Passenger Trains > Metra gyralights cutting through the snow

A round of moderate snowfall started today in Chicago during the evening rush. This video shows two Metra expresses, train 337 and 349, flying past the Rogers Park stop with gyralights twirling. The signals in the video may not be up much longer, there is a replacement head on one of the masts.

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Excellent video!  Thanks for posting.

Very well done, nice steady camera work thanks for posting
Mike in WI

On the go at 7-0 !   Enjoyed your fine video . Thanks for sharing. --Kelly

Very cool!

Makes me want to go to Chicago to see gyralights in action and then go to the Loop for some Greek fast food being cooked to see a gyrolight in action!

Like it.  If one cannot see these coming then they have a problem!

4489 Wrote:
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> Like it.  If one cannot see these coming then
> they have a problem!

The same answer SP came up with about 80 years ago.

I remember those lights from when I was a kid.  The trains headed towards my home and would turn to one of two routes about 1/3 of a mile from me.  The trains would be about 2 miles from my home when I would first see the lights.  Sometimes I would hop on my bike and race to trackside and watch the trains.  Those were very effective as an early warning device at night.  I wish they still used them everywhere.

Nice video.

John

PHall Wrote:
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> 4489 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Like it.  If one cannot see these coming then
> > they have a problem!
>
> The same answer SP came up with about 80 years
> ago.

And we will probably be saying the same thing 5 years from now, SIGH.
 

short video but very sweet! VOTD canidate.

Very nice video! It's interesting to watch gyralights, especially in different weather conditions. When it's foggy it makes a somewhat eerie effect through trees along the line.
Union Pacific replaced signals farther down the line some months ago. Are they doing that on the whole line?

> > Like it.  If one cannot see these coming then
> > they have a problem!
>
> The same answer SP came up with about 80 years
> ago.

Aren't the Metra lights Mars lights? Those date from the 1930s on C&NW trains on these same lines. In other words, about the same time or earlier in history than the SP lights.

Lighter Wrote:
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> Aren't the Metra lights Mars lights?

I'm not sure, if anyone does know I appreciate the correction.

wa4umr Wrote:
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> I remember those lights from when I was a kid. 
> The trains headed towards my home and would turn
> to one of two routes about 1/3 of a mile from
> me.  The trains would be about 2 miles from my
> home when I would first see the lights. 
> Sometimes I would hop on my bike and race to
> trackside and watch the trains.  Those were very
> effective as an early warning device at night.  I
> wish they still used them everywhere.
>
> Nice video.
>
> John


I wish they still used them everywhere.  Me too, however, they still exist, they are now called "Ditch Lights".  

 

I find Gyralites to be mesermising to watch, here's an ex-SP one from my train room.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4aTvJvsHkg

John Acosta
Palm Springs, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/14/20 13:34 by Josta.

Signals changing, lights  flashing etc,  good video.

Are GYRA LIGHTS or MARS LIGHTS still sold / supplied with spare parts??  I thought the makers no longer made them...?

Josta Wrote:
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> I find Gyralites to be mesermising to watch,
> here's an ex-SP one from my train
> room.....Gyralite

Now that is VERY cool!

The Zinging sound of these expresses rolling by at speed is fantastic.  They all sound great..
With those Gyralites and ditch lights I would often remark to my conductors when we would meet these trains on BN/BNSF's East End,  if  someone gets hit with this light package coming at them, then they wanted to get hit.  Awesome,  love the Gyralites...

PWM

inCHI Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lighter Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > Aren't the Metra lights Mars lights?
>
> I'm not sure, if anyone does know I appreciate the
> correction.

A little bit of searching suggests that Mars = figure 8 pattern and CNW, Gyralite = circular and SP.  May or may not be true. 

That Metra unit looks to me to be in a circular pattern.