted with red mars lites
> > after they were taken out of mainline service.
>
> Well, the Caltrain commuter rail that runs between San Jose and San
> Francisco uses only clear (white) lights on the front of the train,
> and red on the rear. One of the lights (the uppermost one, IIRC)
> oscillates; the others (two or three, I forget) are steady. All are
> very bright.
The lower 2 non centered of the three non oscillating lights are called
"ditch" lights.
> Caltrain is a little weird because the locos always face San Jose,
> regardless of the direction of travel.
This is almost completely standard commuter train practice, it's called
"push pull" operation. SEMTA, SEPTA, MTA, CTA, Metro North, you name it,
they all do it.
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Message has 3 Replies:
 | | Re: My Sante Fe 10020
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| (...) Thanks. Bear with me, I'm kinda new to all this train stuff. I dabbled in HO as a kid, and am only recently getting interested in LEGO trains. (...) Well I guess I don't get out much then :-/ --Bill. XFUT: back to lugnet.trains (22 years ago, 26-Feb-02, to lugnet.trains, lugnet.loc.us.ca.sf)
| | | Re: My Sante Fe 10020
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| (...) I've seen the term "push-pull" (in at least one coffee-table type railfan book) used to refer to one locomotive at each end of a consist. Is that incorrect usage of the term, or does it have two completely different meanings? -- Tony Hafner (...) (22 years ago, 26-Feb-02, to lugnet.trains)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: My Sante Fe 10020
|
| (...) Well, the Caltrain commuter rail that runs between San Jose and San Francisco uses only clear (white) lights on the front of the train, and red on the rear. One of the lights (the uppermost one, IIRC) oscillates; the others (two or three, I (...) (22 years ago, 26-Feb-02, to lugnet.trains, lugnet.loc.us.ca.sf)
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