Are the roof beacon's and gyro lights known as classifacation lights? And why did frisco have only a beacon on this or a gyro on that and both on this loco? Which leads me to the qeustion of the thread, What all lights did GP38-2 #469have on it?
Ethan, My understanding was that the rotating beacon and the gyra light application was to improve visibility and safety. At least to us train guys, they are rather eye catching. Fire, police, ambulances, construction equipment, etc all use a combination of sight (flashing lights) and sound (sirens, bells, whistles, etc) to enhance safety when moving their vehicles. The rotating beacon and gyra light are not class lights. Classification lights are similar to flags that were used to show a train as either being an Extra, second section, etc. On diesel road units the class lights are the clear lights on the nose above the grab irons and just below the number boards on the rear of the unit. I believe no lights means that the train is a scheduled train and lights on means it's an extra. I will yield to the experts on this but that is what I understand. I can't answer with authority on the gyra light selection on Frisco diesels but it should be noted that once gyra lights started appearing on GP38 units about 1970-72 almost all subsequent units had them including the last order of SD45s. It would appear that once they had a taste of the gyra light, they liked it. I do not know of any older units that were retrofitted with gyra lights. I believe all road units had a rotating beacon applied either at the factory or after market. Even the F units had 'em. I would like to know what other members have heard on this topic too. Ship IT on the Frisco ! Rick
A good explanation on locomotive classification lights can be found at the following link. http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=200 Bob Wintle
I guess it's a matter of opinion - I always liked the nose gyralights and the cab roof rotary beacons. I always add them to my models ..... good detail parts for most of what the SLSF used exist. But, the BN apparently did not share that view. As the Frisco diesel units were shopped after the 1980 merger, and were given their coat of gangreen and black paint, the BN removed (sooner or later) both the nose gyralights and the roof rotary beacons. Bah humbug! Several other roads did the same. I'd guess there were maintenance issues. Ken
Ok, I get it now. So since I'm a late 70's modeler it would be a safe bet to have both on all my diesels ex. for switches like the SW1500 and the F units.
I have a slide that I took in the fall of 1979 showing a lash-up of road power getting ready to depart Rosedale yard with the 55 car Royal American Carnival train in tow enroute to Memphis and never noticed until Rick McClellan pointed it out to me that the front classification lights had been turned on showing the train to be an extra. Does anyone else have any examples they remember? Bob Hoover FriscoFriend
Most of the SD45s and none of the GP35s had Gyralites. All of the GP38ACs and GP38-2s did, as did the GP40-2s and SD40-2s. Can't say about the U25s, but I'm pretty sure all of the U30Bs had 'em, as did the B30-7s. Ditto for the GP15-1s. Standing alongside the Cherokee Sub at night in Afton, and watching the distant beam of light from an approaching train as it made its up-and-down sweeping motions even before you could hear the horn being blown for distant crossings, was an awesome sight.
Wonder how many UFO sightings were gyra lights? In the heavily forested south - especially with a little fog - they had a sort of spooky look.
One reason many railroads removed gyra-lights and beacons was due to FRA regulations which say that any lights on a locomotive must be in complete working order or the railroad can be fined, even if the lights are not needed per regulations. The added expense of maintaining these lights outweighed their usefullness and the possibility of a fine, especially after ditch lights became a requirement. John Chambers
Let's clear up the question of Frisco road unit nose gyralights - who had 'em and who didn't: SLSF GP15-1's - all units had gyralights SLSF GP35's - no units had gyralights SLSF GP38's - all units had gyralights SLSF GP38-2's - all units had gyralights SLSF GP40-2's - all units had gyralights SLSF/BN GP50's - all units had gyralights SLSF SD45's - no units had gyralights until SLSF 943-948 (final order) SLSF SD40-2's - all units had gyralights SLSF U25b's - no units had gyralights SLSF U30b's - no units had gyralights until SLSF 844-862 (final three orders) SLSF B30-7's - all units had gyralights. The Frisco became enamored with nose gyralights about the time of the final orders of SD45's and late orders of U30b's - from that point forward all road units were specified to come with gyralights on the nose. I'm going off of pictures. Did I get them all? Ken ps - The gyralights certainly were neat to watch at night - you can see how they made an improvement is night safety. I think the gyralight rotated in a horizontal oval pattern. But - nothing was as impressive as the "Mars" lights that the E-units used. The early ones rotated the light in a sideways figure eight pattern - later ones just in a 180 degree arc as I recall. It was really a spectactular sight to see the light flash on the buildings and track up ahead when the engineer of #9 got the go sign and lit up his headlights. I'll never forget the sights and sounds of two big Racehorse E's starting up The Meteor after its 8:24pm stop at the Rolla depot.
The question of the roof rotary beacons is a bit tougher to answer. Certainly, the GP15-1's, GP38's, GP38-2's, GP40-2's, SD40-2's, GP50's, SD38-2's, SW1500's, and B30-7's all came from the factory with roof beacons installed. I think the early SD45's, GP35's and U30b's probably came from EMD & GE without roof rotary beacons, but very shortly thereafter, the Frisco fitted them on the units already received and had the builders put them on the units not yet received. I have an EMD print of SD45 926 that shows a rotary beacon on the unit at EMD. The Frisco then apparently added rotary beacons to all the road units during shoppings, including GP7's, GP35's, and U25b's. Most, if not all, of the NW2, SW7, SW9, VO, FM and ALCo yard switchers had an earlier, smaller rotary beacon installed before the road units had them. Bottom line - get a print of the unit you want to model, and put on the beacon if it had one, which it probably did. Does anybody else have a better answer? Ken
Ethan: Another good source for Frisco Locomotive pictures is the George Elwood Fallen Flags site. Google Fallen flags and you will find some great Frisco as well as other railroads photos. Bob Wintle
