Long Island RR "end of train" old practices


azdiane

azdiane

Member
Hi,

I'm putting together a consist of early to mid-fifties era Long Island passenger cars.

I'm hoping someone recalls what sort of lighting or end-of-train device might have been in use on the last coach by LIRR in that period. Would this have been before FREDs? So far this is the only photo I've come across of the rear of a LIRR commuter train. There is clearly some sort of device hanging in the door, with a power cord attached. Are those two dark spots high on the car end maybe red lights? Any recollections or findings would be appreciated.

Hugs,
Diane
LIRR 15-car train.jpg
 
Wild, totally unsubstantiated guess, the two dots are red markers and the big "box' is a back up headlight.
 
Red markers on the sides .. Large light is a "solid" steady red too!
BTW .. Very nice photo!
 
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Looking closely at that photo, it looks to me like the two lights on either side of the end door have power cords running to them, and then beyond them to what is probably a switch, reachable on the end of the car by a crewman on the steps. While the lights themselves are not visible on other cars further ahead, the switch is. I'm guessing that all cars had this lighting capability, and thus the capability of being run, with either end forward, as the last car. This is fun, trying to dig out obscure bits of history from photographic railrodania.

Diane
 
"FRED" (End of Train Device) usage started in the mid '80s when cabooses stopped being used on freights. Actual dates depends on the RR. Doubt very much LIRR pax trains ever had FREDs since they aren't freight trains.
 
Hi Y'all,

I've been enjoying my Saturday morning by perusing pics of old heavyweight passenger cars. I don't see those end-of-train lights installed on all cars, but I do see them on quite a few.

From the railroad's point of view doesn't it have to be worth the expense of installing them so as to avoid having to jockey around a car that can't be run in the end position in the consist? (On the model railroad, on the other hand, that will probably be the practice). I have yet to come across a fifties era pic of a LIRR or PRR car that did not have the lights on the end.

Does anyone have info about the big center light hanging in the car's back door in that picture I posted earlier?


Hugs,
Diane
 
OK ...Here is the skinny on the large light in the center. The information is in there, sometimes it just takes a while to work its way back to the surface.

The large light had a red lense, and could be transferred from one car to another. Inside the box was a device which would cause the light to slowly go from bright to dim to bright, alternating back and forth, sort of like a flashing signal light.

I remember seeing them on several passenger trains as a youngster.
 
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Oohh, awesome, Sherril. Thank you for that research. That bright/dim feature must be available in some little chip somewhere, or probably even pre-programmed into an LED, so that ought to be something I can make.
Diane
 
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