Likely predates the 1970s. I think I recall single red lights centered at the peak of the roof on each end, as far back as the time I started hanging out at the Frisco in Fort Smith, AR sometime in 1969. Upon my retirement in 2018, the General Code Of Operating Rules (GCOR) rules were still requiring a red light at the end of train at the prescribed times.
Looking around on the archive, some of the cabooses (cabeese?) have some sort of small class light lamps on top of the cupola like Andre described. Others seem to have a large red lens light in the ends of the lower roof eve. See the following. Small Lamps http://frisco.org/mainline/wp-conte...oose-1718-location-unknown-in-August-1976.jpg http://frisco.org/mainline/wp-conte...ssouri-in-July-7-1978-R.R.-Taylor-768x660.jpg http://frisco.org/mainline/wp-conte...-Missouri-on-August-19-1978-R.R.-Taylor-b.jpg Large Lamps http://frisco.org/mainline/wp-conte...-Missouri-on-December-31-1979-R.R.-Taylor.jpg http://frisco.org/mainline/wp-conte...-Missouri-on-August-10-1986-R.R.-Taylor-b.jpg Edit 5/10/2024: Cabooses had marker lights to note the end of a train. Class lights are different. They should not be confused with or mistaken as marker lights. Class lights mark the front of a scheduled train running with sections or as an extra train. MKD
Thanks for the photographs. I certainly remember the large single lights at the ends, not sure I have definite mental images of the other version. I think we will find that hanging oil fired marker lamps went out during the late 1960s, likely right before they started doing away with oil fired switch lamps. Andre
