Were the CG E7 (blue/gray era) locomotive single headlights constant, Mars, or the Gyralite sweeping motion? I was not around then to witness first hand and have been unsuccessful in finding a video clip that demonstrates this subject.

David

-- David Godwin (wdgodwin@aol.com), September 04, 2001

Answers

This post spawns a question. Are there any videos at all available either through the society or commercially of any CofG action through the 50s and 60s? Just wanted to ask. I would especially be interested in any video showing any C-Line action during it's heyday.

Jonathan Vanover "In all of your getting, get understanding." Proverbs 4:7

-- Jonathan Vanover (jon4jesus@charter.net), September 06, 2001.

David, The Central E7s had a constant headlight (twin-sealed beam, I think). The E8s (811 & 812) were equipped with dual headlights, but I'm not sure how often the mars lights were actually used. I have over two hours of movie footage shot during the 1950s of nearly all of the southeastern roads, and in all of that footage, a rotating mars light (or Gyralite) appears only twice - once on an FEC passenger train with an E8 or E9 in the lead, and on an NC&StL F7 passing through the Cumberland Tunnel with the "Dixie Flyer." Even though other roads such as ACL had dual lights on most of their diesels, they never were activated in the footage that I saw.

-- Tom Alderman (Topa12283@aol.com), September 04, 2001.