This week we continue our look at cool model railroading stuff that I have laying about! I bought a tub full of HO railroad stuff about five years ago, and this was in it!
Yes, it's another Tyco item! The "Operating Floodlight Car!" Let's open her up, shall we?
And there she is! In mint condition too! In fact, she looks so good that I always just assumed that she worked. In all these years, I'd never tested her! So, for this post, I grabbed a section of track and a 9 volt battery and gave it a whirl....
Whattayaknow? She works!
Now, for completeness, the back of the box...
All sorts of neat-o stuff!
Then, I got to thinking... I've never actually seen a train car like this out in the wild. Do railroads really use these? Have they ever? A quick question to my favorite AI search engine provided this answer...
"Floodlight cars, as depicted in model railroading, are largely a creation of toy train and model railroad companies like Lionel, Bachmann, and TYCO, designed to add visual appeal and functionality to model layouts. These cars, often equipped with swiveling or rotating lights, are marketed in various scales (e.g., HO, O, S) and branded with railroad names like Union Pacific, Amtrak, or Pennsylvania Railroad.However, there’s little evidence that dedicated "floodlight cars" were widely used by real railroads in the way they’re portrayed in model form. Some sources suggest railroads employed specialized equipment, such as cranes with attached floodlights for wreck recovery or maintenance work, as seen in a salvaged Norfolk Southern RR wreck car crane with articulated lamps. Additionally, road-rail vehicles or maintenance-of-way equipment might include lighting for nighttime operations, but these are not standalone "floodlight cars" as modeled.The concept seems to stem more from the creative liberties of model manufacturers than from widespread historical or operational use in actual railroading."
Well, there you have it, I was right. The "floodlight car" is more toy than prototype. I think Lionel must have produced the first one and other companies followed in the later years still, it's a pretty cool item, and I'm sure it looks cool going around the track.
That's it for this week! Until next time, keep searching for treasure!
"Let's open her up"
ReplyDelete"And there she is"
"she looks so good"
" just assumed that she worked"
"I'd never tested her!"
"She works!"
Clearly, you have a close relationship with "her". What is her name? (If I may be so bold.) ;-p
OK, now that I got that out of my system... It IS a cool addition to have in one's train layout. I was surprised to learn that it is not actually a thing in real life.
On the back of the box, what is that last accessory, in the bottom right corner? A cattle crossing grate? (har,har)
Like you said: "neat-o stuff"! Thanks, Stu.
Lol, I guess I got a little carried away with the slang there! It does seem a little naughty when you put it like that! Oh well, at least you read it!
DeleteYeah, I never even thought that they might not be real, and had it not been for AI, I still wouldn't know it, because, let's face it, I'm not doing the research.
Yes, that's a gate for computerized cattle!