Re: Marker Light Qestion *LINK* *PIC*

Out here in SP land they had similar functions for the permanently mounted caboose marker lamp yet it was covered under rule 19 although addendums were added or deleted up through 1979. The colors that were displayed differed from one railroad to the next as far as I can tell by gleaning some of my older rule books from Santa Fe & SP. The ICC mandated many of the Class 1 lines for specific colors depending on where the train was travelling or parked. It is therefore possible that the ICC, which could have been the enforcing agency for the SVRy, envoked the ideas or rules which you found in the rulebooks. Other influences could have been the connection with the local Class 1 line in Baker City. During the early part of the ICC's history, there was alot of development and overlapping with the state railroad agencies. I am not sure if Oregon was one of the states that relied soley upon the ICC for the Intrastate Railroad infrastructure. I know this to be true in Nevada though.
From a 1965 SP Rulebook states:
"19: Markers must be displayed while train is authorized and be removed when train arrives at destination, except that lights of markers permanently installed must be extinguished.
One of the following lighting arrangements (with instructions covering their use) will fulfill the requirements for markers:
1. Oil burning......
2. Side electric lights or roof-line lights permanently installed on certain passenger cars, or portable single unit electric red light.
3. Combination electric oscillating red light and auxiliary green light. Red light must be extinguished and green light displayed when train has stopped clear of main track to be met or passed by another train.
4. Combination portable...
5. Electric red and green lights permanently installed on tops of cabooses. Red light must be extinguished and green light displayed when train has stopped clear of main track to be met or passed by another train.
Electric marker lights must be lighted by day and by night, and display red to the rear except as otherwise provided in (3) and (5)"
Some of the old hacks had permanently mounted red lights either body or roof mounted. Most familiar on the SP models are the Frog Eye type. SP constantly changed from one design to another yet no verifiable reason is given for one or the other.
The link below shows a catalog page from Adams & Westlake and you can see the offerings for caboose cupola tail lamps.
However this is a great subject and I am by no means an authority and if others are out there with more knowlege I know we all welcome it as this has always facinated me as an avid collector since my first marker lamp I purchased at age 12. I am glad that Curtis F. and myself were a part of making that Right Hand Marker more of a reality when we visited recently! I look forward to seeing them on the #3 at next years fall freight run.
Jeff