Steam & Excursion > Lenses

I'm in the process of restoring a pair of steam locomotive classification lights, and want to determine the proper color of lenses used in these lights. When purchased these had many different color lenses installed. The SD&AE Rulebook I have only shows red, white, and green lights showing for different aspects.

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Mike

Red was not that common for class lights. Clear and green where the most used for class lights. When displayed properly, say you want to display green, green should be forward and to the outside of the track, clear should be facing the cab and to the inside. hope that helps

Thanks for the info!!!! Mike
2720 Wrote:
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> I'm in the process of restoring a pair of steam
> locomotive classification lights, and want to
> determine the proper color of lenses used in these
> lights. When purchased these had many different
> color lenses installed. The SD&AE Rulebook I have
> only shows red, white, and green lights showing
> for different aspects.
>
> Any assistance will be greatly appreciated!
> Thanks,
> Mike

SierraSidewinder Wrote:
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> 6ET Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Red was not that common for class lights. Clear
> > and green where the most used for class lights.
> > When displayed properly, say you want to
> display
> > green, green should be forward and to the
> outside
> > of the track, clear should be facing the cab
> and
> > to the inside. hope that helps
>
>
> I would like to add a little more here. My
> father, having worked for the railroad, collected
> quite a few class lamps, two of which have been
> restored and used on the Sierra Railway at
> Railtown 1897 State Historic Park (Jamestown, CA).
> See these photos to see. (Thanks, Geo!)
>
> http://www.trainorders.com/images2/view.php?30742
> http://www.trainorders.com/images2/view.php?30745
>
> Many class lamps have clear outer lenses, with a
> flip-down color plate inside that changes the
> display color. If you have a four-lens model as
> described above, that would be correct. If you
> have a two-lens model like my father's
> Pyle-National lamps, then you would orient the
> lamps with the a lens facing forward and a lens
> facing outward. The clear (white) color would be
> shown if the locomotive or train is operating as
> an unscheduled "extra" train. The green plate
> would be flipped down if the train is operating as
> the first section in a multiple-section train.

I was going to mention something like that but did not want to type a big hoopla about it. I am also restoring a set of Southern Pacific 2 lens Classification lights that only have a green flip down colored lens on the inside.

My lamps have 4 lenses, have a rounded body with the 4 lens openings. At the base of each lamp is a round pull handle on a short shaft, pull out and you spin the body to present the aspect you want. This body sits in a bracket with the mount that slides into a bracket mounted on the locomotive.
My next step is to locate proper lenses to go with the remaining correct lenses I have that are intact.

On Union Pacific the class lights had a flip lever so that a locomotive could display white or green to the front and side. White indicated an extra train and green signified a section. So if the railroad was running sections of a scheduled train they would be so designated. First number 27 would carry 1-27 in its train indicators and green class lights. So would more sections as many as are run on that trains schedule. Then train number 27 would carry its number in the train indicators and is class lights would be extinguished.
And of course extra trains ran with the white class lights and would be designated in the train indicators as X-(loco number).
Bob Krieger
UP retired
Cheyenne

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY