Guys, I have decided to forego the interior in a few of my SCL M-5 cabs in favor of battery powered rear end flashing LED's. I know these flashers were in service during the late 1970's. Does anyone know when they were actually put in operation? Was anything actually required before these? This is for SCL 1970's to 1982 operation. Thanks, William Billy

-- William Billy (CRRGator@juno.com), September 25, 2002

Answers

Judging from photos I have, the rear end red light was in place on cabooses by 1980. I have a few 1978 photos of cabooses without them, so presumably they were installed beginning perhaps in 1979. I assume you are referring to the single round red light mounted at the end of the roof. Prior to this (and after actual marker lamps were done away with sometime in the 1960s), to my knowledge SCL used red reflectors at each side of the rear.

-- Larry Goolsby (clgoolsby@worldnet.att.net), September 28, 2002.

OOPS!!!! Open mouth and insert foot! I reread Billy's question and got caught up in my old age. Sorry,everyone.

-- Joseph Oates (jlosal@mindspring.com), September 26, 2002.

Harry, Your answer,tho correct,is not what Billy is asking.He is refering to the "FRED" that is now used on trains instead of the caboose. And the answer to that question is,I don't recall any "FREDS" before the middle of the eighties.

-- Joseph Oates (jlosal@mindspring.com), September 26, 2002.

Yes indeed - before LED's there were markers. Read a rule book and you'll find that a train isn't a train until markers are displayed. One certasin trainmaster would ride the caboose across his district. Approaching staffed stations, he'd remove the markers. Passing the station or tower, he'd even wave at the operator. After arrival, he'd make a trip to the dispatchers' office and review the train sheet. Every operator that had reported the train by his station (called as O.S.) received a reprimand. After all, since no markers were displayed, no train had passed.

-- Harry Bundy (Y6B@aol.com), September 26, 2002.