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Post by The Ferro Kid on Dec 28, 2023 2:43:24 GMT -8
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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Dec 28, 2023 3:02:13 GMT -8
Thanks for that. Interesting "assembly" for sure....re: PDF, the continuum...continues.
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Post by wagnersteve on Dec 28, 2023 8:01:25 GMT -8
December 28, 2023, nearly 11 a.m., EST
The Ferro Kid, thanks very much for posting the photo of the B&M's "7 bulb" -- I've corrected a typo in its caption -- headlight from an E7A unit, which I have just printed out, apparently with no bad side effects. I'll put it in one of the books on the Boston & Maine in my collection.
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Post by gmpullman on Dec 28, 2023 13:37:52 GMT -8
Anyone have a photo of the "7 lens/bulb" light?  BandM_4255 by Edmund, on Flickr Regards, Ed |
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Post by Mr. Trainiac on Dec 28, 2023 18:49:37 GMT -8
The Illinois Central E6 assigned to the City of Miami (the original train with the yellow and green paint scheme) also had the 7-bulb upper headlight. I wonder why EMD provided this headlight as an option. What purpose did it serve over a normal single-bulb or dual sealed-beam design? Did a single bulb not put out enough light? Was it for redundancy to avoid burnt-out headlights? To me, it seems unnecessarily complicated and maintenance intensive to replace all those bulbs.
Is anyone else a bit skeptical about the detail on these models? The previous ALCo PA was controversial to say the least, and something about the CAD for the FT just looks 'chunky.' I hope they can do some refinement to it. If you zoom in on the close-up image of the truck, the brake cylinders intersect with the truck sideframe. Will they be molded-in? If they are separately applied, it looks like the back of the cylinder is flat. Either someone built the CAD model incorrectly, of the brake cylinder design is too low-relief.
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Post by sd80mac on Dec 29, 2023 6:15:27 GMT -8
As far as F units go, Rapido's track record has been pretty good compared to some of their other models. Their FP9 and FL9 were both excellent. Let's see if they can translate that to the FT.
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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Dec 29, 2023 6:32:33 GMT -8
Interesting looking light, it defies reason to have so many bulbs, they look like the old turn/tail light bulb of old before all the stylish molded lights became part of the auto de$ign practices. Thanks, Ed, for posting it.  |
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Post by bdhicks on Dec 30, 2023 9:29:36 GMT -8
I remember I've seen a similar light on a GE gas-electric from the 1910s
I suppose you get a lot of redundancy that way.
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Post by bnsf971 on Dec 30, 2023 9:46:15 GMT -8
I've never seen one in operation, but I wonder if the center bulb stayed lit, and the lights around it came on and went off in a circular pattern, sort of like an oscilating light?
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Post by rockfan on Dec 30, 2023 9:58:40 GMT -8
I'm guessing it was an option for railroads that didn't want the lower door headlight but still wanted multiple warning lights.
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Post by theengineshed on Dec 30, 2023 14:58:22 GMT -8
I've never seen one in operation, but I wonder if the center bulb stayed lit, and the lights around it came on and went off in a circular pattern, sort of like an oscilating light? An early Oscitrol light package? No rotating mechanism, but some of the lights were aimed off center and could alternate back and forth. |
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Post by markfj on Dec 30, 2023 15:44:10 GMT -8
I don’t really have much to add to this discussion other than this neat photo I grabbed off eBay years ago. It shows a Reading FT up in the air waiting on new or refurbished trucks. You get a good look at the rear drawbar and the heavy conduit that runs around the door opening.  Thanks, Mark |
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Post by edwardsutorik on Dec 30, 2023 16:27:26 GMT -8
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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Dec 31, 2023 8:06:22 GMT -8
New style LED lights are crazy anymore. My '20 Gladiator shoots death beams they're so bright...oh the hate they generate, even on low beam. |
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Post by cpr4200 on Dec 31, 2023 8:24:43 GMT -8
Somewhere I found the patent for the 7-bulb headlight. IIRC the bulbs to the left and right of the center light could oscillate. Don't know if B&M's did that.
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Post by wjstix on Jan 3, 2024 7:48:04 GMT -8
I think the key reason a few railroads chose the seven-light option was just for redundancy. If you have a one-bulb headlight and the bulb fails, you don't have a headlight anymore. If you have seven bulbs and one goes out, you still have six bulbs lit.
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Post by big train james on Jan 12, 2024 14:03:13 GMT -8
It's funny what you stumble upon sometimes.....
I was going through old issues of Model Railroader and RMC to pull out particular articles of interest that I would like to hold on to. I noticed that in the back of the June 2002 issue of Model Railroader, there is a one page article by Paul Dolkos on adding 7-bulb headlights to his Proto 2000 E7 and Stuart FT. The article doesn't give any background as to why a handful of railroads chose the 7-bulb headlight, but it does offer a process for making the modification to the listed locos.
Jim
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Post by cpr4200 on Jan 12, 2024 15:53:01 GMT -8
Here's the 7-bulb patent:
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jan 12, 2024 16:41:55 GMT -8
Here's the 7-bulb patent:
Thanks! That's very informative. So the top two lights can oscillate--the rest can't. But those can be individually "permanently" aimed. Yup, that would be neat to see in model form. Ed |
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Post by win70rob on Jan 13, 2024 15:23:14 GMT -8
It would be awesome to see a high quality FT made. I happen to be a huge fan of all F units but I’m very skeptical of anything Rapido wants to make. They seem to make more time for nonsense videos and talk about the underbody of there models vs taking the time to focus on quality control and just plain making sure they have the right color paint. I am interested in the 7 bulb headlight to see how that will come out. I wish detail companies offered those. Some of the Boston & Maine F2s had those as well or at least may have been delivered with them at first. I do hope Rapido does there research and gets the B&M historical society involved but past history shows that they may just botch the entire model
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Post by cpr4200 on Jan 13, 2024 15:38:01 GMT -8
I think KV was approached about making the 7-bulb fixture but, IIRC he thought the bulbs were too close together to hold up as an etching.
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