Tonight I finally added a pair of Cal-Scale caboose marker lamps to my favorite (only) caboose. What color were the lamp bodies and which color light faced which direction? We're the forward facing lights green? I'm sure that the two rear lights were red but what about the light facing out toward the sides? We're they also red? This caboose represents a fairly new one around 1919 or so if that matters.
Thanks for the quick answer, Bill. This forum is my most valuable hobby tool. All I need to do is buy some jewels that'll fit.
Jim, Caboose lanterns were commonly black to give the highest reflectiveness. This wasn't always the case as some roads painted them yellow. I would stick with black since you are dealing with Pre-1911 Safety Era equipment. As for the markers, red to the rear, yellow to the side, green to the front. This was the time standard. If you need jewels I have tons and would be willing to send you some. PM me if you'd like some. Thanks, Manny
Jim, Caboose looks great. It would look awesome if you lit the lamps, but probably a little late now isn't it? Ethan
The lamps were black, and the manner in which the lamp was rotated was dependent upon the situation. These are from a 1917 Book of Rules.
Karl, Excellent information. Those rules are Post 1911 Safety Act which standardized not only railroad equipment but signals. Pre 1911 was up to each railroad with the understanding of red and green. I should have been a little more clear. Thank you for making the difference visible.
Very cool information folks! Yes, Ethan, it's too late for me to mess with it but next time I build a caboose I'll try those functional marker lamps by Tomar. That would be cool. I'm too lazy to retro fit into this caboose.
I don't believe that the Appliance Safety Acts of 1893, 1903, and 1910 addressed signal standards with regard to color.
May be off subject a little bit, but I couldn't decide which end of a caboose to place my markers, i.e. as sure as I put them on one end of the caboose the opposite end would be facing the rear. What I ended up doing was placing Detail West brass coupler lift brackets on all four corners of the caboose. Then I secured a piece of brass wire to the bottom of my markers so that I can hang the markers on what ever end of the caboose is facing the rear. Brad Slone
Say what? I thought those marker lamps were permanently attached to the rear end. I learn something new every day.
Jim, Either end of a caboose could be the "end" of the train depending on which way it was facing. If you look closely there where brackets on each corner of a caboose or passenger car for that matter. When the last car was placed on the end of a train the crew would place the markers on the rear and they were ready to go. Brad
Most (If not all) passenger cars have marker lamp brackets on their corners. The mail and express "baggage" car from Springfield to Fort Smith was frequently tacked on behind the Meteor's streamlined diner-observation from Springfield to Monett on its way to Fort Smith. With proper markers no doubt... Tom G.
Here's is an example of an older marker lamp bracket that might be found on a wooden car. There were numerous styles, for locomotives (steam & diesel), passenger cars, and cabooses. All used the same principle of a tapered slot in which the t-shaped tongue from the lamp was placed. Gravity held the lamps in place, and they could be lifted from bracket very easily when not in use. I have included a couple of shots with a more modern Pyle-National Diver's Helmet marker lamp. It's typical of marker lamp used by the Frisco on its wide-vision caboose (unfortunately the previous owner painted the cast-aluminum lamp, and he rewired it for 110 volts). The image shows how the lamp attaches to the carbody bracket. To change the marker display, the thumbscrew is loosened which allows the "helmet" to be lifted and rotated. The last shot shows the lamp's top with PN logo, and its t-shaped tongue, which fits into the carbody bracket.
Thanks, Karl! Great photo. I think I can represent those by using paper and what not and then painting them black. Were they black originally?
After the Meteor came off between Oklahoma City and Saint Louis, the remaining train carried a Baggage-RPO on the rear out of OKC. Not only were the markers in place on the rear corners, a bracket had been installed on the door to carry the red mars light. Frisco markers didn't fit every passenger car or baggage car in the country. We picked up a Santa Fe sleeper in Tulsa, and the marker could not be hung. On a military move out of Ft. Sill, the rear car was a Pennsy streamlined sleeper and the Frisco markers would not fit, but the Pennsy cars had built-in markers that showed red to the rear (only).
