Model Railroading > Class lights D&RGW SD40T-2s

Keep looking at photos of the new ST models and each time, I notice right away, the silver class lights.  They just bother me so much seeing when delivered, these units had nicely painted class lights!  Some were all black, some orders were painted part black and part orange to match the situation.  I will check on orders 2-5, but a recent slide on E-Bay of the 5353 and 5341 confirms that they were painted black from the factory.  Your thoughts?

Rob

https://donsdepot.donrossgroup.net/dr0403/rg5374.jpg

All it takes is a good photo that accentuates the class lights from the background to dictate production.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/19 12:26 by Hookdragkick.

OregonOldGuy Wrote:
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> Keep looking at photos of the new ST models and
> each time, I notice right away, the silver class
> lights.  They just bother me so much seeing when
> delivered, these units had nicely painted class
> lights!  Some were all black, some orders were
> painted part black and part orange to match the
> situation.  I will check on orders 2-5, but a
> recent slide on E-Bay of the 5353 and 5341
> confirms that they were painted black from the
> factory.  Your thoughts?
>
> Rob

As delivered from EMD they were painted. But any replacement units were normally left in natural aluminium.
Of course if the unit was repainted the class lights would be painted too. Same deal with the headlights and gyralites.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/19 13:17 by PHall.

Hookdragkick Wrote:
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> https://donsdepot.donrossgroup.net/dr0403/rg5374.j
> pg
>
> All it takes is a good photo that accentuates the
> class lights from the background to dictate
> production.  Probably an exception.  The T-2 behind her has black light housings.

Rob

The original early EMD class lights were metal,not aluminum,and were painted to match the black and orange stripes. those earlier class lights had a glass lense held on by the metal ring with two metal thumb screws. The later ones that look silver in photos are one piece clear  plastic castings with no paint at all..The same metal thumbscrews hold them on. Detail Associates 2019 class light replcate these exactly, as thet are cast in clear plastic. However if you use these with with a light feature behind them the ring portion will possible transmit the light where as one the prototype it doesn't.

I would love to know the logic, origin and naming of "class" lights. Seems like the majority are now just plated over.  Thanks for your reply.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/19 11:48 by Walter1.

OK,  I have looked at literally 100s of slides of the T-2s on the Rio Grande.  The first four orders they are, in a word, BLACK.  Occasionally one finds one where a shop person has taken the time to add some orange to match the stripes.  Rather rare though.  But:  The second order appears to have arrived with class lights painted to match the striping.  The silver looking shot of the 5374s could be a replament, or sun glare.  As a general rule, they are painted black.  Now the fifth order, they are diferent.  Not silver like the ST did, but not exactly the black of first four orders.  They are blackish and I will look at some more photos.  Report later.

So, BLACK, not silver.

Sorry Shane.

Rob



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/19 11:55 by OregonOldGuy.

Walter1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I would love to know the logic, origin and naming
> of "class" lights. Seems like the majority are now
> just plated over.  Thanks for your reply.

It's short for classification lights. Their use stems from the days of timetable and train order operations. White indicated an extra train not listed in the timetable, green indicated a following section of a schedule, red was used to indicate the end of a train. Changes in rule books means they are no longer required, and plating over them eliminates the maintenance requirements.

Posted from Android

Darren Boes
Lethbridge, AB
Southern Alberta Railfan

Looks like we may need to get out a paint brush and black paint if we want our ScaleTrains D&RGW tunnel motors to appear as was typical in the late 1970's.  Hopefully ST will correct this detail on future runs.
 

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Looks like we may need to get out a paint brush
> and black paint if we want our ScaleTrains D&RGW
> tunnel motors to appear as was typical in the late
> 1970's.  Hopefully ST will correct this detail on
> future runs.
>  

As is always, always, always  usa a phot of the engine you are modelign about the time you are modeling!!!  I have found several examples of class lights that started out black and someone took the time to add the orange stripe.   Some even have the striping going right up to the black Mars light cover!  Each unit becomes unique over time.

Rob

Aye!

Well, with a little egg on my face, I must report that a photo of the 5377 has surfaced, brand spanking new and still in the Chicago area, that cleary shows silver class lights.  My redeaming, sort of, feature is that later on photos of this group show they were repaitned black, quickly!  Maybe even as early as their initial set  up at Burnham Shops.  Also of note is that the Mars Light cover and the headlight fixture were also silver at time of delivery.  Now, was this unique to the 5377, or the entire order??  More research will continue.  Stay tuned for further developments.

Rob

OregonOldGuy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well, with a little egg on my face, I must report
> that a photo of the 5377 has surfaced, brand
> spanking new and still in the Chicago area, that
> cleary shows silver class lights.  My redeaming,
> sort of, feature is that later on photos of this
> group show they were repaitned black, quickly! 
> Maybe even as early as their initial set  up at
> Burnham Shops.  Also of note is that the Mars
> Light cover and the headlight fixture were also
> silver at time of delivery.  Now, was this unique
> to the 5377, or the entire order??  More research
> will continue.  Stay tuned for further
> developments.
>
> Rob

The lens cover housing for the oscillating light on the nose was likely just unpainted aluminum when new.  Likely also for the "silver" (unpainted metal) housing/bezel for the class lights.

Cheers,
Harry



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/23/19 08:59 by tracktime.

Ah.  So technically ST is representing the class light housings as unpainted silver/aluminum as "as-delivered".

Here is a photo of one of the ST tunnel motors, #5356 in 1981, with black class light housings it appears in the B&W photo:

http://rr-fallenflags.org/drgw/drgw5356aga.jpg

Here is a 1981 photo of a sister unit from the same class, also black.

http://rr-fallenflags.org/drgw/drgw5357rla.jpg

Here is another unit from the same class which has the class light perimeter painted to match the stripes - orange and black:

http://rr-fallenflags.org/drgw/drgw5361ads.jpg

Here is a 1979 photo - black housing.

http://rr-fallenflags.org/drgw/drgw5364f22.jpg

So from this brief photo study, it appears for my purposes, black is going to be the most common for the class light housings.  I did a quck check of the 1974 class D&RGW tunnel motors.  There a fair number of photos taken in 1975 of them, and most had black painted class light covers as well, but one or two did have orange to match the stripe.  Maybe it depended on the mood of the shop guys or who did it?

So consult photo's for closest representation if it matters.

Cheers, Jim
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/23/19 10:01 by SPDRGWfan.

I came across one of my slides of then brand new 5342.  Class lights not only painted, but beautifully matching the nose striping pattern.

Rob



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/19 22:39 by OregonOldGuy.