Nostalgia & History > Mars light, on other than railroad locomotive

Check out the Mars light on this 1952 Seagraves pumper.

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I remember seeing Mars lights on Memphis Fire Dept equipment many years ago.  

Sirene speaker.

Mars lights are used fairly often on fire apparatus.  On the east coast we use another light that also got it's origins on locomotives.  The light in the top of the F unit nose would rotate around and then turn red if in emergency application.  That morphed into what we call the Rotoray.  In application on fire trucks there are 3 lights and all remain on at the same time.

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Way back (ca. late 1950s) in Burbank, California, the  BFD had a number of Van Pelt engines equipped with the oscillating 'Light From Mars'.
I mentioned this to a friend that had retired from the LAFD.
He said that the California Highway Patrol had determined that the oscillating light did not comply with the California Vehicle Code section requiring motorists to yield to a 'siren and a continuous red light'.
Indeed, to this day, some CHP sedans have ONLY a red exterior spotlight.
In the day of high-intensity LEDs, that red spot seems to comply with the basic law.
'You are under arrest', to quote an FBI agent's son.
My 2¢.
...Lorenzo

Because of the "red light bandit"  California has had in place for many years the requirement for at least one steady red light facing forward on emergency equipment.  Aside from the one red, you can have as many whirly gigs as you want.

The steady red light to the front has been in the California Vehicle Code since the 1920's.
And Mars Lights were invented for use on Fire Trucks. Railroad use came about later.

PHall Wrote:
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> The steady red light to the front has been in the
> California Vehicle Code since the 1920's.
> And Mars Lights were invented for use on Fire
> Trucks. Railroad use came about later.

As I understand it, the first use of a Mars light was on the CNW's '400' with an operational test
in 1936.  The first ones were on dedicated Pacific-type locomotives used for the trains operation
between Chicago and Milwaukee.  The initial application placed the light directly in front of the
smoke stack at a 45-degree angle.  The lights were later used on fire fighting apparatus.  It
was invented by a Chicago firefighter for dual use.

Why "Mars?"

Kimball Wrote:
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> Why "Mars?"

That was/is the family name, also as in "Mars Candy". Try Google for the Mars Signal Light Co..

A tribute to "Mars" the red planet......