Hello all. I would like to know the color of the locomotive numbers on the side of the P-5-A class Pacifics. I read in a old thread the ATLANTIC COAST LINE was in yellow on the side of the tender? Just wondering about that because all the photos I have are in B&W. It appears the numbers and text are in white, or gray, but cannot be sure.

Also, One last question, or two... what were the colors on the marker lamps carried on the tender? I assume yellow on the sides of the locomotive and red facing away from the tender?

Were the marker lamps on the tenders always lit at night, or just when running light?

Thanks in advance for all your help!

Daniel T. Edwards

-- Daniel T. Edwards (edwardtaylor@hotmail.com), September 23, 2003

Answers

Daniel: All ACL locomotives I ever fired had the locomotive numbers painted in white, including the ACL logo on the side of the tank. A very few ten-wheeled locomotives used on the light rail east of Rocky Mount on occasion could be seen with "Atlantic Coast Line" painted in gold letters, but were painted the standard white scheme when they went through the backshop at Rocky Mount. As to markers on the tender, each locomotive tender was equipped with a standard marker bracket just as you would see on either end of a caboose for hanging marker lamps when needed. The only time marker lamps were positioned on the rear of a tender was when a locomotive was running light. The normal running position was for the red lens to be turned to the rear, while the amber lens were turned to either side of the tender. As in the case with a train, should the light engine get in the clear to be overtaken by another train, it was the responsibility of the engine crew to turn the amber lens to the rear, and the red lens to either side so as not to be visible by a train approaching from the rear. Amber lights to the rear assured the following train that he was approaching a train that was in the clear, and not about to plow into the rear of another standing train. You didn't ask, but the marker lamps on the front of the locomotive had four lenses, two were white and two were green. A train running extra had a white lens to the outside, and a white lens displayed forward on both of the marker lamps. Same configuration when a locomotive was carrying green signals for a following section, one green lens was displayed to either side, and one was displayed in the forward position. Whether it was day or night, an extra train displayed white flags and white marker lamps, and a train displaying green signals carried both green flags as well as green marker lamps. In the days of steam operartion, signals that were displayed by trains were much more significant than is the case today. I hope this sheds a bit of light on your question.

-- Bill Sellers (was2nd@charter.net), September 23, 2003.