# MARKER LIGHTS ON CABOOSE



## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

The marker lights on a caboose that look like lanterns, should there be any green lenses? 

Or...Should they all be Red?


JJ


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

John, the rear facing lenses were always red. The side and forward facing lenses varied with the railroad. Some side lenses were green and some were amber. Chuck


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

The train usually had one red lens to the rear. If the train was in a siding the lamp was turned so the red was facing the side.

Andrew


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## Big65Dude (Jan 2, 2008)

This is how I do my caboose marker lamps. 
Forward and side facing lenses are green and the one facing aft (which is out of sight in this pic) is, of course, red. 
BTW, I used the tops of colored plastic push buttons (for lighted switches) to simulate the fresnel lenses that were often used.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Always red to the rear and green to the other 3 sides. Later RJD


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Unless you are Santa Fe, red to rear, and yellow the other 2 directions. 

Greg


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Posted By aceinspp on 27 Jul 2013 05:36 PM 
Always red to the rear and green to the other 3 sides. Later RJD 
OPS...... I got red on all three sides.

My Next one I will make it Red to the rear and green on the other sides. 

JJ


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## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 28 Jul 2013 10:32 AM 
Unless you are Santa Fe, red to rear, and yellow the other 2 directions. 

Greg 
Yep. D&RGW also used yellow (amber) instead of green.

Here's for Greg;

Santa Fe markers on my HO scale layout:


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

What a great Picture Matt.... 

JJ


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## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By John J on 29 Aug 2013 08:35 PM 
What a great Picture Matt.... 

JJ 
Thanks JJ


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## stevedenver (Jan 6, 2008)

and , as a guy that likes all three colors, red, amber, and green 
the UP subsididary Oregon short line used red rear, amber side and green front 
so you can sorta do anything you fancy 

BIG 65 DUDE-those are the finest caboose lanterns ive ever seen, look like the real deal


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## Big65Dude (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By stevedenver on 06 Nov 2013 03:00 PM 
and , as a guy that likes all three colors, red, amber, and green 
the UP subsididary Oregon short line used red rear, amber side and green front 
so you can sorta do anything you fancy 

BIG 65 DUDE-those are the finest caboose lanterns ive ever seen, look like the real deal Thanks for the nice compliment.


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

Jack. Yep, those colored plastic push buttons work really well for fresnel lenses but why did you use blue ones? or do you see them as green? 

Andrew


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Garratt on 10 Nov 2013 01:22 AM 
Jack. Yep, those colored plastic push buttons work really well for fresnel lenses but why did you use blue ones? or do you see them as green? 

Andrew The fresnel lenses DO look blue, but they are green. I used the same lenses on my Trackside Details marker lamps. I'll see if I can find a picture today.


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## gtrainman (Jan 5, 2008)

Caboose marker lamp colors standards > GOOGLED

http://www.trainorders.com/discussi...11,2305569
Nostalgia & History > The Caboose Marker Lamp . . . Date: 10/25/10 17:46
*The Caboose Marker Lamp . . .*
Author: SCKP187 
While I know most of us older members are quite familiar with these and some even have them in their collection, this post is primarily for the younger guys that were not around them and know how they were used. Complete with it's kerosene burner and fuel tank, convex lenses with magnification layers on the inside of the lens made the signal appear larger at a distance, deminishing to actual size the closer you got to it. The marker lamp also tells a story as well----when a train clears up in a siding for a trailing train to overtake, the prescribed rule called for rotating the red lens next to the main line so that green appears to the rear-side & front (hence 1 red and 3 grn)--the side next to the wheat field remains red to indicate the rear of train. After the overtaking train passes, the lamp is again rotated to show red to the rear on both sides. Thanks for listening and looking. 
Brian Stevens




[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ] 
Date: 10/25/10 17:47
*Re: The Caboose Marker Lamp . . .*
Author: SCKP187 
one more night shot


[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ] 
Date: 10/25/10 17:55
*Re: The Caboose Marker Lamp . . .*
Author: LarryDoyle 
Great post, and you are 100% correct. 

You do, however, need to replace that cracked lense. 


-Larry Doyle.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ] 
Date: 10/25/10 19:05
*Re: The Caboose Marker Lamp . . .*
Author: eminence_grise 
An older US rule book question. CP's Budd RDC's and the as delivered "bullet" marker lights on the "Park" cars had three color lenses, red, yellow and green. I've seen US kerosine marker lights with yellow lenses as well (with the rotary collar so they are not switch lights). What would yellow to the rear indicate?

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ] 
Date: 10/25/10 19:56
*Re: The Caboose Marker Lamp . . .*
Author: LarryDoyle 
eminence_grise Wrote: 
------------------------------------------------------- 
> An older US rule book question. CP's Budd RDC's 
> and the as delivered "bullet" marker lights on the 
> "Park" cars had three color lenses, red, yellow 
> and green. I've seen US kerosine marker lights 
> with yellow lenses as well (with the rotary collar 
> so they are not switch lights). What would yellow 
> to the rear indicate? 


This goes WAYYYY back, and I know nothing about CP rules in Canada. But... 

In the US, prior to about 1917 generally accepted signal protocols were 
- Red: Stop/Stop and proceed 
- Green: Caution - Reduce speed, approach, expect next signal to be stop, etc. 
- Clear/white: Clear, Proceed 

Marker lights also showed red to rear of train on main track; green (caution) or white (clear) on rear of train in siding (depending upon the railroads rules). 

About 1917 rules changed to: 
- Red: Stop/Stop and proceed 
- Yellow: Caution - Reduce speed, approach, expect next signal to be stop, etc. 
- Green: Clear,Proceed 

At the same time, white was eliminated as a rear of train marking, and some railroads (IIRC PRR, ATSF, and perhaps others) adopted yellow as a rear of train marker when in the clear on a siding. 

White remained the appropriate class signal for the front of an extra train and green to indicate a following section, but red and yellow/or green was appropriate for the rear marker, depending upon the railroads rules. 

-Larry Doyle



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/10 04:58 by LarryDoyle.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ] 
Date: 10/25/10 20:47
*Re: The Caboose Marker Lamp . . .*
Author: wabash2800 
Other than the red and green some railroads use the amber? or yellow? I had heard of this and saw the difference with my own eyes at the museum in Monon, Indiana. They were caboose marker lights from two different railroads and different. It had nothing to do with the time period, just a difference in rules for both railroads. 

Edit: 

Ok, I see that Larry explained that.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/10 20:48 by wabash2800.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ] 
Date: 10/26/10 05:14
*Re: The Caboose Marker Lamp . . .*
Author: LoggerHogger 
For those collecting marker lamps, this one is only missing the clear glass chimney that would fit on top of the burner. The chimney would prevent the flame from being blow out when the door was open and would channel the heat up to the top vent. 

Martin

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ] 
Date: 10/26/10 08:50
*Re: The Caboose Marker Lamp . . .*
Author: johnacraft 
eminence_grise Wrote: 
------------------------------------------------------- 
> I've seen US kerosine marker lights 
> with yellow lenses as well (with the rotary collar 
> so they are not switch lights). What would yellow 
> to the rear indicate? 


Some railroads (mainly western - AT&SF & D&RGW, for example) used marker lamps with 1 red and 3 yellow instead of 2 red and 2 green. 

There were quite a number of differences between eastern and western roads in the steam era: markers, hand signals, etc.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ] 
Date: 10/26/10 12:18
*Re: The Caboose Marker Lamp . . .*
Author: 72368 
On June 30, 1961, I was hurriedly "writing the rulebook" to be employed as a brakeman for the SP at Bakersfield. I was one 
of 20 guys who were getting hired, but most of them were fresh from high school and they seemed not too interested in finishing the rulebook and getting "marked up" and establishing a seniority date. I wrote frantically and was the only person who 
completed the task in one day. I remeber one question on the exam: What is the difference between Santa Fe and SP markers? 

In order that there be no confusion, I attached a photo to indicate that markers are always properly displayed aboard my 
private railcar, as God intended! 

TIOGA PASS


[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ] 
Date: 10/27/10 09:19
*Re: The Caboose Marker Lamp . . .*
Author: spnudge 
One thing on your rear markers, at least on the SP, was the marking "Right" and "Left" so when the brakeman hung them up, they would function as the rule book stated. (Red to the rear, or inside, green forward & rear, etc. 



Nudge

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ] 
Date: 10/27/10 16:46
*Re: The Caboose Marker Lamp . . .*
Author: SCKP187 
spnudge Wrote: 
------------------------------------------------------- 
> One thing on your rear markers, at least on the 
> SP, was the marking "Right" and "Left" so when the 
> brakeman hung them up, they would function as the 
> rule book stated. (Red to the rear, or inside, 
> green forward & rear, etc. 
> 
> 
> 
> Nudge 
mine are labeled left and right also 
Brian Stevens


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