What's interesting is that the museum still has the different markers. Some with the green, others with the yellow lenses. IRRC, the ones we used to use had reds front and rear and greens to the side. When you think about it, the same light could work in the coupola's signal box with green front and rear or red front and rear.
One thing mentioned in the timetable which I am still puzzled by was the green light on the locomotive??? pointed backwards?
I believe with the use of green lights / flags to indicate a second section(s) would have been confusing with the extra green light. And then all the "weird" combinations of lights marking the end of a stopped train (red to rear on the track away from the track being passed and green (or yellow) to the rear on the side being passed on. Or reds to the rear so they are NOT overtaken. - etc.) Throw another red or green light in there and it could be really confusing. And the light on the locomotive??? I do not recall seeing any pictures of a light on the locomotive.
I imagine most of the extra lights were definately outdated by the time all the equipment was upgraded to automatic knuckle couplers and automatic air brakes which would stop the train if seperated so the caboose crew would not need to be watching to a silly little light on top of the locomotive.
Personally, I would have the signal boxes on the caboose but if you have a sunrise herald on the side, then the boxes would not be in use by that time you are trying to model. I know I'll have to make one of these boxes for my 2.5" scale 0404 which I really need to get started on soon. I'm still getting all my old equipment restored and out of the shop before I build the new stuff. But the new stuff will be so much bigger and will hold all the tools and such I need for the train and building and maintaining the track. It'd be nice to have all the tools I need onboard the train so I don't need to hunt them up each time.
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Robert Herronen
Builder, Rio Grande Southern R.R. of North Carolina
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rgsrailroadofnorthcarolina.blogspot.com]