Having been involved with setting up the "parking lot lights" I would like to add some of my views. When the new engine shop received a $250,000 rewiring somewhere about 01 or 02, they bought the outside pole lights to light the areas where the engines are serviced on the south end and where the hostler services them on the North side.
The light poles sat for years in the old roundhouse stalls because some people in high places objected to how they would look. Ed Beard asked that they get put up so he and the shop guys can see what they are doing out there at night. Joe Martinez, (the night hostler) told us a story about when he opened the people door on the North side to check on the engine, he bumped into a bear who was poking around in the dark one night.
The Friends members didn't put all of the poles up, as the original design would have been overkill. We did add lower lights to the poles so the guys could do inspections and grease the running gear.
While I do not like the look of the lights myself, and would love to see something better in the terms of more historic looking. I as a mechanic can understand why they are necessary for now until something better is obtained. I can see some glare at night, but most of that is the high pressure sodium lights pointing outward on the outside of the engine house, not the 175 watt M/H lights pointing straight down.
Ed and the guys have enough work to do to ensure that the engines are safe, and ready for the next day's work. They should not be made to work in the dark until a better solution is decided on and installed. When it shows up, I would be thrilled to be part of the team installing them. Until then, they add too much to safety not to use them.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2008 11:50PM by John Cole.
